The economic interface of Pakistan is gradually becoming more and more challenging being subject to inflation, job exploitation, and insufficient individualistic incomes are just few problems that are witnessed by most households. The attempt to make ends meet, fulfill the needs of the home, and survive is becoming difficult day by day for the breadwinners.

Most people, who have endless responsibilities on their heads search for a second or third stream of income. Freelancing most commonly referred to as (online work) by the locals seems to be an easy option to start fresh. The process appears very easy, choose any platform, make an account, enter credentials, and bid for work.

But the question is

“Is this enough to get work?”

In my opinion and being someone who started off with the same mindset, this is not enough. Freelancing requires resilience, consistency, and precision; backed by patience.

Anyone starting fresh must understand that the marketplace has millions of active users from across the globe contesting for work. Entering a market without selecting a niche only leaves you stranded in the end. Imagine a person who has opened a shop but is not sure what product to sell and what services to offer. Will such a shop survive? Never!

Let’s take a closer look, most freshers start with common skills such as writing, web development, and graphic designing. I am not demeaning these skills but these skills are very common and not exhaustive. In the age of AI, these skills only face intense competition, unless you have some specialized skills to offer. If I am a customer and I have to hire a freelancer, will I give work to an industry expert or to someone who does not even have a portfolio? Considering the fact that both are quoting the same price.

An empty profile does not get orders and makes the new freelancers demotivated. So, what must actually be done? Choose a niche and work on it; try to get a full-time or part-time job in the segment of your interest. Even internship opportunities will do; polish your skills and learn industry tactics.

You can only earn once you learn!

The mindset of the new professionals needs to shift and look at the broader picture. High payouts come from difficult gigs. If you want to earn more then distinguish yourself and offer the services that others are not offering or have low competition.

It is a sad reality that most freelancers and gurus are criticizing the government or external factors for the lack of facilities. Let’s list down these critiques:

• There is no PayPal access.
• The banking system is unsupportive and does not recognize freelancers.
• Internet issues and power outages in the country.
• Lack of community support.
• Inability to communicate properly with international clients.

Are there not people in Pakistan who are working with these same problems and earning their livelihood? I have seen some newbies who opened LLCs hoping that they would get work, but in reality, lacked the basic skills that actually defined their skills. Some people act as middlemen and get work only to outsource it to someone else. Here the person getting work from the middleman is an industry expert but lacks the communication skills or resources required to approach the clients and close the deals directly.   

I believe that the youth require a strong directive approach to set the industry precedents. Instead of bidding low and offering cost-effective services, the professionals must focus on acquiring skills that can be marketed to charge the desired rates confidently.

Follow the Pakistani professionals/freelancers on social media who are earning and contributing to the industry.

Learn, Learn, and Learn, then Earn

Invest in learning before chasing money. Pick free or paid courses considering your budget from Coursera, YouTube, etc.

This will help you gain the foundational knowledge you need. If this is not working then get a job to develop the skills that you are contesting to showcase. Build a Portfolio with sample projects even if you don’t have paying clients yet. Don’t hesitate to submit mock samples or tests.

Example

• A designer can create branding for imaginary businesses.
• A writer can publish blogs.
• A developer can make projects on GitHub and compete on Kaggle.

How will a client trust you if you don’t show them your portfolio?

Freelancing is not a get-rich-quick scheme so stay consistent and persistent with work. The first few months are dry. Keep bidding!

Bid with clarity rather than sharing incomplete or AI-generated proposals.

Remember a proposal is as if you are talking to the client. Clients love clarity, punctuality, and professionalism. This is the mantra of gaining the trust of the client.

The approach that you set today and the milestones that you accomplish will consolidate to become a strong pillar of GDP development. Instead of making it just about a few success stories make it about your future generation. The bar that you will set today will motivate the coming generations to strive for excellence and outshine globally as Freelancers.

Overcome these challenges and feel proud to say that yes, “I am a freelancer from Pakistan!”