According to UpWork, freelancers in the U.S. grew by 2 million or 8% between 2019 and 2020. So, if you dream of becoming your own boss to increase your sources of income, work at your own pace, and become more independent, you should know all the benefits that remote work offers you.
Telecommuting has grown substantially in recent years, and it is undeniable that freelancers have endless options working as such instead of doing full-time face-to-face jobs.
Platforms to get remote jobs
Remote jobs will fit you like a glove if you want to work for a third party and earn money from home, or if your main purpose is to work independently on your own projects.
If you have decided to become independent and expand your work horizons, here are nine platforms where you can get some of the best side gigs and boost your income and career.
Fiverr
You can use Fiverr to improve your business. All you have to do is register, create your profile, and put together your “gigs.” Each of your gigs should describe the work you offer, the time it takes you to do it, the added value you will give your potential clients, and what you charge for each task.
Ideally, you should develop your offers and set your prices based on how the market moves on the platform.
You can explore the site to see the profiles of other users linked to your niche, and thus have a clearer idea of what you can offer and how much you could charge for it.
When you register you will be in the “beginner” category, but as you get clients and exceed specific goals, you will level up as a seller on Fiverr.
This site will charge a 20% commission of the total amount your clients will pay you for each job done —e.g. if they hire you for a gig worth $5 you will be earning $4.
Freelancer
Freelancer was founded in 2009 and is considered one of the biggest platforms to search for remote work. It really is an online job board that allows you to search through a wide variety of categories.
Some of them include design, architecture, computing, science and engineering, writing and content, software, marketing, business, languages, law, telecommunications, and more.
To get the most out of this site you must have a good understanding of how it works, and follow these steps:
Explore the projects that have been posted on the site and that relate to what you do —if you want to make a direct job offer.
If the employer who published an offer is interested in your proposal, they will analyze your profile and contact you. If they like it, they will assign the project to you so that you can start.
Once you meet all your goals and the client is satisfied with the result, you will receive your payment.
Workana
Workana connects millions of companies with independent workers around the world who are dedicated to technology, programming, web development, mobile application development, design and multimedia, finance, sales, translations, etc.
Once you register, you will be able to explore the categories that interest you and study the projects already published in that area.
Each project includes basic information you can see publicly —such as the job to be performed, the time it will take, the recruiting company, the money offered, etc.
If you get a project that catches your attention, you can send a personalized proposal. In the event you qualify with what the employer is looking for, you could be contacted directly to fine-tune more details.
This site also offers you the option to increase your chances of being hired by having access to projects as soon as they are published, as long as you subscribe to one of their membership plans.
UpWork
This is one of the most popular remote work platforms across several regions. UpWork connects companies and individuals who are interested in working remotely to scale their businesses.
It works similarly to Workana and Freelancer since you must explore the available job options, identify the projects you’d like to work on, and finally send personalized proposals to try to be contacted.
You can work remotely and earn money as a virtual assistant, copywriter, writer, translator, engineer, architect, accountant, designer, programmer, etc.
UpWork also takes a 20% commission for every job you complete on the site. However, if you develop long-term working relationships with certain clients, that percentage drops to 10% and then to 5%.
GetonBoard
GetonBoard offers jobs linked to the internet businesses and technology. After registering, you will be able to apply for a wide variety of exclusive offers for world-renowned technology companies and startups.
If you have the knowledge, an online career in innovation and agility, digital marketing, data science, data analytics, mobile development, programming, or UX design, might be one click away on this platform.
Further, the site allows you to import your LinkedIn profile when applying for a job, saving you time and effort. In essence, you must apply and wait to be contacted by a company to continue the process.
FlexJobs
FlexJobs allows you to filter remote jobs from anywhere in the world. It has gained a lot of popularity because it researches all of its job openings before adding them to its public listings.
This way, they certify that the options you see are 100% safe and legitimate —that is, they have been created and published by serious clients and companies.
However, it should be mentioned that you will have to pay to use their services. You can make monthly payments of $14.95, a quarterly payment of $29.95, or make a single payment a year for $49.95.
Even so, many freelancers decide to use it because it offers them important advantages, such as getting jobs remotely whether or not they have any kind of experience. In addition, you have the possibility of being hired by very solid and popular companies such as Apple, Kaplan, Dell, or PWC.
Workew
This platform allows you to work remotely in areas such as customer service, writing, design, web development, sales, marketing, etc.
You can explore all the job options available, either to work remotely for companies located in the country where you currently reside, or for some companies abroad.
On their page, they tell you that Spotify, WordPress, Wikipedia, Amazon, and GoDaddy are some of the companies that are constantly hiring freelancers at Workew.
After getting offers that interest you, you simply have to apply and wait for the response of your future employer.
Virtual Vocations
This U.S.-based platform allows you to register without problems from anywhere in the world. To enjoy the services of Virtual Vocations with greater immediacy, you must pay a subscription —the minimum amount is $15.99 and the maximum is $59.99.
However, you can also create a free account and partially access their database of remote jobs.
You can get offers in areas such as administration, accounting, engineering, finance, graphic design, human resources, technology, law, translation, writing, sales, marketing, advertising, and more.
When you have identified the most attractive job offers, you must complete your application and wait to be contacted —in case you finally qualify for the job.
Jobs Press
This is another platform that you have at hand to search for a remote job related to your career or trade. It’s in charge of connecting talented professionals who are interested in working remotely with local or global companies.
This online site makes sure that all offers are legitimate and high profile for you to get the most benefits as a freelancer.
To join their work modality you must register and publish your updated resume on the platform. This way, companies interested in your professional profile will know who you are, as well as the level of preparation and expertise you have in your field of action.
