We often talk about the many skills needed to be a successful freelancer, but we rarely say which ones specifically, mainly because there are a lot of them. Everybody who has tried being a freelancer for at least a year or two knows just how vast the required freelancer skill set can be.
- What Skills do Freelancers Need?
- Must-Have Skills for Freelancers
- Soft Skills Freelancers should have
- Can Freelancers Improve their Soft Skills?
- How to Correctly Present your Skills in Your Freelance Profile
- Tech Skills for Freelancers
- Various Skills needed for Different Positions in IT
- Conclusion
Join our freelancer community today!
Create your profile in just 2 minutes and start attracting new clients.
What Skills do Freelancers Need?
When we talk about the skills needed for a particular job, you will often come across the phrases hard skills and soft skills.
So what exactly is the difference between the two?
Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities that are crucial for a particular job. These skills can be clearly defined and are often learned rather than natural.
Examples of hard skills are as follows:
- Expertise in a coding language for a programmer
- Ability to build a WordPress website for a web developer
- Expertise using Sketch for a web designer
- Knowledge of WordPress and Yoast Plugin for a writer
Soft skills are more personality traits that can aid a person in a particular job. While these are not absolutely crucial for a job, they are extremely helpful and can make all the difference between success and failure.
Examples of soft skills include:
- Interpersonal communication
- Time management
- Critical thinking
Freelancers need different hard or core skills depending on the field in which they specialise and the service they provide. But when it comes to soft skills, there are particular character traits and skills that will help any freelancer.

Must-Have Skills for Freelancers
For those of you thinking about going into freelancing and wondering what you could do to increase your chances of success, you must know that becoming a freelancer turns you into a jack-of-all trades.
You will be running a business (probably 100% on your own at the beginning) and so there are some personality traits and skills that you are absolutely going to need to succeed.
1) Self-assurance and confidence
As a freelancer you need to have confidence in your abilities and what you can do. If you don’t believe in yourself, potential clients won’t either.
Confidence is not a given and can definitely be learned by doing your job to the best of your abilities and being able to realise what you have achieved so far.
2) Sales and negotiating skills
Convincing clients that they need your services is essential when you’re your own boss and completely responsible for your income every month.
Furthermore, you need to be able to do that in a short amount of time, whether that’s via writing, through your website, or face-to-face.
Potential clients will go through a number of freelancers and you need the ability to make an impact quickly in order to keep their attention on you and your services.
You’ll need to take care of your actual clients to keep them in the long run while continuing to attract potential clients.
3) Time management
Freelancing is different from working in an office environment – nobody will check in on you and send you reminders of what needs to be done when. Effectively managing your time is key to meeting deadlines and keeping clients happy.
Being able to create schedules and, more importantly, keep them, will decide how well your business does.
In a day, you will need to work on projects, run meetings with different clients, deal with invoices, follow-up with potential clients, etc.
It is therefore important that you utilise effective time management strategies and keep your schedule organised with minimal procrastination.
4) Management and business skills
Whether it is about keeping a deadline or knowing where your business will be headed in a couple of years, planning is often what makes the difference between good and great freelancers.
Not only do you need to manage your own time and workload on a weekly basis, you should also have a long-term goal and a specific direction you want your business to go in.
5) Passion to learn and curiosity
This tip cannot be stressed enough – virtually every freelancing field is extremely dynamic. The rules of the game can change in a matter of months.
It is your responsibility to constantly better yourself and learn new relevant skills that will keep your services current and appealing to new clients.
6) Communication and interpersonal skills
Effective and clear communication with clients is essential as a freelancer. Not communicating well can lead to lost opportunities and even lost customers. When you talk to your clients in a professional way and in a way that they want you to, they will be more likely to keep using your services.
You should be able to convey in a short and precise manner what exactly you can offer and what the conditions of your work are.
Additionally, you also have to understand why the other side communicates in a certain way. This entails reading between the lines, spotting red flags and understanding client expectations.
You’ll need to put yourself in your client’s shoes very often!
7) Stress management skills
Stress and freelancer burnout are easy to scoff at if you’re not currently in a similar situation, but they are both very real and can be a real challenge.
Keeping a clear head and not overworking yourself will be one of the deciding factors in whether your business stays afloat after the first several months.
8) Persistence and patience
Not giving up and being patient is also a must – whether you’re hunting for the next freelance project, waiting for clients to respond, trying to expand your network or working on a particularly cumbersome task, you have to learn to keep at it until you achieve your goal.
9) Accounting and business skills
As a freelancer, you are your own finance department. Determining where you should invest to improve your business, keeping up with taxes, growing your business and having a personal life all at the same time can be hard.
So before starting, you need to familiarise yourself with the financial framework that goes hand in hand with your career choice.
Taxes and accounting are the first tasks that freelancers delegate or outsource.
10) Marketing skills
Do the words LinkedIn, SEO or Google Ads mean anything to you?
