3 techniques to break into the freelance Power BI world

TLDR: This post outlines three effective techniques for breaking into the freelance Power BI world:

1. Read and recite job descriptions, demonstrating understanding and relevant experience
2. Provide instant advice in your application, showcasing your expertise
3. Create and showcase a portfolio of your Power BI work

These timeless strategies can help you stand out and secure freelance Power BI opportunities.

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I've been in the data world for 16 years. It all started in a past corporate life; a guy who worked in my office was the resident Excel guy. I'd used Excel in a minor capacity, but I was fascinated. I started emulating said Excel guy and learned enough about Excel that I became the resident Excel guy once he left. Over time, I acquired certifications, grad certificates, and a masters. I've also completed courses on different topics that may or may not have mattered, crashed data infrastructure, and written pieces of code with more bugs than any other human in the history of coding.

Over the years, a lot has changed.

Through it all, I've had a solid flow of clients, some short-term, some long.

But do you want to know something that hasn't changed?

I use the same application techniques whenever I apply for work.

They worked 15 years ago, and they work today.

Steal, go forth, and conquer.

1: Read and Recite the Job Description

Here's how it works:

• Read the JD in full. Nothing infuriates clients like a freelancer who doesn't read the instructions. So read it and understand it - it'll take 2 minutes of your time.
• Recite parts in your response and apply experience. E.g. "Understanding your need a connection to SharePoint, I've connected many things to SharePoint, including XYZ. I've also connected (insert obscure example here) SharePoint, which had some interesting results."
• Build in some personality. "I initially had a similar problem with these finicky connections to SharePoint but found a solution after too many hours of research - what a headache!"

The above shows you've understood the job, demonstrated where your expertise fits, and sympathised with the client that it's not their fault - everyone has this problem.

These three points will put you ahead of most applicants.

2: Give Instant Advice

Here's how it works:

If a job listing states the client is looking for a solution to a problem, it pays to give them the answer in your application. A real-life example of mine:

The job description:

My reply:

Avoid withholding answers. Understand that if the client is going to do the job, they are capable of Googling the answer. Instead, they have gone to the trouble of creating a job listing indicating in the most straightforward way possible that they aren't going to do the work.

Instead, give them the keys to the castle.

The client followed my instructions in the above example and overcame their memory issue. And instead of this job, I was hired for other regular jobs building out reports, wrangling data, and setting up SQL databases.

If you avoid holding back and aim to provide value at every touch point, you'll unlock massive growth in your client list.

Easy, right?

3: Showcase your work

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Find your old and new projects.

Step 2: Get them onto Power BI Service, or if you don't have a pro licence, get a free trial, load your reports to Power BI Service and take screenshots.

Step 3: Embed your reports into a WordPress site, load them to Upwork, create a PDF, or load them into any form vaguely representing a portfolio. Create something that stands behind your words.

Step 4: Think of this as your digital business card. It should be ready to hand out instantly, whether a URL or a piece of paper.

Remember, this is a human game.

Getting mired in the technology, code, and models that build the data industry is easy. But remember that data represents the world and is filled with humans.

The more relatable you can be to your client, the more success you will have in your freelance journey.