Where and How to Secure Financial Analyst Freelance Jobs

If you’re interested in becoming a Financial Analyst, one career path you may wish to consider is freelance work. Freelance Financial Analysts have the flexibility of being their own bosses, choosing their own projects, and structuring their own schedules. If this career path sounds appealing, you may be wondering how to find job posts for open freelance positions in financial analytics. Read on to learn where and how to find a job as a Freelance Financial Analyst.

LinkedIn

Since its founding two decades ago, LinkedIn has remained one of the most widely used sites for finding a job. Currently, over 875 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs, post job openings, network with other professionals in their field or send messages. A range of job openings, such as part-time, full-time, in-person, and freelance, are available on LinkedIn for aspiring Financial Analysts. 

There are many reasons why you should use LinkedIn to search for freelance job openings in finance. Creating and maintaining a LinkedIn profile allows you to stand out to hiring managers who regularly consult this site. It gives them a convenient overview of your work history, accomplishments, professional ethic, and personality. LinkedIn also allows you to specifically research the companies you’re most interested in working for. You can also use LinkedIn’s “search” feature to find finance positions available on a freelance basis. Make sure to check the “open to work” box on your profile to signify to employers that you’re currently on the job hunt. 

As a Freelance Financial Analyst, it can be difficult to connect with others in your field. Another reason why LinkedIn is a good resource for freelancers is that it provides a way to network with other financial professionals. The more connections you have with other freelancers and Financial Analysts on LinkedIn, the more likely you will be to hear about new job openings or be referred to work on a specific project. You can also use this site to connect with industry leaders in finance.

Indeed

Another popular resource for finding freelance Financial Analyst job openings is Indeed. Currently, Indeed is the number-one job board in the U.S. More than 60 million monthly users search for jobs using Indeed. Not only is it easy to navigate job postings on Indeed, but it’s also easy to apply for jobs on this site. Indeed features a one-click option that makes applying to Freelance Financial Analyst job openings easy and fast. 

In addition to its ease of use, Indeed’s search bar provides a place to search specifically for freelance job postings in each industry. Jobs can be filtered by relevance or by date, so you can search for freelance openings that were just posted or look for those most in line with your training and expertise. Indeed also conveys whether a job is available in-person or remotely, whether part-time or full-time and what the salary range is for the freelance job at hand. This makes it a useful resource for finding a range of freelance jobs in finance.

Toptal

If you’re a seasoned Financial Analyst interested in exploring freelance options, Toptal is for you. This exclusive network comprises top-tier freelance professionals in various fields, such as design, software development, and finance. Total is a go-to for many of the top companies interested in hiring experienced freelancers to handle their most important projects.

Toptal was created to connect exceptional freelancers with companies. This site has an extensive vetting process; it requires passing a thorough English evaluation, a project assessment, and three other steps. This is why only the top 3% make it through this process and have access to job postings from top companies and clients like Airbnb or Motorola. Another benefit of using Toptal is that it offers TopTracker, a service that provides features for invoicing and time-tracking. This service ensures that Freelance Financial Analysts receive the entire price they offer and receive payment using direct local bank transfer, Payoneer, or PayPal. 

Upwork

Upwork is a freelancing platform that was founded in 2015. In the time since it’s become one of the largest online platforms for freelancers. Currently, more than 12 million freelancers are registered with Upwork, as well as 5 million clients. Upwork provides a range of ways for clients to connect with Freelance Financial Analysts and vice-versa. Clients interested in hiring a Freelance Financial Analyst can directly post a job listing and hire talent this way or purchase a predefined service offered in the site’s project catalog. Those interested in finding a freelance position in finance can select from the postings on the job board and offer to sell their particular skills. 

Another benefit to using Upwork to find freelance work is that this site allows you to search for jobs in specific fields, such as Finance & Accounting. To do so, you should start by making a profile with up-to-date information about your skills, training, and prior work experience. Clients interested in hiring a freelancer can then scan your profile to see whether you’d be a good match for their project.

Upwork operates on a sliding scale, meaning the more work you get, the less you pay to use this site. The commission fee is initially 20% for the first $500 bill, then goes down as you find more work. In addition, Upwork offers a range of payment options, such as direct transfer, wire transfer, and PayPal. Although this site has a relatively lengthy selection process and charges a high service fee, Upwork has helped thousands of freelancers around the globe connect with employers.

Freelancer.com

Another great resource that can help you find a job as a Freelance Financial Analyst is Freelancer.com. This freelance website provides a platform for companies and freelance professionals from around the globe to connect with one another to complete projects in various industries. Because Freelancer.com offers a wide range of professionals with expertise in different fields, employers can find qualified candidates with a background in finance to help them complete tasks. 

