I have interviewed a successful freelancer who was a housewife. She has been expert-vetted in upwork, which represents the top 1% of freelancers in her work category. She is a freelance tech writer, programmer, and online course content creator.
She has earned the BASIS National Outsourcing Award in the Female Outsourcing Professional category. These are not enough. She is contributing to the community by sharing her knowledge for the new frelancers. Let’s know everything from her.
1. Jovayer: Would You Please Introduce Yourself to Our Audience?
Nahid Akter: I am a freelance tech writer, programmer, and online course content creator. I am a Top-rated Plus and Expert-Vetted freelancer on Upwork, having worked over 6 years on the platform. Recently I’ve also started my own digital agency, Meraki Innovations Limited.
I have an MS in CSE from a renowned University in Bangladesh. Before I started freelancing I was a teacher for over 10 years. That’s why my areas of specialization are mainly in developing educational content on IT topics like programming, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Web development.
About my journey, well it started in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I grew up there and lived there for almost 22 years. Growing up, I’ve always been highly ambitious.
I always wanted to do big things. From a very young age, I was always attracted to the idea of being financially independent, of not having to ask for money, whether it is from my parents, or husband.
I used to be good at studies and loved to dabble with the computer. I always loved learning new things. However, being from a culture that, at that time, was not very progressive towards ambitious women, I couldn’t go too far career-wise, even though I grew up in such a rapidly progressing country.
After completing my BSc in Computer Science, I got married and settled in Bangladesh. After that, as is the case with most women, I got busy with family life, and child-rearing.
In between I continued with my teaching career, but as my husband’s job required me to move from one part of Bangladesh to another (with frequent postings), each job of mine lasted about 2 -3 years max.
Each time I had to relocate to a new city, get a new job, and then work hard to prove myself again. Eventually, I got tired of changing jobs and decided to sit at home and become a stay-at-home mom.
During this time, I decided to give freelancing a shot, since I was sitting at home anyway. I went ahead and opened an account on upwork. At that time there were no ‘motivation’ videos to become a freelancer as we see nowadays.
We did not have many mentors or people to represent or encourage us to step into the freelancing world. I just started it because I wanted something to do, instead of sitting idle.
2. Jovayer: What Was Your First Freelancing Project, and How Did You Land it?
Nahid Akter: In 2017, I opened an account on Upwork and then forgot about it. After around 3 months, I got a reply from a client who wanted me to write a 30-line original poem in English and wanted to pay me $5 for it. At that point, it wasn’t the money but just the opportunity to actually do something that excited me.
I sat up all night and finished the poem. I received my $ 5, and that to me was not just $5 or (at that time) Tk. 400. It meant possibilities.
Learning: Starting someting is tough and less attrative. But to reach in your goal, you need to start first. Take smaller projects first and try your best to complete and get some great feedbacks on your profile. These will help to look your profile expericed and attractive to the clients in future.
3. Jovayer: What Type Of Work Do You Do In Upwork?
Nahid Akter: On Upwork I’m a Python Programmer, Instructional Designer, Tech Writer, and also a Content writer. I am Top rated plus on Upwork, and Expert-Vetted. By Expert-Vetted, I mean I’m one of the top 1 percent freelancers on Upwork.
I started out writing content, but later decided to combine my writing skills and passion for programming, along with my teaching experience, and started creating online course content to teach programming.
Narrowing down to a specialized niche like this was one of my best decisions. I found that a lot of organizations were out there who needed someone with these 3 skills.
Since there were very few people who possessed this combination of skills, clients were willing to pay me more for my time. Most of these clients needed someone with teaching experience, who also knew how to code and create educational content for coding.
This also provided me a great way for me to keep myself updated with the latest trends in Tech.
4. Jovayer: Do You Work on Other Freelance Platforms? Which Platform Is Best And Why ?
Nahid Akter: I had created accounts on Freelancer.com and Fiverr as well. But eventually I stuck to Upwork, since I was getting most of my high-paying work from there. Fiverr is good for smaller-budget projects.
In fact the name Fiverr itself comes from the fact that it is meant for projects that start from $5. But yes, I do know a lot of people who have earned a good amount of money from there, it just never worked out well enough for me.
5. Jovayer: What Challenges Did You Face Early In Your Freelancing Career, Especially in Upwork, And How Did You Overcome Them?
Nahid Akter: The biggest challenge was when I started out, as I mentioned before, it’s not easy getting that first job. I got my first job 3 months after I opened my account.
With the amount of competition nowadays, I can imagine it must be even more challenging now. Once you complete at least 3-4 jobs, the frequency starts increasing.
6. Jovayer: Can You Share Some Key Milestones In Your Freelancing Career That Contributed To Your Success?
Nahid Akter: Thanks to my freelance career, I’ve worked for more than 50 clients now, among which, I got the opportunity to work with multinational and Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, 3M, and Insight Software.