If not, you’re probably not ready to start marketing a freelancing business of your own.
Getting exposure is one of the most difficult things in the beginning, so you should know how to give yourself every bit of extra boost you can.
Social Media must be part of your marketing strategy as well as client testimonials.
11) Self-motivation
Being able to stay motivated is another skill that successful freelancers need. After all, you are in charge of your work and nobody else will do it for you. You need to be able to bounce back and keep going until you meet your goals.
One of the key ways of motivating yourself is finding out what helps you keep your motivation levels up. For some it’s goal setting, for others having a consistent routine or skill upgrading. Whatever the case, find what works for you and stick to it.
12) Problem-solving
Problem-solving is an essential skill that freelancers need in order to deliver work that meets client expectations. Being able to find solutions to unexpected challenges can boost your image and make you stand out from your competition. This can then lead to repeat customers, referrals, and more.
Problem-solving can also help you as a freelancer. It teaches you resilience and can boost productivity and creativity.
13) Financial management
Effective financial management is key to long-term success as a freelancer. Learning how to budget, create invoices, create cash flow statements and more can help you reach your personal and professional goals.
Soft Skills Freelancers Should Have
Soft skills are an important part of finding, attracting and retaining clients as a freelancer. What’s more, they are crucial for personal development and allow you to excel in a variety of professional fields. The most important soft skills – apart from the ones mentioned above – that you should cultivate include:
1) Adaptability
Being adaptable means you easily adjust to changing circumstances. This is an especially important trait to have as a freelancer since it allows you to keep up with changes and client demands.
Adaptability also means that you’re able to stay competitive and keep up with industry trends – both of which will help you with long-term success as a freelancer.
2) Networking
Another great skill to have as a freelancer is networking. Networking allows you to build relationships, expand your client list, and get in touch with industry peers, all of which contribute to business growth.
Great networking skills also allow you to connect with other freelancers working in your field. Attending conferences and events and getting to speak to other professionals in your niche can do wonders for your freelance business.
3) Negotiation
Learning how to negotiate is a fundamental part of being a freelancer. After all, you are in charge of how much you make every month and do not have the luxury of a steady paycheck.
By learning how to negotiate effectively, you essentially increase your earning potential and improve your financial stability.
4) Resilience
Last but not least, you need to be able to cultivate resilience if you’re hoping to make it as a freelancer. Resilience helps you take setbacks and turn them into valuable lessons that will further your career.
It’s important to accept that there will be tough times on your journey. But being able to push through and overcome unexpected challenges makes all the difference.
Can Freelancers Improve their Soft Skills?
If you’ve read the above list of soft skills and feel like you’re missing some character traits that could be helpful, don’t despair! It is possible to learn and improve soft skills, even if they are not necessarily measurable.
You’ve already done the most essential step: you’ve recognised what soft skills you need to improve on. Having that awareness is essential if you are going to improve on something that may not come naturally to you, whether that’s poor timekeeping or a lack of confidence.
Next, your soft skill training should take the form of both research and practice. So what can you do?
- Read books on how to become a more confident person.
- Find a mentor who is a natural-born salesman and try to emulate their sales technique.
- Read up on the Pomodoro technique and time-blocking to improve your time management.
Practising these soft skills in your freelance business every day is the best way of turning them into a habit, and eventually, into a natural part of your personality.
It may take time – but it is definitely possible to change and improve your soft skills!
How to Correctly Present Your Skills in Your Freelance Profile
freelancermap includes an entire ‘skills’ section where you can list what you are good at – both your knowledge and experience.
You should use this space to list both your hard skills and your soft skills.
Note, however, that simply listing that you are confident and a good communicator is not going to make a big impact.
It’s better if you show that you have these soft skills without explicitly listing them. You can do this by being assertive in your pitches, responding in a timely manner, and remaining polite and professional when you communicate with potential clients. This will make a far bigger impact than simply telling them that you are great at communication.
We recommend you start with the years of experience that you have and to list your hard skills.
Here’s an example of how you could successfully present your skills:


If you still don’t have your freelance profile on freelancermap, feel free to create your free account to connect with companies and clients worldwide.
Tech Skills for Freelancers
Our working world is changing at an astonishing pace. Digital literacy, the ability to skillfully navigate digital tools, has become a fundamental requirement in nearly every profession. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly permeating various fields and simplifying numerous tasks. This underscores that tech skills are no longer just an option but a crucial necessity for the future.
3 reasons to enhance your Tech Skills as a Freelancer
#1 Tech skills as a competitive advantage
Tech skills are becoming a clear competitive advantage. With the help of AI and basic knowledge in data analysis or programming, certain tasks can be completed faster, more efficiently, and sometimes even better.
They enable you to make more informed and secure decisions, automate processes, and offer comprehensive services. Conversely, not mastering tech skills can lead to a competitive disadvantage. For instance, AI may produce poor or incorrect results if not properly operated and trained.
