Decades ago, people could find an abundance of typing-only jobs by checking a newspaper or walking into a temporary work or employment agency. These jobs usually involved repetitive typing tasks, such as retyping written or audio details, crafting professional letters and performing data entry. Most typing clerks worked at a physical business location during pre scheduled shifts unless they provided complex typing support that needed to be done in a private, quiet location as seen with medical transcription.
With the creation of technologies that automated many typing tasks and made processing text faster, such as computers, word processing programs, voice-to-text tools, printers, copiers and artificial intelligence, companies found themselves no longer in need of dedicated typists. As a result, most modern typists perform multitask jobs that simply also require fast, accurate typing skills. For example, typists often work in specialized positions as writers, editors, captioning experts, transcriptionists, translators, virtual administrative assistants, customer service agents, social media marketers and software testers.
Both self-employed workers and companies benefit from freelance work arrangements. Freelancers can work from home, save money on fuel and public transportation costs and provide services to as many clients at the same time as their contracts with individual clients permit. For those people who need to work from home, require assistive devices or need less-strict work schedules because of family obligations or health problems, freelancing offers freedom and flexibility. Employers acquire extra workers at a lower per hour or project cost and don't have to pay overtime or benefits.
Freelance Typing Job Searching
Business owners understand that modern technologies have given workers more job options and greater control over how they make money. To find the right fit for projects, companies often turn to job posting tools that make the process of connecting with skilled workers easier.
Newspaper classifieds and employment agencies still yield results. That said, a freelancer should never rely on them. Whether you want a local or non-local client base, online job boards, employment and industry-specific forums, search engines, social media platforms and gig apps are the best tools to use when looking for freelance work. You simply need to access the search engine, website or app and use the keywords "freelance typing job" or scroll through available jobs by work category. You might also type or select from a drop-down menu the term "Freelance," "Work at Home," "Telecommute" or "Anywhere." For local projects, always include a city name or ZIP code. You can also find typing-related jobs through companies directly. Visit the website of a company you admire and check out their job listings or contact them with questions about future work. There are also many websites which offer freelance writing work as well.
Once you find a freelance typing-related gig, the process to acquire the job isn't different than when applying for hourly or salary employment. You must do everything you can to convince a company's representative that you're the right person for a project.
The Checklist: What You Need to Find a Freelance Typing Job
It's understandable that you might not feel fully confident yet about conducting a freelance typing job search. To make the search easier, prepare the following beforehand:
- Resume and References - Always have your education and work history and character and work references available to supply to a potential client at a moment's notice.
- ID and Photo - Companies often use a form of identification and a photo to conduct background investigations. If a company requires that you have a public face, you also need a photo for a byline or social media account profile
- Computer or Phone - You must have the tools necessary to conduct the search. You might also need up-to-date equipment for certain projects. A company might require that you supply your own task-specific tools, such as an ergonomic keyboard and noise-canceling headset for phone-based customer service projects or a foot pedal and specialized software for transcription projects.
If you have any difficulties, never forget that academic and state-funded career resource centers have staff that can help you find the types of jobs you need to make money or start a career path. You can also gain insight and help from other freelancers. Check blogs and social media groups created by freelancers who have already succeeded or who want to connect and work together.
Questions and Answers
If you still have questions, you can find answers to the most common ones in this section:
Q: How do I recognize scams?
A: Check a company's history with the Better Business Bureau and look for online reviews by customers, employees and other freelancers. If you search a company's name or website URL and the phrase "Is this a scam?" online, you can also see if anyone has ever complained about them.
Q: Why is a client demanding my Social Security Number?
A: A company must report what they pay you to local, state and federal agencies for tax reasons. They need your SSN as an identifier.
Q: Where can I find resources to improve my typing speed and accuracy?
A: Plenty of free online typing education tools exist. The fastest way to find them is to use "develop typing skills" in an online search.
Q: Why won't anyone hire me?
A: Most companies require that you have work experience or equivalent education. You must also act competitively. If you have little experience, present a convincing resume and typing and writing samples. Also, research a potential client before an interview so that you can use that knowledge to your advantage. Lastly, network whenever possible with other freelancers and employees at specific companies.
