Hard work is the bottom line in freelancing

With high ambitions in the field of freelancing, young architect Angshuman Roy speaks to The Business Post’s Rifat Islam on his sweet and sour experiences from being a freelancer in Bangladesh.

BP: How did you get into freelancing and what platforms did you use?

AR: Before joining any platform or website, I used to design small scale projects for clients inside Bangladesh. However, I started freelancing in full swing last year just before the Covid-19 pandemic started to ruin everything.

In June last year, I started working with Fiverr as a freelancing architect, interior designer and 3D visualiser. Now, I’m trying to enter other online platforms like UpWork or Freelancer.com.

Although my journey was slow, I have successfully managed to become a Level-1 seller on Fiverr.

BP: Tell us about your academic background and how you become proficient in this sector?

AR: I was a student of Rangpur Zilla School from where I completed my SSC in 2011, then passed HSC in 2013 from Cantonment Public School and College, Rangpur.

I studied architecture at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology.

As a student of architecture, I was introduced to a wide array of designing-related software. These include 2D drawing software, 3D modelling software, 2D and 3D rendering software along with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

I would say that the skills I developed while using these applications during my student life has really helped me become a successful freelancer today.

BP: How much do you earn per month?

AR: As I have been working as a professional freelancer for only eight months on Fiverr, my current income is not yet up to the expectations.

There is a misconception that all freelancers earn several lakhs in taka every month, but in reality, that is not true for everyone.

It is true that there are some, actually very few, who manage to earn huge amounts of money from freelancing projects. But that too comes with lots of hard work, dedication and long irregular working hours.

At the same time, a freelancer needs to prove his worth by adding credentials to get high-paying projects. But, it takes at least six to seven years for most freelancers to reach their prime. If you are patient enough, hard-working and always looking to improve yourself, you will get success in this field.

Nowadays, we spend years looking for a regular 9-to-5 job, but we never care to spend two to three years on freelancing.

BP: In which areas do Bangladeshi freelancers earn better?

AR: Presentation is the key that unlocks new possibilities in this career. If you are skilled enough, you will surely get hired and prove your worth among buyers.

There are some who are skilled enough to offer large-scale and complex services like structural designs or electrical designs on these online platforms. I have a client who herself is a freelancer offering painting services, mainly portraits using watercolour.

She is very successful in what she does. So, the bottom line is, work is work.

BP: What are the main obstacles you faced in this field of work?

AR: If you ask this question to any freelancer working in this country, I am very sure that the first answer you will get is the complexity regarding receiving payments.

Yes, there are options, but none of them are user-friendly.

Sometimes our freelancers get cheated for not knowing the proper channels available in Bangladesh for bringing in payments from abroad.

You will see a lot of queries in this regard on different social media and blogs in Bangladesh.

Another issue is absence of fast internet connectivity in most of areas in this country.

I have seen a lot of young people asking how to start working as a freelancer even when they don’t have a reliable internet connection or stable electricity in their villages.

For many, entering this field has been a challenge due to high costs of internet connectivity and hardware requirements.

BP: How does the practice of bidding hamper freelancers?

AR: As many online markets are now booming, many new freelancers are now entering the market. As a result, the competition has become more intense.

The problem is that most of them start with very low bids in order to secure work and avoid competition. However, these newbies do not even have the basic skills needed to do the task they are bidding for.

This is bad for both buyers and sellers in the market.

This tendency of low bidding creates a vacuum for senior and qualified freelancers who usually ask for higher pay for quality work.

Now, qualified freelancers are being forced to bid lower than their usual rate in order to stay alive in the competition.

There are a lot of other reasons here. Freelancers from different countries compete with each other on these online platforms for the same work. I always tell everyone, please never underestimate your value for your services.

BP: Who are the main competitors for Bangladeshi freelancers?

AR: There is no specific country for competition in this career. You have to compete against everyone, every day. Bangladesh is a very strong market for freelancing platforms and it’s just started to bloom.

BP: What are your tips or suggestion for new freelancers?

AR: Be skilful first and then offer your services. I know a freelancer who is doing good by composing music using only a guitar for his clients. So, it is not what you do, it is about how good you are with what you do.

My next tip is to take a short course on English proficiency before starting out with freelancing.

At least how to read and write in conversational English. This is a lifesaver. We all have our issues with English but you have to be somewhat fluent in English to have proper conversations with your clients or buyers.

My last tip will be to try to develop new skills and improve yourself every moment. There was a saying from Sir Alex Ferguson, “If you want to be the number one, always train like you are the number two.”

BP: Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

AR: I want to be an architect having an impact on our society, to serve my society and help the hapless people. In the next 10 years, I want to continue with my freelancing career along with pursuing higher studies. I will also try to get a “proper job” as I am yet to get married because freelancing is not considered a job in our society.