Top Easy Freelance Professions in 2021 – IT and Digital
In 2021, teleworking and free employment will still be more relevant than ever. 2020 has shown how convenient this format of work is, and it is unlikely to ever go out of style. It is better to search for a source of income in areas with the greatest demand: now it is a digital technology niche.
In the article, we talked about the features of earning money in IT and Digital and collected our top freelance professions for 2021.
Programming
Average salary of a self-employed programmer in India :
60,000–80,000 rupees.
Programming hides several areas in demand on the market:
- Web development.
- Mobile applications.
- Information Security.
Web developers are building websites. Now almost every company has a website – everyone is rapidly integrating their business into the Internet – so the performers are welcomed with open arms.
Tellingly, there are not so many really good specialists who can write an adaptive and user-friendly website: a developer with a good portfolio has every chance to withstand the competition and get customers who are ready to pay decently for his services.
Developers of mobile applications for Android and iOS realize themselves by creating services for these platforms: from simple games for primary school children to web banking with an increased level of security.
Rounding out the top remote professions for freelance programming is information security . According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, in 2020 the level of cybercrime increased by 75.1% compared to the beginning of the year. This means that users need people who can protect their accounts from theft, and sites – from hacking.
System Administrator
Average salary of a system administrator: 80,000–90,000 rupees.
Sysadmins manage the entire IT niche of the company. These people make sure that the software and hardware work properly, the network is protected from cyberattacks, and the employees do not face problems using corporate computers.
The sysadmin can work together with programmers and have a small staff subordinate, but sometimes he performs all the tasks on his own.
It is possible to modernize the information infrastructure remotely, so many talented performers are switching to freelance. The list of responsibilities depends on the characteristics of the company (and its scale), but it is difficult to remain without occupation here.
Software Tester
The average salary of a software tester in India is 60,000–80,000 rupees.
Testers are definitely among our top freelancing professions for 2021.
Specialists in this area:
- Study the developments of programmers for errors in the code.
- Select development tools.
- Provide programmers with recommendations for improving the project.
The advantage of a niche is that it is much easier to master than any other area of programming. At the same time, wages are not lower than those of developers, and sometimes even higher.
The list of tasks and methods varies, but most often you have to deal with automatic and manual testing: you need to try to break the code in different ways and see what comes of it.
There is little competition among testers: a separate specialization in this area appeared not so long ago.
Web design
The average salary depends on the position and direction. An aspiring designer receives from 30,000 to 40,000 rupees, an art director – more than 100,000.
Web design was in the top 10 freelance professions back in 2019, consolidated its position in 2020 and will remain with us in 2021. Those who have mastered this specialty are engaged in the design of online platforms, create beautiful and functional interfaces.
The most popular and paid direction is UX design.
UX – User Experience – everything related to the interaction of a user and a computer. Designers are working to maximize the usability of the product and make it comfortable for users.
A UX designer not only satisfies his creative impulses, but also deals with analytics. Its tasks include studying user behavior and drawing up a portrait of the target audience. It goes like this:
The effectiveness of sales depends on this. If the service is inconvenient to use, the buttons have to be searched for too long, and the purchase process is not fully understood, conversions will be lower.
The work is difficult, but it pays accordingly. An experienced UX designer with a portfolio can earn up to INR 200,000 per month.
Motion design and 3D
2D and 3D animators receive an average of 60,000-80,000 rupees, depending on the portfolio and region.
Motion design and 3D have not yet made it to the top, but these areas are rapidly gaining popularity. Having mastered them now, by the time of maximum demand, you can go far ahead and take a leading position among competitors.
You can already see animated ads from major brands. Adidas and Reebok have such videos – bright and eye-catching.
Motion design is also used on web platforms as an interface element. Good animations have not yet become ubiquitous, but they are the most memorable feature of the resource.
Designers work on a variety of platforms, from Adobe Photoshop to Cinema 4D. Most often, you have to combine several tools.
Marketing
The average monthly salary is from 60,000 rupees.
