Do you want to make money as a freelancer? Nowadays making a living on the road is very feasible. Combine travel freedom with jobs that pay the bills. Find out how to find freelancer jobs in Barcelona.
How to become a freelancer?
You do not need to quit your job or start traveling. As a start, you can and should freelance on the side.
The best strategy to be become a freelancer and make money remotely is to start looking for some small side-jobs on the freelancing platforms.
The most important thing is that freelancing means that you are paid by the work you do (per project, or per hour) instead of per month.
Also, usually, internet remote freelancers can work from anywhere in the work and the whole process takes place on the internet.
How to find freelancer jobs in Barcelona?
The best two platforms are Fiverr and UpWork.
These platforms aggregate remote freelance jobs for people with certain skills. They also allow you to contract freelancers.
The most demanded profiles are programmers (coders), translators, copyrighters, and video editors.
Even if you are not skilled in any of the professions above, you can become one if you want to. The internet contains everything you need to learn to reach working knowledge. Have a look at Coursera, Youtube, Wikipedia, etc.
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There is a system of ratings (similar to eBay) that increases transparency and makes the job-hunting process much easier and safer.
The platform handles all the payments and communication with the contractor, so you can be sure that you will be paid, and ow much you are going to receive.
What does a freelancer do?
Imagine you speak native Polish and English and have great writing skills. Right now you work in an office but you are dreaming of becoming a freelancer and moving to Barcelona.
The first thing you do is you register on those websites and create a profile. The process is very similar to LinkedIn or any other job portal.
Then you start applying for jobs that match your skills & interests. For example translation English to Polish, or creative writing in Polish, or whatever suits you.
Finally, once you get a job, you got to sit down and get the job done. Do it best you can so that the review is good.
Also, many freelancers work in coworking spaces around the world. Coworking spaces are good places to meet up with other freelancers and keep the mood.
Success stories from Freelancer friends.
During my travels, I met many digital nomads and freelancers. Here a few stories.
Alejandro is an architect from Guatemala City. We met in a diving resort in Utila, Honduras, while he was getting his Divemaster certification. He was working full time in his city until he got tired of the office routine and started to look for freelancer jobs on Upwork. His objective was to become a digital nomad. Within a year and a half, he was able to go full nomad. He specialised designing projects for future architectural constructions and was making 80 USD per hour.
Robert is a crazy millenial from Manchester. We met in a hostel in Kiev. He dropped out from uni and went traveling to Asia and Eastern Europe. Within a year, he taught himself digital marketing and started working intensively on Upwork. He quickly progressed from 30 USD an hour to 150 USD. Last year he stopped working as a freelancer and created his own digital marketing agency, which has been a complete success.
Edua is a Hungarian philologist that worked for years in the public communications domain. We met couchsurfing in Romania. She then decided to try to freelance to improve her income and pay for some extra vacations. Given her success, she started devoting full weekends and afternoons to freelancer jobs. A few months down the line she was able to quit her job and establish herself as a English to Hungarian translator and Hungarian copyrighter.
Ivan is a Bulgarian web developer. We met on the train from Istanbul to Sofia. He finished his computer science degree and decided to immediately give freelancing a try. He finally moved to Barcelona and is now working as a freelancer from a coworking space in the Raval.
Tips for a successful start in Freelancing
- Research
Have a look at the main freelancing websites and see what kind of skills are in demand.
- Find a market for you
Decide what field you should try to freelance in. What skills do you have that match the demand?
- Apply & Find Jobs
Apply to the openings, but do not quit your job until you generate enough money to survive.
- Lower your cost base
Consider moving to cities with lower cost-bases so that you can pay the bills with less income from work. Examples include South East Asia or Eastern Europe, South America, etc.
- Learn & Improve
Develop your skills further following what the market needs.
- Find better jobs
With more experience and better skills, you’ll find more and better freelance jobs. Make sure to keep learning at all times.
- Enjoy working remotely
Embrace life as a digital nomad 🙂
Next Steps
Once you get started, it is much easier to get better jobs and move from city to city. The dream comes true!
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The most important thing to keep in mind is that becoming a freelancer takes some time. But from 10USD a month you go to 100USD a month and finally to 1000USD. Step by step.
Do you know anyone who wants to become a digital nomad or freelancer? Tag him/her in the comments! 🙂
