9 Mind-Blowing Job Perks Only Online Freelancers Get to Experience

Most people don’t believe me when I tell them.

They refuse. They say things like…“How could anyone possibly make money online, travel the world and live comfortably?”

And…“Even if it’s possible, there’s no way I could do that”.

It always makes me laugh.

Online freelancing (on Upwork.com) was the reason I was able to fast-track my freedom. It’s how I was able to pack my bags and head for another continent at the drop of a hat.

And I did it…

• Without stacks of cash
• Without an existing income stream
• Without the skills to back it up
• Without a clear plan for the future

Despite all that — I’m typing this from a stylish little coffee shop in Thailand, earning more than enough money freelancing to keep me comfortable.

Next month, I might head to the Philippines… or Vietnam.

Why?

Because I can. Because I feel like it.

And It’s All Thanks to the Perks Of Online Freelancing

I often talk about freelancing as a means of travel.

But to be frank, it’s not even about travelling. It’s about being the driver of your own vehicle. Being in control of your own life.

It’s about taking off the invisible ball and chain.

And that’s why I love freelancing, because it provides a number of unique perks. Perks that give you an opportunity to take back control.

Enough chit-chat. Let’s talk about what they are.

Perk #1: Work From (Almost) Anywhere In The World

Let’s get the obvious out the way…

Location-independence.

As you can probably tell from the intro of this post, this is easily my favourite perk. As long as you have a laptop and an internet connection — you’re golden.

Why?

Because clients on platforms like Upwork never expect to meet you in person. At most, they’ll wanna jump on the occasional Skype call — That’s it.

And since you can get online practically anywhere nowadays, this opens up a working environment of near infinite possibilities.

Why not get some work done from Sydney, Australia?

…or how about Phuket, Thailand?

With online freelancing, it’s all possible.

Perk #2: Charge What You Like / What You’re Actually Worth

This is probably the hardest perk for people to wrap their heads around. It seems crazy — I know — but it’s true.

When I started out as a copywriter, I was charging $25/hr. I suppose it just kinda felt right — as a beginner.

But I kept developing my craft, I gained experienced, and I grew more confident…

…So I bumped it up.

Not long after that, I did it again.

…and again.

Within just a few months, I gave myself a 300% pay rise.

And each time I raised my rates, I noticed that clients were still more than happy to hire me:

How is that possible?

Simple, in the world of online freelancing, good clients value results over irrelevant factors like years of experience and fancy credentials.

Perk #3: Work (Pretty Much) Whenever The Hell You Feel Like

Yup. It’s true.

Of course, projects have deadlines (to which you agree on) but as long as you get everything done on time, there’s no requirement as to WHEN you actually work.

This is the first major difference you’ll notice when you start out freelancing, and it does require some discipline to actually get work done, but the feeling of freedom is amazing.

Sometimes, I spend a full day working. Other times maybe only half a day if I don’t have much on.

But I won’t lie. Sometimes, I just feel like having a relaxing day by the pool.

Can you blame me? 🙂

Perk #4: Do Something You Actually Enjoy Doing

At my last job, I spent my days cooking up pancakes at my local shopping mall (yes, really).

As much I love pancakes, It wasn’t the most fulfilling job. To be honest, none of the countless jobs I’ve ever had before were anything more than bearable.

But with freelancing, you can literally choose what you want to be, and ultimately what sort of projects you want to work on.

Let me explain:

I chose to be a freelance sales copywriter.

Why?

Because I’ve always had a keen interest in psychology and marketing — I just didn’t know how I could translate that into a profession.

Copywriting ticked all the boxes for me.

I did it for a little while, and as I worked on various projects, I realised that writing “sales pages” was something I particularly enjoy doing.

So, I shifted my speciality towards sales pages.

And I was able to secure work in that field almost immediately.

And that’s how Freelancing allowed me to go from mindlessly flippin’ pancakes to working in a field where I have a genuine interest.

Perk #5: Switch Between Working Part-Time or Full-Time

Want to make an extra $500 a month on the side?

