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Top portfolio career boosting platforms

We've handpicked the 30 best platforms for freelance and contract work.

Ben Legg

Ben Legg is a CEO, engineer, author and former soldier. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs to reinvent society.

There are so many ways to earn money as a portfolio professional – in fact, that’s part of the appeal. Anyone can launch a side hustle or turn a passion project into a lucrative business. And you don’t even have to quit your day job to do it. All you need is a good internet connection and a basic knowledge of your online tools.

There are (literally) millions of digital platforms and resources available for independent workers like you. Which is great because it’s never been more important to find work, build your profile and personal brand and diversify your expertise.

That sounds like a lot, we know. But don’t worry, we can help you get started. Below are 30 career boosting platforms that every portfolio professional should know of – from industry-specific job boards to learning hubs that will expand your skillset.

Ready to start finding work and strengthening your career? Take a look at our favourite job and learning platforms for portfolio professionals – and don’t forget to share any that we may have missed!

Explore the best platforms for:

The best platforms for freelance or flexible work

UPWORK

A global marketplace for freelancers trusted by some of the world’s biggest businesses

Suitable for

Ideal for experienced freelancers with clients often choosing quality and experience over price.

Top work opportunities:

Data, Video editing, development, content creation, graphic design, bookkeeping

Big name clients like Microsoft, IBM, AirBnB
Safe ‘escrow’ payment functionality
Easy to use platform

‘Job Success Score’ isn’t always clear
Often relatively low paying opportunities
Platform takes 20% commission

FREELANCER

The world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace

Suitable for

All kinds of freelancers who are prepared to hustle to justify the monthly fees

Top work opportunities:

Graphic design, development, data entry, SEO, copywriting, web design

Has lots of registered clients
The largest freelancing marketplace
Relatively low 10% commission rate

Highly competitive
Expensive plans
Slow customer support

FIVERR

A freelancing community that lets you work your way and enjoy complementary courses

Suitable for

Creative freelancers looking to build skills and win shorter project work

Top work opportunities:

Graphic design, digital marketing, writing and translation, video, music and audio, programming and tech

Diverse range of job listings
Lots of creative opportunities on offer
More opportunities for new freelancers

Platform takes 20% commission
Lots of low paying jobs and projects
Limited number of bids

PEOPLE PER HOUR

A certified freelance community that matches the opportunities to you

Suitable for

Freelancers who are looking to build their profile, get reviews and increase their rates

Top work opportunities:

Content writing, illustration, social media strategy, programming, PPC and paid search, admin assistance

Diverse range of roles
Easy-to-use website
Clear pricing structure

Have to complete 2+ projects in 3 months or account will be suspended
Spam job postings
Relatively high commission rates

FLEXA

Work with accredited companies that offer flexible options, dog-friendly offices and the ability to dial in from anywhere

Suitable for

Portfolio professionals that want guaranteed flexibility and the comfort of knowing they’re working with trusted organisations

Top work opportunities:

Marketing, finance, product, design, operations management, HR and recruitment, business development

Can filter based on desired flexibility
Big name clients such as Farfetch, Bloom and Wild and Allianz
Easy sign-up process and free to use

Highly competitive
Limitations to how flexible some roles are

TIMEWISE JOBS

Find part-time jobs and flexible working options that match your skills and requirements

Suitable for

Professionals who want guaranteed flexibility in a range of industries and career levels

Top work opportunities:

Finance, admin, HR and recruitment, marketing and PR, retail, customer service, engineering

Big name clients like GSK, Lloyds Banking Group, Ernst and Young
Useful search filters
Platform is free to use

Limited range of roles available
Website isn’t the easiest to use

The best platforms for digital marketing work

TRAKTION

An exclusive global community for top freelance marketing talent

Suitable for

Digital marketing experts looking for hourly, daily or monthly work with pre-vetted companies

Top work opportunities:

SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, PPC, performance marketing, copywriting

Top 5% of digital marketers
Highly-skilled opportunities
Big name clients like Uber, Spotify and Deliveroo

4-step screening process
Chooses freelancers who are in similar time zones to clients
Platform takes 17% commission

YUNO JUNO

The UK’s largest marketplace for creative and tech freelancers

Suitable for

Experienced professionals who want to work on long-term projects with teams both remotely and on-site

Top work opportunities:

Client services, data analysis, UX and UI design, web development, market research, project management, strategy

Big name clients like Google, BBC and Netflix
Diverse, interesting projects
Platform is free to use

Lengthy onboarding process
Competitive
Can take 2+ weeks to clear your payment

SKYWORD

An elite creator network for those that want to create content with purpose

Suitable for

Creative freelancers who don’t want to have to worry about the admin side of things

