Ask HN: Where can I find good freelance opportunities?
So I'm a student who's graduating college in a month, and I'd like to freelance until I find a job. Ideally, I'd like to work with JavaScript and Node.js. I don't have a ton of experience with Node, but my degree was pretty hands-on and we learned several technologies that have given me translatable experience.
I have written code in C, C#, VB.NET, PHP, Python, Java (Android/Web), JavaScript, and Ruby. I am also familiar with Drupal, Oracle and MySQL. I am by no means an expert in all of these technologies, but I do believe that I can ramp up in a reasonable time frame in a given technology.
I've tried ODesk and Elance, but my experience so far has been that most of the jobs there favor freelancers with the most experience and the lowest bids.
So where can I find some decent opportunities that will help me to grow quickly? I'm open to any ideas! At this point its not even so much about the salary, but I just want to be able to put my coding skills to good (paid) use.
Cheers,
A.
60 comments
[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 132 ms ] threadODesk and Elance are bad mojo unless you're dying for some grist for that portfolio.
Speaking of which, establish a solid web presence that you control (not just github) and start building up a reputation for being good at something in particular.
Also you just listed off 8 programming languages, a CMS, and two different databases. I and anybody like me who could potentially be interested in hiring a freelancer would rather know what you're actually GOOD at. Don't do that resume stuffing garbage. Case in point, can you even use function pointers in C? No? Then drop it off the list.
Start building up a portfolio of Node.js projects, then you'll build the necessary expertise to work in the stuff you want to be doing. Do contract work in whatever you're actually good at until your Node skills catch up.
You're right, I'll be sure to narrow down my core capabilities so it doesn't look like I'm a jack of all trades.
Thanks again!
And it goes without saying, do great work. Not just good enough work, do great work. Work that people will be impressed with and you'll grow even faster. Don't take on too much to where your work quality dips down to just enough to get by. If you suddenly have an overflow of clients, charge more.
Edit: Also put your name/email in your profile. I just tried to find it and I was going to email you for some projects I have going on. Also, post on HN when the freelancer post every month comes up.
Do you contact current clients and explain why you are raising prices and charge them your increased price on the next job? Do you just state it and not explain?
If node.js is what you want to do, worm your way into the community and get yourself to the point where you're either a contributor or known to contributors that actually work in the corporate world. Those are valuable references, and with no work experience, your references could make or (more likely) break your chances.
I guess my only personal advice would be not to expect too much, and to be willing to at least consider The Dreaded Corporate World. You shouldn't expect freelance gigs when you're brand new and don't actually have the experience to earn a freelance gig, so if you get one, feel lucky and make it count! If not, understand that success usually takes time, and experience is time well spent, whether it's in your dream job or something less ideal.
To meet people, go to developer meetups in your area for the technology that you would most like to work with. Tell them you are looking to do some freelancing - I've seen many people start partnerships and projects that way.
One can never be too sure about tech, but if something like Node was to become even more popular in the next five years or so, I would prefer to have been working away at mastering it over those five years. This is just my two cents, and not having a lot of experience I could be wrong :)
In my experience and research, there are Python (Django) and Ruby (mostly Rails) jobs out there. The corporate world tends to favor PHP, .NET, and Java. While startups and freelance gigs will either let you choose the tech, or specify one of the popular scripting languages.
In the PHP ecosystem, there are Model View Controller (MVC) frameworks such as Laravel that have features that are on par with Rails and Django. Content management systems such as Drupal, Wordpress, and Joomla are also very popular. Generally, not many developers are still writing code in plain old PHP, they are using frameworks and CMS's to buld their solutions. So I'd advise you to look into one of those if PHP is what you want.
Business owners, project managers and the like hire experts who fit their needs and here's the part to take note of "solve their problems."
Their problem might include some Ruby, PHP, C# or whatever language work, but that's not what they are interested in. They want to know you can get the job done and solve their problem in a reasonable amount of time, within budget and without causing them extra headaches.
I have never, ever sold anyone on 'php'. Always on their needs (solving a problem).
Quick facts about us: everyone is really cool. You get to work with top notch clients. All the developers who work with us are seriously talented: we make sure, since you will need to take a short coding test and show us some of your code before we let you in.
I highly recommend it.
By the way, it's not like oDesk where there is bidding. Bidding is not part of the process. You can set a weekly fixed rate for full or part, or just set your hourly. No haggling involved. Clients know they are getting a developer of a certain quality when they choose us, and they know what that costs.
Client and developer arrangements are mutual, and not all clients require developers to respond within 3 hours on their day off. But, if your client does, you need to do it. Moreover, it is just important that you keep your word. If you tell your client you are going away Saturday and won't be able to answer emails, and you cleared this with them up front, there's not going to be any problem. But, if you told your client "Oh hey, don't worry: i'll keep the server running." and then you took off on a vacation without your smartphone and laptop, then that's a problem.
Many clients have had bad experiences with unresponsive developers. At TopTal, we strive to guarantee that they will receive the level of responsiveness desired.
I'm also a member of the netwokr, picking some work there, some through my own direct contacts. Generally, 'rules of the game' are always agreed with the client, when such rules aren't a fit for both sides, no need to engage in such work, as you wouldn't in the case where you find your own clients. Some are more, some other are less flexible, just like in every other place.
It seems like you are very aware of what you are capable of. It's great to be realistic, but also realize that you are now in the professional market like everyone else. Like the other posts say here, NETWORK. Go to local meetups and present yourself as a real professional. Create business cards (BONUS: Make yours stand out from the rest). You will receive many business cards by going to these meetups. You can probably gauge what would make yours flashier.
