12 Places to Find Freelance Work Online

12 Places to Find Freelance Work Online 12 Places to Find Freelance Work Online Alternative workers account for about 10 percent of the nations workforce, according to surveys done by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2017 and 2005, with the numbers holding steady during those 12 years. The number was 10.7 percent in 2005, compared to 10.1 percent in 2017. These are workers who do not hold consistent or permanent employment with a single employer and instead earn income through contract work, temporary jobs, or freelance work. This often is referred to as part of the gig economy.Among this segment of the workforce are those who obtain freelance work online, which can be a great way to earn money on the side, perhaps get a foot in the door in the tech industry, or maybe build up a portfolio of work with the hope of securing a permanent position elsewhere.Many of these platforms will not offer opportunities for big money, but that can come later on when you’ve established yourself in the industry. Check out the following websites to seek work online and lan d some side jobs. 01 UpworkUpwork is the result of a merger between  Elance  and oDesk, both considered to be leaders in online freelancing in the past. Upwork markets itself as the worlds largest freelance talent marketplace.Freelancers on Upwork create profiles outlining their skills and experiences, along with their job histories and portfolios. Clients post job listings detailing their projects and what they’re looking for in a freelancer.From there, freelancers submit proposals for projects they’re interested in doing. Clients can review freelancers proposals, profiles, and portfolios, choose the one that best fits their needs, and place project funding in escrow.Freelancers and clients then collaborate on an online  work station, typically with no off-platform communication. 02 GuruGuru first emerged in 2001 as a passion project. The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and caters more to US-based freelancers.It seems to be designed to attract a more expert base of clientele and freelancers, rather than mixing in a lot of cheap job listings. 03 Freelancer.comSimilar to Upwork, you can make a freelancer profile and start bidding on jobs posted by clients.Freelancer.com boasts more than 29 million users as of 2018. However, it can be difficult  to find high-paying work there.It’s a good choice for those who prefer to work remotely and get their feet wet in freelance marketplaces. 04 Mechanical TurkMechanical Turk is Amazon.coms foray into the online freelance marketplace. Similar to Upwork, Freelancer, and others, Mechanical Turk connects freelancers with businesses who need small jobs- called human intelligence tasks (HITs) on the site.   05 ToptalToptal is a marketplace geared toward more elite, experienced freelancers, with most freelancers being paid between $50 and $250 per hour. The vetting process is more involved, requiring experience checks and an interview.Jobs posted on Toptal  typically are  geared toward finance and software development.In 2016, Toptal acquired Skillbridge, another online freelance marketplace. 06 FiverrAll jobs on Fiverr cost- you might guess this- $5, or in increments of $5. Fiverr is perfect for those just starting out and looking to build up a portfolio fast.Unlike some other  platforms, clients and freelancers can post listings- so a client might have a job titled “Write one 300-word article” while a freelancer’s version would say “Will write one 300-word article.Fiverr focuses on micro-jobs, like writing or editing short articles or customizing bits of WordPress code. 07 Freelancermap.comFreelancermap focuses on IT projects only. It  includes web development work, game development, and even social media. Many, but not all, of the projects there are remote. 08 FlexJobsFocusing on flexible job opportunities,  FlexJobs  screens job postings before putting them on its site. This means jobs are almost guaranteed to be legitimate, which, unfortunately, is not always the case everywhere. Large and reputable companies like CNN and NBC use FlexJobs to hire talent.Designed to save job seekers time. FlexJobs can be a great choice for people looking to make extra money, those with nontraditional schedules, and others. 09 People Per Hour Daniel Grill Craigslist is not what people traditionally think of when considering freelance work online, but a lot of businesses and entrepreneurs who need to hire help for specific tasks would prefer to find someone locally.When job searching on Craigslist, look in both the “jobs” and “gigs” sections of the city or region you are targeting. Use keywords in the search form to target skills you have.For instance, designers should search terms like “Photoshop, whereas backend developers should search “SQL.When using Craigslist in your job hunt, make sure to thoroughly read the posts and follow the instructions for applying. If there are none, send an email with a cover letter and resume to the email address next to “Reply to this post” at the top. Conclusion One thing that most online freelance sites have in common is the need to build up a portfolio over time and to develop relationships with clients in order to get the best and highest paying jobs. Don't expect this to happen overnight. Be willing early on to take some less appealing jobs for lower pay in order to show the quality of the work you can do. In time, this will help you to get better jobs for more money. Ideally, along the way, you'll make connections with some clients who will wish to go back to you for future jobs because they know they can count on you to be reliable and to do quality work.