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If you’re a blogger or freelancer, you’ll be very familiar with hearing questions such as “so what exactly is it that you do?” and “is that a real job?”.
It can get frustrating, and I rarely tell people about my freelance and blogging work. In fact, it’s only recently that I’ve started to tell friends and family about it- and the reaction has been fantastic!
But I still feel awkward speaking about it with people I don’t know well. The barrage of questions or doubts can be difficult.
So, in this post I’m going to look at what exactly a freelancer does day-by-day- and why we feel nervous or questioned when we speak to others about what we do.
Freelance work can involve anything: from blogging to translation services, construction or art.
I hope you can use these ideas, tips and thoughts to direct conversations about your freelance life in future!
“So, what exactly do you do?”
What you do as a freelancer or blogger will be different for everyone.
For me, I work in an admin job in the morning, so I like to focus on my blogging and freelance writing in the afternoon.
This means my day consists of 4 hours in a “regular” job. Then, I usually complete around 4 or 5 hours working on my blog and freelance work.
I also work at the weekend when I have an extra bit of writing or social media work I need to finish off.
I usually spend around half an hour per day promoting my blog and freelance services via social media, and engaging with other bloggers. Then, I spend the rest of my time writing content for my freelance clients or for my blog.
This could mean that some days I don’t do any blogging at all, and some days I focus on it as my main task. It just depends what work comes in and how fast I complete it.
It’s hard to pin down exactly what freelancers do from day to day, as it can differ depending on job opportunities, quiet periods and what kind of work you do.
But I love that! There’s so much variety. No-one’s day-to-day routine as a freelancer will be quite the same.
“Is freelancing a real job?”
Yes! Freelancing is a real job, whatever form it takes.
It can sometimes be harder for people to accept freelancing or writing as a “job”. Maybe because we might spend a lot of time on social media, or maybe because it’s not a “traditional” career path.
However, so much work goes into freelancing. While I love it- it can be such hard work!
If you’re a blogger or freelance writer, you have to constantly put yourself out there on social media, communicate with clients, create amazing content and continue to find new gigs.
You need to keep up with blog writing and perfecting SEO, as well as keeping on top of any newsletters, giveaways, promotions, new posts and submitting your tax information.
You also need to constantly improve your DA, coming up with ideas, creating images and taking photos.
You are a social media manager, an administrator, a writer, a marketing specialist, an SEO expert and a million other things that make up just one day in your work life.
3 Tips to Tell People What You Do
Even though you know how much work you do every single day- it can still be hard to tell other people what you do.
Below, I’ve put together a few tips to tell people exactly what it is that you do, including a couple of ways to answer those frustrating questions!
1. Choose how to frame your job
If you want to tell someone what you do, but you’re having trouble formulating the words, come up with the perfect way to frame your job.
Tell people you’re a freelance content writer, or a translator or a blogger. Choose a title in your head, and stick to it when you speak to new people.
I tend to just tell people I work in admin for the University, failing to mention that I have this side hustle that I am slowly building into something!
2. Know your own worth
It can be hard if you feel criticised for your work, but you know how hard you work everyday.
Know your own worth! Don’t feel the need to justify yourself to other people.
Not everyone has to understand what you do to make your freelance work a real career!
3. Be confident!
Don’t shy away or hide because of dreaded questions- embrace them as someone just trying to understand. Be confident with your answers.
Tell people exactly what it is you do, and explain it if they don’t quite get it.
Be proud of the work you put in each and everyday, as well as the many hats you wear to achieve your goals.
Are you a freelancer or blogger? How do you tell people what you do each day? What do you do on a daily basis?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Happy reading x
Not-So-Modern Girl 
This inspires me as one day I hope that fifty percent of my work is blogging and freelancing.
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That would be fantastic! Thank you Jamie x
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It’s a good insight to blogger life and I hope to get there too. Being a full time blogger. I think the most accurate term for modern freelancers/bloggers etc is social meedia marketing managers. You just promote you instead of others.
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I hope so too! Yes that’s very true, thank you for sharing your experiences x
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Good post. And thank you for sharing your tips. I’m also having a hard time to explain to people about my freelance job all this while. Reading your post makes me confident. And I love my freelance job very very very much!
