Working as a freelancer while a student has two big advantages - work experience and money!

A freelancer is a self-employed person who is offering a skill to a wide range of businesses and clients.

Student insurance specialist, Gloucester-based Endsleigh, has some tips for anyone thinking of freelancing while studying.

To start freelancing, you'll need to choose a skill you're particularly good at and research how to make money from it. Many students don't realise that one of their hobbies is a skill that they could sell as a service.

Here are a few examples of student freelance jobs:

• Web design

• Graphic design

• Photography

• Copywriting

• Digital marketing

• Advertising

• Blogging

• Illustration

• Virtual assistant

• Childminding (with the right qualifications)

When you start thinking about freelancing, it's important that you have a portfolio where you can showcase your work to potential clients. It will help clients see what you're capable of producing by showcasing your personal style, skills, qualities, accomplishments, experience and expertise.

You can use previous examples of your work in your portfolio. However, if you don't have a lot of previous work, or you're lacking in variety, you can search for project briefs online to build up your skills and create content to showcase in your portfolio.

A strong portfolio could include:

• Images

• Case studies

• Testimonials

• Work samples

• Mock-ups

• Data-driven results

How to find clients as a freelancer

One of the hardest early parts of being a freelancer is building your client-base. To find potential clients, you need to get yourself out there and get your work seen.

Here are some ways to find new clients:

• Freelance job posting platforms eg Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, People Per Hour, 99designs and Behance
• Use existing connections- eg is your friend's mum's business looking for a graphic designer for their branding?
• Networking - Attending networking events in person or chatting with businesses through social media, including LinkedIn
• Marketing and advertising - Using social media, email marketing etc to promote your work

Pricing your service

Pricing your services can be tough, especially if you're new to offering your services professionally. A good place to start is to review other freelancers' pricing and compare your experience to theirs.

If you have less experience, you will need to start lower whilst you build experience. Many businesses may opt for slightly cheaper services (especially if they like your portfolio), so pricing lower may also help you undercut the market and build your client-base faster.

Creating a freelance proposal

Many freelance roles eg graphic designer, will require you to create a project proposal after the client has given you a brief. Sometimes this happens before the client has even hired you, but it's their way of making sure they have the best freelancer for the job.

A good project proposal should look professional and properly formatted and could include these features:

• An intro about your skills and expertise
• Your approach for the project (and why!)
• Concepts for the project - it's a good idea to present three concepts, in case they instantly dislike one
• Plenty of images for visualising specific elements
• A quote for the cost of the project with a timeframe of completion. Make sure you include a breakdown of what is included in the quote too

By starting out as a student, you have the potential to increase clientele, develop a good reputation, gain positive reviews and build a lasting and fulfilling freelance career after you graduate.