An internet marketer promotes a company online. For this, tools are used:
- Contextual advertising.
- Targeted advertising.
- Special projects and integrations for bloggers.
- Content promotion and so on.
An internet marketer helps businesses:
- Increase brand awareness;
- Drive traffic to the site;
- Increase sales.
Internet marketing is one of the top remote freelance jobs, as today almost every company has a website. In many niches, the level of competition is so high that it is impossible to do without strong marketing: it is important not only to attract, but also to keep the attention of the client – and this requires complex work.
A professional marketer draws up a promotion strategy and knows how to combine different advertising channels. He manages the advertising budget and may even hire other professionals (for example, copywriters to create commercial copy).
Also, the marketer makes a portrait of the target audience and analyzes its behavior. It not only attracts new customers, but also retains old ones, given the strengths and weaknesses of the service.
Skills and knowledge required for an internet marketer:
- Understanding of consumer psychology.
- Knowledge of Google and Yandex analytics tools.
- Experience with advertising channels;
- Understanding the principles of lead generation.
- Sometimes – SEO audit.
SMM
In SMM, there is a wide range of salaries depending on the experience of a specialist. On average, it is 60,000 rupees and more, for beginners – about 40,000.
An SMM specialist is engaged in brand promotion on social networks:
- VKontakte and others.
The tasks of an SMM specialist include:
- Preparation of a content plan, writing posts for an account;
- Setting up and tracking targeted advertising;
- Maintaining an advertising budget and allocating funds.
- Collection of analytics by account, determination of ROMI, ER and conversions.
The specialist makes sure that the profile on the social network plays in favor of the brand, forms its image and increases sales. Multipurpose SMM specialists with additional skills – for example, they know how to take pictures or launch high-quality targeted advertising – they can compete well in the market.
SMM will enter the top freelance professions in 2021. With the influx of audience to social platforms, more and more companies will move to social networks, and each brand will need a specialist who can promote it.
Brand management
The average salary of a brand manager in India is 60,000 rupees.
A brand manager creates a brand in the literal sense of the word: forms a reputation, comes up with its concept and brings it to the market. Success depends on the positioning of the company.
The specialist approaches the solution of problems in an integrated manner. It covers advertising, social media promotion and even website design: all factors that can affect the perception of a potential client. And the decision to purchase a product or service depends on perception.
Brand management is related to advertising promotion: often a marketer and a brand manager work together.
Brand manager tasks:
- Study competitors and target audience;
- Catch a trend, a demand that is about to emerge, and satisfy a client’s need before others.
- Track reputation and work with reviews: read them, give feedback if necessary, work on bugs.
- Formulate unique selling propositions;
- Select brand promotion tools and develop a strategy.
The job description may include other items depending on the requirements of the employer. The niche is not among the top freelancing professions with no work experience – you need to have some skills here.
Finding a remote job for a freelancer
Many freelancers start looking for offers on exchanges. Top sites of the world:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
The disadvantages of this method are the rather low payment.
As an alternative, recruiting sites are used, where you can find both single profitable projects and long-term cooperation:
- MonsterIndia
- JobLab
Higher pay and an abundance of vacancies make this method of job search more preferable.
However, it is best to look for remote work through specialized groups on Facebook or Telegram channels with vacancies.
Where to get a demanded specialty
Much of the above is not yet taught in universities. The only way to learn new skills is specialized courses for beginners.
In Netology you will find courses not only for beginners, but also for professionals who have decided to expand their qualifications. There are different directions:
- Programming : Web Programming, Android development, information security
- Marketing : internet marketer, SMM manager, brand manager
- Design : UX / UI designer, web designer, graphic designer
- Computer game development: Unity computer game developer, 3D artist, game analyst.
Courses are designed for different periods and formats of training. Some are exclusively online, some include face-to-face lectures. It is imperative that each course has practical tasks.
If you can’t choose a direction to your liking, the free career guidance course “Digital Start: The First Step to a Profession in Demand” will help you figure it out . Experts from different fields will tell you about their work and help you decide which profession is best for you.
