Leveraging the Future of Data Science In The Gig Economy
Working remote has become familiar with less people working in offices and more from their own homes. With the shift of freelance and remote work occurring in data science and nearly every industry, the question remains… what is the best way to get into freelance or remote data science gigs?
The freelance economy has experienced an enormous growth in talented individuals looking to work on their own time. A freelancer has freedom to choose how they want to work. Freelancing from the outside can seem surprising, how can someone stay home and work remote from their computer or laptop? Fortunately, I plan to give you an overview of the marketplaces I have experienced in my years of freelancing in the gig economy and what you can do to increase your chances of being hired as a freelance data scientist.
What is freelancing? Freelancing in the gig economy demands you to have a skill that you offer to clients and earn some sort of value in exchange. If you have decided which skill you would like to monetize then you can begin the journey of becoming a freelance contractor. Another thing to keep in mind is whether you plan to work remote or if you would like to work out of an office. Freelancing can also be a physical occupation.
I freelanced for different startups all over the globe. The more higher payout jobs typically were based out of California or New York. I have been freelancing for more than 7 years now. I believe right now is a perfect time to begin freelancing. Also, don’t be afraid to accept offers for tasks in alternate currencies. Some of the best jobs I was asked to complete were paid in Bitcoin which ended up increasing in the future.
Preparation
Working freelance and remote looks great. But, preparations are definitely needed in order to assure a bright future. Some things to keep in mind that you will most likely want to be in an environment where you can work with your optimal vibe. For some this is a busy cafe but for others this may be a quiet place in a library. A stable internet and electricity connection is a must, especially if you have deadlines. When planning projects with your clients, how will you communicate with them? When working remote, you are not in person so there can typically be a slight barrier. Another thing to consider is your social life. Since you will not have co-workers, you cannot rely on frequent in person chatting if you choose to work in a quiet environment.
Finding positions and applying
Now that you have made your preparations, it is time to utilize your hard work, motivation, and skills. Luckily, there are tons of freelance and remote opportunities out there. Some even pay have task payout with cryptocurrency. Most of the freelance and remote sites offer job notifications so be sure to set those up.
Grindez — Get The Task Done
Grindez is the go-to freelancer marketplace. Grindez is a p2p work platform built by uALREADY. As the go-to job marketplace hosted with cryptocurrency payments, Grindez connects freelancers and customers through smart contracts, enabling robust protections and efficient escrow payments — wherever the different parties are based. If you’re familiar with any of the big and established freelance platforms then you’ll be pleased by the features they have on their freelancer marketplace.
Basically how it works is you sign up for an account then make a listing. Companies also post requests for work to be done.
One of my favorite features which Grindez offers is to be paid out in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Grindez offers all the usual payouts similar to other freelancer marketplaces, but to be paid in cryptocurrency for tasks is always nice. These payments are of course subject to the usual Escrow methods to make sure both vendor and purchaser interests are catered for.
Next, one of my favorite features is the search alert. Basically, you receive notifications when there are new job requests or listings matching the job criteria on the site.
I am pleased that Grindez offer listing statistics in real-time so users can see every-time a new or existing user views listings. One of my other favorite features is Grindez’s affiliate program. Users can earn a commission from the completed work of those they refer to the site. Moreover, Grindez works in real time. The ability to instantly message other freelancers or companies is really convenient to discuss milestones or to handle disputes.
Before You Start The Data Science Freelance Journey
Specialize in Anything
There is always a need for every skill out there. Deciding which skill to focus on can often be difficult so why not just list every skill you have? Then you will surely be hired.
Specializing in something really anything enables you to build trust with prospective clients more and you will be easier to approach for people looking for that exact service.
Communicate Clearly
Your prospective customers and especially your clients are your source of income. Always communicate clearly and offer honesty and the best customer service you can. If you happen to make a mistake then be honest with the employer. Nobody wants their time wasted so take responsibility for your actions.
Embrace Challenges
When you work with clients it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own vision of how the project will look. However, sometimes the work you complete is not up-to-par with your clients. Have an open discussion about your challenges and more than likely will your challenges no longer be difficult.
Why is freelance data science remote work different?
What makes data science different from other industries is typically the gap in experience. The biggest Data Science employers are usually big tech companies or companies who have large sets of data and are building big office campuses and rarely offer remote work.
Summarized Tips To Land Your First Gig
- Communicate with the one attempting to hire you
- Complete the work on-time and with great standards
- Let the client know I am done
- Explain clearly what I did
- Explain what I did NOT do, when applicable
- Ask for feedback about the work
- Request positive feedback for my Upwork evaluation
- Suggest related work I could do in the future
Final Thoughts
If you’re considering a freelancing career then nice job! Starting your own company and working for yourself is very rewarding and a great way to grow your skills. From the start of my freelance journey, it has been extremely fun to learn how to market myself and be exposed to new opportunities. What you really need to figure out is if freelancing is right for you, which skill you will provide, and where to market yourself. Once you have these figured out, the rest will come with ease.
Knowledge is Power! Share your knowledge, open source your projects, participate in a community (any community!), and maybe just maybe publish a blog post about it.
Constructive criticism and feedback are welcomed. Nicholas Resendez can be reached on Instagram @nirholas, on LinkedIn, and Twitter @nickresendez for updates on new articles.
Photo by manny PANTOJA on Unsplash
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