Freelancer.com users like this platform because of its around-the-clock customer support, its progress tracker, and its live chat options. Both Freelance Financial Analysts, as well as business owners can sign up for an account. Doing so requires completing a registration form in which you fill in details like your finance skills, work experience, and educational background. Not only is this a good resource that helps financial professionals find freelance projects, but it also runs contests. Although this site takes 10% of each freelancer’s payment, it provides stable pay options, such as wire transfers or PayPal.

How Do I Start a Freelance Career in Financial Analytics?

In 2020, freelancers made up over a third of the American workforce. This career path is an excellent option for those who want the professional freedom of selecting their own projects, schedules, clients, and workload. However, if you’re interested in pursuing a career in financial analytics, you may not be sure how to get started. 

Like any financial analytics position, freelance jobs require similar training, skills, and education. Although there are no formal educational standards for finance careers, most Financial Analysts who pursue freelance positions have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. Many choose to study accounting, finance, economics, or a math-focused major. In addition, some employers seek candidates who continued their education and pursued an MBA, master’s of finance, or a certification in finance, such as the CFA. Advanced degrees and certifications are a great way to show clients that you know the world of finance, can speak the language, and have the educational credentials to prove it.

In addition to education, real-world experience is essential to becoming a Freelance Financial Analyst. The amount of experience you’ll need to work as a freelancer will likely depend on the projects you’re interested in. While some clients may seek Freelance Financial Analysts to help with basic accounting or bookkeeping tasks, others may be interested in those with more advanced training and experience. Regardless of the kinds of jobs you consider, clients likely will expect you to have gained real-world experiences in finance, such as through a prior internship or by working as a Junior, Mid-Level, or Senior Financial Analyst. The more work experience you have in finance, the more skills you’ll have under your belt and the more likely you’ll be to find freelance clients.

Perhaps the most important consideration that will help you land a job as a Freelance Financial Analyst is your skill set. While it’s true that the skills you’ll need for each freelance project may differ, there are common hard and soft skills most Financial Analysts have, which are essential for freelance roles. Clients will likely want to work with a Freelance Financial Analyst who understands the language of finance, as well as core financial principles and tasks like financial modeling, forecasting, and reporting. They may also want to hire someone with expertise in economics, statistics, accounting, or other math-heavy fields. Some clients are interested in those who have experience analyzing data, which may require working with applications like Excel or Tableau. In addition to hard skills, freelancers must also have a range of soft skills, such as time management, clear communication, organization, and bookkeeping.

When you get started applying for freelance jobs in financial analytics, it’s also essential to have your professional materials ready. This means creating a professional portfolio that showcases some of your best work in finance. You may wish to include samples of work you did with other clients or visual components like project overviews. In addition, it’s also important to have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, resume, and cover letter available. Since most Freelance Financial Analysts must regularly apply for jobs, keeping these materials current can save you time and help you jump on new freelance opportunities.

Learn the Skills to Become a Financial Analyst at Noble Desktop 

Noble Desktop, an educational provider located in New York City, offers a range of classes devoted to financial modeling and analysis. Financial Modeling Bootcamp is a hands-on, 18-hour course that teaches students fundamental financial concepts, such as corporate valuation, accounting, and finance. Participants in this small class create their own discounted cash flow using Microsoft Excel. Over three days, expert instructors also help students develop a comprehensive financial model for an actual company. As a prerequisite to this bootcamp, students should have intermediate Excel proficiency.

Noble also has a Financial Analyst Training Program that provides expert instruction on timely corporate and financial concepts, such as making a full valuation model. Those enrolled in this intensive program receive instruction on fundamental Excel skills, such as using shortcuts and PivotTables. Advanced Excel techniques are also covered in this 30-hour program, like Goal Seek and cash flow projection tools. All learners also receive instruction on creating a three-statement financial model for a public restaurant company.

In addition to the Financial Modeling Bootcamp and Financial Analyst Training Program, Noble Desktop also has in-person and live online financial modeling training courses. The

Excel Bootcamp offers 18 hours of instruction on core business Excel skills like working with VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, and What-If Analysis for Goal Seek. FinTech courses are also available, like Algorithmic Trading with Python, Python for Data Science Bootcamp, and FinTech Bootcamp. This course provides students with hands-on training from expert instructors in FinTech skills like working with Python and SQL for data analysis, creating machine learning models, and working with different data types like integers, floats, and strings. All students have the option of a free course retake for up to one year, as well as one-on-one mentoring.