How to Become an Online Freelancer in the Philippines?

Do you aspire to become an online freelancer in the Philippines? The good news is you can start online freelancing with no experience at all!

Perhaps you’re reading this because you want to quit that corporate job and work on your own terms instead.

Or maybe you just want some side gigs to supplement your main income. Whatever that reason is, it’s good to know that you are opening yourself for other earning opportunities.

In this article, I will share everything I know about online freelancing. I just want to pay it forward and share the huge opportunity waiting for you in the online world. Who knows, you might find your luck in the online world. Sounds great, isn’t it?

I provided some links below so you can go directly to the sections you are interested in.

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What is Online Freelancing?

A few decades ago, everyone’s dream is to be absorbed by huge corporations, climb the corporate ladder, and stay on a 9-5 job until retirement (or until who knows when).

But the industry we are currently working isn’t the same as before. We are past the industrial age and is presently embarking the information age. Simply put, businesses are already marketing their products and services online.

In fact, a rapid shift in the digital economy has already been realized. This digital transition created a growing demand worldwide, thus opening the way to online freelancing.

Online freelancing, therefore, is a modern adaptation of employment.

Rather than working for a company and submitting yourself physically every single day, you are given the option to work remotely across the internet. Do you have a laptop, a stable internet connection, and a competitive skillset? Then you’re good to go!

There are tons of online working opportunities waiting for you on the cyber world like article writing, graphics designing, and web developing (we’ll discuss more on this later). And many more!

Did I say that you don’t need a diploma to become an online freelancer? Yep, that’s one of the greatest advantages of becoming one. No one cares about your educational background as long as you can complete the tasks satisfactorily.

Not only that. Here are the other perks of being an online freelancer in the Philippines:

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Advantages of working as an online freelancer in the Philippines

1. Work anytime, anywhere.

Online freelancing jobs mainly need a laptop/smartphone and a stable internet connection. As long as you got these with you, then you’re all set. You can even work on the side while you’re on your vacation!

2. Grind while you’re on your pajamas.

Online freelancing gives the convenience of wearing clothes you’re most comfortable to wear. If you hate following dress codes, you’ll surely love this fact. Make sure to be in your best attire though if you are required to show on cam. And oh, don’t forget to take a bath every day.

3. Earn in dollars, spend in Peso.

Most of the online clients are coming from foreign countries like US and Europe. Aside from the significant average pay you’ll get, you will also enjoy earning in currencies with big Peso equivalent.

4. No diploma? No problem.

I know. I already said this awhile ago, but let me just stress this out once again for this would give some hope for other Filipinos who failed to finish their education for some reason. There is room for everyone in the online freelancing world as long as you have the necessary skills to showcase.

5. No backer? Not a big deal.

In the usual corporate setup, you will have a good chance to be absorbed by the company if you have what we call a “backer” or someone who could recommend you. In the online world, your skills and experience are your greatest weapons. You are not judged based on your connections but based on your results.

6. Who cares what your age is?

Age is certainly not a big deal in the online freelancing world. I personally know students who accept digital artwork commissions and acquaintances over fifties who still grind as web developers.

7. Get paid for your results.

In the corporate world, here’s a common misconception: your time spent at work equates to productivity. Though there are time-based online freelancing jobs in which you are paid hourly, there are also tasks that are results-based.

In article writing, for example, you are paid by the number of words of the article you create. If you are an expert in this field and you can produce more quality articles in a limited time, you’ll obviously earn more.

8. Afraid of recession? Fret not.

Job recession is probably one of the scariest things that can happen in the corporate world. Today, several companies (and more to follow) are already bringing their businesses online. The demand grows over time as more and more businesses incorporate online marketing into their systems.

9. Can be done part-time

I can personally attest to the convenience online freelancing brings to part-timers like me. You can always do your online gigs during your free time or after work.

