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More and more employees are turning to freelance jobs, either alongside a full-time freelance job or as their primary career.
A gig is a temporary freelance job and is often part-time.
Freelance gigs are particularly common in IT and creative industries but can are in almost every industry. People might do one freelance gig at a time, or do a few at once.
Finding the right freelance gig for you and your schedule can take some time. Using the right online freelance job search site can make the process easier.
Read below for more information on freelance gigs, tips for finding freelance gigs, and a list of the ten best sites to find the freelance gig for you.
What is a freelance gig?
A freelance gig is a temporary job. The employee often works on a specific project for a company, either as an independent contractor or a freelancer. Sometimes these freelance gigs are full-time, and other times they are part-time. Some have a specific end date, while others go on.
An employee working a gig might get paid hourly, receive one lump sum for a completed project, or might receive a salary.
Some freelance gigs turn into full-time jobs, but this is not typical.
The benefits of a freelance gig are that it allows you to work on many projects for many companies at once. You can often work from home and have flexible hours. Freelance gigs is an ideal type of job for someone who is looking for part-time work.
Another benefit is that it allows you to always be open to new career opportunities. You are not tied to one job, so you can pick up new jobs as they appear.
One downside to freelance gigs is that they don’t offer health insurance or other benefits. They also aren’t as secure as other jobs, since they are temporary and often part-time. You likely need more than one freelance gig to make ends meet.
There are many freelance gigs in a variety of industries. Common IT gigs include projects for web developers and software developers. There are many creative gigs for multimedia artists, photographers, and online content writers. Other freelance gigs need the work of an interpreter, occupational therapist, analyst, or others.
Discover more: Freelance Contract Template [with free example contract to download] >>
How to find the right freelance gig for you
Make a list of your freelance skills
If you aren’t even sure what kind of gig you might want, make a list of your skills. Think about some of your responsibilities in past jobs. Do you have experience editing someone’s writing? Have you helped create or maintain a website? You likely have even more skills than you realise, so first make a list to see what you can offer companies.
Think about your freelancing schedule
If you are planning to keep your full or part-time job, your availability for a gig will be limited. Think about when you could complete your freelance gig work. Would you have time on the weekends? Nights? Make sure you aren’t spreading yourself so thin that you sacrifice the quality of your work. Then, look for freelance gigs that allow you to work the number of hours you want when you want.
Be willing to develop new freelance skills
Most freelance gigs will need skills that you do have, but they might also need some skills that you don’t yet have. Continue to develop skills that are necessary for the gigs you want. For example, you might have to learn a new coding language or become familiar with new software. Show your willingness to learn new skills, and you will find more and more freelance gigs open to you.
Avoid scams targeting freelancers
Scams are very common on freelance job sites for freelance gig positions. Be very careful to check each listing’s legitimacy.
Make a great impression with your clients
Once you get a freelance gig, be sure to do your very best work. If you do a good job and make yourself indispensable, you will be more likely to get more work from the company for another freelance gig. It is also a good way to get a positive recommendation from an employer when you are looking for your next gig.
The 10 best freelance gig sites
There are many different job search sites for freelance gigs, freelance jobs, part-time jobs, and more. Make sure you are using a website that lists the kinds of jobs you want.
You can always use a general job search site like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, but be sure to limit your search to only part-time or freelance jobs.
You can also use apps that will help you find quick freelance gigs and options for marketing your professional freelance services.
You can also use a job site for freelance gigs. Check out our list below to find the right freelance gig search site for you.
Fiverr
Fiverr claims to be the biggest global network of freelancers. The site offers freelance positions in a variety of fields, from tech to graphic design to music to writing. Most jobs are only $5 or $10, so while you might not make a lot of money, it is a great site to use for building your portfolio.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com offers different kinds of freelance job opportunities. This included fixed-price and hourly projects. You can also submit to “contests,” in which job seekers submit to a project and receive a fixed price if they are selected. For freelance job listings, job seekers place bids on freelance jobs and receive the job if their bid is accepted.
Toptal
Toptal helps IT and finance freelancers find gigs. Jobs range from coding to software engineering to web design financial modelling. Toptal only accepts a percentage of freelancers who apply. You have to complete a series of screenings and interviews first, but once accepted you have access to excellent IT and finance jobs.
Upwork.com
Upwork offers a variety of projects (some ongoing, some for a fixed period) for freelancers to complete. There are hourly and fixed-price jobs. You can track your hours and get paid through Upwork, which streamlines the process when you are working for many companies.
Behance.net
Behance.net is for creative industries, including photographers, designers and illustrators. You can showcase your work to employers, and you can also search for freelance gigs and part-time work. You can search for freelance gigs by location, field, company, and keyword.
FlexJobs.com
FlexJobs lists flexible, part-time, freelance, and telecommuting jobs. The site requires a monthly fee, but they vet all employers who want to list freelance jobs. It is a great way to avoid scams. They offer freelance jobs in 55 categories, so there are plenty of options for every kind of employee.
Gigster
Gigster is a niche job site for people looking for freelance gigs in IT, with a focus on software development. Gigster requires you to go through a screening process to get listed on the site, and they take a percentage of your fee for any project. Many of the jobs are very lucrative, so this is a great site for IT professionals looking to begin gig work.
Guru.com
Guru lists thousands of freelance jobs in a variety of categories. You can search for freelance jobs by category, payment type (hourly or fixed price), location, and more. You can also post your previous work to prove your skills. Guru has a virtual “Work Room” where you can schedule your tasks, communicate with employers, share materials, and decide on payment.
LocalSolo.com
LocalSolo allows freelancers to find freelance gigs in many industries. The site only listed jobs that involved face-to-face contact with the employer, but now they also list telecommuting jobs. The site does not get involved with payment or contracts, putting the freelancer and employer in control. This site also allows users to network with each other.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit allows people to post requests for help with various chores and tasks. These range from making deliveries to cleaning houses to moving boxes. TaskRabbit notifies you of jobs nearby, and you can select the ones you want to complete. The site does not have as many IT and creative freelance gigs as other sites, but they allow you to find freelance jobs with extreme flexibility.
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