Apparently I freelance now.

I left my job in Dec 2020. It’s a long story, but the short version was that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I found it overwhelming and stressful, and couldn’t see myself there long-term. I was burnt out and needed a break. So I quit. I purposefully did not look for another job right away because I wanted to take some time to think and evaluate options, trying to figure out that next step. I really wanted to move into something that I loved and was passionate about – and if not passionate, then at least enjoyed and felt challenged by and purposeful in. I was prepared to take up to 6 months to try and figure this out, as I felt that was financially possible and enough time to find something new.

So the weeks went by, months went by. And no light bulb went off, no booming voice from the heavens, no job falling into my lap. Not even really an idea of what I wanted to do. People kept asking me “what is your dream job?” or “what would you do if money was no object?” The answer I kept giving them was, “I don’t know.” Which is true, I really don’t have a dream job. Sure, there are tons of things I would like to do, but nothing is really a dream or a passion. That’s not really how my personality is – I’m not really a dreamer/visionary kind of person.

Discouraged and feeling a little cash-poor, I started Googling “how to make money online.” Oh boy, did that open up a can of worms. Apparently there are a million ways to make money online, ranging from the super sketchy, to super legit. I stumbled upon Rev.com, a website that offers transcriptions services. I thought, “Hey, I speak English and can type – I can do this!” so I signed up, took the little test, and got approved.

Soon, I was making a whopping $8/hour on average. Wooo! Big money. I got a little faster at it, and probably hit about $15/hour. Not too bad. I did a few hours here and there, bringing in about $100/week. But the real beauty of finding Rev, was finding the world of freelancing. After starting to actually make real money with them, the idea just kind of stuck with me that there were other, potentially more lucrative, freelance services I could offer.

Queue the internet searches again. This time, for freelance writing, editing, and proofreading. This is when I stumbled on “The Proofreading Academy,” which offers a 45-hour course that guarantees you work with their company Proofed if you pass with 80% or higher. Seems too good to be true, but the internet assured me it was not a scam. I signed up and took the course (I’m currently waiting for my results to see if I passed with 80%).

Even if I don’t end up working for Proofed, I will forever be grateful that it opened my eyes even further to the world of freelancing. Armed with my newfound proofreading and editing knowledge, I set up an account on Upwork, a freelancing website, and started bidding for jobs. I bid super, super low (like $2/hour) to get people to hire me, and got a few 5-star reviews. Hey, not too bad. So I kept bidding and applying, and got a few more. Within 2 months I am up to 17 jobs and a 5-star average. I’ve made over $600. This obviously isn’t a lot, but there’s some momentum. Some clients have booked me for subsequent jobs, and a lot have given awesome feedback.

I dove deep into the world of freelancing, joining Facebook groups and watching YouTube “how to freelance” videos. I am now convinced that there is real money possible here. If I continue building momentum and honing my skills, I could make a career out of this.

I might not have to go work at an office again.

I might be able to work and travel.

I might be able to be my own boss and set my own hours.

This is the dream. I am so motivated to make this happen right now. I’m going to give it a real honest go for a few months and see if I can start covering my living expenses with my earnings. If I don’t get there, I’ll hit the job boards again. But I’m feeling pretty excited about this opportunity. This feels like something I can do, something I can work hard at and achieve, so I’m going to keep trying.

So when people ask what I’m up to these days, the answer is: apparently I’m a freelancer now.