← The sketchbook
Getting started
Pack your freelance starter kit before applying
Pack essentials for platform work: identity documents, a supported payout account, suitable equipment, useful skills, eligibility checks and time to deliver.
Drawn in 6 stages, the way an illustrator fills a field sketchbook. Press play to watch it drawn.
Pack your freelance starter kit before applying FreelanceSites sketchbook
IDENTITY CARD $ BEFORE THE FIRST APPLICATION ID Your real details Phone or computer Payout account Supported where you live Skills + samples Country + age rules Time to deliver First job Ready to apply Pack the essentials. Leave the wishful thinking. Finished sketch: 6 stages, 245 pencil marks
Watch it drawn 1× Skip to finished Blocking in the starter kit Bag and kit outlined, with a wash Details: pack the boring essentials first Texture: stitching, mesh and checklist ticks Shading away from the upper left Caption
What the sketch shows
Before applying for a platform job, pack a practical starter kit. The backpack is a metaphor: most of these items belong in your account or your planning, not in an actual bag. Preparing them can prevent a promising application from stalling at verification or payout.
Start with eligibility. Read the platform's country and minimum-age rules, and check any work authorisation, licensing or background-check requirements relevant to the gig. Requirements vary between services and places. Being able to open a website does not mean you are eligible to earn there; do not work around restrictions with false details or a borrowed identity.
Make sure money can reach you
Check the supported withdrawal methods for your country. Prepare an eligible account in your own legal name where required, and understand the release schedule, minimum withdrawal and any applicable charges. A visible earnings balance is not the same as money you can immediately spend. Have the identity documents the service requests and access to its official verification flow. Keep a working phone or computer, a reliable connection and any tools the actual job needs. Some work needs a camera, transport or specialist equipment; other work does not.
Choose skills you can demonstrate and organise relevant samples, labelled practice work or experience notes. Finally, budget time for finding work, replying to clients, learning the interface and delivering reliably. The arrow to a first job means you are ready to apply, not that a job is guaranteed. The bag can carry preparation; it cannot carry you through the interview.
Key points
Check country availability, age requirements and any work eligibility rules first. Confirm that you can receive and withdraw payments in your own name. Prepare equipment and honest samples suited to the work you want. Leave time for applications, verification, communication and delivery.
Real numbers, from our listings
Upwork Fees: 0-15% variable service fee per contract (5% on Direct Contracts, 0% with Freelancer Plus)Minimum payout: Varies by method, from $5 via Direct to Local BankPayout speed: Hourly: 10 days after the billing week ends (5 days sooner for Top Rated), fixed…See it sketched
Fiverr Fees: 20% seller commissionMinimum payout: $1 PayPal, $10 Payoneer, $20 bank transferPayout speed: 14 days after order completion (7 for Top Rated, Pro and Seller Plus), Early Pay…See it sketched
TaskRabbit Fees: 0% - clients pay the service feeMinimum payout: No minimum, paid via StripePayout speed: Within days of task completionSee it sketched
Figures in the drawing are examples. These are the platforms' own listed terms, checked by our editors.
