How to Find Freelance Jobs - Finding Your Role as a Freelancer

One of the most frequent questions I get from people who want to start their own consulting business is: "What is the role of a freelance consultant?" In other words "How do I let the client know I'm the right person for their project?" This can be a tricky question. You can go into many directions on this one. However, it's very simple….

The role of the consultant is to satisfy any short term need a business has. Once that need is satisfied then you're done.

So what does that mean to you when looking for freelancing work? When you get down to basics of finding freelancing work, you need to be surgical in your pitch to the prospect when you define the role you'll fill when they hire you for the project. Let's look at an example together:

Let's say you saw a project for writing services for "20 Articles Needed on Deep Fried Cooking" with the following requirements:

1. The writer should be motivated to write on the subject of deep fried cooking.
   
2. Articles should be 300 words each.
   
3. Articles must be perfect English and unique.
   
4. The writer should provide a sample of their work.
   

To prove motivation to the prospective client, you need to show your desire for cooking and your experience in writing articles related to cooking. You also do not want to emphasize your other specialties at this point, unless it's related to cooking. Remember, relevant experience is the key here.

Do you want to mention that you wrote two novels on completely unrelated subjects? Perhaps. However, does it fill the role needed to complete the project? Not really. While it's great that you did, you may not want to mention that at the top of your sales pitch because the prospective client is only looking at what's important to them.

Now, let's touch on the last three requirements. You can show your abilities for these requirements very easily by providing an article on cooking. The article sample should also be the same word count as the requirements. A writing sample like that will show them that you can provide exactly what he needs and will show your aptitude for cooking.

The main thing you should get out of this example is you need to focus like a laser beam on the client requirements. If you can't them that your services are best for their project, then it's not a fit for them or you.

Remember, there is no one size fits all solution on how to find freelance work. However, showing interest to a prospective clients needs, shows them you can take on the role to complete the project effectively.