What is freelancing? Learn now and see how to start a career in this field!

Freelancing is a type of work that has become very popular lately, but do you really know what a freelancer is?

What is a freelancer?

Let's start with the origin; the word freelancer is an English term that refers to a self-employed professional.

In other words, professionals who provide services to companies or individuals for a specific period of time.

Therefore, freelancing is simply an extra job for someone who already has a job and just wants to make some extra money.

Or, for those who have chosen to work independently and are looking for new challenges.

Although it is an old term, this type of work only began to gain prominence and become popular in recent decades.

And it is characterized as a professional who works independently, that is, the freelancer provides services autonomously to both individuals and legal entities.

But what exactly does a freelancer do?

Freelancers, being self-employed professionals, have the opportunity to work in various fields.

Therefore, you can be a designer, writer, photographer, musician, journalist, programmer, painter, among other possibilities.

However, there are some characteristics that you, as a freelancer, need to have or at least develop over time.

Because you need to remember that being your own boss and a good professional requires a relentless pursuit of knowledge and development.

What are the characteristics of a freelancer?

Being Organized

Let's start with one of the most important characteristics, not just for freelancers, but in their lives in general.

Organization is important and should not be seen merely as "a tidy place," but rather as a way to help you focus more.

Working independently, especially from home, can bring a certain comfort, and this shouldn't become a problem in terms of your professionalism.

That's why it's important that you specify times for work, leisure, and household chores, and have a dedicated workspace.

And create a routine, especially if your chosen job requires working from home; learn to distinguish between household activities and work activities.

Sense of challenge

In fact, if there's one thing a freelance professional needs, it's a sense of challenge.

Because when you have a stable job, demands are simply presented, and you will fulfill them according to your schedule and role.

However, when we talk about being your own boss, the scenario changes a bit, as you'll be the one defining everything.

Therefore, ideally you should set goals, as these will help you maintain productivity and keep control of all your work.

Therefore, you need to think about two very important things:

How much time will you dedicate to the work?
How much would you like to receive at the end of the month?

Based on this principle, analyze how much you will need to produce in a month (day or week, depending on your demand and planning) to reach the target amount.

Therefore, as a good freelancer, don't forget to challenge yourself every day to meet your goals.

Having good communication and networking skills

Having good communication skills makes all the difference for freelance professionals; you are the... personal marketing from your job.

And having good communication will make it easier to attract clients, negotiate prices, and create content according to what your client wants.

A freelancer with good communication skills makes all the difference, from the beginning to the end of the project.

Similarly, maintaining contact with professionals in the field also helps a lot when it comes to promoting your work.

Therefore, good communication must also be accompanied by good networking.

Having financial control

When you're a salaried employee (CLT), financial control is much easier than when you're a freelancer.

That's why it's very important that you have control over your spending.

Therefore, evaluate the best way to manage your finances.

Even today there are several apps that can help you with the task of having a "financial department".

Being Versatile

Let's start from the premise that a freelancer is a business, therefore you are the one who needs to take care of all aspects of that business.

Therefore, versatility will lead you to learn new things and face new challenges.

Therefore, freelancers need to understand all the steps involved, from sales and finance to legal matters, and so on.

Having the desire to learn

And finally, by combining all the characteristics we mentioned above, we arrive at knowledge.

To become a good professional, it's important to always strive for continuous development, and this is no different for freelancers.

On the contrary, it is one of the most important characteristics.

Therefore, if you want to be a good freelancer, learn new things, seek knowledge, and develop your skills.

What is the difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship, such as through MEI (Individual Microentrepreneur), is a way to formalize self-employment.

Therefore, if you now want to dedicate yourself solely to this type of work, becoming a MEI (Individual Microentrepreneur) is a great option to keep your tax obligations up to date.

This way you will register and obtain a CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities), this formalization will require the payment of taxes that guarantee certain rights to the professional.

Therefore, the difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur is that MEI, for example, is a tax category, while freelancing is a work modality.

However, if you are indeed looking to pursue a career as a freelancer, be sure to regularize your situation. It's simple and can be done online through... Entrepreneur Portal.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a freelancer?

Advantages:

More flexibility and autonomy: you set your own hours, choose what clothes you want to wear, have the autonomy to decide how and when you want to take vacations, and work from wherever you want.

And in some cases, depending on your field and demand, you may even earn more as a freelancer.

Disadvantages:

However, it's not all roses; freelancers are not entitled to a number of labor benefits that are available to those under the CLT (Brazilian labor law), such as the thirteenth salary, paid time off, and FGTS (Brazilian severance pay fund).

The lack of stability is also a negative point for freelancers, because since it's a job paid on demand, it can suffer some variations from month to month.

Therefore, financial control becomes important to avoid financial difficulties.

Where can I find freelance work?

Check out some professions that are in high demand in the freelance market:

Editor;
Proofreader;
Agenda planner;
Graphic designer;
Social Media;
Translator;
Architect;
Counter;
Journalist;
Video editor;
Developer and programmer;
Professor, among others.

There are some websites that can help you when registering your portfolio and presentation to find a good freelancer.

Some of them are exclusively for freelance work, such as... Freelancers, Workana and the well-known LinkedIn.

So now that you've learned all about being a freelancer, enjoy all the professional advantages it offers!

Given that

I am a member of the O Administrador team and I produce content about career, personal finance, financial education, productivity, and professional development. My goal is to share clear and practical information to help readers with their day-to-day decisions.

April 26, 2023

Career