How to get your first freelance gig
Looking for your first freelance gig can be daunting. You may feel like you don’t know where to start, you don’t have the experience, you don’t know what to put in a cover letter…
I’m here to tell you none of that matters. You CAN get your first gig, and you will.
Here’s how you do it.
Apply to a billion places.
Okay, maybe not a literal billion, but a lot.
Freelance applications are very much a numbers game. There’s a heavy dose of luck involved, and you have to increase your chances by rolling the die more often.
After five years of freelance experience, I do often have clients seek me out directly. But when I do need to send out applications, I still send out 80 or so over a few days. About 4 of those will turn into clients.
When I started out, for every 100 gig applications, I got two interviews, and one of those turned into a client.
So, the important thing about applying is:
Apply to many opportunities at once.
Have a process for applying so you don’t spend too much time on any one application.
Don’t wait to hear back before applying for others. Just apply apply apply.
My favorite places to find freelance gigs quickly are on this list: https://www.makegoodcreativetips.com/blog/where-to-find-freelance-jobs-for-creatives
Apply at the top range, but within, their budget.
If you are just starting out, getting your very first gig, you may need to take some crappy paying jobs. Just at first.
After about a month of freelancing, I set my rate at $35/hr. It only took a year before I was at $65, and then $85, but my actual first freelance gig ever was for twenty bucks.
That was the client’s estimated budget, and I offered to do the work for exactly that much.
Don’t try to win clients by “underbidding” for the work. You’ll just get resentful because you’re working for very low rates.
But for you first couple of gigs, or for the first month or so, it can be helpful to offer your services for less than you’d like. Just to get experience, get some client reviews, and some samples for new applications.
For example, if a job says they’ll pay between $10-25 an hour, bid for $25. If a job is $10-$15 flat, bid $15.
You can ignore my advice and try to bid low to get work, but there will always be someone willing to go lower. Bid at the top of their budget, but no more, and make it clear why you’re a great candidate for the gig.
Offer an incredible turnaround.
I offered to do my first freelance gig same day. I had no experience, no samples, and I wasn’t lowballing my rate. But people will pay good money (or some money) for convenience.
If you’re just starting out, offer to do projects same day, within twelve hours, or within twenty-four hours.
Warning: Only offer this if you can deliver! Don’t offer this and then not fulfill that promise.
A speedy delivery might be the thing that wins you the contract and a five-star review. Once you have some experience, you can set a more reasonable turnaround (mine is 2-3 days for smaller projects and one week for medium-sized ones).
Have samples ready, even if you don’t really have samples.
A “sample” is a short piece of work you did previously to show a client that you can do the thing they want and do it well.
I managed to get my very first gig without any samples, but I kind of BSed my way into that a little bit.
All of my other early gigs, I made sure to show something when I applied.
Take a look at everything you’ve ever written for work or school. What can apply?
A sample does not have to be something you’ve done for a client previously. It can be anything you’ve done that is semi-related to what you are applying for. Of course the more related the better, but when you’re just starting out, do your best.
Ever design a flyer for your college theater program? It’s design! It counts! It’s a sample.
Ever write a newsletter for your department at work? It’s business writing! It counts! Use it.
Samples prove to a client that you have some experience. The simple existence of a sample is often enough to give them more confidence in you.
If you don’t have a sample, you better have a FANTASTIC cover letter, but really, make it easier on yourself and come up with some kind of sample.
Later, you can replace them with actual client work, but this works well for now.
Set up a portfolio website.
Take all of your best sort-of-related samples of things you’ve done in the past and put them together at a link you can send people if they ask.
Clients will say, “Do you have a portfolio that I can look at?”
Again, this is just so they feel confident you have some experience. The pieces in the portfolio themselves almost don’t matter (although you should try to pick your best stuff).
I used Journo Portfolio when I was starting out. That worked great, and it was free!
Keep it simple. One page of 6-9 of your best things is great.
Important note: Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date. Clients will find you on there, too, to check you’re a real human.
Copy the language from the ad in your application.
Even though you’re trying to apply to a billion places, you still need to do some personalization with your application.
People like to feel heard, and what’s more, sometimes companies will use automated keyword filters on job applications. If you don’t use a specific keyword mentioned in the ad, like “SEO” or “detail-oriented,” they’ll delete you without reading.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, use language directly from the ad. Don’t be insincere and don’t lie, but take the points noted in the job ad and say exactly why you’re a good match.
If the ad says, “SEO knowledge required,” mention in your cover letter how you have an SEO certification.
If it says “We’re looking for a detail-oriented problem solver,” say, “I’m a detailed-oriented freelancer who is interested in finding the most efficient ways to solve problems.” And then, because that sounds a little bit BS, add something to prove it, like how you peer edited essays in college, or you took an engineering design class once.
Basically, pay attention to what exactly they’re asking for in the application, and mirror it back to them, with additional reasoning for why you are the most awesome choice.
Get certifications.
If you don’t have experience yet, you can at least get certifications that make it sound like you know what you’re doing (and some of them are actually even helpful).
It can be hard to find reputable certifications that people will be interested in, but you can often find them based on the job ads themselves.
For instance, I’m StoryBrand certified… which a lot of marketing clients specifically ask for.
Look at what your potential clients are asking for, and then find legitimate certifications to bulk up your knowledge in that area.
Be ready to respond FAST.
If a client reaches out to you because they’re interested in your application, respond quickly. Make sure you’ve got your email notifications up or whatever app you’re using tells you if someone messages you.
With freelancers, clients value convenience above all. If you take too long to get back to them, they will fill the position.
Respond quickly, and you’ll make a good first impression that is more likely to turn into a gig.
Once you have more experience, you can relax this a bit. But for your first couple of gigs, be ready!
Pro tip: Whatever you’re using to communicate with clients. Put it on your phone. You can remove it later to help you keep a work-life balance, but for now, make it as fast and convenient as possible!
Get started making money online with our easy-to-follow guide.
The tips above will help you get freelance clients when you start applying, but if you want more guidance on the various ways you can make money online, check out our free guide.
The Top 9 Ways for Creatives to Make Money Online is a free download that will show you how to:
Impress clients and get contracts
Create passive income from your creative work
Make art a bigger part of your life
It also includes a cover letter template, which will make applying to gigs a lot easier and more effective.
Stop struggling, and start making money for your art!
