Freelance jobs have become very popular among professionals. The problem can be for many people is that freelancer life can be tough. Not only is there a lack of job security but many remote roles are relatively low paid.
A freelancer is very different from a traditional employee. They take on individual contracts to work for a variety of companies and are self-employed. They are free to set their work hours, as long as they can keep track of the time they spent on each project so, they can bill clients properly. They receive their pay directly from clients and are in charge of paying their own business taxes.
There are many benefits to being a freelancer but you may be wondering whether or not it will be financially worth it for you. That’s why here we take a closer look at the highest paying freelance jobs in Ireland.
What skills do you need?
As a freelancer, the ability to communicate effectively is vital as it is your key to send your proposals and close deals. You have to be able to respond to clients’ inquiries before finally landing on that contract.
If you really want to earn big, organizational skills and multi-tasking skills are highly valuable, so you can handle several projects at the same time.
As for specific skills, that depends on the type of job you’re doing. There are many different freelance roles available which all require expertise. Here we’ll take a closer look at them to see how you can make money.
Freelance Writing Jobs
If you love to write and are very good with words, freelance writing jobs are for you. For freelance writers, there is a very wide range of opportunities where you can earn a good amount of income.
A freelance writer can either focus on a specific niche based on your interests and expertise, or you can also try to write about anything under the sun. In the long run, after gaining enough experience, you can have a very promising and flexible career.
Read on for possible ideas you should know about getting started in freelance writing, building a career, and making an income.
Article Writing
Article writing is providing written content for clients in the form of articles and blogs. Article writers typically work under editors, as well as with creative directors or producers, to ensure that the content is consistent with their branding and the ideas conveyed are clear and align with the goals of the client.
Article writers should always complete projects based on the specific requirements as stated in project specifications. These requirements will change from one task to the next and therefore you need to be adaptable.
Technical Writing
A technical writer differs from an article writer because he is more adept at finding shorter and more precise ways of presenting highly technical or scientific information to the readers.
Their main challenge is how to understand, rework and restructure complex data and convert them to easy to understand forms like tutorials, user guides and online help. This is a job that requires expert knowledge in a specific area.
Ghostwriting
Ghostwriters are usually hired to write literature works, editorials, speeches, or other texts like short stories and even novels. But the output will officially be credited to another person as the author and not the freelance writer.
A ghostwriter is usually hired by a client who cannot write, maybe because he or she doesn’t have the time to write. Often you’ll have to sign a contract that gives away the ownership of your work once completed.
Copywriting
A copywriter is a very broad term. The main purpose is to complete writing in specific areas of a website such as product descriptions, landing pages or content descriptions.
Any form of writing which isn’t an article or blog is completed by a copywriter. All these tasks come under the name of “copy”, hence the name for this in demand freelance job.
The main goal of copy writing is to increase product or brand awareness, and ultimately persuade an individual, or a group, or a sector to buy a product, use a certain service or take a particular action.
SEO Content Writing
An SEO content writer writes content on a wide range of different topics so that the website can reach its audience via search engines. This is often done via articles but requires expert knowledge on how to craft the writing so it’s picked up by Google and shown in their search results.
These content writers will need to know how to implement keywords, add links and stick to word counts while still making the content as readable as possible.
Freelance Creative Jobs
A creative freelancer is anyone who specializes in rendering creative works such as web designing, graphic design, and voice over work etc. If you’re creative then you may be excited by one of these job opportunities.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design is a job that designs text and image concepts, either by hand or using computer software. They create the layouts and designs for ads, magazines, brochures, corporate materials and reports, etc.
A graphic designer has to meet precise marketing needs, such as logos, or images that will be included in social media posts, websites, banner ads, and magazine ads.
Graphic designers use multi-media to attain artistic effects and decide on how texts and images can blend in together in a specific layout to achieve results. Every website needs a graphic designer so there is always demand and great pay to be found.
Web Designer
Web design is using programming skills or software engineering skills to build, design and improve websites. They should have a deep understanding of great user experience and should develop websites that are easy to use, understand and navigate for the users.
At the same time, they comply with the agreed design standards and specifications they have conceptualized together with the client. They are also popularly known as a front-end developer and this is one of the best paying freelance jobs.
Voiceover Actor
Voice-over artists read aloud a written script to create a voice record that will be overlaid in a video. A powerful and clear speaking voice is the most important part of the job, which is required to bring life to the script using the voice-over artist’s narration.
Voice-over actors, or simply voice actors, are always behind the scene providing vocal support for any project with their faces hidden. Some of the industries that avail voice-over services are animation, radio, commercials, movie trailers, documentaries, and YouTube videos.
Photographer
A freelance photographer captures images that they sell from their portfolio or take on behalf of a client. A photographer needs high-end photographic equipment, and the ability to apply creative and technical know-how.
Many modern photographers are experts in photo manipulation software to ensure that the desired results are obtained. Recommending creative ideas and solutions to obtain desired output is also one of the many other responsibilities of a creative photographer.
Artist
A freelance artist is a visual artist who can work for a wide range of clients, both on short-term engagements or long term contracts. A self-employed artist sells art on his terms but can also be commissioned to create a specific piece.
He can either create physical artwork then sell it online, or digitize his original artwork so he can sell its “prints”. What is exciting in online art selling is that you only have to create once, and you can sell it multiple times over on different websites.
Freelance Marketing Jobs
In digital marketing, you have to assist clients in selling their products and services online. The job is basically to be able to engage the target audience, lead them to their website, and convert them to consumers.
Social Media Manager
For many people, this is one of the best freelance jobs and an interesting career path. A social media manager manages a company’s online presence by ensuring the production of impressive content for ad campaigns, as well as developing a strategy, and analyzing usage data, in order to reach targets.