10. Spend time with family at home

You can finally bid goodbye to the traffic and the stresses of commuting just to go to work. You’ll have more time to spend with your family instead. Perfect for hands-on parents indeed.

Read More: Top 10 Best Investments for Beginners

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Difficulties of being an online freelancer in the Philippines

Online freelancing may sound too good to be true yet there are still some challenges that may arise if you choose to stay on this track. Here are some of those:

1. There’s no guarantee you’ll get a job.

If your skills aren’t competitive enough, there’s a great possibility that your prospective client will skip you for someone who is more fit for the job. You should, therefore, focus on honing your skillset first.

2. There’s no spoon-feeding.

Online gigs are fast-paced. Unlike in the usual corporate setup where you’re still required to undergo training for weeks, here in the online world, a day or two of briefing should be enough. You are already set for the actual job after that and you are expected to finish the tasks with little to no supervision.

3. You have to settle your own employee benefits.

Most of the online gigs are project-based. Aside from that, most of the clients are coming from foreign countries. You can’t expect your clients to provide the usual long-term benefits like SSS, Pag-Ibig, and PhilHealth. If you’re doing online freelancing, you are already considered as self-employed. It’s expected to settle your own employee benefits.

4. Less social life.

Being an online nomad can also be scary especially if you’re getting used to the comfortability it brings. You may skip the idea of going out once in a while. This even leads to depression for some people.

5. No one to motivate yourself but you.

The demand for online freelancers is high but the competition is also high. If you’re someone who easily gives up on some simple tasks, think twice. You can’t expect your client to motivate you to do better for he can always dismiss you for someone who can do more.

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My Experience as an Online Freelancer

Though I am currently keeping my day job as a civil engineer, I also work as an online freelancer on the side. I mostly work on website-building, article-writing, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing.

My part-time gigs may not be related to my field, but that’s the beauty of freelancing. No one cares about your educational attainment as long as you can deliver what is asked.

I personally consider online freelancing as a hobby more than a job. It lets my creative juices flowing while earning on the side. I enjoy what I do and I think that’s one of the most important things to consider.

Read More: Farmon: A good investment?

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Freelancing jobs you can work on

1. Virtual Assistance

Virtual assistance is one of the most common and in-demand online jobs you can get. As a virtual assistant, you are expected to provide support to online businesses remotely. You will basically do anything a typical support staff does. Well, except bringing coffee.

Average Pay for virtual assistants: P150-P500 per hour

Sites where you can apply: Task Bullet, Virtual Staff Finder, Remote Workmate

Common tools you’ll need: Dropbox, Gmail, Paypal, Skype

2. Writing Jobs

There are several types of writing jobs in the online freelancing world. I would just like to stress those out since I’m a freelance writer myself and I personally gained some experience in this field.

2.1. Content writing

Content or feature writing’s sole purpose is to inform or entertain readers. You are therefore expected to write something within your niche, or at least something that interests you. It would be draining if you are “forced” to write for something you have no idea about, wouldn’t it?

There are tons of writing jobs for online publications and websites. You can set an eye on these popular topics:

• Lifestyle
• Food
• Beauty
• Business and finance
• Sports
• Showbiz entertainment
• Cryptocurrency

2.2. Copywriting

The aim of copywriting is to persuade readers to take some action. Mostly to buy products or services. As a copywriter, you don’t have to be too pushy. Don’t make your writeup sound like a desperate salesman who is just after the sales. Readers are wise enough to dodge those kinds of articles, I tell you.

As a copywriter, you are expected to inform or entertain readers to hook customers. Just make sure though that it greatly relates to the product or service that you are endorsing.

2.3. SEO (Search engine optimization) writing

SEO writing is a bit of technical writing. Your aim isn’t just to create a good article but to rank it higher in search engines like Google. Say, for example, if you search the word “online freelancing”, you’ll most likely read the first article at the top of the results being shown by Google search. And this is the aim of every website — to sit on that top spot to establish good leads.

