There are different ways to find work as a freelancer or telecommuter. The majority of my new assignments come from websites such as Craigslist,. But sometimes I get a little creative and type phrases such as “writers wanted” or “bloggers wanted” in the Google search bar. Amazingly, this method has produced a host of undiscovered treasures.

Because there’s so much competition, we’ve got to get creative. Nowadays, everyone’s looking to make money online. I think it’s wonderful that more and more people are taking control of their finances and life; and rather than sit back and whine about the economy or being broke, they take actions to change their situation. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re so many freelancers, but not enough jobs.

Sometimes, applying for freelance opportunities isn’t enough. You can submit 10 cover letters and resumes a day and never find a job. It doesn’t mean you suck or that you’re inexperienced. A lot of times, the response was huge, and job posters simply don’t have the time or energy to sift through the pile. If your application isn’t among the first twenty or so, you can kiss that opportunity good-bye.

You have to take a more proactive approach. Yeah, job boards are useful and you can find great opportunities. But if you need clients now, and your applications seems to get lost in cyberspace, maybe it’s time to create an online presence and let clients find you.

This year alone I’ve been contacted my three different individuals for assignments. In all three cases, they stumbled upon my work online and decided my writing style was a good match for their publications. I have to say, getting assignments this way is much better than trolling the job boards. But exactly how does one attract the attention of random clients?

Well for starters, you’ve got to have a website. Anybody who runs an online business needs a website or blog. This is where you introduce yourself to world…it’s your way of saying, “here I am.” Not only do you need a website, but you need an informative website. It should answer key questions such as:

- Who are you?

- What services do you offer?

- and most importantly, how to get in contact with you?

And it wouldn’t hurt to include a resume link detailing your qualifications, recent clients, and samples. The more a potential client knows about you…the better. You never know….maintain a strong online presence and you may never have to apply for another job again.