The Syrian war has drained the country over the past decade and has radically changed its reality. As if our troubles were not enough, the collapse of the economy has multiplied our suffering, as jobs that used to provide us with a decent life have turned into meager wages that do not satisfy our needs.
In the midst of this darkness, a ray of hope emerged that changed the lives of many. This ray of hope is freelancing.
Many have found their way in this promising field, as it provides them with the opportunity to earn income in foreign currencies, allowing them to enjoy a much better life than if they had stayed at the mercy of local employers. Thanks to freelancing, young people have been given the opportunity to find a promising alternative that can restore hope.
Engaging in this field provides them with a relatively better alternative to support themselves and their families in the absence of job opportunities in the local sectors.
Therefore, many people turn to work through social media platforms and the internet to secure a stable source of income. Some use their skills in design, programming, translation, writing, digital marketing, blogging, and more. Others launch small online projects in various fields.
Despite the low wages compared to global rates, they are still much higher than local salaries, which often do not cover basic needs. These professions have no restrictions or systems that hinder the creativity and ambitions of young people. In addition, they offer complete flexibility in determining working hours and schedules to suit the needs and desires of each individual.
The widespread use of social media and online advertising has made it easy to reach customers and promote goods and services at a low cost, contributing to the growth and prosperity of this type of freelance work.
Among the fields that have seen an increased demand for learning their skills recently are digital marketing, social media marketing, statistical analysis, graphic design, sales and customer service, web design, and game development. Acquiring various writing skills, such as content writing, journalism, and editing, is also among the top trends in this direction.
Most online jobs do not require students to hold a university degree in the same field. Employers often suffice with the mastery of work skills through practical training and obtaining professional certificates that qualify them to enter the digital job market and gain experience.
Once experience accumulates, young people can further develop their skills and improve their resumes, enhancing their chances of getting better jobs in the future.
Thus, many university students turn to practical training and engagement in the flexible online job market as a solution to meet their financial needs and open promising prospects for their professional future. It has successfully established itself as an ideal option among this age group.
However, the main obstacle to the success of such projects remains the difficulty of obtaining the necessary capital to start the work, given the economic contraction and the depreciation of the local currency against foreign currencies.
Undoubtedly, working as a freelancer in Syria faces many challenges in light of the difficult conditions the country is going through due to the war and the economic crisis.
One of the major obstacles facing Syrian entrepreneurs and freelancers is the lack of political and security stability in some areas. Additionally, the weak internet infrastructure, power shortages, and difficulties in transferring money from international websites to the country due to sanctions pose significant challenges. The problem of inflation and the devaluation of the Syrian pound are also fundamental challenges, making it difficult to accurately predict project revenues and costs, limiting their ability to complete their tasks. Moreover, the majority lacks experience in marketing and pricing, which further complicates pricing their services and products.
To tackle the issue of money transfers and receiving financial dues due to international sanctions, some individuals resort to using bank accounts of relatives abroad.
In recent years, a phenomenon known as "wage dumping" has emerged in the freelance market, with hundreds of Syrian youths competing for projects at extremely low wages in an attempt to secure a stable source of income amidst the crippling crisis.
The problem of price undercutting has significantly intensified among freelancers, leading to a decline in average wages and difficulties in demanding better rights, as they compete to win contracts amid increasing numbers of competitors.
Despite the abundance of talented young individuals in various fields in Syria, they still face significant international marginalization that hinders their employment opportunities and skill development. While hundreds of thousands of Arab youth around the world enjoy remote freelance work opportunities with international companies and platforms, Syrian freelancers remain outside the realm of interest, citing difficulties in financial dealings with them or a lack of trust in the working environment in the country.
Naturally, this trend towards freelance work faces several barriers, such as the inability to access raw materials due to high prices, difficulties in marketing products and services in the local market, and limited opportunities for funding and the necessary capital to establish projects.
However, despite all these challenges, freelancing still presents an attractive alternative for Syrian youth, especially as they increasingly rely on social media platforms and online marketing to overcome some of these obstacles.
It is certain that the youth's inclination towards freelancing and entrepreneurship will continue to rise in the foreseeable future, as it provides them with flexibility, independence, and an opportunity to achieve self-fulfillment and economic empowerment.
Turning to online freelancing is a temporary solution in the current crisis. However, this alternative is merely a temporary band-aid as long as the Syrian economy remains mired in recession and unemployment.
Will it succeed in establishing itself as a sustainable alternative for Syrian youth, or will it continue to be a temporary solution?