In order to rank higher on Google, you must write a quality article based on Google’s standards. Google evaluates your write-up’s quality through the following factors:

• The number of words
• Use of keywords
• Compelling titles with call-to-action
• Images within the article
• Readability

2.4. Social Media posts

Being a social media writer is close to copywriting. The main goal is to make the brand known to the public by connecting and engaging to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your main job is to write and schedule posts to develop a strong online presence of the brand.

Average Pay for writers: P500 per 500 words

Sites where you can apply: Essays.ph, Writers Labs, Freelance Writing Jobs, 4writers.net, Paypercontent.net, Freelancewritinggigs.com, TripZilla.com, Problogger Jobs, Remote Workmate

Common tools you might need: Google Chrome extensions such as Grammarly and Keywords everywhere

3. Web Development / Programming

If you’re a web developer who is tired of manning your desk job, maybe it’s time to free yourself from that corporate jungle and work on your own terms instead.

I personally know some friends who eventually bid goodbye to the usual working setup, worked as freelance developers and became their own bosses.

It may take time to build a good portfolio though. But once you’ve established a good reputation virtually, you’ll surely earn $$$ more than what you expect. Web development is indeed one of the highly sought-after skills in the online industry.

Average Pay for web developers: P500-P1500 per hour

Sites where you can apply: Toptal, Envato Studio(formerly FreelanceSwitch), StackOverflow Careers, Smashing Jobs, WPHired

Common tools you’ll need: Adobe Dreamweaver CC, Bluefish, Atom Text Editor , Google Web Designer , Webflow , WordPress

Data Entry

Data entry simply is a method of inputting non-electronic data into an online database. Most data entry jobs require proficient skills in typing. This simply means that you need to type fast (mostly around 50 to 80 words or more per minute) with lesser typo and grammatical errors. If you’re a keyboard warrior, you’ll surely love this kind of job.

Average Pay for data entry specialists: P100 per hour

Sites where you can apply:  Quicktate, SpeakWrite , DionData , MTurk, Clickworker, Hubstaff Talent, SmartCrowd, Xerox, SigTrack, TDEC

Common tool you’ll need: Microsoft Excel

Online English tutorial

ESL or English as Second Language teaching is rapidly growing here in the Philippines. We, Filipinos, are known for being excellent English speakers, not to mention the pleasant personality we possess. This is the very reason why most foreigners prefer working with us. Though physical ESL companies are sprouting here in ph, you can also do it virtually at home.

Average Pay for English tutors: 150 PHP per hour to P 20,000 per month

Sites where you can apply: Weblio, 51Talk, RareJob, Funnyedu, Eigox, Bizmates, AcadSoc, Bibo Global Opportunity

Common tools you’ll need: Skype, Google Hangout, noise-canceling headphones

Graphic designing

If you are good at nailing digital arts or at least have the interest to pursue one, why not give freelance graphic designing a try? If you think you’re not that pro yet, worry not. There are a lot of Youtube videos for graphic designing. Just try to master one software at a time. If you’re still a beginner, I suggest starting with Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Average Pay for graphic designers: P250-P500 per project

Sites where you can apply: 99designs, Fiverr, Dribbble, Behance Job, Smashing Jobs, Coroflot, Crowdsite, CrowdSPRING, DesignCrowd

Common tools you’ll need: Canva , Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

Social Media Management

As a social media manager, you are expected to increase the brand awareness of your client’s products/services. You are the chief of planning, implementing, engaging, and monitoring social media activities.

Your job description may be too broad but if you are the type of online nomad with a good combination of creative writing and marketing skills, this job might be the right fit for you.

