1.

Polish a PowerPoint presentation

Help clients tell engaging and impactful stories by creating well-designed presentations.
You could offer general services or specialize in certain types of presentations, such as
investor pitch decks. Or you could leverage your background and work experience by
focusing on PowerPoint presentations for a certain industry like aerospace, or function
like finance.

PowerPoint jobs

2. Design custom swag

If you’re a graphic designer, an easy project may be creating custom T-shirts or mugs
for a client’s special event and team thank-you gifts. Easy starter projects could also
include updating templates and content to match a business’s latest brand design and
creating icons for presentations.

Graphic design jobs

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3. Translate marketing content

Today’s technology makes it easier for businesses to enter new global markets, so
translation services remain in demand. Businesses need help translating everything from
internal training materials and legal documents to websites and marketing content.
Although most translation projects seem straightforward, you may want to read the
article, The Most Common Translation Mistakes , to ensure your first project runs
smoothly.

Translation jobs
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4. Transcribe a conversation
As more content is shared digitally and events are held virtually, businesses have a
growing mass of content that requires transcribing. Many freelancers consider
transcription an easy project because you can focus on the work, at your own time, and
with minimal contact with clients. This article gives a brief description of the four types
of transcriptions .

Transcription jobs

5. Optimize an Excel spreadsheet

Upwork offers a wealth of Excel projects at every level, from data entry to data
modeling. If you have intermediate to advanced Excel skills , an easy job for you may
include building macro tables and creating interactive dashboards. Or data entry may be
more your preference. Whatever your Excel proficiency, you’re sure to find the right
small project to start on Upwork.

Excel jobs
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6. Be a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant, or “VA,” performs general administrative tasks. At times, VAs may
handle sales and marketing-related work as well. Virtual assistants often support
business leaders by handling small jobs including managing calendars and sending
emails. This article, How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Land Your First
Job answers common questions from what types of work VAs do to how much they get
paid.

Virtual assistant jobs

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7. Optimize online content

Businesses often look to SEO freelancers to identify the best keywords and keyword
phrases to attract their target audience and optimize their website, blog posts, and other
online content. You can narrow the types of jobs you get by focusing on certain small
SEO projects, such as researching backlinks and optimizing YouTube rankings. Learn
more about the skills and tools required for the job in How to Become an SEO
Freelancer .

SEO jobs
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8. Be a data entry specialist

Despite automation, some data entry tasks are done best by humans, so you’ll find
plenty of easy data entry jobs to do on Upwork. As a data entry specialist, you can focus
on numbers, using a 10-key entry pad for efficiency. Or you could extract relevant
written information from large data sets, such as pulling and categorizing keywords
from customer comments.

Data entry jobs

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9. Proofread or edit content

Proofreaders fix grammar, punctuation, spelling, and general formatting issues. Editors
do all that plus suggest changes to improve clarity and readability. You don’t need a
college degree to proofread or edit. However, you must have a highly proficient
understanding of the language you’re editing. This article outlines How to to Become a
Freelance Editor .

Editing jobs
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10. Write blog posts

Writers often begin a project by researching the topic they’re writing about. So, while
numerous easy writing projects are available, it takes practice to estimate how much
time each project may take you to complete. How To Become a Freelance Content
Writer provides more detail about what your daily tasks may look like, how much you
can expect to earn, and how to build your client base.

Writing jobs
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11. Test and update websites

Easy software development jobs include testing websites, maintaining code, and fixing
minor bugs. You’ll be assisting development teams, which exposes you to various
aspects of software design and coding. And the practice helps you improve your coding
skills. How to Be a Successful Freelance Software Developer gives suggestions on
technologies to brush up on and how to begin establishing your career.

Web developer jobs

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Stand out above others

Remember, you may be the best person for a project, but the only way a client will know
that is if you submit a winning proposal. An Upwork proposal is like a cover letter
telling a client that you’re interested in their project and why they should pick you.

For tips on how to write standout proposals, check out How to Create a Proposal that
Wins Jobs and How to Write Proposals: Proven Advice From Freelancers on Upwork .