Hello! I am Bermal.
Being able to complete my own work has been a daily goal of mine since I began working as an interior architect. There were primarily two causes behind this. The inability to schedule my own time comes first. Labor-earnings imbalance is the second. "Working circumstances," in brief.
The working conditions of the architectural sector are also known.
Since I can remember, I have always been a methodical, organized person who values following the law, but the thought of working nonstop on creative projects has never made sense to me. Design, in my opinion, is not something that can be done as soon as you say, "Let's do." This covers preliminary work, sleeping while one closes their eyes, and even dreaming :) The technical aspect of our work is another task that can be completed anywhere.
So, why do I go to a certain place at certain times every single day?
Since I was unaware that there was another way to operate in the beginning, I was unable to discover an answer to this query. After that, I found it frightening to venture outside of my comfort zone and take a financial risk, but I continued using this approach for 9 years.
In the final months of 2019, I made the decision that I could no longer function as an "employee," that I wanted to create a new system of governance, and I resigned from my position. He wasn't sure how to achieve it, but I was certain of my objectives.
- Get the freedom to work independently of the location.
- Work for yourself even if your income is the same.
- Plan your day by yourself.
- Find clients from different countries.
- Spare time with yourself and your close ones.
- Go on holiday and travel.
Hello Dear Covid-19
My husband had chosen to start a new chapter in her career when I left my job, and we were moving to a new city at the same time. We had never been to the city we were visiting, but it was close to our hometown of Eskişehir, where we were born and raised. I already had confidence that I would get clients in Eskişehir. I had intended that I would just travel to customer meetings and work from home since I have a job that allows for this.
Was life what transpired while we were formulating our plans? Yes, I had recently quit my work, and due to the epidemic, we were unable to enter any homes. I allotted myself three to four months when I left my work. I would take naps, create my business strategy, and network throughout this period.
I had to abruptly alter all of my plans due to the epidemic and to make matters worse, I was no longer able to see clearly. After three to four months, I had no idea what to do. Was it unsafe to launch a new business during this time, how long would the quarantine endure, and would we be able to resume our previous lives?
I opted to shift my attention after realizing that I could not currently handle these questions. I needed to take advantage of this break. I went to training that I couldn't fit in while working, did internet research on working models, made the decision to organize my portfolio, and launched a website.
I am a Freelancer but do not have a portfolio
I worked on significant and expansive projects for many years in interior architectural offices. I could have added dozens of projects to my resume as an employee. However, practically all of them belonged to the businesses I worked for, therefore I wouldn't post them on the website of my own organization.
I had to create new content at that time for my website. There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to work on hypothetical projects. To work as a freelancer is the second option. My top objective was to work as a freelancer.
Years ago, I was aware of freelance sites. To be completely honest, I didn't think these platforms could support a career or provide ongoing business. That was sufficient for me at the time, and perhaps there would be additional money as well.
Fiverr ve Upwork
In October 2020, exactly one year ago, I signed up for Fiverr. Even though I didn't know how to use it, I was aware of the fierce competition. I had to look for something unique that would set me apart. I have two tasks for the dental clinic. I selected my keywords relating to health and added these projects to my profile on the assumption that there wouldn't be much competition on this topic.
I received my first message at midnight a month later. I was really excited as I awoke from my sleep. I was hired for my first job with a dental clinic project in France after a two-hour conversation. I began to think that it would be feasible to work in this way when I landed a job that I had not anticipated. By doing this, I could set the groundwork for my company, generate some tiny amounts of capital, and possibly even make a livelihood from it.
With this excitement, I googled ''the best freelance websites'' that I met with Zekeriya and Freelancer Guide. Now, my story of freelancing started.
The details while preparing my profile
I am currently actively recruiting through two platforms. Fiverr and Upwork. There were two issues that I paid attention to while preparing my profile on these platforms.
The first is that it complements the platform's design. Fiverr and Upwork operate under vastly different operating systems. On Fiverr, clients search for freelancers, but on Upwork, clients submit jobs and freelancers respond.
