How to Build the Skills You Need for Self-Employment

It can be difficult to sustain and succeed at self-employment, especially if you have not built up the right skills, such as interpersonal communication, self-motivation, dedication, independent learning, and responsibility. To ensure that your self-employed or freelance tenure is successful, here are some of the steps that you should take to gain the skills that you need.

• Take on Voluntary Opportunities

Although you might need to get paid in order to sustain your lifestyle, there are many volunteering opportunities that can bolster your resume. They can also give you the experience that you need in order to create a portfolio of your work and ensure that potential clients will trust your expertise. To find out about these opportunities, you should follow brands on social media, stay in contact with your professional and college network, and sign up for company newsletters.

• Go to College

Going to college is one of the best simulations of self-employment that there is, forcing you to stay motivated, complete work toward a deadline, and work from home in order to achieve your end goal. Not only this, but college can also teach you the knowledge and practical skills that you need for your specific job niche, such as creative writing or business skills. To find a college that will offer you the opportunities that you need, CollegeData can give you the low-down on all of the colleges in the United States, allowing you to choose the institution that will give you the experience that you are looking for.

• Start a Blog

However, you do not have to wait for someone else to help you to build on your skills, and there are many ways that you can proactively prepare for self-employment on your own. One of the best ways to do this is to start a blog whose content focuses on your niche. Not only will this allow you to exercise your knowledge and improve your written communication skills, but it can also allow you to make money and start building a following of people that you may be able to convert to clientele in the future.

• Join LinkedIn

Communication and interpersonal skills are two of the most important expertise that you need to practice, and one of the best ways to do this is to join LinkedIn, or via a similar professional social media network. LinkedIn can build up your skills by connecting you with other professionals who you will be able to network and discuss your services with. This professional network will also be key to finding work when you start to rely on self-employment.

• Watch Online Webinars

If you want to build on your skills for self-employment in a non-academic capacity, you should consider watching online webinars. These can offer you free training materials on niche subjects of your choice. By doing this, you will gain insight into the specific skills that you are struggling to build and focus on constant self-improvement from the comfort of your home.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes