This Indian electronics engineer earned $600,000 by design freelancing

As he sat, struggling for motivation as an electronics engineer in India, Anand Thangavel knew his career needed to take a more creative path.

It was then he took it upon himself to go against his family’s advice and began looking for full time work as a designer – a decision that has proved to be financially, and emotionally, beneficial.

“I liked the idea of design, so I taught myself Photoshop and Macromedia and began spending the majority of my days practicing and honing my skills,” he says.

“Today I’m the highest earning and number one ranked designer on an online design crowdsourcing website.

“I’ve accumulated more than $600,000 over the past four years, building my fortune on thousands of jobs, sleepless nights, and continual determination.”

Despite this success, India-born Anand admits it was not an easy transition away from a steady job.

And having to develop his new design skills was given added pressure when his parents warned they would not support his further studies.

“While this has given me liberating financial freedom, the road to being a successful freelancer has not been a walk in the park,” he says.

“My parents grumbled when they learnt I no longer wanted to continue working in my job. They announced that they wouldn’t pay a cent for me to study again, so I found myself struggling to figure out how I could quit my job, do something that I enjoyed and still make a living.”

His commitment paid off and he secured a job as a graphic designer in the UK, where his family lives.

He spent three years working for the company, before a desire for a new computer made him assess his workflow.

“My motivation at the time was buying a Playstation, which I couldn’t afford on my wage,” he says.

“It was around this time, I heard about DesignCrowd from my co-workers, who said it was a great way to earn extra money as a designer.”