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Ask HN: How do I start freelancing?

7 points by haack ↗ HN
I'm graduating soon and want to spend a few months doing some freelance/contract development. I'm interested in web dev especially.

How do I get started?

How do I find my first contract?

6 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 22.7 ms ] thread
monroepe
You could try out some of the online freelance websites. My friend has had some good success web dev finding work on elance.
mak4athp
Given where you are in your career, you're inevitably a high-risk person to hire for contract work. That means that at least one of the following will be true:

* you'll be ignored by good clients that can afford to avoid that risk

* you'll be score low pay to compensate for the risk

* you'll be hired for "good" pay by bad clients because they don't know what they're in for.

* Nobody will hire you and you'll watch the months go by without making money or developing a portfolio.

None of these are especially great for you!

For now, you'll learn more and make more if you look for a job for a bit first. If circumstances or preference make that impossible, you have two options:

* reach out for opportunity through your networks - friends, family, local events

* list and/or bid your services through markets like elance, odesk, or Craigslist

scmoore
I'm just getting started freelancing, so take this with a grain of salt.

How about subcontracting for an existing agency? You could do development work for a design shop, or overflow work for a development shop. Once you convince them, they'll be the ones finding clients. On the flip side, you'll just be a cog in the machine -- just coding to spec, rather than participating in and contributing to the client's success, which seems to be the agreed-upon recipe for freelance success around here.

The one thing I'm sure of: don't work for free or rock-bottom rates. If you're trying to pad out your portfolio with the goal of attracting future clients, you might as well just make a project for yourself. I made a couple sites for free for people who had hobbies, as opposed to businesses. They never got around to filling in the site content, so they didn't make for very compelling marketing. Or put another way, the "exposure" was worth very little.

maouida
I've been freelancing successfuly for about 5 years on oDesk.

At some point, I tried to find agencies outside oDesk but failed to find any good ones.

Can you please give me hints where I can find these agencies online?

(Note: I'm not from US)

scmoore
Hmm, since I'm new to freelancing I don't know if I have a good answer. Maybe try searching "$US_CITY Web Development" -- most agencies seem to focus their SEO efforts on searches in their city, so that seems to be a good way to surface lots of agency contacts. For you, it doesn't really matter which city since you'd be remote, so I guess I'd start with the biggest ones since they'll have the biggest budgets. From there you could just point to your oDesk profile as proof of your skills & reliability.

I think the biggest objection for remote freelance work is going to be the concern that you'll just disappear mid-project, so being able to show a long track record seems like a big point in your favor. Good luck!

ryannevius
What kind of work are you interested in? "Web dev" is a HUGE and broad industry.

Also, how can someone get in contact with you, if they may have an opportunity?