How to Become a Freelancer in Nigeria? It can be very tiring answering your boss and having to put up with their inexcusable behavior. Besides, sometimes, most of these 9-5 jobs don’t even offer an attractive paycheck to compensate you at the end of the month. If you can’t handle all these anymore, then you can choose to work as a freelancer. Interesting right? Want to know more about this? Then patiently read through his entire blog post.
The freelancing industry is slowly taking over the workforce in Nigeria as many choose to be their own boss in this era. A freelancing job might not have attractive pay but you decide what project you want to work on and also flexibility is one thing that you want to consider.
Furthermore, freelancers work remotely but most still earn more than other 9-5 jobs. With just a personal computer, internet, or even just a mobile device, you can earn more money. With the skills that you have, you can monetize them and secure that bag. There are several platforms that you can use to make money from your skill.
Who Is a Freelancer?
A freelancer is someone who is self-employed and gets hired to work for several companies on certain projects. Freelancing is also a form of employment without a long-term contract where people offer their services to clients. Services such as designing, digital marketing to writing are mostly the type of work that freelancers do.
Freelancers are experts in their field and they mostly get gigs from clients from different parts of the world. It could be a long-term or short time contract; however, this depends on the type of project. Freelancers have the opportunity to decide how much they will get paid for a project that they work on.
Furthermore, freelancers can work from home or they can work anywhere they are comfortable as long as they have internet and a personal computer. They have a flexible work schedule and they have a balanced work-life.
Requirement To Become A Freelancer
Before you can become a freelancer in Nigeria and land gigs, there is some set of requirements that you need to have and then you can proceed. Some of these include:
- Skills: You need to be skilled in one thing or the other before you can render services to clients. There are several digital and writing skills that you can learn and start working as a freelancer.
- Internet Subscription: You need a stable internet connection to be able to work freelance jobs. Make sure that you have a regular internet subscription to be able to render service to clients and earn money.
- Platform: To be able to work as a freelancer you need to have a platform. On these platforms, you will get clients that will offer you projects to work on. There are several platforms that you can choose from.
- Social Media Accounts: Having a social media account is very important for you to become a freelancer in Nigeria. Clients can easily connect to you and offer you gigs through your social media handle.
- Laptop: without a personal computer or laptop, you won’t be able to work as a freelancer.
These set of requirements are needed for you to become a freelancer in Nigeria and land gigs that will secure the bag.
How to Become a Freelancer in Nigeria
Being a freelancer in Nigeria is one way to start earning money from the comfort of your home. You can choose to work for several people at the same time. If you are interested in this, then you can follow the guide below:
- Know your talents and skills: The very first step to becoming a freelancer is to know your skills and talent. Know what you are good at and if you enjoy doing them. Then you do a self-assessment exercise. You also need to conduct market research to know the skills that are currently in demand.
- Get important training: Once you know the skills that you have, then the next step is to upgrade your skills with new training. There are several platforms that you can learn new skills from. Platforms such as Udemy, YouTube, Coursera, and LinkedIn offer courses on several subjects. If you want the traditional way of learning then there are several institutions that offer important courses.
- Create a Portfolio: One key to attracting new clients is to show your work very well. Having a portfolio is an important tool in your freelancing career. This is your chance to show your client what you are capable of. On your portfolio, you can have samples of your client testimonials, work, and other things you can do. If you don’t have experience, then you can create samples piece to show your capabilities. A good portfolio can create new opportunities to meet new clients and also have a successful freelancing job.
- Create Your Online Presence: The next step is to set up your online presence. This is an important step toward your freelancing career. If you want to be a freelancer you can setup your profile on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. You can also create an expert website that showcases your portfolio, about yourself, and your services. Social media platforms are great tools for finding freelance jobs and also networking.
- Find Freelance Jobs: If you are searching for where to find freelance jobs, then you can use platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr. These are wonderful places to find freelance jobs. If you are applying for jobs on these platforms make sure that you write a proposal that will blow the mind of the client. Make sure that you include why you are the best man for the job.
Negotiate Rates and Contracts: For freelancers, it is very important to know how to negotiate rates and contracts. You need to know how much you will charge for your services based on experience, the nature of the work, and also experience.
To become a successful freelancer in Nigeria, you need to carefully go over the steps listed above.
Best Freelance Jobs from Home
There are several writing and digital jobs that you can do from the comfort of your home. These jobs don’t require you to do at the office and you can easily learn them from YouTube or other platforms for learning. Here are some of the best freelancing jobs:
- Graphic designing: If you have skills in graphics designing then you can work as a freelancer and find clients on platforms such as Upwork. You can use your skills to earn money.
- Virtual Assistant Work: If you have an experience as an administrative assistant, you can do a job just like this for several clients from the comfort of your home.
- Logo Designing: As a student, you can design logos for a company and make a lot of money. All that is required is to know your skills and advertise what you are good at and then companies can hire you for work from there.
- Writing: Any type of writing from blogging to copywriting to journalism, you can use these skills to earn money for yourself while working from the comfort of your home.
- Editing and Proofreading: the internet really needs people with good editing skills and you can use that to land gigs and earn money.
- Data Entry: if you are really good at typing then you can consider this job as a freelancer. This way you can earn money.
And several more. These are some of the jobs that you can do as a freelancer in Nigeria. You can learn the skills from YouTube or other websites.
Top Freelance Websites
There are several platforms that you can choose to get gigs from as a freelancer. There are several bids that you can apply for. Here are some freelance websites:
- Upwork
- CloudPeeds
- Fiverr
- Indeed
- Service Scape
- Flexi Jobs
And there you have it. You can check out these websites for freelance jobs and also register for an account to get bids.
