Being a student is never easy because there are a lot of things to manage and to prepare for as well. Earning money is never easy because students usually lack the time for it. but if you are really determined to earn some extra cash, then why not do freelancing while studying? Freelancing is more flexible because you get to handle your own time. You can even choose to work part time or full time depending on your availability.
Most students are now working as a freelancer because it is helping them earn for their own expenditures and they even get to earn money for the payment for their bills. There are tons of freelancing jobs available online; you have graphic designing jobs, article writing, logo making, blogging, advertising, survey answering, tutoring and many more. Even you have skills (marketable skills) for these jobs, then freelancing might be for you. if you happen to have connections with friends or professionals, ask them for advice of for referrals to help you get started. You may not earn a huge amount of money immediately but if you have multiple projects, the salary may start building up and it will teach you on how to handle clients well. Small projects are a good way to start freelancing especially for students.
Once you have some projects done, you can now use it for your portfolio. This is what you can use to let your future customers see what you are capable to do and to showcase your skills. Always remember that a well polished and prepared portfolio will easily catch a customer’s attention and you’ll more likely earn patrons. Ask your family or the professionals you know to look at your portfolio and to give you constructive criticism on how you can improve it. You can also post your portfolio on your blog for other people to see, just leave your email or other contact information on it so that they can get in touch with you easily.
Start contacting all of your connections and spread the word of the services that you are offering. If you don’t know a lot of people, you can join a community or groups to get you started. Other freelancers will also need other freelancers to complete their projects so it’s good to connect with other freelancers as well.
Another thing you can do to earn more patrons is to offer free trials first. Tutoring services will work best for this one. Give your client a free trial to let them get a feel of what your teaching style is, and if they like you and continue to hire you, you can now start charging them with a reasonable price.
Online jobs will help you build up your credit rating and credit score as well. If you are now starting to earn on your own, this may now go on to your credit report that will be seen by other employers. Having an online job will also keep you from having more debts because you will have your own extra money to spend. Just don’t forget that even though freelancing is flexible, it will still take a lot of time from you; and the more you do, the more you will earn from it.
Get your family to help you out with improving your skills and they can even be your first customers. Practice your marketable skills to produce better works for your clients. Be a responsible student and teach yourself the importance of financial management as early as now.