On Fiverr, I concentrated on emphasizing the specifics and caliber of the service I wanted to sell, but on Upwork, I concentrated on emphasizing my own skills and tools.
The second is that my profiles are clear, understandable and sincere on both platforms.
Communication in English
My English was excellent when I first started working for myself a year ago. With the help of Grammarly and Google Translate, I had no trouble texting others.
I had zero confidence in myself when it came to speaking to someone in person. I had never spoken in front of an audience before, so I was certain I couldn't. But I didn't let that stop me from scheduling meetings with all of my clients.
When I ran into problems, I shared the screen, sent messages, and drew. I managed to convey my issue. I delivered the customer a written copy of the decisions made following each meeting. We have finished it if there is an issue or something is missing.
No one expects us to speak perfect English anyway. Being able to communicate and doing your job in the best way is more important.
The barrier while I am a Freelancer
Job continuity and irregular income.
First of all, maintaining business continuity and handling this issue without becoming stressed out was difficult. When I couldn't find work and believed I couldn't do it, there were several days when I felt anxious.
As I successfully completed the assignments I was given and received positive feedback, the business gradually began to generate more business. I can claim that I don't fear this anymore. As a result, when I am no longer able to find work, I am not stressed and instead concentrate on expanding my options.
Working alone
Regardless of how skilled I am, getting used to working alone took some time. I was no longer able to count on a coworker, a manager to care for me when I was ill or to help me when I couldn't catch up, or a computer technician to rush to the office when my computer broke. :)
Would you believe that I experienced everything? My computer broke down multiple times, I became ill and had to remain in the hospital, and I had an essential task in my personal life that I was unable to complete. It is important to keep in mind that these disruptions could occur at any time, therefore they should be considered when developing work plans.
The balance=Work-private life
One effect of the first item's adaptation issue was that I worked too hard and forgot to set aside time for my family and myself. No, no, no. More essential than everything else is your emotional and physical well-being.
A day as a Freelancer
Over time, my work and therefore my life began to get in order. My day goes like this now.
Every day, I get up between 7:30 and 8:00. I like to get up with my husband in the morning, eat breakfast, and take in the morning before heading to the computer because my wife has to go to work.
I go for a walk with my dog from around 8:30 am to 9:00 am. Around 9:30-10:00, I get my tea and coffee and go to the computer.
I often plan out my day's worth of work the night before. I can eat whenever I'm hungry, sleep whenever I want to sleep, phone my family and friends whenever I want, go out throughout the day, play sports, and watch TV shows as long as I stick to that plan.
I usually stop working at around 18:00-19:00. Even if I missed my plan during the day, I work if I find it necessary.
But according to a new rule I have set, there is no working after 00:00 and on Sundays! :)
In fact, I've managed to create a 9/6 arrangement for myself, but I do this because it benefits my family and me. Being able to choose between these hours gives me a lot of freedom.
My dreams/goals
- My new goal is to get jobs outside of freelance platforms and abroad.
- Finding a way to productize my services and build a good team to work with.
- After establishing a sustainable business model and gaining financial freedom, it is my biggest dream to spend more time with my loved ones and travel a lot.
My suggestions to fresh Freelancers
I first advise you to carefully consider whether freelancing is actually a good fit for you. You might consider trying part-time employment for a spell.
If you've decided that freelancing is right for you:
- Trust yourself and be brave.
- It highlights the aspects that are different from everyone else.
- Care about what you do and do it the best you can.
- Improve your English skills.
- Freelancing means working alone so be a social person.
- Join Freelancer Guide :)
When you search for the best freelance sites on Google, Upwork comes up first.
When I search "What is Upwork" on Youtube I met with Zekeriya Mulbay. From zero to first dollar series led me to meet with Freelancer Guide.
Probably two to three weeks after watching the videos, I joined the community. Above all, the community gives me the impression that I'm not travelling this route alone. Knowing that there are others who have experienced similar challenges and journeys as mine and have benefited from their experiences is energizing. People with diverse backgrounds and expertise in many fields lend each other support and provide guidance.
Thanks to the community, I started to think about my job, about topics that I hadn't thought about before, and make long-term plans.