The major responsibility of a social media manager is the day-to-day management of all social media channels such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube, etc. They should adapt the contents of the campaign to suit different channels.
Public Relations Manager
The PR manager job is a role for someone with plenty of experience in the field. PR managers produce and maintain a very positive public image for their clients by relaying and communicating accomplishments and programs to the target market and followers.
They are also tasked with providing the media with stories, press releases, scoops, and press conferences in favour of their clients. But the most challenging part of this job is countering negative publicity which may be detrimental to the client’s image, which is why this freelance job is very lucrative.
Branding Strategist
Brand strategists are marketing professionals who are tasked by a client or company to develop a messaging and public communication strategy. High paid brand strategists recognize their client’s product and its target audience and can project customer experiences that will result in sales.
A brand strategist studies the target market and develops a plan to affect their opinions and buying decisions. Brand strategists use multi-media methods to portray that the brand is the solution to the needs of the potential customers, and ultimately buys the client’s product or services.
PPC Specialist
PPC is the acronym for pay-per-click and is very much related to keyword search. A PPC Specialist manages advertising campaigns on the internet including the strategy, design, implementation, SEO, and analysis of an ads’ performance.
A PPC campaign manager is highly skilled as they assume multiple roles to guarantee the success of the campaign. They ensure the correctness of keywords research, perfecting landing pages, and trend watching.
SEO Specialist
As marketing professionals, the main goal of SEO specialists is to use research and analysis to improve a website’s ranking on different search engines like Google, Yahoo etc. They insert on websites the most popular and relevant keywords they find, and help search engines find those websites to display them to web users.
SEO specialists should communicate with other marketing professionals of the client or company they are working for in order to align their goals and strategies. This is one of the best paying freelance writing jobs when you become an expert.
Freelance Business Jobs
These freelance jobs are usually in respect to assisting the operations of a business. This could be as an executive or administrative assistant, sales support, customer support or data entry support.
Virtual Assistant
Businesses of all sizes continuously depend on their use of the internet for their daily operations. The role of virtual assistants has steadily become more prominent and popular as small businesses and startups rely on virtual support to keep costs down.
Since virtual assistants are independent contractors, a small business does not have to provide the same mandatory benefits or pay the same amount of taxes that it would if it hires a full-time employee. Since this is an offsite job there is no cost needed for another workspace at the company’s office.
A virtual assistant provides their own computer equipment and pays for their own high-speed internet service. The usual but important tasks assigned to virtual assistants include appointments setting, phone calls, travel arrangements, and managing emails.
Data Entry
A Data Entry support maintains databases by updating customer and account information, or creating new accounts. They can source data upon request by compiling and sorting information. They are often tasked to review data for deficiencies and reports them to the assigned person for quick resolution. Crucial to this job are quick typing skills, keen attention to detail, computer savvy, confidentiality and thoroughness.
Translator
A translator relays the meaning of written words of various documents from one language to another. They predominantly work with different business, technical, legal and scientific written materials that could include reports, articles, legal opinions, letters, as well as books etc.
Some translators may be experts in a specific type of industry, for example, in translating technical, legal or financial documents. You definitely can cash in on your bilingual capabilities.
Customer Support
Customer Support freelancers should do their best to make a professional and memorable first impression. The first interaction with a customer will set the nature for the next course of their relationship, so getting it right the first time will pay back far into the future.
They should make a timely response every time a client contacts for help. Since ‘customer is always right’, it’s very challenging to keep customers satisfied, but if you’re a person who can listen carefully, can ask the right questions and is willing to find the solution for the client’s concern, then this freelancing job is for you.
Sales
A freelance salesperson represents the products and services of a business or company and is tasked to achieve agreed sales goals. As a freelancer, they can seek out clients on their own and eventually generate leads to improve the company’s sales or they may use the existing leads of the company. They work exclusively through the commissions they get after selling products.
Freelance Developer Jobs
You don’t have to be very experienced in order to earn money as a freelance developer. The good news is, you can already earn money as a freelancer even when you’re still learning how to code.
Web Developer
Web developers are basically responsible for the websites appearance that they create, improve, and maintain including all its technical aspects, including site speed and traffic capacity. They are also known as full-stack developers if they can do both front-end and back-end development, and can also create site content that requires technical features.
Being one of the highest paying freelance skills, web developers also develop or validate test routines to ensure that test cases imitates external interfaces and address all browser and device types.
Mobile App Developer
The mobile app market is growing at the fastest rate and this is one of the best paying freelance jobs. According to predictions, the demand for mobile app development services will soon exceed capacity, hence the demand for mobile app developers is very high. The good thing is, you can do it in the comfort of your home as a freelancer.
Mobile app developers’ main duty is to create, maintain, and implement the source code to develop mobile apps and mobile platform programs. They need to meet the needs and requirements of the clients using the most suitable computer programming languages. This is a great option for those looking for high paying freelance jobs.
Game Developer
Game developers design and develop video games for personal computers, gaming consoles, and mobile applications. They code the base engine from the ideas of the design team and is also involved in character design, level design, animation, and unit testing.
Many companies are constantly looking for talented video game developers, who might build the next successful video games. In this role, you will also be tasked to fix bugs, and troubleshoot design issues. You may also be required to help improve storylines, levels, challenges, characters and share the overall game concept.
How to find freelance jobs
Freelancing is definitely here to stay. With more and more companies and clients relying on freelancers rather than employing a full-time staff, it is very easy to find freelance jobs now even when you are in Ireland.
Just open your browser and sign up among trusted freelance writing sites that pay such as Upwork, Toptal, Fiverr, and many many more.
Even if you are a total beginner in this field, you will be guided accordingly on how to start and launch your career as a freelancer. They also offer free training and tutorial videos so all your concerns can be answered.