Top work opportunities:

Content marketing, web design, graphic design, video, photography, social media marketing

Professional clients
Collaborative work with other freelancers
Admin is handled by platform

Not a reliable way to find enough work
Competitive
4-step sign up process

CONTENTLY

A network for creatives who want to work with top brands on high-quality projects

Suitable for

Creatives who want to establish their portfolio, get paid top rates and gain access to big corporate gigs

Top work opportunities:

Writers, filmmakers, designers, editors, illustrators, social media managers

Big name clients like Marriott, American Express, Dell
Easy payment system
Platform is free to use

Can take a while to get ‘found’
The editing process can be painful
Highly competitive

The best platforms for purpose-driven work

GOODSTED

Collaborate and discover causes you care about by working with social good organisations

Suitable for

Individuals looking to gain experience, collaborate with others and doing good

Top work opportunities:

Digital marketing, mentoring, copywriting, business consultation, brand strategy, legal advice, user testing

Anyone can join
Great for building skills in new areas and industries
Platform is free to use

Projects are unpaid
Platform is in beta

ESCAPE THE CITY

An expert-led community of 500k+ purpose-driven professionals and progressive employees

Suitable for

Those who want to to find work that aligns with their values and attend relevant events and courses

Top work opportunities:

Sales and business development, operations, PR and communications, Marketing, Project management, Strategy

A diverse range of opportunities
Purpose-led work
Easy-to-navigate website

Majority of roles are full-time
Highly competitive

80000 hours

Find jobs that tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems

Suitable for

Professionals who want to do good and build a high-impact career

Top work opportunities:

AI safety and policy, biosecurity, research, factory farming, global health and poverty, sustainability

Completely free to use
Easy sign-up process
Opportunities all over the world
Access to a Slack community

Jobs board is updated twice a month
Lots of competition
Website is a little clunky

DIVERSIFYING

A social change careers platform for people searching for full and part-time work

Suitable for

Professionals who want to work with companies that are serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Top work opportunities:

Operations, finance, marketing, PR, sales, customer service, tech, strategy and development

Big name clients like Amazon, Virgin Money, Sky
Diverse range of jobs
Platform is free to use

Approval needed for use
Limited range of roles available

The best platforms for tech and startup work

THE PORTFOLIO COLLECTIVE

A global community for portfolio professionals connecting the world’s top senior talent with innovative and purpose-driven startups

Suitable for

Senior level consultants, NEDS, mentors, advisors and portfolio professionals who want to help shape an exciting startup or scaleup

Top work opportunities:

Business development, mentoring, product management, finance, operations, advisory board roles

Mix of full-time, flexible and fractional roles
Community is free to join
Can connect and collaborate with 7,000+ professionals

Not all jobs are paid
Mostly top level roles

WORKINSTARTUPS

The UK’s number one site for startup work

Suitable for

Individuals who exclusively want to work with startups or scaleups

Top work opportunities:

Web development, co-founder roles, marketing, operations, finance, customer support, sales, product development

Wide variety of jobs
Real opportunities and less spam
Platform is free to use

Majority of projects are tech-related
Website is slightly clunky

OTTA

A smart, AI-driven job board that matches you with roles based on your interests and preferences

Suitable for

Professionals who want to work with innovative tech startups that match their values

Top work opportunities:

A diverse range of roles that are tailored based on your unique interests and experience

Big name companies like Deliveroo, AirBnB, Spotify
Unique job search functionality that considers things like company culture
Over 70,000 live jobs at one time

Majority of roles are full-time
Highly competitive
You can’t browse through all available jobs
Response rates can be low

TOPTAL

An exclusive network for the world’s top 3% freelance talent in business, design and technology

Suitable for

Freelancers who specialise in business, design and technology that want to work with big name brands

Top work opportunities:

Software engineering, UX and UI design, finance, graphic design, startup funding, product management

Big clients such as Heinz, Shopify, Motorola
High paying roles
Platform is free to use

Difficult screening process
Unknown commission rates – speculated that commission comes from hiring clients
Lots of competition

SHINY

A fractional talent marketplace for startups

Suitable for

Senior level and C-Suite executives looking to work between 5-25 hours per week

Top work opportunities:

Saas, FinTech, HealthTech, Ecommerce, Energy

A great platform to compare similar roles
You won’t waste time scrolling through irrelevant jobs
Well-paid opportunities

Commission rate is unclear
Apply to be put on a waitlist
Limited roles compared to other sites

