Not long ago, ‘freelance’ was a euphemism cherished by youngsters out of work. Today freelancers perch on the top of the hierarchy in most developed job markets. They include fresh graduates, disillusioned corporate honchos and retirees who refuse to call it quits. Many of them receive paychecks that can put to shame a seasoned professional. Even large corporations seek out freelancers to get some jobs done.
India, however, is not yet comfortable with the freelance space as professionals yearn for a stable job and steady income. Still freelancers have a lot of opportunities, especially in the information technology sector. From search engine optimization and web development to ethical hacking and game testing, jobs are galore in the freelance space.
Take a tour to the sectors prime for freelancing.
Game testing
Many of the games boast of a budget equal to a movie. There is no room for error in the gaming industry. That explains the pride of place for the game testers. Gaming developers get freelancers to play the games for any loopholes. If you think you are good with games, you can think of earning while playing. But you also need to have a mind for details.
Software testing
Software developers need testers to spot any bugs in new applications. Information technology professionals with a little creativity can shine in the area.
When you google something, you hardly go past the first few links that crop up on the search engine. To be on top, web pages have to ensure search engine optimization. The trick is to add as many keywords that are likely to be entered by a searcher. The HTML structure can be edited for the purpose. Freelancers have a lot of options in the area.
Animation and graphic designer
This is a hot area. With social media blazing, companies are scrambling for developers of graphic content. Many of the designers earn extra income through freelancing.
Ethical hacking
When it comes to freelancing, nothing beats ethical hacking. A hacker is not necessarily the evil intruder who targets vulnerable sites to leak data. A breed of ethical hackers is forever trying to spot security weak spots in new devices such as mobile phones. You need not be an information technology graduate to be an ethical hacker. What you need is a grasp of HTML and coding. A lot of centers offer courses in ethical hacking.
Beyond tech
Freelance jobs are not limited to technology. Speakers of European languages such as German and French are sought out in freelance sites. There are opportunities in web content writing and English editing.
How to start?
You have to identify your area. More than your aptitude, your skills take the front seat.
You can start freelancing even before you put in your papers. You can be a full-time freelancers if you think it pays.
You can meet up with seekers of freelance services on networking sites such as LinkedIn.
You can also get information on possible freelance jobs on sites dedicated to it.
You can advertise yourself through Facebook posts and blogs that tell the world about your interests and talents.
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