7 Skills Every Freelancer Needs

In order for a freelancer to always remain competitive, he must constantly develop. It is necessary to follow the latest trends, study software systems and acquire additional professional skills. Otherwise, success will not be achieved. In freelancing, the competition is very high, so you need not only to work hard and qualitatively, but also to educate yourself.

There are seven basic skills that will allow every freelancer to become successful, regardless of the type of activity and services provided. Of course, success largely depends on the talent and qualifications of the performer, but without knowing the basics, it will not work to become successful. So, what skills should a professional freelancer have?

What skills every freelancer needs

  1. A thorough knowledge of the Microsoft Office package. Many people wonder why a freelancer needs to know the rules for using Microsoft Office if his line of work does not involve the use of Word, Excel or PowerPoint? Everything is simple. Freelancers often need to draw up technical specifications, reports, write explanatory notes, and they cannot do without Microsoft Office programs. Competitive advantage for a freelancer will be knowledge of Word or Excel. With these text editors, you can quickly deal with text documents and spreadsheets. And knowledge of PowerPoint will help you create presentations of any complexity. You can use it to showcase your skills. And on freelance exchanges, for example, on Author24, there are many highly paid projects that involve creating presentations.
  2. Knowledge of Google Docs. It is a free office suite that is a modern alternative to Microsoft Office. It offers many tools: spreadsheets, text editor, presentations, file sharing, cloud storage. It is enough to register an account in Gmail and the freelancer has access to all the functionality of Google Docs, which is now vital for every remote worker. The main advantage of this office suite is the collective access and work on documents in real time. Google Docs is an indispensable tool for freelance creative teams, thanks to which you can significantly speed up the work on projects. In addition, in the event of a personal computer breakdown, you will not lose your working materials, you can always download them by logging into your GoogleDocs account.
  3. Skills in messengers. More recently, ICQ, e-mail and Skype have been the main communication channels. After that, new messengers began to appear. At the same time, social networks are developing, thanks to which it is also possible to conduct a constructive dialogue. If a freelancer wants to stay competitive, they need to be constantly connected. If the customer wants to communicate in Telegram, provide him with such an opportunity. Even if the client wants to discuss with you all the questions of interest on ICQ, nothing can be done, you will have to install this hopeless spam source – otherwise there is a risk that the order will go to another freelancer.
  4. Knowledge of social networks. Every freelancer needs to understand how social media works. Today there are many media platforms such as Instagram, VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest. Every freelancer should have an account on these social networks, regardless of the nature of his remote work. Thanks to social networks, the performer can tell about himself, find colleagues or work. Today, many clients are looking for freelancers on social networks, so you need to update your page regularly, indicating all your skills and knowledge of programs. If the performer knows the basics of SMM, be sure to indicate, as this is a significant competitive advantage. If you are well versed in promotion through social networks, then you may not need to search for new clients on the stock exchange – customers will find you themselves and offer cooperation. And if not, then you can always find a highly paid job on the freelance exchange Author24. Projects on the site are updated every day, so there is work for both beginners and professionals.
  5. Knowledge of programming languages, HTML and CSS. For some, this point may seem controversial, why, for example, a copywriter needs knowledge of programming. Yes, he doesn’t need it at all, but knowing the basics of HTML will definitely help you find a well-paid job. Some copywriters must independently place written text material in the site admin panel. Therefore, understanding how text markup is arranged will definitely come in handy. Knowledge of HTML and CSS will help remote web designers to work more thoughtfully on layouts, making it easier for a layout designer. And knowledge of a programming language will allow a freelancer to broaden their horizons.
  6. Ability to work with editors. Freelancers are constantly faced with the need to edit files. Often you need to process a photo, transform a recording from audio from CD to MP3, edit a video, or make changes to a vector image. Knowledge of editing programs is a very valuable skill. In this case, there is no need to turn to third-party specialists, since the freelancer knows everything himself. Regardless of the type of work, a freelancer must know the basics of using Photoshop, be able to edit audio files in Adobe Audition or Audacity, and the basics of video editing in Windows Movie Maker. You don’t have to be an expert, you can only have basic skills.
  7. Ability to quickly and efficiently troubleshoot technical problems. A very valuable freelance skill is knowing how to fix technical problems. Computer hardware often fails. Understanding how a PC works and knowing the software will allow a freelancer to become more successful. The contractor must be able to reinstall the operating system, know the software systems. On which the PC is based, and also know how to “cure” it if a virus is picked up. This is enough to ensure the stable operation of the computer, which is the main working tool for a freelancer. This skill will allow you to quickly return to the workflow if there are problems in the OS, and not lose income.

