If you want to work from home, these are some of the hottest freelancing jobs in high demand

• India is the second-fastest growing market for freelancers after the U.S as it witnessed 46% increase in new freelancers from Q1 to Q2 in 2020, says a report by Payoneer.
• Startups prefer working with freelancers rather than full time employees.
• One can build their freelance career in these specialised fields which are high in demand

Gone are the days when freelancing was considered as a part-time job to earn a few extra bucks. A lot of educated people, especially the youth, are now seeking to build their full time career as freelancers. In recent trends, the freelancing market picked-up its pace especially during COVID-19 pandemic with 46% increase in new freelancers between Q1 and Q2 in 2020, says a report by Payoneer, a US-based financial services firm.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 400 million jobs were lost worldwide during the pandemic and freelancing has shown some ray of light to professionals. India is the second-fastest growing market for freelancers after the U.S with currently estimated 15 million freelancers. The market of freelancers is further more expected to grow by $20-30 billion by 2025, according to the report.

India stands at 23rd position when it comes to the quality of startups and business environment, according to innovation mapping and research firm StartupBlink .The report further says that startups attract freelancers the most. Most of the startups prefer working with freelancers on contractual basis rather than full-time employees due to multiple reasons. Early stage startups are usually cash-crunched in their early days and freelancers are cost effective. Also, freelancers have expertise in their respective fields and are easy to find.

These are some domain fields which are highly in demand for freelancers. For people who seek to build their freelance career can have an insight of popular skills that are in demand -

1. Digital Marketing

This is one of the most popular and in-demand skills, especially among startups to increase their visibility in the market. Every startup hunts for digital marketers who can help them in search engines and social media.
Skills required to be a Digital Marketer:

• In depth knowledge of Search Engine Optimization(SEO) and Search Engine Marketing(SEM).
• Excellence in video production and video marketing.
• Should know how to work with analytical tools like Google Analytics, Maz Pro etc. to track website performance and traffic.

A Glassdoor report says that an average salary of a freelance digital marketer in India can be around between ₹5,74,152 to ₹9,59,353 per annum. On freelancing platforms like UpWork, a professional digital marketer charges $10-$60 per hour.

2. Web Developer

This is one of the most demanded profiles as every startup needs an attractive website to engage with their customers. In this era of fast-paced technology, versatile web developers are always required in the IT sector.

1. Skills required to be a Web Developer:

• Firm with testing and debugging skills.
• Outstanding designing experience and user interface (UI), user experience (UX) skills.
• Proficiency in back-end development
• Full knowledge of HTML and programming language JavaScript

Professional social networking firm LinkedIn says that a Freelance Web Developer in India earns around ₹37,500 per month.

3. Content Writing

Every startup or a big corporation calls out for professional content writers who can curate content for them to attract a large amount of audience. Since everything is going digital, there is a huge demand for digital content creators in every sector.
Skills required to be content Writer:

• Good writing and editing skills.
• Strong grasp in verbal and communication skills.
• Competent in working with online content platforms.
  According to a PayScale report, freelance content writers in India earn an average hourly pay of ₹487.22 and can earn ₹16,343 per month.
  

4. Graphic Designing

Often referred to as graphic artists or communication designers, professional creative designers are always welcomed by companies who can communicate the goals of the brand to its target audience with their creative designing skills.
Skills required to be a Graphic Designer:

• Creative mind for design
• An eye for finer details
• Competent in working with design tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop etc.

The average hourly pay of a freelance graphic designer in India is ₹295, according to a report by PayScale, whereas Glassdoor quotes an annual salary of ₹5,21,505 of Graphic Designers in India.

5. BlockChain Developer

Blockchain is a relatively new and advanced domain. Every sector including healthcare, education, retail requires blockchain developers to perform blockchain centric functions for them. Due to high demand and less number of professionals available in this area, companies are ready to pay hefty amounts to skilled professionals.
Skills required to be a blockchain developer:

• Firm hands in software development
• In depth knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
• Well versed with programming languages like C++, Java, JavaScript, PHP etc.
• Proficiency in fundamentals of cryptography

A freelance blockchain developer can earn around between $10-$25 per hour. An average annual salary of a blockchain developer can range from ₹4,75,000 to ₹7,93,000.


SEE ALSO:
How to export passwords from LastPass
Whatsapp, Signal and Telegram face a catch-22 situation as India’s new social media rules threaten encryption
India saw the birth of two new unicorns this week – both their valuations have swelled multiple times in just a few months