Flexible Working Life

Photo by ul Marga 

I hate bidding sites. 

I hate bidding for work, which is usually offered with minimal information and at extremely low pay.  When I started out as a freelancer, these bidding sites were where I got some initial work.  After two jobs of dealing with ambiguous briefs and fussy clients and being extremely low paid for my skills and time, I decided that bidding sites were not for me. 
I know that some people love the bidding sites and get a lot of work from those places; if you’re one of those hard working souls then I salute you. 
But for those of us who like to secure a gig without the bad taste in our mouths, here are the places that I think are the best on the Internet to find new clients. 

If there are more sites that you know of,  leave a comment so others can see.

• Freelancers.net
  Great site that also has the option for you to create your own web page.  Free to join and you can sign up for e-mail alerts.  I have got some great clients from this site, some that I’m proud to say are still with me today.
• Chinwag
  I’ve just started using this site, so don’t really have much to say about it, other than it seems to have a lot of opportunities listed and from what I can gather, you don’t have to sign up to anything to apply for them.
• Coroflot
  Another great job site that easy to navigate.  Listings give all the information and they have a good selection.
• Authenticjobs.com
  Good selection of jobs both full time and freelance.  Mostly design and development jobs.
• No agencies please
  This can sometimes duplicate jobs from elsewhere, but it’s still worth checking out. 
• Brand Republic
  Search under ‘freelance’ for advertising, marketing, media and PR jobs
• Careers Group
  Bit of a funny one this, part of the University of London, it lists jobs that are part-time and temporary geared towards students who are looking for extra cash.  All are based in the UK, but it’s worth a look for interesting work that’s flexible.
• Freelance Writing Jobs
  This blog has a daily listing of freelance writing jobs as well as posting other opportunities.  Look out for the ones listed as ‘telecommute’ and you should be able to do those jobs from anywhere.  
•  Freelance Switch
  Good selection of freelance jobs, the only problem is that you have to subscribe to look at the contact details.  However, it is only $7 a month, so probably worth it.
• Gumtree and Craigslist
  Both sites are worth looking at for freelance work, but, they do have a lot of rubbish on there as well. 
  You need to do a narrow search with these sites and apply with caution.  There are a lot of scams on these sites, but I have got work from both.  One Craigslist ad I replied to was a great client who regularly supplies me with well paid work, so it is worth checking out on a daily basis.

With all freelance jobs advertised online, I find that the best way to source work is to apply immediately. 
The only way to make sure you are aware of freelance work being offered is to subscribe to email alerts and check the sites often. 

That said, it’s also important to have a clear idea of your hourly and daily rate - it’s easy to start applying for low paying jobs on these sites because they are so many of them -  it can make you feel like that’s all there is.  It’s not. 
The well paying freelance jobs are out there, so stick to your rates, apply with caution and good luck!

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Thanks for all the lovely comments and emails - glad people are finding this post useful!

Just to add some more great sites - anymore just let me know:

 Freelance Alliance
Recently launched and a little different - in this site you can complete a profile of your services as well as forming alliances with other freelancers for bigger projects.  Great idea!

Programme Meet Designer
Interesting site that lets you find long term relationships with other entrepreneurs.

Currently Looking for work
Lets you sign up for free, post a profile and post what kind of work you are looking for.