Home ›› 05 Aug 2021 ›› Biztech
Freelancer Moshiur Rahman suggests newcomers to learn suitable skills before jumping into the marketplace to be successful in the long run. He shared his experiences and views with The Business Post’s Rifat Islam on the potential of freelancing in Bangladesh
The Business Post: How did you get into freelancing?
Moshiur Rahman: My journey in freelancing started back in 2013. Ever since I first bought my computer in 2008, I have been trying to learn some skills on my own.
Back then, I managed a CD called “Learn to earn from home through Internet” from one of my neighbours, which introduced me to freelancing and various marketplaces.
I work as a graphic designer— a creative art. Initially, I was working in different marketplaces but now I am working as a graphic designer in three companies based in the USA and Germany.
TBP: How did your educational background come to your help in being proficient in this sector?
MR: My willpower along with patience has helped me gain skills and develop myself as a freelancer. I used Google and YouTube tutorials to improve my skills in the field.
I later completed BA Honours in Graphics Design and Multimedia from the Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology. I was given the BASIS Outsourcing Award in the individual category in 2020.
TBP: How much do you earn per month?
MR: Monthly income largely depends on the amount of work I get, which varies from time to time. My monthly income is approximately between $1,000 and $1,500.
TBP: Which areas offer higher income to freelancers?
MR: There are opportunities to earn in all areas, but no matter what area you work in. You just need to be the best among the peers in your field.
If your skills are better than your competitors, there is a possibility to make a good income from any area.
TBP: What problems do you face while working as a freelancer?
MR: Our biggest challenge now is the current payment system. Those of us who work directly for companies often face problems in receiving payments from clients. Because PayPal, the largest international payment gateway, is not available in our country, and most clients like to pay via PayPal.
TBP: Conventional wisdom has it that Bangladeshi freelancers bid the lowest to get work, what would you say about that?
MR: It is sad but the truth is training centres in our country are mushrooming. These bunches of uncouth teachers are grooming incompetent freelancers as their coaching centres promise a complete upskilling within a very short time.
These incompetent freelancers enter the marketplace and try to win a job by bidding the lowest. And even if they do get a couple of jobs through low bidding, they fail miserably because they are not proficient in that work.
Thus, this section of freelancers tarnishes the image of professional freelancers in our country before foreign clients. And this low bidding forces skilled freelancers like us to lower our rates.
TBP: Who are the competitors for Bangladeshi freelancers?
MR: Indians and Pakistanis are the two main competitors for Bangladeshis. Of these peers, India is already in a strong position.
TBP: What is your advice for a fresh freelancer?
MR: I advise newcomers to build themselves first and then join the sector. You will never succeed if you start freelancing with the sole purpose of earning money without developing yourself into a skilled worker.
And if you want to enter the sector, you need to have a lot of patience and perseverance.
TBP: What measures do you demand on the government’s part so that this sector flourishes further?
MR: We want the government to allow PayPal in this country and to reduce the internet bill for freelancers along with high bandwidth speed.
I would also expect the government to arrange loans on easy terms to help successful freelancers like us build our own IT firms.
TBP: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
MR: I want to see myself as a successful entrepreneur in the next ten years. I want to open my own IT firm and provide employment opportunities to new entrants.