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Thank you 🙂 it can be so hard but the fact that you enjoy it and you’re doing so well is so important 🙂 thank you so much for your kind words x
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Thank you 🙂 yes! It can definitely be stressful, but I’m lucky enough to have a regular income source from my admin job too x
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It’s funny people still ask those questions given the prevalence of gig work in the world these days. When I tell people I’m a blogger, they really have no idea what’s involved and how many skills you need to pull it off.
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It can be so hard for people to understand sometimes! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences x
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I really appreciate you sharing this information. I see many crossovers between freelance and blogging and I admire all of you who are able to create income from it. Thanks for sharing! Wishing you all the best in 2022!
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I agree, there definitely are a lot of crossovers- that’s why my post kept using different words for freelancers or bloggers. Thank you so much for sharing and for your kind words. Have a lovely New Year x
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It makes me sad that some people don’t see blogging or freelancing as a ‘proper job’. Just because you’re passionate about your job doesn’t meant that you’re not working hard for it. Thanks for sharing this – I’m inspired to keep at it and make blogging my full time job 🙂
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Me too! I love that this post has inspired you in some way, that means a lot. You can do this x
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It’s hard to believe at this time in our lives that these sort of questions are still being asked. Thank you so much for sharing this, I’ll defiantly be sharing this with friends and family as I know they’ll love and appreciate this post too. Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
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I agree! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post x
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Fab post, and great to hear you’re making 50/50 working work for you.
Love the tips on how to explain what we do to others.
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Thank you 🙂 it can be hard!
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This is a great insight into blogging. Love reading your tips. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you Charlotte x
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I do wish people could understand how much work goes into freelancing/blogging! I think people just assume we write posts and that’s it! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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Me too! I think so too but there are so many other jobs included x
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This was a really great look into freelancing — something I feel that many people don’t understand or know what it actually involves (which is a lot of work, more often than not). Thanks for this!
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Thank you Molly! I think so too, it involves so much more than what people think x
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This is such a great topic. I definitely want to do more freelance work in the coming year.
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Thank you! Me too x
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I lack confidence when telling people what I do, which then makes them feel like whatever I do is not important or worth of their time. Definitely need to work on this in the new year!
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Me too! It can be so hard! Thank you for sharing, I need to work on it too x
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This is awesome! I agree, we shouldn’t be shy or hide. We will miss on a lot of great things!
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Thank you so much 🙂 we should be confident about what we do!
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That’s great to hear, I’m so glad you found a way to encompass all the work you do- I’m getting there x
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Great post Eleanor! It’s so rewarding making an income by doing what you love and creating a path for yourself. Although it’s not a “traditional” career, we’re happy and passionate about what we do. Blogging and freelancing takes a lot of work, like you said, you have to put yourself out there, amongst other things. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much for your thoughts! Yes! I completely agree, you have to do so much to sort out your work and make sure you stay on top of everything 🙂 x
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I struggle with this so much when people ask. The only way they seem to take it seriously is if I say ‘I make more than the job I left’, otherwise they seem to think I’m just faffing about and making pocket money.
Corinne x
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It was your post that inspired me to write this post, and I love your take on job titles- it must be so annoying having to qualify your work when you put so much work in- I understand x
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This is such an awesome post. I hope one day that I can be a full time blogger/freelancer as well! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Thank you!
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Great post! I used to feel awkward telling people about my blog (and explaining what blogging is) but, since getting a full-time role that involves writing content every day, I feel confident talking about my own blog.
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
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Me too, it can be so hard! Yes, I’ve found that other freelance gigs and writing opportunities have helped me explain my role to others x
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I hadn’t really thought about this before. I’m not sure I could do freelance as a job because of the lack of job security and benefits. But your three tips are great suggestions for anyone who wants to work as a freelancer or do paid content on their own blog
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That makes sense. Yes, I think it can be difficult, I’m glad you think these tips are helpful 🙂
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This is such a helpful post! I’ve just started freelance work and have already found it tricky to tell people, so I will definitely be using these tips! Thank you!
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I would love for blogging to be my full time job, but for the time being I will enjoy it for what it is
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Thank you for sharing this! Many people don’t understand freelancing or blogging so this would be a good post to refer them to. I would love to be a full time blogger; maybe in the near future!
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these tips are actually on point and will be very useful! I always shy away from telling people, because most of them don’t know what it is or see it as a ‘proper’ job, but you give me hope that it can be done! Freelancing is as great as any other job! x
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Me too! I think the same as you do, it can be so nerve-wracking to tell people what you do. Thank you Christina x
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