If you ever wanted to earn some extra money, then freelancing is the way to go. Of course, if you are currently studying in university or college, you might not have enough time for a part-time job, but freelancing is all about having time. Here's the ultimate guide to freelancing in university.

 

Benefits of Freelancing in University

One of the greatest benefits of freelancing is that it allows students to get the necessary work experience before you even graduate from university. Anyone can be a freelancer even if they never did it before.

The problem with getting a part-time job is that you might always have time for it. Moreover, you might not even find a job relevant to your degree. With freelancing, it's much easier to find clients as you can look for them on the Internet and get in touch with people from all over the world.

Another option you may have been considering is getting an internship. First of all, they are not always paid. Second of all, internships are not always easy to get by. Third of all, they usually don't function as they are supposed to which means that you will be doing tasks not directly related to your future profession.

Freelance is superior in so many ways. You can work wherever you feel comfortable working. You can also work for as long as you want to and set your own schedule for yourself. At the same time, you can find clients from all over the world and get paid according to the quality of work you provide.

 

Getting Started

Before you decide to become a freelancer, consider creating your own small business. It's actually quite possible even for students. You can check out 4 Inexpensive Ways To Successfully Market Your Business On A Tight Budget to get started with the marketing aspect.

Your business can be anything you want it to be as long as there is a demand for your product or service. But if you do want to go on with becoming a freelancer, continue reading.

The key element of freelancing is creating value for someone who needs it and getting paid in exchange. If you have the skills, you can use them to create something valuable for your clients who are looking for a person like you to solve their problems (by creating a logo for their brand, writing an article, and so on).

Even if you are not a master in the skill or set of skills you chose, you can still perfect it and improve it with time. If you like doing something and you can create value with it, you can start earning money with it through freelancing.

If you don't think that you have any skills, think again! Here are some examples of in-demand skills that you may possess and can use while freelancing:

• General Computer Skills: Even basic computer skills will do as they are enough to teach older people how to operate their PCs.
• Art Skills: Designing logos and other brand imagery, drawing digital art as commissions, selling your custom artwork on Etsy - these are a few ways you could use your art skills.
• Photo/Video Skills: Weddings are the best place to use your photo and video shooting and editing skills, but you can also find alternatives to that.
• Interpersonal Skills: You could arrange dates or plan parties. The event industry is huge.
• Cooking Skills: Find people in your town who would want someone to cook food for them.
• Organizational Skills: Consider helping others organize their stuff.
• Web Design Skills: You don't need to be an amazing programmer to be able to design and develop sites. Read some material on how to use WordPress and you are all set.
• Athletic Skills: If you know more about fitness than others do, you could start motivating them to exercise and getting paid for it.
• Literally Anything Else: Anything you can do can become a valuable skill for someone else. Just think, search, and you'll find a client.

 

Finding Your First Clients

"Many freelancers love telling stories of how hard it was for them starting out. It's true: freelancing is not for everyone. But there are actually many ways you can kickstart your freelancing career without prior knowledge about it or big customer base," says Melanie Sovann, Writer at WOWgrade.

Contrary to popular belief, you can actually find freelance clients even if you don't have connections from past work (that you haven't actually done). Try checking such places as:

• Family Members: Your family members can have friends and colleagues who would want to use your services.
• Friends: Ask friends if they know someone who would want to hire you. Their friends, colleagues, or family members may be your first clients.
• Classmates: You are a student at university which means there are many other students around you who you are not directly friends with but know a bit about. They might need your services too.
• Local Businesses: Reach out and ask local businesses whether they are looking for someone like you.
• Social Media: Social media is perfect both for building connection and for finding clients. Just get the word out!
• Cold Emailing: Cold emailing can still work if you do it methodically and make your emails as personal as possible.
• Freelance Platforms: The most obvious option is to register on one or several freelance platforms to find clients there.

 

 

Creating Your Website and Blog

Having a website and preferably a blog will help you in many ways. It shows that you are serious about your freelancing services and helps you educate your clients about your services. Moreover, your blog is a place where you can demonstrate your expertise.

The easiest way to create your website is to use WordPress or a similar platform. You won't need to be a coding expert and this option is relatively cheap compared to other ones. Besides, if you are planning to offer web design services, this is the best way to show you are an expert.

 

Final Thoughts

To sum up, freelancing in university or college is quite possible even if you are just starting out with it. Follow the advice in this article to get the best results out of freelancing as a student in university.

 

Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. She also does some editing work at SupremeDissertations. Kristin runs her own FlyWriting blog.