Average Pay for social media managers: P300 per hour

Sites where you can apply: Truelancer , Workhoppers, Upwork

Common tools you’ll need: Google Analytics , Hootsuite , Facebook Insights , Facebook Ads Manager , Buffer , TweetDeck , Canva

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Other types of online freelancing jobs to choose from:

There are still a lot of online job opportunities. I just highlighted the common ones above. But if you think your skills aren’t fit on the online jobs I mentioned, try digging deeper on the following:

• Transcription
• Bookkeeping
• Editing and Proofreading
• Digital Marketing
• Mobile App Development
• 3D Modelling and CAD- Translation
• Web Research- Legal Services
• Customer service (voice or chat)
• Audio or Video Production or Editing
• Human Resource Management

Read More: Are you prepared to invest?

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Popular freelancing sites in the Philippines:

1. Upwork. This is one of the oldest and most known freelancing sites, previously known as Odesk. You will basically increase your value as a freelancer on this site by taking proficiency tests relating to your field.

2. Freelancer. This is also one of the most popular freelancing sites. There are 1,350 different job categories you can apply for. Holy, a lot of opportunities, isn’t it? Some of the popular projects you can find are web development, graphic design, logo design, marketing, writing, and mobile app development.

3. Online Jobs Philippines. The two I mentioned above are more on the international scale. You can therefore expect a bigger competition from other nationalities. Here in Online Jobs Philippines, majority, if not all of the freelancers are Filipinos. There is much lesser competition so it is quite easier to get noticed especially if you have outstanding skills to showcase.

Here are the other Philippine freelancing sites where you can test out your luck:

4. Raket Philippines.

5. 199Jobs.

6. VirtualCoWorkerPh.

7. Bestjobs.ph.

8. GreatJobsPhilippines.

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Beginner Tips for an Online Freelancer in the Philippines

1. Invest in good tools.

A laptop and a good internet connection are your best buds when you’re in the freelancing world. Consider these things as your most important resources to step up the game as an online freelancer.

2. Focus on enhancing one skill at a time.

Too many folks are overwhelmed with tons of job opportunities online. If you’re a jack of all trades of some sort who do not know what field to focus on, you’ll just probably run around a loophole, jumping from one niche to another. The key is to know your skillsets and focus on enhancing it over time.

3. Have a comfortable working space.

You may have skipped the usual corporate setup but now, you have to build your own. Make sure to establish one that would make you work at your best. Have a clean and organized desk and a comfy chair if you must. You can also go out once in a while and enjoy the ambiance of cafes and coffee shops.

4. Find a mentor or become your own mentor.

If you’re still stuck, perhaps a mentor who’s already gone through the things you find difficult can be of help. There are a lot of paid courses to help you. But of course, there are also loads of free tips on the internet. You can become your own mentor by figuring things out on your own with the help of those free virtual advice.

5. Everything you need is on the internet. Everything.

Let me just get it straight to you. If you’re not a digital nomad, Online. Freelancing. Is. Not. For. You. Try to make Google and Youtube your best friends maybe?

6. Work on your portfolio.

Your portfolio is basically a summary of your skills, qualifications, training, and experiences. Clients have no time digging up your background. They will judge you according to how well you have written and established your portfolio instead. It can be a blog or an updated online portfolio in popular sites like LinkedIn.

If you’re having a hard time filling that in, just imagine selling yourself to the clients with the skillsets you can offer. And you have to give your best shot on this! Just remember that a good portfolio is built over time. So go work on projects that could really boost your reputation on the niche you’ve chosen.

7. Never give up.

In online freelancing, gigs won’t look for you. You look for them! Well, unless you’ve established a great reputation already. But if you’re still a beginner, it can be incredibly difficult to land on your first online gig.

The competition is high. So high that if you’re that type who gives up easily, then you’re out of the game too quickly. And before you know it, you are back to that familiar smell of the corporate world once again.

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Final Thoughts

The prehistoric mentality regarding employment is slowly fading. Yet transitioning yourself from the usual corporate setup is definitely not a walk in the park. One thing’s for sure though. If you open yourself in the online freelancing world, you’ll surely get ahead of the world’s majority of workforce who are still stuck in the corporate jungle. If you want to try your luck in the online world, just keep your persistence with you.

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