Now is the time for freelancers to expand their skill set, says report

Upwork has published its most in-demand skills lists

Margaret Lilani, VP of talent solutions at Upwork, says the freelance jobs platform is experiencing a “once-in-a-lifetime, tectonic shift in the notion of work”, where skilled professionals are rethinking what they want from their careers, and are gravitating toward the flexibility, autonomy and benefits of freelancing.”

“At the same time,” she says, “the uncertain economic environment is pushing businesses to explore new solutions to stay competitive and they’re finding unlocked potential in the growing pool of skilled independent professionals. As we kick off 2023, it’s a perfect time for freelancers to expand their skillsets or break into a new career, while companies seek independent talent across a broader range and at a higher rate than ever before.”

Among the list of most in-demand skills, those with the highest year-over-year growth on the Upwork platform within the noted categories are sales & business development (54%), data entry (47%), accounting (45%), and 3D animation (44%).

“As we enter a new year during uncertain economic times, professional freelancing is a great way to leverage your talents, build new skills, and diversify and protect your income,” says Kevin Campbell, a full stack web developer with over $1 million in earnings on Upwork.

“Businesses are always searching for skilled independent talent, especially now. Not only is the demand for my services at an all-time high, but I’m in complete control of how I want to design my career – where I work, when I work, who I work with, and how I define success – it’s a really positive position to be in,” says Campbell.

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Top 10 Most In-Demand Tech Skills for 2023:

1. Full Stack Development
2. Front-End Development
3. Back-End Development
4. Mobile App Development
5. Web Design
6. Ecommerce Website Development
7. UX/UI Design
8. CMS Development
9. Manual Testing
10. Scripting & Automation

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10 Most In-Demand Marketing Skills for 2023:

1. SEO
2. Social Media Marketing
3. Other Digital Marketing
4. Lead Generation
5. Sales & Business Development
6. Telemarketing
7. Search Engine Marketing
8. Email Marketing
9. Marketing Strategy
10. Marketing Automation

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Top 10 Most In-Demand Customer Service & Admin Support Skills for 2023:

1. Email, Phone & Chat Support
2. General Virtual Assistance
3. Data Entry
4. Digital Project Management
5. General Research Services
6. Tech Support
7. Dropshipping & Order Processing
8. Community Management
9. Market Research
10. Transcription

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Top 10 Most In-Demand Accounting & Consulting Skills for 2023:

1. Accounting
2. Recruiting & Talent Sourcing
3. Bookkeeping
4. Financial Analysis & Modeling
5. Management Consulting
6. Instructional Design
7. HR Administration
8. Business Analysis & Strategy
9. Tax Preparation
10. Financial Management/CFO

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Top 10 Most In-Demand Design & Creative Skills for 2023:

1. Graphic Design
2. Video Editing
3. Illustration
4. 3D Animation
5. Presentation Design
6. Image Editing
7. Cartoons & Comics
8. Product & Industrial Design
9. 2D Animation
10. Video Production

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