#2 Flexibility and high demand
Freelancers often experience fluctuating workloads, leading to financial uncertainty throughout the year. However, in the new world of work, they have the advantage of being able to go where their skills are in demand. They can fill gaps in companies and meet current needs as they arise, resulting in consistently high demand for their services.
Tech skills are required everywhere and in nearly every industry, whether it’s for software development, data analysis, or AI implementation. They also play a significant role in areas such as marketing, user experience design, and business intelligence.
#3 Better earning potential
Tech freelancers have the opportunity to earn above-average incomes. According to the Freelancer Study 2022, 6% of freelancers reported earning more than their salaried counterparts.
The earning potential is particularly promising in the IT industry. Additionally, in today’s world, tech jobs in permanent positions are considered far less secure than they were a few years ago.
Recently, mass layoffs have occurred in large corporations whenever the economic climate changed. Thus, it pays to be flexible regarding employers and areas of work.
Which tech skills can be applied where?
Freelancers can use tech skills in many ways to optimise their work and stay competitive. Here are some examples of how tech skills can be utilised in a freelancer’s daily routine:
#1 Automating processes
Tech skills allow freelancers to automate repetitive tasks, saving time and resources that can be used for creative and strategic work. For example, emails can be sorted automatically, or data in reports can be updated without manual input.
#2 Creating and optimising your own website
A professional online presence is crucial for attracting potential clients. With tech skills, freelancers can create and optimise their websites to effectively market their services and gain new clients.
#3 Using AI for quick results
Artificial intelligence can be applied in various areas to complete tasks more quickly. For instance, AI tools can assist with content creation, image editing, or analysing large datasets.
#4 Data analysis for better decisions
Tech skills enable freelancers to conduct data analyses, leading to more informed business decisions. This makes it easier to identify lucrative opportunities and develop forecasts.
#5 Creating small scripts for various purposes
With tech skills, freelancers can develop small scripts and applications to meet specific needs. This could include automating tax calculations, managing customer relationships (CRM), or enhancing marketing efforts.
How to learn tech skills
Tech and coding skills can be learned in various ways, depending on individual goals and preferences.
Freelancers rarely have time for a full degree program and primarily need practical experience. Here are some ways freelancers can quickly, easily, and practically advance their skills:
- Skill courses: Online courses and tutorials are excellent for learning the basics and gradually improving. These resources offer structured learning materials and allow you to progress at your own pace. They are particularly useful if you want to understand the fundamentals of a specific tech area, such as Data Analytics, Python & Machine Learning, or Web Analytics & Tracking.
- Coding bootcamps: For those who want to learn intensively in a short amount of time, bootcamps are an excellent choice. These programs offer an immersive and hands-on learning experience designed to prepare participants quickly for the job market. Benefits include certified learning content, support from experienced instructors, and personalised career coaching.
- Mentors and communities: Interacting with peers and experts is another effective way to learn tech skills. Mentors can provide valuable feedback and guidance, while communities offer opportunities to deepen knowledge and learn from others’ experiences. This social aspect of learning can significantly enhance a freelancer’s abilities.
The choice of method depends on individual goals and preferences. This means considering which area of tech you want to focus on and how in-depth your new knowledge should be.
Whether through skill courses, bootcamps, or community engagement, the return on investment for tech skills is typically achieved quite quickly.
Tech educators like Le Wagon combine these elements through intensive boot camps for career changers, continuing education courses, a lifetime-access learning platform, and a global network of tech experts and partner companies.
Various Skills Needed for Different Positions in IT
Let’s take a look at some examples of the different skills – both hard and soft – needed for various positions in the IT industry.
Consulting/management
- Hard skills: Operating systems, databases, software applications, programming languages
- Soft skills: Critical thinking, customer service, interpersonal skills
Front-end developer
- Hard skills: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, NoSQL, responsive web design, version control, testing and debugging,
- Soft skills: Communication, creativity, problem-solving
Web developer
- Hard skills: Front-end coding, Git, responsive design, back-end web programming languages, UX and UI design
- Soft skills: Creativity, flexibility, adaptability, problem-solving, communication
Graphic designer
- Hard skills: Typography, design principles, branding, graphic design software
- Soft skills: Creativity, strategy, communication, time-management
Software engineer
- Hard skills: Data structures, algorithms, programming languages, software testing, source control, object-oriented design (OOD), debugging
- Soft skills: Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, multitasking, attention to detail
Data manager
- Hard skills: Data analysis, database software, Python, PERL, SQL, Java, XML, data integrity, business management
- Soft skills: Communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, leadership
Conclusion
Developing and showcasing a diverse skill set is essential if you want your freelance business to grow and succeed. Not only does it help set you apart from your competition, it enhances your marketability and opens up doors to additional income opportunities.
It’s also important to regularly assess and improve your skills to stay competitive and one step ahead of client demands. Whether it’s familiarising yourself with new technology or working on your communication skills, professional development should be made a priority.

