How to gain Experience by Freelancing, Internships, or Projects?

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If you want to be stable in your career or restart your career "Experience" is must and should in today's competitive employment market. Nevertheless, if you have a career gap, recent graduate, or no recent work experience, you don't need to worry about that anymore. Full-time job is not mandatory to acquire experience. you can acquire it through freelancing, internships, and personal projects.


freelancing, internships & projects helps you gain experience



Let's find how to start, where to rely on for opportunities, and how to use your experience for your career growth.


 1 Freelancing: It helps you to Earn While You Learn


Freelancing is a fantastic approach to acquiring real-world experience while working on your own schedule. It enables you to:

✅ Work on actual client projects and develop your portfolio.

✅ Enhance skills relevant to the industry.

✅ Get paid while learning.

✅ Grow your professional network.


How to Get Started with Freelancing

1️⃣ Find Your Skills:

  • Do you write well? Attempt freelance blogging.
  • Do you code? Provide web development services.
  • Are you artistic? Do graphic design work.

2️⃣ Build a Portfolio:

  • If you're new, do mock projects or volunteer work to demonstrate your skills.
  • Make a simple website or a PDF highlighting your best work.

3️⃣ Get Freelance Work:

  • Freelance Platforms:
  • Fiverr (best for beginners)
  • Upwork (good for long-term clients)
  • Freelancer (great for varied projects)
  • PeoplePerHour (for specialized work)
  • Job Boards & Social Media:
  • LinkedIn Jobs, FlexJobs, and ProBlogger.
  • Participate in Facebook and LinkedIn groups for freelancers.

4️⃣ Begin Small & Establish Your Reputation:

  • Take on small projects to establish client reviews first.
  • Get repeat clients by providing quality work on time.

Example: To become a digital marketer, begin by taking care of a small business's social media for free or a low fee. Once you have experience, begin to charge more!


2. Internships: Formal Learning with Industry Experience

Internships rank as one of the best to experience hands-on training, especially if you're entering a field or returning to the workforce.

Where to get Internships?

✅ Job Search Websites:

  • Internshala (Best option for remote & paid internships)
  • LinkedIn Jobs (Search using "internship" + target field)
  • Glassdoor (Great option for reviews about companies & intern pay rates)
  • Indeed (Search for online and paid internships)

✅ Company sites & Networking

  • Most companies don't post internships—cold email them with a solid application.
  • Reach out to professionals on LinkedIn and inquire about internship possibilities.

How to Get Hired for an Internship?

1️⃣ Make a Resume & Cover Letter Specific for Internships

  • Emphasize coursework, projects, or skills applicable to the internship.
  • Include any volunteer or freelancing experience.

2️⃣ Demonstrate Your Passion & Desire for Learning

  • Bosses want enthusiasm and dedication over experience.

3️⃣ Apply to Several Internships

  • Don't wait for a single response—apply for a minimum of 10-15 internships to increase your chances. 

Tip: If you aim to work in digital marketing, apply for a social media management or content writing internship to build foundational experience.


3. Projects: Self-Learning & Portfolio Building

Personal projects are great to get hands-on experience, particularly if you don't have freelance clients or internship opportunities yet.


How to Start Personal Projects?

Tech & Coding:

  • Create a basic website, mobile application, or automation tool.
  • Host your code on GitHub and display your work in a portfolio.

Content Writing & Blogging:

  • Begin a personal blog on WordPress or Medium.
  • Write about your field, experiences, or learning process.
  • Publish posts on LinkedIn to become professionally visible.

Design & Creative Work:

  • Design logos, social media graphics, or branding kits and host them on Behance or Dribbble.

Marketing & Business:

  • Do free social media marketing for a small business and report your outcomes.
  • Simulate an imaginary ad campaign and compare performance.


How to Use Projects to Get Hired?

✅ Include them on your resume in "Projects" or "Experience."

✅ Post them on LinkedIn to draw recruiters.

✅ Employ them during job interviews to demonstrate your abilities with real-life examples.


Example: If you want to become a data analyst, take a dataset from Kaggle, analyze it, and create a report in Power BI. Add it to your portfolio!


Bonus: Volunteering & Open-Source Contributions

If you’re finding it hard to do internship or freelancing. Volunteering is a fantastic alternative. You should definitely try this if you want.


✔️ Help an NGO or non-profit with social media, writing, or admin tasks.

✔️ Work on open-source projects (perfect for developers and designers).

✔️ Participate in community projects such as hackathons and online competitions.


Example: If you're a new developer, work on open-source projects on GitHub to gain practical experience!


How to Promote Your Experience to Employers?

After you've earned enough experience through freelancing, internships, or projects, you must showcase it well to receive job offers and also you can mention it in your resume to make it well



✅ 1. Refresh Your Resume & LinkedIn

  • List freelance projects, internships, and personal projects under "Experience."
  • List accomplishments, not mere duties (e.g., "Created a website that improved client engagement by 30%").

✅ 2. Build an Online Portfolio

  • Utilize Wix, WordPress, or Behance to present your work.
  • Add case studies, testimonials, and outcomes of projects.

✅ 3. Utilize Experience in Job Interviews

  • Explain to interviewer that how your freelance experience, internship, or project provided you with real-world skills.
  • Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to explain your experience. It shows your genuinity


 Final Thoughts: Begin Your Journey Today!

 Are you a freelancer, intern, or create personal projects? the most important thing is to begin acquiring real-world experience today!

  • If you need work immediately, begin freelancing.
  • If you prefer organized learning, apply for internships.
  • If you prefer to demonstrate your skills, create personal projects.


No experience? No worries. Begin small, continue learning, and opportunities shall befall you!


Which way are you leaning—freelancing, internships, or projects? Let me know, and I can steer you further!
Location: India

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