I’ve authored several popular tech blogs and have successfully-running online courses on Udemy, Udacity, and other platforms.
This year I received the BASIS National Outsourcing Award in the Female Outsourcing Professional category.
Besides that, I’ve also created courses that are currently being used in several US schools to teach their students how to code. I have created courses in Data Science and Machine Learning that are being used to teach students in the United Arab Emirates.
Some of my recent learning materials on AI and are also going to be introduced to school students all over India. I hope to someday introduce the same within my own country too, if I get the opportunity.
Recently I’ve partnered with a Malaysian company, as a Subject Matter Expert, helping them review the course content for an AI training program (to be used by Microsoft).
Another big milestone in my life has been the opportunity to work with the National Skills Development Authority. The National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) is a Bangladesh Government agency under the Prime Minister’s Office.
This authority is responsible for the approval and evaluation of all skill development projects of the government. I got to be a part of their Competency Standard Validation Committee for the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) on Content writing. So I helped review the curriculum that was created to teach content writing for a skill development project of theirs.
7. How Do You Manage Your Time Effectively To Handle Multiple Projects?
Nahid Akter: I usually try my best not to take too many projects at a time. Earlier, I used to make this mistake, thinking that if I say no, then the client will never give me work again, and I used to accept any invitation I got, eventually ending up burnt out.
Now I know better. So, at a time, I try to make sure I’m not working with more than 3 clients.
To manage time effectively, the most important trick is prioritization. There’s a debate between people who think you should prioritize work based on importance, instead of urgency. Sometimes we do end up spending time over lesser-paying but urgent tasks instead of focusing on tasks that are going to bring more money in.
There’s another group of freelancers who believe urgent projects should get more precedence. From my personal experience I’ve seen that most of the lesser-paying clients tend to rush me more, so their tasks are always urgent, whereas the higher-paying clients are much more patient and laid-back, giving me enough time to be creative.
It’s important to be able to make the distinction and set your priorities correctly.
8. Jovayer: Do You Have a Specific Routine or Schedule That You Follow to Stay Productive?
Nahid Akter: When you have no boss over your head, it’s easy to procrastinate and be unproductive. The key to being your own boss is self-discipline. You have to be able to push yourself.
Of course everyone has those days where they feel unmotivated to work. On those days I love using the Pomodoro technique. So it goes like this. Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings. Then take a five-minute break, do whatever you want during that time, and again work 25 minutes more.
In this way what you’re doing is that you’re telling your mind, it’s 25 minutes, what’s the big deal? I’ll get to take a break again eventually, and during those 25 minutes you’re completely focused on the task so at least something gets done. Procrastination usually stems from the fear of starting something. But once you’ve started it, it becomes easier to keep going.
It also helps to have a designated place to work. An office table with a comfortable chair would be great. That way, every time you sit at your table, your brain automatically switches on.
It’s also a great idea to go to a nearby coworking space, where you can see other people working and get motivated. This also serves as a great way to build your network.
And if all else fails, Coffee…should do the trick.
9. Jovayer: How Do You Balance Work and Personal Life as a Freelancer?
Nahid Akter: I have started prioritising my time to ensure I have enough time with my family. Initially, though, I admit, I had immersed myself so much into my work that I found myself working all day and late into the night. I had taken on too much on my plate and it felt draining at one point. However, with experience and reason, you can find your sweet spot.
10. Jovayer: What Strategies Do You Use To Consistently Attract New Clients And Projects?
Nahid Akter: I try to always keep in touch with the newest job trends. It’s important to identify which line of work will be most profitable for you, and also to predict when a particular line of work is likely to lose value. For example, right now jobs related to AI are really hot.
So it’s important to understand how you can integrate your current line of work with AI so that you can provide added value to your clients. Most important thing is to be eager to learn new things and find new opportunities to learn.
Oh, and maintaining a good portfolio of projects and a clean client feedback record also helps attract new clients and projects.
A final tip that I will give is to try and specialize your niche. This works wonders in doubling or tripling your income. The more you specialize in something, the more a client will want to hire you and the more money you can charge for your expertise in that area. If you try to be a jack of all trades and put your hands everywhere, chances are that you will just be average in everything.
11. Jovayer: Can You Share Any Tips For Creating A Standout Freelancer Profile On Platforms Like Upwork Or Fiverr with examples?
Nahid Akter: Make sure you put each and every detail in there. Every course you’ve done, every small job you’ve done. Everything. This is for those who are just starting out and don’t have any experience. If you’re very experienced, though, you will need to cut down a little. Don’t make your profile too cluttered that a person doesn’t even feel like looking.
Keep the work experience and qualifications that are most related to the line of your work on the marketplace. Your profile overview should not be a big story. Try to keep the information that is important first, so the client wants to read the rest. Put a great portfolio together with your best work. After that, make a great proposal.
