The freelancing industry is growing by the day and we can well predict that the future of work, especially part-time jobs, lies in freelancing. With the job market around the world facing increasing saturation, freelancing has become an ideal platform for many youngsters to begin earning, at their own ease and often on their own terms and schedule. Freelancing is also very suitable for the youth of today, who love flexibility and don’t want to engage themselves in full-time jobs. So, if you don’t want to get engaged in a 9-5 ordeal, we can guide you to some important digital skills you can learn to kick start your career in freelancing and begin earning
Adobe Photoshop
If you want to start a career in graphic designing, learning Adobe Photoshop is a must. This tool has been the go-to program for designers around the world, from the very beginners to the pros. Learning how to use it will be a valuable addition to your skillset and can be very rewarding for students by making them more employable. In a nutshell, Adobe Photoshop is an image editing software that helps to apply various design effects to make the images more appealing. It is almost the first tool you need to learn if you wish to begin working in logo designing etc. It takes around 2 to 3 months to learn Adobe Photoshop, but one can learn the basics in just a week. However, advance level photomanipulation can be achieved with practice and it takes minimum 6 months of advance level practice to become a real PRO. Once you get the required skills you can start hunting for freelancing projects for photo editing, Gif creation, photo restoration, logo designing, sales material designing, web designing, and mobile app designing or simply start your own creative agency. Average graphic design income is between $100 to $5,000 per month, so it depends heavily upon your skills and ability to develop and retain new business relations.
WordPress
One out of every three websites that we surf on the internet today is powered by WordPress, making this treasured online website making platform a must-learn skills for students. Learning WordPress not only opens a range of freelancing opportunities for students, but also works as a career-building skill critical for landing a dream job. With zero requirement of advance coding knowledge, WordPress is a tool that allows you to develop almost all kinds of websites with plentiful customization options. A lot of tutorials and helpful data is available to learn this free online content management system and website builder. However, it will take a non-programmer about 6 months to learn WordPress, but it is definitely worth the time. By using WordPress skills students can get freelance projects related to website development, Theme customization, website data uploading, plugin development or installation, website maintenance services or start a website development company that is specialized in WordPress website development. Average WordPress developers around the globe charge $15 to $50 per hour which leads to remunerative income if you are a student with limited liabilities.
AutoCAD
Among many computer-aided design software available today, AutoCAD is clearly the best tool widely used by engineers, architects and designers. Learning AutoCAD not only boosts your resume as a student, but also opens a realm of freelancing opportunities as drafters are heavily in demand nowadays. Because of the emerging implementation of CAD software in almost all industries, experts believe that learning AutoCAD is a lucrative option for students, especially those who are studying engineering. Mastering AutoCAD is time consuming and it will take years, but a beginner can become reasonably skilled to start freelancing online in 6 to 9 months. Learning this prized software will give students a chance to express their artistic side along with good part time income. You can work as a drafter, 3d modelling expert, architectural plan developer, blueprint drawing expert or become a prototype designer to earn via freelancing projects. AutoCAD expert’s average monthly income is around $3,200 and chances are high that one will secure an income of $500 to $800 per month with freelancing.
Autodesk Maya
A world where every animation software has limitations, Autodesk MAYA is an exception. Maya is a 3D computer graphic software which helps its users to create 3D models, applications, maps, movies, advertisements, and games with plenty of visual effects. Digital services are the main things to help out the learners. The film industry, video game industry, automobile industry and real estate industry are the top industries that are actively using Autodesk MAYA software to run their operations. These facts enhance the scope of learning this amazing tool while you are struggling with textbooks, quizzes, midterms and finals. With a range of helpful documentation, tailor made tutorials, need base plugins and forums loaded with problem resolving posts it is really handy to learn this leading animation software. Experts believe that learning the entire software in a specific period of time is nearly impossible as the top experts of this tool only know 65% of it. Studies done on various student groups show that it will take 5 to 6 months with 3 to 4 hours of daily practice under the supervision of a mentor to learn basic level skills. The minimum monthly income of MAYA experts with basic skills is $7,500 per month, so it’s a good opportunity for students who want to earn a gainful income from the day first.
Unity
The video gaming market will hit the $90 billion mark in 2020, which makes game development a skill that is highly in demand. There are many platforms available where one can develop a mobile game app, but among these Unity 3D is the leading application. At this very moment, Unity game development platform has 45% of Global Game Engine market share. This shows the huge potential for freelance earning if you learn this all-in-one game development platform. There are a number of tutorials and certifications available online where any student can start learning this money-making skill. Learning Unity 3D is easy, as it will take only three months to learn this platform even if you are a complete beginner. However, developing an engaging game that will earn four figure income monthly strictly depends upon your understanding of mobile game apps. With Unity 3D, there are many options to make money such as paid apps, app subscriptions, in-app purchases and third-party advertisements. Also, you can make games on demand and earn as per project specifications and requirements. Minimum income with Unity 3D game apps is around $200 per app, per month, but experts say that income is limitless if your app has more than 10K downloads.
