There are more perks of joining relevant social media groups than you can imagine. As online freelancer, who sometimes worry that our field is getting saturated and that in a few years time we will all be out in the cold. Joining relevant groups is your best shot at staying sane and surviving.

Perks of Joining Relevant Groups

1. Professional Gossip: Occupational Sharing

Okay Gossip sound too strong, let us give this a better name and call it Occupational

Like other jobs, working online has its fair share of challenges and triumphs. As a freelancer, you need to share your challenges and triumphs with people who understand what such means.

Shall we start with the triumphs

Making the first dollar is a thrill for everyone. I remember the first time I earned my first dollar from iwriter; I kept refreshing my iwriter page just to make sure that those few dollars were still there. Deep in the night, I was still holding my notebook close to my chest as if the dollars would disappear if I let go of my notebook. Then when I had reached the $20 withdrawal threshold and the money had been paid into my PayPal account; the speed at which I withdrew the cash (lest these technological problems strike) is unmatched. I loved my first review. Landing great writing/ transcription or any other online account or writers is amazing; don’t you agree? And so is landing amazing gigs – like getting published on Thrive Global and Mashable – or getting a mention by the gurus or some authority sites.

Who else can understand the thrill and pride you feel when such happens except your fellow freelancers? And it does not end there, you not only get to share, but also get feedback that can build you since they people who give you feedback have been there and know where you can improve.

Let’s talk about our occupational hazards

To some people, losing the Internet connection is a mere inconvenience. To an online freelancer it s a bigger calamity than the world has ever seen. Hahahaaaa – well, we tend to exaggerate but on a serious note, tell me this photo does not strike a chord (however faint) with you.

Out of curiosity: Before online work became a little bit better known, did any of you face family members and neighbours who just did not comprehend what it is you were doing? Did you ever face a situation where the more you explained that you work on the internet for clients (mostly white) and that you got your money in dollars in a virtual account the worse the work sounded and the more misunderstood you got? I would love to hear those stories :).

We face peculiar hazards and we need people who ‘feel’ us. People who can understand the loneliness or limited contact you may have with other human beings because you have been locked in your house forever. That you work weird hours or have not seen or talked to a human being for a week, or something like that and worried of losing your voice or social skills. That some relationships are not doing so well because you simply live in different time zones and platforms and some people just do not have the patience for someone who seems married to their computer.

You need a platform where you can let off steam or celebrate some of those big wins that do not make sense to anyone else. You need to be sober.

2. Un-Ending and Unforeseen Learning

Online jobs differ in so many aspects. I love this un-ending and unforeseen learning because in the times we worry that online jobs will be so saturated and we won’t have anything to do, this aspect keeps us discovering and growing; it keeps opening our world.

In the right social media groups, there is always someone sharing something about something you have probably never heard of. That new something peaks your interest and in the following days/ months, you have a new venture that you never dreamt of.

There is always someone shedding light into something that has been gnawing at your mind for a long time; all of a sudden you have the answers you have been looking for all along in a palatable form. You learn different ways of doing something.

There is always someone who doesn’t know something you know and you can explain it to him/ her.

3. Fun and relaxation

One of the advantages/ disadvantages (depending on who is assessing the situation) is the fact that online freelancers have reduced human contact compared to people who commute five (5) days a week to and from work, and have to interact with other colleagues. Reduced human contact translates to reduced in-person (call that face to face) communication about the things you have in common. I love some of the platforms I belong because regardless of the time of day or night, you will find relaxing and funny content that can cheer you up or give your mind enough distraction to reboot.

Bonus:

Here are a few Facebok Groups for Online Freelancers

• Awesome Transcribers in Kenya
• Your Online Freelancing Solution
• Remarkable Freelancers in Africa
• Academia Research Writer
• Savvy Markerters
• Online Article Writers

Feel free to share additional perks of joining relevant groups and share additional relevant groups for online freelancers.

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