How about $1,000?

Maybe you’re looking to make a full-time income?

… $3,000? … $5,000? … $10,000?

Truth is, with online freelancing, it’s really up to you. All you have to do is set your monthly monetary goal and put in enough hours to reach it.

Here’s a fun example:

Bob is a web developer (yeah, I’m going with Bob), he has a full time job and wants to make an extra $1,000/month on the side as an online freelancer — his rate is a reasonable $50/hour.

Here’s what that looks like to him:

Goal: $1,000 /month
Rate: $50 /hour
Work: 5 hours /week

After a few months, Bob decides to quit his job and go full time with online freelancing. His new goal is $5,000/month.

Now it looks like this:

Goal: $5,000 /month
Rate: $50 /hour
Work: 25 hours /week

Bob can now choose to increase or decrease workload/availability to meet his monetary goals — almost at will.

This type of flexibility is something he could NEVER experience at his old job.

Perk #6: Get Paid To Develop Your New Skill

Would you ever apply to be a mechanic without ever having looked under the hood of a car?

Of course not. If you did, you’d probably be laughed out of the interview.

But with online freelancing, the rules can be bent. That’s how I was able to land copywriting jobs, despite never having done a copywriting job in my life.

In fact: In the beginning, clients essentially paid me to develop my copywriting skills.

Sure, I did my research. I read books, listened to podcasts, watched videos, and did just about everything I could to learn the theory behind copywriting.

But, you know… If you really wanna learn to swim, you gotta get in the water.

So I pitched myself as a copywriter, and when I landed a job, I simply applied what I learned. If it meant having to go back over some of the material to get it right, so be it.

And that’s how you go about getting paid to hone your craft into something you can demand top dollar for.

Perk #7: Move Into A New Field Or Skill Set At Any Time

Just like anything in the world of online freelancing, what you actually ‘do’ is never set in stone.

What I mean is…

Just because you’re a Blog Writer today, it doesn’t mean you can’t start offering your services as a Copywriter tomorrow.

In fact, this is how new freelancers usually start out when they’re finding their feet, but there’s no limit to when and how often you do this.

There’s 3 main benefits:

• Prevents you from getting bored
• Allows you to test different markets
• Allows you to move into higher paid positions

Perk #8: Take Full Advantage Of Currency Exchange

We already know (from Perk #1) that online freelancing allows you to work from anywhere in the world.

But it’s gets even deeper than that.

This is without doubt one of the BIGGEST perks of earning money online.

You see, being able to earn in dollars and spend in baht or pesos means you can effectively 2x, 3x or even 4x the value of your money.

To put that in perspective, and I’ll spare you the math (thank me later)…

That’s like getting $3.72 for every $1.00 you make, simply by changing location.

And this effect isn’t just limited to Thailand. There’s tons of places in the world where currency exchange can be exploited.

Here’s a few:

• Budapest, Hungary
• Sebu, Phillipines
• Goa, India
• Bali, Indonesia
• Saigon, Vietnam

Perk #9: Work With People You Like, and Genuinely Want To Help

Having to work with people you don’t like is just a fact of life.

After all, You can’t be expected to get on with everyone you meet — that’s just stupid.

But unlike having a “real job”, freelancing puts you in a position of power. What I mean is, you literally get to cherry-pick the clients you work with.

If a client has a funny attitude, or you just lack that all important connection, you simply hit the decline button.

And it’s a good thing, too. If you don’t enjoy working with someone, chances are — you’ll be more interested in “getting the job over with” than delivering high quality work

And that’s not helping anyone.

But on the flip side… If they’re a good fit, you’ll develop a great relationship, a clear understanding of their needs and a genuine desire to over-deliver.

It’s a win-win.

Ready To Jump Into Freelancing?

There’s no doubt about it, freelancing can seriously change your life. — I’m living proof of that.

So If you’re ready to take a leap of faith, I encourage you to head over to Upwork.com (my go-to freelance platform) and sign up for a free account.