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I call myself a freelancer and I am very proud with my appurtenance to this category. A few days ago a friend of mine asked how one could differentiate between two freelancers; it was a very interesting question which probably has an even more interesting answer.

In my opinion the number of finalized projects, experience and clients’ testimonials are the determinant factors in establishing a hierarchy of freelancers. Of course these are not the only ones, the art of negotiation is also very important (even if it has nothing to do with the talent and creativity that one shows/or not in his work) and of course good luck has plays its’ part. But how could we compare or index a new freelancer, one that hasn’t any finished projects, no experience in dealing with clients…to be more exact a beginner? In most cases he is not paid any attention so he won’t receive any projects that could earn him some money. Thus we should see which steps should be undertaken in order to succeed in getting a project?

Don’t worry, nobody was born a designer or developer and did a thousand things before he/she was five years old. There is only one thing that I am sure off and I will give you this advice: work and work again! Do not wait for a miracle!

A very good strategy for getting the first good projects is to create an account on a website with jobs for freelancers (the name of the website chosen has no relevance, if readers request it I could list some in a future article…just let me know in a comment). It might seem as words spoken to the wind but there is a complete strategy to succeed in receiving projects on these websites.

1. Bid on what you are sure that you can finish



My first and maybe the most important piece of advice is to bid only on what you are sure you can do. Bidding on everything that is on a website indeed increases your possibilities of getting hired but in case that you actually receive the project you won’t be able to finish it. The final result: a big loss of time for you and the clients and perhaps a negative mark which will probably put an end to your career on the respective website. These kinds of freelancers are the ones who deteriorate the market. Really hope that you won’t do that!

2. Bid as much as you can realize



The next tip might sound a bit strange after reading the first one but there is no contradiction. If you believe that you can accomplish the project then bid, don’t worry about it having too many bidders.

Take my example: in all modesty I confess that I have requests for articles for three-four months. What is the key to success: I submit my proposal to collaborate (more importantly: with links to previously published articles) to hundreds of blogs- and there is no exaggeration- hundreds of blogs. On the Internet there are some incredibly good blogs but I haven’t submitted my proposal to these ones yet…I should wait and gain more experience in order to be competitive and have a chance to publish on these blogs, so I’m staying in the small pond for now.

3. Read all of an employers’ posts



Clients’ expectations are very high and in most cases they believe that their projects are the most important things ever and it would be your honor to receive them. A very bad impression is left by a freelancer when he asks for details that are contained in the initial post for the job on website. Accordingly it’s strongly recommended to read carefully all the messages of the employer, it emphasizes your professional behavior.

4. When you bid start thinking of a concept



A quick replay is very appreciated by clients (and of course also by freelancers). I believe it is a very pro feature of a freelancer to have an initial concept in his head when he bids on a task or a project; it is almost impossible to not have some sketch after reading the clients’ demands.

5. Ask for moderate amounts of money but not ignominious



It is well-known that a beginner should ask for less money than an someone more experienced but nothing should be done just so you receive the task and doing it for 1$. Nowadays we are all affected by the global economic crisis but it can have some positive aspects. Companies understand the potential of the online markets and because collaborating with a freelancer/ groups of freelancers is better financially than hiring a permanent employee there are more opportunities.

There is another reason why you shouldn’t offer your services for a very small sum of money; an experienced client instantly notices the “too low” price and rejects you. It is impossible to do quality work with low prices so my advice is to ask for an average amount…it increase your chances of being selected.

6. Keep track of all your deadlines



From my experience if you offer your services in a moderate fashion, the requests from various clients will soon be found in your inbox (sounds good, doesn’t it?). These requests are not an assurance that the projects are yours; the employer wants to see the talent, ideas and sketches of every bidder in order to select the best one. A solution to handle this situation is to have a strict control of all these requests and to establish your own deadlines. In my career as a freelancer a small notebook is a very helpful tool.

7. Do not worry about your competitors even if they are highly rated



To succeed you should be very optimistic and one way to keep your moral up is to not worry about your competitors. You’ve probably had many of the projects you bid on spark the interest of some super high ranked freelancers. Believe me, everyone who is on the first rank was some time ago in your position, only quality work can bring you to the top.

8. Do not use TEMPLATES!



It is a common beginners’ mistake, to not waste time on bidding you just send a template with your skills and prices (it’s true, isn’t it?). Totally wrong!

A quality client appreciates realistic ideas, requests and deadlines from a freelancer…putting in your first message a complete evaluation of his task may put you in poll-position in the fight for getting the task. This tip might seem false but please try it for some weeks!

I have some bad news for you: if you believe that respecting these tips will make you rich or the best freelancers ever then you are wrong. There is no golden rule to respect and gain all the projects on the web: only hard work and quality can make you a good freelancer.

Another very important feature of a freelancer is to be patient and wait for new offers! Hope that all my advices will help you and if you have more please put them in a comment!