Avoid fluff like “I am very hard-working” or “I can work very well under pressure”. Nobody is going to believe your word for it. What clients want to see is proof. So you need to show them what you’ve done for other clients.
12. Jovayer: How Do you Establish and Maintain Good Relationships with Your Clients?
Nahid Akter: Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and client requirements. Make sure you meet deadlines without compromising quality.
Clear communication with clients is essential. Always be transparent with the client. Give realistic timelines. If you don’t think you can complete the job within the stipulated time, communicate this to the client. And let the client know well in advance.
Need to take a leave? Let the client know about a week before. If possible, 2 weeks in advance. These little things go a long way in building a great reputation and consequently, career.
13. How Do You Handle Pricing And Negotiations With Clients? And What Is Your Advice For New Freelancers ?
Nahid Akter: A lot of people ask me how do I know how much I should charge? Well, for this you need to do a lot of research. Join social media freelancing groups. This will not only give you an idea of how much to charge, but will also help you expand your network. And a lot of companies and startups often post freelance job vacancy announcements on these sites.
There are freelancers who hire people to help them complete work from foreign clients when they have less time or are committed. I myself have discovered a few women to help me out when I don’t have enough time. I’ve trained these girls and they are now working independently for many other clients of their own.
14: Jovayer: Have You Encountered Any Challenges With Payment Or Invoicing, And How Did You Address Them?
Nahid Akter: Yes, a few months back one of my agency members on Upwork encountered a scammer client, who made us do some work that was worth almost $500. They made us work almost 8 hours a day saying they will pay us at the end of the month.
However, before the month ended the client closed the contract after paying just $45. There really wasn’t much that we could do, since the client had not added the money into the Upwork escrow.
We should have been careful about that. So that was a lesson for us. Always remember to make sure the money for a task is in the escrow before starting the work, no matter how much the client asks you to start the work and they will do it when they get the time.
Never fall for that! These rules on big platforms like Upwork exist for a reason, so we should make sure we make use of these benefits.
15. Jovayer: You Said You have Your Own Company. What kind of work does it do?
Nahid Akter: My expertise is in creating educational content. So I thought of starting an agency that not only provides content, but also 360 degree services to clients. So I founded Meraki Innovations Ltd. with this in mind.
We provide digital solutions to businesses. Some of the services we provide include website design and development, digital marketing, social media management, graphic design, content writing, and also custom packages.
My primary target clients are schools and NGOs. So far, we are working with 2 US-based NGOs. We provide them with 360 degree services. So we manage their newsletters, branding, all kinds of flyers. My target was to work in the educational domain since that is my strong point.
However, working with this NGO has been beneficial since we are getting to create an impact, as well as pave the way for doing business along with social good.
16. Jovayer: What Are Your Future Goals As A Freelancer, And How Do You Plan To Achieve Them?
Nahid Akter: Now that my company has had the opportunity to serve a good number of clients, I would like my company to grow bigger. I would like to offer more variety of services to my clients, and I would like to branch out in more directions, especially in areas of Data Science and AI.
Given my experience in the education sector, I would also like to cater more towards this industry. I love coding and teaching people to code and I would love to work with schools all over Bangladesh, so that our children can also get an opportunity to develop this important 21st century skill.
17. What is life cycle of freelancer and content writing?/ How can we scale up our freelancing career?
Nahid Akter: Try and specialize your niche. This works wonders in doubling or tripling your income. The more you specialize in something, the more a client will want to hire you and the more money you can charge for your expertise in that area.
If you try to be a jack of all trades and put your hands everywhere, chances are that you will just be average in everything.
18. Jovayer: Is There Anything Else You’d Like To Share With Aspiring Freelancers Or Any Final Thoughts?
Nahid Akter: My advice to aspiring freelancers would be first do their research before jumping right in. A lot of newbies usually just go with what’s trending. So when they see everyone is into Data Science and Data Analytics, they think that’s the only way to go. But it’s more important to enjoy what you do.
If you don’t like math and coding, go for something else. If you like art and design, go for graphics. There are endless areas for freelancing. If you’re good with music, go for music production. The possibilities are endless!
What’s most important is to never stop learning. Keep upskilling yourself. You’re done learning one skill, move on to the next thing. Keep researching and keep yourself updated with the latest trends in your domain. Even now, I’m enrolled in two different courses.
Besides my freelance work and running my company, I’m also making sure I’m learning new skills. Investing in upskilling yourself is the biggest investment you will ever make. And this is one investment where there is always profit, never a loss.
Conclusion
At the time of taking the interview and publishing it, I was motivated by such valuable information. I think not only new freelancers but also expert freelancers can learn a lot of things from this interview.
To be successful in freelancing or any career, you need to learn new things continuously and work with consistency. I have tried to give the insight but you may have lots of questions to our guest. Please leave relevant comment. We will try to give the best answer for your questions.