Update your LinkedIn, Twitter, HackerNews, Blog, etc immediately with solid and presentable information. If you're unsure of how to do this professionally, check out other professionals' pages and emulate success.
Now, BUILD THAT PORTFOLIO. Even one side project is generally enough to show someone that you can do the work. Do you want to show off your skills, but you're not sure what to build? Take a popular site and build a small client for it.
This is one of the most exciting things you will ever go through. We hear about people building businesses all of the time, and it seems amazing. There is so much more passion - in my experience - when you are building yourself. Congratulations on taking this huge step!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any basic questions about the whole freelancing process. I'm happy to help in any way! (Email in profile)
In line with what you are saying, I have been attending the local Drupal user's group for the past few months and I plan on presenting my capstone project at our next meetup. I will get a business card and present myself in a more professional manner.
It is an exciting time for me, I am building my career and in the process learning a lot more about myself personally and professionally. I'll keep your email address handy.
1. Network locally.
Tech meetups in your area will help you meet local people who speak tech, and you can let them know what you're capable of.
Business-oriented meetups - find local chamber of commerce events (or similar) and let people know what you're capable of from a business/value standpoint.
Industry-oriented conferences - if you have a passion/interest in a specific industry, consider attending their events (education, ecommerce, finance, govt, retail, manufacturing, etc).
2. Look at focusing on a niche or two - service or tech (or both). More people (and higher-value people in most cases) will find you if you're "the text search guy" or "the php guy" or "the database guy" or "the css guy" vs "a web developer". This is from a tech standpoint, of course. But you may end up being "the wordpress guy" in your town (or the drupal guy, or the magento guy, or the sharepoint guy).
Whether you take that work or not is almost immaterial - it's about people seeking out a solution and finding you vs someone else. Tech people don't go searching for "a web developer" - they look for someone to meet a tech need they have - someone found my site the other day looking for "php postgres raleigh resume", then came to the local PHP meetup that I run (nominally - I share mgt with others now). They didn't search for "web developer".
3. From a marketing standpoint, you don't really have to focus on just one niche, but you need to be able to be associated with those niches, and you can possibly successfully serve multiple niches (some of this is just what you're comfortable with).
Have multiple 'landing pages' on your site (you do have a site for yourself or your business, right?) that are focused on the different niches/industries you want to serve. A drupal-focused page describing all your drupal work will be what people visit when they search for "drupal expert freelance <your town>", for example.
4. Get involved in a local tech meetup - don't just attend; present. Present at multiple groups - find multiple tech groups, whether you do that tech or not. I do not do much .net, but I go to the .net group in the area. I'm likely the only real PHP person some of these people know. When they get PHP requests, they fwd to me. I pass around my .net referrals to them when I get them.
5. Get involved in a local business group or two - chamber of commerce or something else - offer to do presentations on the basics of using the web for their business goals (setting up a blog, CRM overviews, whatever you think you want to focus on).
6. Contact larger local dev shops and ask for any overflow work they may have.
7. Blogging/podcasting can help establish your reputation and reach a wider audience, but it generally takes a lot of time to establish credibility that way (my own experience, anyway). Meeting people face to face is a harder thing for many people to do, but you can react much more quickly to what they're saying, picking up on body language, etc.
8. Establish a mailing list on your site and ask people to sign up when they visit. Send out regular monthly mailings.
9. Focus on local/regional markets first, unless you're very focused on a particular industry and willing to travel - for higher value gigs, people generally want you on site at least some of the time. I know there's counter examples to this, but it's been my experience, and the experience of many independents that I know.
10. Ack - one more addition here - yes, you'd like to work with node/js right now - that will probably change. Don't get too hung up on the tech, really. You're working for yourself, and your priority really is solving the client's needs. You can often do that very well by being a master at certain tech, but don't let that dominate your view of things. If you really want to just be a node master, go find a job where people will give you node work.
11. Ack 2 - another point - from your local networking, build up a network of people yo...
They curate a daily mailing list for freelance developers and designers. Jobs are screened and clients provide set spec/set-price they want it done at. For devs, Lots ofsolid projects listed at what amounts to 45-63$/hour.
In short, if you're willing to put up with the bad parts of freelancing websites, you can probably use it as a step towards much better work.
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Are they not done with the site or is this some joke or satire that's going over my head?
If you are a good programmer, the job market for full-timers has never been better -- especially if you are willing & able to move to the bay area (a big if, I realise).
I am willing but not able to move to the Bay area at this point. As I explained to another poster, I have no ties to Victoria besides an aging parent. And its important to me not to leave just yet, because its my mom and there's really no one else close to her.
I do realize that it would be the ideal place for me to be at this nascent stage of my career though.
Thanks for the thought :)
Regarding freelancer marketplaces if you think that those favor experienced/cheap freelancers you are a bit wrong, based on your skills I suggest you to brand yourself as a javascript/node expert, don't hesitate to ask more money than other people ( my bids was almost all the time the most expensive in the list ) and target clients that are looking for more than a very cheap freelancer , and there are some advantages to that strategy : - your high bid give you a boost of trust in the eyes of the client - your future client will respect you more ( it's psychology , if you pay more for a thing, you will valuate it more ) - you will want to work with people that have this mentality
To make sure that this will work for you, try to post some jobs in your field, study the competition and make sure that your bids ( proposals ) looks much better and you are really doing a good job compared with them .
If you have more questions, you can reach me at : ionut.neagu[[at]]vertistudio.com