5 Websites To Get Freelance Jobs That You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

If you’re looking to start out as a freelancer this year, you’ve no doubt heard of popular freelance platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and People Per Hour. And while these all have their place, the unfortunate reality is that, much of the time, they are over-saturated (especially in some sectors and freelance job categories).

As the freelancing and the side hustle or gig or economy increases in popularity and widespread adoption by professionals globally, almost everyone is setting their sights on these freelancing websites and it becomes much more difficult to obtain work without being overcrowded or not noticed at all due to the competition.

Consequently, you end up being back at square one: endlessly looking for work, and lowering your fees to ridiculously low prices in a desperate bid to have enough income to boost your salary or to live on full-time.

To this end, within this article are compiled five freelancing websites which may not be as wildly popular when you initially think of freelancing, but nonetheless, are effective and gather a niche crowd of customers and clients.

What To Consider Before Joining A Freelance Platform

Since they are so niche, there are a couple things you need to bear in mind:

You Need To Be Niche

Places such as Upwork can be viewed as more general job boards such as Indeed, while freelance job platforms such as the ones listed below, can be compared to places such as Dice, which is exclusively focused on tech. Therefore, you need to ensure that you have a set goal and purpose as a freelancer. You need to have a very specific set of skills, and stick by them. You should also be able to clearly articulate what value you bring to a specific industry or niche.

Entry Requirements

While on the topic of exclusivity, it’s very useful to bear in mind that these freelance websites are not mere job boards. They exist as a freelance marketplace, providing high value to their clients who search for freelance talent on their platforms, and they also exist to ensure you as a freelancer are protected and abide by their ethics.

Therefore, you may find it more difficult to get in the door with these freelance communities more than any other platform that accepts your profile within a few short hours after you sign up.

For this reason, it’s essential to know how to sell yourself, and most of all, to be patient, persistent, and follow all their guidance and instructions for what they’re looking for in freelancers.

5 Websites To Get Freelance Jobs

Here are a few of the niche, or “elite,” freelance job platforms that you may or may not have heard of. They raise the bar for freelance talent and as such, it would be very useful at this stage to have a portfolio before applying or setting up your profile with them. You need to be extremely confident in your skills and abilities. Otherwise, you may be sorely disappointed.

1. Catalant Technologies

This freelance platform is dedicated to freelancers looking for consulting projects. Their consulting project categories include corporate strategy, supply chain, HR, sales and marketing, and digital transformation.

2. Gigged AI

Gigged AI is a UK-based skills-focused freelance talent platform that connects you with freelance work according to your skills. These skills can range from project management, to stakeholder management, to business analysis, and social media management.

3. Contra.com

Contra is a commission-free freelance platform that helps you find a variety of freelance jobs suited to your profile, and enables you to create invoices and manage your workflow.

4. Gun.io

To be a freelancer on Gun.io, you need to be a developer and you need to pass comprehensive vetting. They make it clear that they are looking for world-class, “exceptional developers.” After screening and profile creation, you would have an intro call with the Gun.io team and then be introduced to their clients to get the ball rolling.

5. DesignHill

DesignHill is a creative marketplace for graphic designs, from logo creation, to stationery, brochures, and packaging. As a designer, you would be competing for your design to be selected in a design project competition, and if your design is selected, the client will request to work with you further on edits.

So when it comes to freelance websites, if you think you’ve seen them all, chances are you’re missing out on a ton of freelance job opportunities. With a little digging, you can find a wide array of freelance opportunities and projects to work on.