Freelancing, For years, your parents and teachers have harped into your brain the importance of education-
- Higher education is the only way to get a job
- No one will employ you unless you have a bachelor’s degree
- Your educational qualification will be the first thing your employers see
- If you don’t have a university education, you cannot live happily
When you have all the adults around you repeating the same points keep over and over again, you start to view university education as a necessity, not an option.
However, times have changed immensely in the past few years. It is no longer simple to land a job as long as you have a university degree to flaunt. There are millions of students applying for jobs, and most end up not getting hired.
For this reason, many students are venturing into the world of freelancing.
Are you unfamiliar with the term? Let’s rectify that right now.
What Is Freelancing?
Freelancing involves working on a temporary contract basis for multiple organisations. It’s a position that gives you the freedom to be self-employed and choose who you want to work with.
The best part? You don’t work for anyone else but yourself.
An NPR article points out that- “…in a survey of more than 700 colleges and universities, the Institute of International Education found total international enrolment plummeted 16% between fall of 2019 and fall of 2020.”
A significant reason is the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on higher education, with many students fresh out of high school deferring their university admissions and taking up various freelancing work instead.
But the question that looms over everyone is- “Will not getting a university education affect my chances at freelancing?”
Stephane Kasriel believes that the future of work lies in job skills, not university degrees. He points out that the university curriculum is not sufficient to equip students with real-life skills that they need in any job.
Moreover, the debt that students incur for higher education becomes a burden, and many don’t think that future potentials of earning more can make up for the amount of stress being in debt can be.
What Are The Alternatives?
When you’re writing a physics paper and have to use the CSE citation format, you don’t have to remember every rule. With the help of a simple CSE citation generator, you can type in the information, and the generator will provide you with the correct citation.
Similarly, you don’t have to go through two to five years of university education to land a freelancing job. If you’re worried about lacking vital knowledge in certain areas, you can find good alternatives like-
- E-learning courses
- Workshops
- Seminars
- Conferences
All of these are excellent sources of information for particular fields. For example, if you have to write an article like A Quiet Place part 2 release date and movie review, you can take up a short film critic course to prepare yourself for the task.
Some of the popular short-term courses among freelancers are:
- SEO courses
- Ethical hacking courses
- Content Writing courses
- Web designing courses
- Graphic designing courses
- Animation courses
- Event management courses
What Do You Really Need To Achieve Freelancing Success?
Now that you realise university education isn’t the ultimate factor that can determine your success at freelancing, the question remains- what do you need to have a stable and prosperous freelancing job?
Let’s look into them one by one:
1. A burning passion for writing
One of the most common freelancing jobs worldwide is content writing. There are thousands of companies looking for content writers for-
- Blogging
- Social media
- Journalism
- Web content
- Technical writing
- Copywriting
- Ghost-writing
- Reviews
If you love to write, you’ll find plenty of unique freelancing jobs that are right up your alley.
2. Organisational skills
Your organisational skills will be the key to your freelancing success. When you’re working independently, you don’t have a team or a supervisor to rely on when things get tough. In most scenarios, you’ll be working for multiple clients at once, and unless you can prioritise your work, you’ll end up in a fix.
3. The willingness to learn and improve
Sometimes, freelancing can be challenging, especially when you’re in the beginning stages and have not developed all the necessary skills. But as long as you don’t give up and stay focused, it won’t be long before you pick up the tricks of the trade. Remember, success doesn’t come to those who give up easily.
4. Communication skills
Many freelancers don’t realise how crucial good communication skills can be to their success in freelancing. You’ll have to communicate with clients every day, give them updates about the work, provide suggestions and healthily take criticism. Communication is vital to understand what your client needs so you can give the best service.
5. A solid portfolio with client testimonials
At first, you might find it challenging to find good freelancing work that pays well. But everyone has to start from somewhere. Every successful job goes into building a portfolio that can attract more opportunities. Try to get testimonials from your previous clients to back yourself up.
Summing it up
University education is not compulsory if you want to be a successful freelancer. Most of the skills you require are soft skills that you can improve with time. Moreover, if you feel that you would benefit from learning more about certain subjects, you can take up short e-learning courses and attend seminars. So, don’t let the lack of a university education stop you from starting your freelancing journey.
Also read about: Tips to Become a Well-paid Freelance writer
