Talented people in various industries all around the world have proven time and time again that, in freelancing, age is just a number. It doesn’t matter whether you’re at the start, middle, or end of your traditional working career; you can make it as a freelancer!

Don’t believe us?

Let us explain why we believe that skills and experience are much more important than age in the gig economy – before introducing you to five steps that serve as a guide to freelancing, no matter your age.

You’re defined by your skills and experience, not your age. 

Whether you’re eighteen or eighty, you can become a successful freelancer. How? Because age is irrelevant in the gig economy. If you have the skillset and experience required to deliver a project, you have a chance at securing the gigs you want to work on.

Traditionally, age has often been a determinant in the interviewing process (even though it’s not meant to be!). When considering your suitability for a role, hiring managers tend to be biased and are likely to rule out candidates they believe to be too old or too young.

But the hiring process in the gig economy is flipped on its head. People want to work with freelancers who know their stuff and deliver on time. It’s as simple as that. The following five steps serve as a guide to freelancing for people of all ages and backgrounds and prove that age is only a number in the gig economy.

Here’s how to set yourself up for freelancing success:

1 – Invest in your skillset 

How often have you scrolled past a job application because you haven’t got the right college degree? Too many times to count, we imagine! One of the great things about being a freelancer is that clients rarely ask to see proof of your qualifications.

However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t invest in your skills. There are so many online resources that you can use to complete various courses that will boost your skillset and help you appeal to a broader range of clients.

Check out  Future Learn as an excellent place to start. And once you have completed courses, be sure to put your learning to good use and include details of your new skills on your RadialHub profile.

2 – Use your current networks to find clients 

Finding your first client can be daunting when you’ve decided to have a go of it as a freelancer. But you will find that most freelancers draw on their existing professional (or personal) networks for their initial work.

Whether it’s someone that you’ve worked with in the past or a family member who runs their own business – reach out and mention that you’re starting out as a freelancer and would love to help them with their projects.

Securing your first few clients is a momentous achievement and something you will look back on with great pride. And once you have some projects under your belt, they will start to snowball, and you will soon question what you were worrying about!

3 – Work for feedback and testimonials 

In the early days of your freelancing career, working for feedback and testimonials is just as important as working for cash. This is because every freelancer builds their success on a glowing portfolio, making positive feedback and testimonials extremely valuable.

The point here is that you shouldn’t get too hung up on earnings in the early days of your freelancing career. While you need to earn money, it’s not the be-all-and-end-all.

Ensure your initial gigs are of the highest possible quality and ask your first clients for written testimonials of their experience of working with you. You can then use these testimonials to approach new clients in the future.

4 – Consistently refine your offer 

As you progress on your freelancing journey, consistently refine your offer to reflect your new experiences and skills. As you get older, you will naturally have more experience under your belt, and you can use this to your significant advantage.

Not only will it prepare you for the multitude of projects that come your way, but it will also enable you to refine your offer as a freelancer and look for innovative ways of maximizing your earning potential.

Be sure to use all of your experiences – both good and bad – as opportunities for learning and refinement. As you develop experience as a freelancer, your offer will look markedly different than it did when you first started out.

5 – Collaborate with other freelancers 

No matter your age, collaborating with other freelancers is an excellent way of connecting with new people and extending your professional network. What’s more, looking to collaborate with people in a different age bracket to you will help you learn new things and gain an interesting insight into a different perspective.

This is true for freelancers young and old, and there’s so much to be learned from people from different generations. The best freelancers are able to learn from every professional situation and will gladly collaborate with other freelancers, regardless of the age differences that might exist.

Don’t let age define you as a freelancer. 

Funnily enough, there’s no perfect age to become a freelancer. The gig economy is made up of people at various stages of their careers, so don’t let age define you as a freelancer. Providing you have the skills and commitment to complete projects in your niche, you can make it as a freelancer. So, ramp up your RadialHub profile and get to work, whether you’re fresh out of college or looking to earn from a side hustle in your retirement.