How freelancing on Fiverr reinvigorated my job search
When I left my job in September, I didn’t have a plan. I left voluntarily due to sudden involuntary circumstances, and the unexpected change left me in a state of “well, now what?”
Having completed my technical writing certificate program in June, I figured I would take this time to make the career change I’d been planning for over a year. However, I found myself stuck. Never having held a salaried writing position, job postings were daunting with a seemingly endless list of requirements and qualifications I couldn’t fulfill. Each day I scoured over new postings wondering how quickly I could become a person who possessed these qualifications.
As it turns out, pretty quickly. I spent my early days of unemployment on my favorite educational website Skillshare picking up new knowledge that would help me on my search. Within a few weeks I had become proficient in InDesign and taken a few copywriting courses to add to my writing repertoire. But one of the most important things in finding a writing job is, well, writing… and I was blocked.
Then came Fiverr. I’ve been on Fiverr off and on for a little over four years. I started an account in 2016 in order to keep writing music reviews for a few dollars an article. The money didn’t mean much to me then, I just wanted to make sure I kept doing something I loved and the monetary compensation made my time feel valued so I didn’t burn out. Every few months or so I’d receive an order and get that excitement of delving into a new project for a few days. I was always nervous that what I wrote wouldn’t be good enough, but I kept at it and my confidence continued to grow with each happy customer.
I’ve seen other people have a type of fulfillment with their work that I’ve never fully experienced from a job, but through freelancing I am starting to understand. Each order is an exciting new challenge; as my confidence grows, so does my satisfaction when I rise to that challenge. Though I am nowhere near bringing in the income I need to remain solely a freelancer (yet), Fiverr has given me a platform to meet people and complete projects I wouldn’t find anywhere else. The excitement I’ve found around writing has made me more productive than ever in my job search, and each project is another experience that I can reference in job interviews, cover letters, and my portfolio. It’s really a win-win-win.
The fun thing about Fiverr is, as I add more skills, I can add more offerings. The ability to grow on the platform is boundless, and each new day brings new opportunities. Right now my most popular offering, or “gig”, remains my music review service, which I am absolutely thrilled about because I love being introduced to new music. However, I’m gradually adding other services such as UX microcopy, blog articles, press releases, biographies, and more. As I build my InDesign skills, I look forward to adding publication design services as well. Even though I am still looking for that perfect day job, right now Fiverr is keeping me excited and focused as I make strides towards my dream career And, as a bonus, I’m making some grocery money while doing it.
When considering freelancing on websites like Fiverr, you may be deterred by some of the more intimidating aspects such as dealing directly with customers and ratings systems. I’m here to tell you… don’t. If you’re interested in delving into the world of freelance in a part-time or full-time capacity, make sure to follow me as I document my experience growing my freelance business. I’ll let you know of my successes, mistakes, discoveries, and, when the day comes, how my time on Fiverr helped me land my dream job.
Need a freelance writer? Check out my offerings on Fiverr here: https://www.fiverr.com/katrinawrites
Interested in becoming a freelancer? Sign up for Fiverr here!