Being Consistent as a Freelancer

Starting as a remote worker may be is difficult for you. More difficult is to be consistent as a freelancer.

In present day scenario, companies are hiring remote workers for almost all desk job professions. Covid-19 pandemic has also forced many companies to become completely remote.

However, getting to a remote job might still not be easy but it’s more difficult to provide harmonious service thoroughly.

You can see plenty of examples, where people have moved to freelancing but not everyone can keep on doing it for a long time.

Here are some online platforms to look for remote jobs, that you might like.

Stay on Top of Remote Work

Once you start working at the job that you like, you’ll want to stay on top it.

Since in remote works, companies hire employees from all around the world, there are certain issues that need to be taken care of.

1. Time Zone

Naturally, if you’re residing in Asia and was hired for a company in United States, there’s a big time difference and that needs to be addressed.

There’re companies that don’t require remote contributors to work at specified hours but there’re others that need employees to stay active at the regular office hours.

Depending on the need of the company, you need to set your work hours accordingly.

If you’re not comfortable working at different time zone than yours, then you may consider working for companies or clients that provide working at flexible hours.

May be you can also look for clients or companies that operate at your time zone.

2. Cultural Difference

The remote companies usually have contributors from different cultural backgrounds and religions.

Even if you’re working with a client directly, s/he may be from a different cultural background and you need to respect that at your best.

You’ll need to be very careful to respect and keep up working with people from different cultures. There are certain issues that might be alright in your community but your colleague may find it otherwise.

While working with remote teams from different locale, it’s very important to respect sentiments of others.

3. Understanding the Work

Since you’ll be working remotely, without having anyone physically beside you to ask questions, it’s very important that you understand the deliverables of your work.

If you’re working directly with a client, then it’s really important to understand what the client actually needs from you.

Remember, if you’re working at flexible hours, then you might not get a chance to ask questions while you’re working, because the concerned people might not be available then.

That’s why it’s very important to clarify the work deliverables before starting any project. Ask questions as much as you need and remember, there’re no bad questions but only questions.

4. Maintaining Communication

It’s very important to maintain proper communication with your clients. Having proper communication is a vital attribute, that a consistent freelancer should have.

You’ll be working remotely and your employer won’t be able to see you while you work.

Hence, it’s important to maintain proper communication to build trust.

Showing work updates frequently to clarify issues and providing evidence of your work is a good practice.

There are few tools available that can track your work. These tools record or capture screenshots on your computer screens while working. You may use one these as well to prove you progress.

5. Meet the Deadline

If you’re provided with a deadline to complete a certain task, you are obliged to deliver it within that time.

It’s always a best practice to complete the given task before at least two days of the scheduled deadline. That way you get a couple of days in hand to perform any revision or update as necessary.

Keeping a few days extra in hand will also relieve you from hastening at the last day of the project.

6. Deliver What is Requested

Always be aware of delivering what is requested. Noting more and of course nothing less.

At times there might be some little extra works, that you may feel would be better for the client, if it’s provided with your deliverables.

In such cases, it’s better to ask the client about it beforehand and if s/he appreciates it, then you should go ahead and do it. It won’t be wise to ask for any extra return for this small piece of work, unless your client provides it him/herself.

However, you always have to be cautious to not to submit any unfinished or incorrect work.

To Sum Up

Remote work is challenging, specially if you’re transitioning from the traditional work.

You’ll need to keep in mind all regular issues surrounding your work and your daily life and need to keep working at your best.

A consistent freelancer always have a higher rate of re-hire from old clients. They also attract new big employers, showcasing work achievements and positive feedbacks.