TOP 5 useful freelance skills

All over the world now they are moving away from the stereotype that working hard is good. It is much more important to work efficiently. Do better, but in a short period. There are five basic skills that will help any freelancer work more efficiently:

  1. Blind typing. Thanks to this set, you can concentrate on the quality of the texts. Knowing touch typing, you no longer need to think about where the letters are. All attention is focused on the screen. And this allows the freelancer to: print more in a short period of time; improve the quality of texts; working with familiar topics, you can print “automatically”. Even in personal correspondence, you can see the result of this skill. All the attention that was previously given to printing will now be focused on the formation of one’s own thoughts.
  2. Short reading. Possession of this skill will allow you to read any information 3-4 times faster. Now a freelancer can upgrade their professional skills at an accelerated pace. If earlier it took half an hour to read the text, now it can take 5-7 minutes. This skill is especially useful for freelancers at the beginning of the journey – there is little time for development, but there is a lot of work. Speed ​​reading allows you to better remember and assimilate the studied material. This trains not only the reading skill, but also the memory.
  3. Concentration. The ability to concentrate allows a freelancer to increase their efficiency. By focusing on one task, you discard extraneous thoughts and work more productively. This is especially important when working at a computer. Constant distraction on video, social networks takes time. A freelancer who concentrates on completing a task completes it better in less time.
  4. Planning. This is one of the most useful skills when working as a freelancer. Proper distribution of cases will allow you to use your own resources more efficiently during the day. When planning, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the body: how long do you swing, tune in to work, when is it convenient to start it and at what time is it better to have a rest. Good planning will also allow you to set aside time for creativity, which is very important for a freelancer.
  5. Meditation. To increase personal effectiveness, this skill is the most useful. There are two types of meditation: active and passive. Through active meditation, you can focus your thoughts on solving problems. In this state, the right ideas come. Passive meditation is aimed at removing all ideas and thoughts. It allows you to escape from work and is a good means of relaxation. After passive meditation, the freelancer returns to work with new ideas and forces, and the workflow becomes more productive.

Why are these skills the most effective for a freelancer? Everything is very simple:

  1. Touch typing means quality text in less time.
  2. Speed ​​reading means learning more information in less time.
  3. Concentration – quickly completing tasks without distraction.
  4. Planning – less time on trifles, more on work (as a result, the freelancer devotes less hours to work).
  5. Meditation is an instant solution to work issues and a quick recovery.

Each of these skills can be acquired in 1-3 months. They give good results and allow you to significantly increase productivity.

When, after many sleepless nights, the diploma is finally ready, I want to pass it and forget it. But the university will not lag behind the student so easily. After all, the full text of the diploma was read only by the supervisor, and a whole commission will gather to evaluate it. Therefore, in many respects, his assessment depends on how a student defends a diploma.

So what is a successful defense?

  • Competent protection text
  • positive diploma review
  • confident answers to commission questions

In the introduction to the course it is necessary to indicate many important points. One of them is methodology. The student is required to indicate what methods he will use in the study of the topic. This is not the easiest task, and often students cannot cope with this task themselves. In this case, you can contact us. Our specialists will write you a paper of any complexity, and you can discuss the price with them personally.

