Bangladesh is going to reach a unique height through freelancing. Hardly someone can deny this reality. If you see how freelancers are earning dollars and contributing to the economy, you cannot but say ‘yes’. Such a jewel person is Dohi Rahman. She is a successful freelancer at Upwork; the biggest marketplace in the world right now. We were just craving to cover her story, so that it may ignite many in terms of being skilled and earning foreign currency as well. She was very kind to give us her valuable time.
Kazi Drohee Rahman the Upworker
Ms. Dohi Rahman works as admin support at Upwork. It’s been almost 5 years since she is a freelancer of this prestigious marketplace. She is highly skilled at data related automated software. Nevertheless, she always keeps updating herself, like some other prudent freelancers. She is recently working a bit as a graphic designer too.
About Her Start-up
She was not jobless, rather was smart enough to feel the pulse of time. That’s why she chose to freelance. She says, “I was always zealous to be a good professional. I have had my honors and masters from Jahangirnagar University (JU). While having my post-graduation I joined a private bank. Then I moved to a multinational company. The salary was handsome too. But very soon I became so bored with this generic 9 to 5 job schedule. And you know what a stupid jam we have to face at our capital! So I started seeking an alternative. Then luckily I got introduced to freelancing by one of my colleagues there.”
She continues, “And Alhamdulillah, only within one month I landed on my first project! It was 2013. At that time, Upwork was known as Odesk. It was so exciting for me to deal directly with foreign clients!”
Why Freelancing
Here in Bangladesh generally most of the job seekers opt for full-time opportunity first. If they fail to secure, they move to freelance. But we see a different picture in Dohi. Being a progressive professional person she could timely perceive that it would be wise to leave her previous job. She says, “I want to lead my life on my own. As a dweller of Dhaka, I could not bear that typical exhausting job anymore. Moreover, as a wife, I sought for more comfort. And thanks to Allah, freelancing career ensured what I was actually looking for. Now I can enjoy my family and social life. Though I remain at work all the time, I feel free. Else, here the chances of getting a job are very high. From the beginning, till now I wasn’t jobless for even a month! Here the sky’s the limit. You just need to have the least skill along with a positive attitude.”
Towards Native Women
Ms. Rahman didn’t want to focus only on women. She doesn’t believe in gender segregation. But when we asked how it can benefit women if they tend to freelance jobs she replied with care.
“Well, cultural sensitivity must be kept in mind. On one hand, most of our women don’t prefer to work out respecting their religious duties. And quite rightly they prefer the maintenance of family and children to a day-long exhausting job. On the other hand, this state is yet to ensure a secure environment for them. In this case, I strongly feel that the freelance genre job can be a great fit for our Bangladeshi women.”
She further says, “You can easily break the custom of a house-wife life. Just try to be disciplined, maintain a routine. Learn to accept new challenges. Be proactive and responsive. I know how mothers hone their English skills to teach their children. So if you are a mother you merely need to apply the practice in dealing with clientele. Can’t you do that? Yup, you can easily do it! You can also contribute foreign currency to your family. Thus, freelance provides the golden scope to enjoy both family and professional life at the same time.”
Tips for the Newbie
Ms. Kazi Drohee Rahman was optimistic about the newbie. She agreed with us, after the COVID shock many of the newbie or newly job-losing people are rushing towards outsourcing. But she reminded us that according to an Oxford survey, Bangladesh is the second-largest freelancing source in the world now.
Anyway, let us mention the points that she gave especially for the newbie:
- A proper attitude is the key to win your client’s heart
- Have in-depth research about various marketplaces
- Select your niche, do start will small, don’t greed for dollars at the beginning
- You must love what you are doing or planning to do
- Learn how to smartly use the updated software
- Never miss deadlines and violate the rules of a particular marketplace
- Treat your client as if they are your friends or relatives
- Make the best use of your social media accounts to interact and learn from experienced freelancers
- Always try to exceed your client’s expectation
- Take each project as a challenge and just give your best to stand out from others
- Study a lot on your category, seek tutorials online and never think that anything is enough
Bad Days are Going to Perish
Kazi Drohee Rahman is foreseeing a bright future of our country. She hopes that our economy is going to thrive tremendously by a few years through freelancing. She is separately happy for the women. Because a large number of women are doing very well in various marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, Freelancer.com, etc. She is also glad to see that the ICT ministry is facilitating to energize this sector. She hopes young people would make the best use of this.
She says, “In Sha Allah, we are going to surpass our bad days. Thousands of people will be able to build their business and succeed. They will be solvent. There will be no rape, no crime! Moreover, this earning will additionally be invested in other national sectors to boost our economy.”