FEM STREET JOBS

Where the most exciting companies meet top female talent

Suitable for

Women in business looking to work with up-and-coming tech companies

Top work opportunities:

Software engineering, marketing, sales, business operations, finance, design, data and analytics

Easy to sign up
Easy-to-use platform
Free to access

Limited roles available
Relatively niche opportunities

CLARITY

Startup advice from world class experts

Suitable for

Experts in their field looking to advise and mentor exciting startups

Top work opportunities:

Entrepreneurship, marketing, business strategy, business development, strategic planning

Easy sign-up process
You decide on your work and set your rate
Great for building expertise and growing reach

Average earnings for 30 min call is $50, so low for some experts
Platform takes 15% commission
Highly competitive

The best platforms for consultant or advisor work

EDEN MCCALLUM

Combines the best of traditional strategy consulting and freelancing with a new model that delivers a lasting impact

Suitable for

Individuals with previous experience in strategy consulting

Top work opportunities:

Strategy consulting, interim management, project management, growth management, organisational design

Big name clients like Tesco, Pfizer and Shell
High paying long-term roles
Platform is free to use

Low volume of work
Highly competitive
Must have 3-5 years top level consulting experience to join

GLG

A network of trusted experts and professionals sharing insight with some of the world’s leading organisations

Suitable for

Industry and subject matter experts with their finger on the pulse of the latest trends

Top work opportunities:

Exclusively for industry and subject matter experts looking to consult

Good hourly rate
Great for building on established expertise
Platform is free to use

Lots of compliance rules as work is linked to investing
You can’t talk about your own employer, so industry and subject matter knowledge needs to be broader

MOVE ME ON

A global hub of strategy and consultant opportunities for both permanent and freelance roles

Suitable for

Experienced expert consultants who want to take on strategic roles in startups, consultancies and industry-leading businesses around the world

Top work opportunities:

Strategy consultancy, interim management, project management, industry expertise

Big name clients like Amazon, Unilever and GSK
Interesting opportunities
High paying roles

Difficult to join for new freelancers
Platform takes 12.5-25% commission
Highly competitive
Roles mostly for strategy consultants

NUROLE

The hiring platform for chairs and chief executives building high-impact boards

Suitable for

Seasoned executives with standout skills who want to make a difference

Top work opportunities:

Exclusively for non-executive board roles

Relevant board opportunities get emailed to you
Highly paid roles
Platform is free to use

Very competitive
Can only join via referral
Limited opportunities available

The best generalist job platforms

The social networking for managing your professional identity, building your brand and finding work

Suitable for

Individuals who want to grow their network, get involved in trending conversations and find new opportunities

Top work opportunities:

Software engineering, sales, project management, operations and development, business analysis, marketing

Diverse range of opportunities
Used by a number of big companies
Easy to apply

Fewer part time jobs
Lots of competition
Lots of expired roles

INDEED

One of the world’s largest job sites that puts job seekers first, giving them free access to opportunities

Suitable for

Those seeking part-time and permanent work in a range of industries and organisations

Top work opportunities:

Client services, data analysis, UX and UI design, healthcare, customer service, marketing, HR

Can filter for part-time, contract or temporary work
No fees required to apply for roles
Diverse range of roles and companies on the platform

Lots of competition
May be some spam roles
Some roles are expired and are low quality

The best platforms for diversifying your experience

SKILLSHARE

Explore thousands of hands-on creative classes and share your passion worldwide

Suitable for

Those who already have the resources to teach and want to reach a wider audience (and even learn something themselves along the way)

Top work opportunities:

Course creation, animation, design, illustration, photography, film, business, content creation

Low barriers to entry
Helps build reputation and expertise
Platform is free to use

Higher payments are dependent on the audience you bring to the platform
Can take a while to get ‘found’
Commission varies based on the role

COURSERA

A global learning platform that offers remote access to online courses and degrees from world-class universities and organisation

Suitable for

Anyone who wants to gain new knowledge, master a specific skill or design a certified online course

Top work opportunities:

Business skills, data science, engineering, information technology, personal development

4,000+ courses you can complete in a day
Free courses available
Access university courses online

Online degrees can be expensive
Only partners with universities, businesses and industry leaders

Top portfolio career boosting platforms

We've handpicked the 30 best platforms for freelance and contract work.

Ben Legg

Explore the best platforms for:

The best platforms for freelance or flexible work

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best platforms for digital marketing work

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best platforms for purpose-driven work

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best platforms for tech and startup work

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best platforms for consultant or advisor work

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best generalist job platforms

Suitable for

Suitable for

The best platforms for diversifying your experience

Suitable for

Suitable for

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