In the introduction to the course it is necessary to indicate many important points. One of them is methodology. The student is required to indicate what methods he will use in the study of the topic. This is not the easiest task, and often students cannot cope with this task themselves. In this case, you can contact us. Our specialists will write you a paper of any complexity, and you can discuss the price with them personally.

In the introduction to the course it is necessary to indicate many important points. One of them is methodology. The student is required to indicate what methods he will use in the study of the topic. This is not the easiest task, and often students cannot cope with this task themselves. In this case, you can contact us. Our specialists will write you a paper of any complexity, and you can discuss the price with them personally.

In the introduction to the course it is necessary to indicate many important points. One of them is methodology. The student is required to indicate what methods he will use in the study of the topic. This is not the easiest task, and often students cannot cope with this task themselves. In this case, you can contact us. Our specialists will write you a paper of any complexity, and you can discuss the price with them personally.

Speech structure

Of course, what exactly to say in the defense depends mainly on the topic of the thesis and on what exactly is written in it, but there are general recommendations that are suitable for everyone.

  • First, we need to say hello to the members of the evaluation committee. (“Dear members of the attestation commission! Your attention is presented to the final qualifying work on the topic …”)
  • Introductory part. Here you need to reveal the topic and identify the issues that are raised in the work.
  • Relevance of the topic. At this stage, it is important to prove the relevance of the chosen topic and the degree of its development in other people’s works. Indicate the subject, object, objectives and purpose of the study.
  • Theme disclosure structure. Here you just need to list the paragraphs that are in the work and briefly describe them.
  • Problem statement. To confirm the relevance of the topic, it is necessary to state the problem and indicate debatable opinions on this matter.
  • Conclusions. At the end of the speech, the commission should hear the conclusions that the student came to in the course of writing the diploma, in which there are ways and methods for solving the stated problems.

On the one hand, it seems that it is much easier to write a graduation speech than the diploma itself. However, high-quality speech is a skillful squeeze out of the work, as well as its competent presentation. And it often happens that a diploma is written with the highest score, and a student gets a worse grade. Therefore, if there is a lack of self-confidence, you can order a speech on our website. And then the probability of failure due to bad speech will disappear. After all, we give a twenty-day guarantee for the work, and if something does not suit you, you can demand that the author finalize the order for free. We make sure that students are satisfied, so if the final version of the work does not meet the stated requirements, you will get your money back.

Formal requirements

When writing a speech for a thesis, you must also take into account that there are purely formal requirements.

  • Time. Do not forget that there are many students, but the commission is one. Therefore, the time for a defensive speech is regulated and ranges from 5 to 7 minutes. At the same time, you should remember about the time that will be spent on commission questions.
  • Intonation. Where, no matter how on the defense of a diploma, is it important to win over listeners? Therefore, it is better not to read the speech monotonously, making accents with intonation.
  • Style. When presenting a speech, it should be remembered that the main goal is understanding on the part of the commission. Therefore, you should not be too smart, but you can’t switch to colloquial speech either. In this matter, you need to observe the golden mean.
  • Pronouns. As in the diploma itself, it is important to remember during the defense that although the author of the diploma is clearly spelled out, there are a lot of true owners of knowledge reflected in the work (the authors of all the sources the student relied on plus the supervisor), so first-person pronouns are not appropriate here.
  • Questions. After the end of the speech, questions from the commission will inevitably follow, and you need to be ready for them. Suggested questions should be written down in the course of writing the thesis, work through all the questions that arose during the pre-defense, and you can also look at the questions at the end of chapters from textbooks on this topic.
  • Pre-protection. In such a matter as defending a diploma, it is better not to be presumptuous and neglect pre-defense. On it, you can practice giving a speech and write down possible questions from the audience. This will allow you to feel more confident in the official defense.

Of course, these are only recommendations, and no one forces you to strictly follow them. However, the rejection of some positions during the defense will create additional questions from the certification committee, which is not always loyal. Therefore, it is best to think through all possible questions and answer them in advance in a defensive speech. Then the teachers will have a minimum of questions, and they will be grateful for the saved time.