Feature image: Freelancer Julian Yerfino (left), pictured with Upwork colleagues Lisa-Anne Chung and Anton Andreev during a team get-together at Yosemite National Park in California.
From surfing before work to lunch with his family, Julian Yerfino, a software developer in Argentina, is defining his own freelance lifestyle. He’s just one of the amazing freelancers who work inside Upwork, making powerful contributions from around the globe.
Julian started working with Elance about five years ago and is currently working with the Upwork Collaboration Team on projects such as Upwork Messages.
Q: Describe your freelancing journey. What made you decide to take your professional life in this direction?
“After working for some local companies in my city, I started working as a freelancer about eight years ago and never looked back. It can be scary at first to make the jump from regular employment to freelancing, particularly if you have a family to take care of. In my case, it was totally worth it and I see myself doing this for many, many years. I would advise everyone to give it a shot, especially if you’re not happy with your current job, want to spend more time with your family, or just want to travel around the world while working.”
Q: What does a typical day look like as a freelancer?
“I usually start my day by surfing (a new hobby) or going to the gym. My work day starts with checking emails, coding (mornings are more productive for me), and communicating with other members of the team via our own messaging platform. Then, I get the chance to have lunch with my wife and kids every day. I return to work for meetings with the rest of the team and more coding. I am lucky to live in a timezone which only has four hours difference with Upwork HQ so I can usually do most of my work during ‘business hours’.”
Q: Describe some of the benefits and challenges of working remotely.
“In terms of benefits, besides flexible hours and having more family time, I would like to mention working with awesome people around the world and getting to know other cultures. I get to share views and ideas with people from India, Bangladesh, Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, and many other countries. Regarding the challenges, it can get lonely at times, not physically working with other people, however, you always have the option to do your work from a co-working space and hang out with other people.”
Q: What does “work without limits” mean to you?
For Julian, #WorkWithoutLimits means “It’s basically a lifestyle, the possibility of working from anywhere for anyone.”
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