Mark Lovino stumbled across the goLance platform by accident. On LinkedIN one day, he saw that a few of his friends were promoting the site and sharing work experiences. Curious, he went to the new freelance platform and signed up. Within a month, Mark was offered his first job. Initially working as a freelancer on other freelance platforms, Mark has since started working exclusively on the goLance platform. We chose Mark to interview as this week’s “Featured goLancer” because his enthusiasm is contagious and his positivity is inspiring.

Here is Mark’s freelancer journey in his own words starting with his initial non-freelance work for a BPO company.

World Meet Mark – Our Featured goLancer …

Interviewer: Before you began freelancing, you worked for a BPO company?

Mark: Yes, I started working as a part-time freelancer in 2013 while I was already working a full–time job at a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) company. My first experience as a freelancer was awesome. It’s so good to have your own client and I really enjoyed it. So I decided, as of 2015, to work as a full-time freelancer. I quit my job at the BPO company and decided to focus on my career as a freelancer.

Interviewer: So you were already working as a full-time freelancer when you found goLance. How did you first hear about goLance?

Mark: At first I didn’t have any idea what goLance was. When I was browsing some of my friend’s profiles in my LinkedIn account, I saw my friends promoting goLance. It said that they worked at goLance. I was curious, so I opened it. And I saw that goLance was like some of the other online sites that offer freelance jobs. So I registered on goLance to see if I could find work.

Interviewer: How long did it take you to find a job on goLance?

Mark: It took about one month after I started on goLance before I found my first job. Once, I won my first bid on a job, I decided to move to goLance for all of my work. I like goLance because the review period for the weekly hours it just 2 days compared to other freelance sites where it takes a week. I also like that the transferring of money from goLance to PayPal is so fast. That’s why I love it.

Interviewer: What was your first job as a freelancer back in 2013? When you were working on other freelance job sites?

Mark: My first job as a freelancer was Data Entry and Internet Research. I was hired by a client who had a team and I was one of the team members. My job was to research and find information and then put it into a database. I worked 10 to 20 hours each week. I really enjoyed my BPO job, but I liked freelancing more. With freelancing, I have one client who I work for as a full-time VA and I know that I can make a living this way. If you work full-time for one client, you do not have to work for any more clients to make enough money to live comfortably and you can be extremely loyal to your client. I’m loyal to every client.

Interviewer: What was it about freelancing that you liked more than working at the BPO company?

Mark: I like to work as a full-time freelancer because the salary is better than working in BPO. But it depends on your position. I also like that you can learn new things when you work as a full-time freelancer and the best thing about working as a freelancer, of course, is working at home. You can take care of your family when you work at home and spend more time with them.

Interviewer: Tell me about your family. What do they think of your freelancing career?

Mark: My wife is also a freelancer so she loves it. She works as a Data Entry Specialist. My son, Altair Ezekiel, is one-month-old.

Interviewer: How has being a father changed the way that you look at your work? What do you do in your free time?

Mark: As a father now, I need to provide all of my family’s needs. That’s why I work hard for them, so I can give my family a better life. If I have a free time, I just take care of my wife and son. I also sleep a lot, eat a lot, and hang out with my friends. I love a good beer and a grilled barbecue.

Interviewer: Do you have any hobbies?

Mark: My current hobby is sleeping [laughs] because I work odd hours here in order to work during normal business hours in the U.S. I also get less sleep with a one-month old baby at home.

Interviewer: Earlier you mentioned that you like working for one client full-time. Who are you working for now on the goLance platform and in what capacity?

Mark: I work now as a full-time VA for ResponseCRM. The job is great, I love it. The boss is awesome and the work is great.

Interviewer: What are some of your tasks and responsibilities?

Mark: I prepare bank statements, edit email correspondence, edit excel files, and also CRM work. I work with Excel files and formulas to provide my clients with forecasting and analysis

Interviewer: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a full-time freelancer?

Mark: First, they need to ask themselves, “What skills am I good at?” Every freelancer has a specialty. Some of them are good in data entry, graphic design, web design. etc. Also, freelancer need to always be honest with the client and communicate with them. If you don’t know what to do, ask your boss or someone else that can help you. Hard work is the best way to succeed. Be analytical always too, don’t depend to others.Trust yourself and trust your skill set. 

Interviewer: Do you think that they should quit their job right away or wait to get a few clients?

Mark: Don’t quit your job first. You need to have a stable client as a freelancer before you quit your job.

Interviewer: Do you think everyone should be a freelancer? Or is this a career choice that is only a good fit for some people?

Why Did We Pick Mark As The Featured goLancer?

Marks final response below is why we selected him. He never stops learning, growning and find solutions.

Mark: Everyone has a choice, but choose the job that you love and not because of the salary. Also, try to choose a job where you know you will learn and you can excel. This career is for everyone, as long as they understand what to do. If you don’t know how to do the work, you can watch YouTube for tutorials, search for answers on Google, and then read and analyze.

Where Can You Hire Mark?

You can learn more about Mark and/or hire him by visiting his profiles on goLance and on LinkedIN.