

Any demand for experienced java freelancers? - jamesk14022

I recently started looking to do some java freelance work to make some cash on the side. I like to think I'm a pretty experienced dev. However, on freelance sites, it always seems like a race to the bottom. Where can I find jobs that require someone with an experienced/large skillset?
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danielstudds
There's definitely demand, and you should be able to get decent wedge if
you're any good at it. The reason why there's a race to the bottom on
freelance sites is precisely because there's demand: a large number of people
who are just in it for the money, rather than a love of programming, choose
java because it's popular.

To get your day rate up, though, you're going to have to build up your own
network, so that you're not competing against everyone else on the freelance
sites. Check out Brennan Dunn's books/blog/email list. [1][2]

If you're good and get the right connections, you should be able to get up
towards that $100/hr mark. To get beyond that, you really need to be able to
point to a bank account and say, "because of me, there's more money there."
See patio11 [3]. At that point, language is far less relevant - and in fact,
I'd hazard a guess that Java is a particularly difficult language to do that
with (because it tends to be more backend rather than front-end, but that's an
unsubstantiated gut feel.)

[1] <http://doubleyourfreelancingrate.com/> [2] <http://brennandunn.com/> [3]
[https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/consultin...](https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/consulting_1)

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tluyben2
Odesk (and others) are depressing; freelancers here (north EU) cannot even
live of the money generally paid on them. So the friends who are working on
there usually try to avoid the hourly paid projects and do 3-4 at a time to
boost to $75/day which, with the considered risks and utilization of
freelancers is kind of the minimum. Even for jobs without any/much bidders
(vague things I'm good at like a Haskell, Erlang and Prolog) the price point
is pulled down to a point where it's not worth it.

For Java (which I have 15 years fulltime experience with including backend and
frontend frameworks)/C# and iOS/Android the freelance sites are infested with
$5/hour workers from the east who will not finish anything, write crazy
unreadable code and most of them also do 3+ jobs at the same time, making sure
you get the lowest grade. Exceptions are there, but I have done outsourcing
for many years and the 'start you off with a senior to get you in and then
replace with a junior who cannot do anything' is more normal and the reason we
stopped doing it all together.

I am trying to use danielstudds advice here as well, but find it hard. All
promises of 'premium freelance' sites never worked (while my gut says it still
should by the way; site with rigorous intake with a minimum level of
acceptance (if you have no talent at all then go fix that elsewhere first),
having a panel of experts in different development areas who interview and
assess you every 3 months and set your level(s) and price goals).

And i'm a social animal but I unfortunately hang out most with coders who
'already made it' (and don't care about work and have no connections anymore
of that kind) or academic researchers (I would go for a position like that the
rest of my life, but my credentials aren't good enough to say that I want to
sit on a mountain working on formal methods and programming languages) or
artists.

Good luck to fellow searchers.

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penland
This thread interests me as well. Java is the acquire currency language
currently - it would be nice to leverage an advanced knowledge level for
something beyond the 25$ an hour rate you see on odesk or freelancer.

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mgamer
Hi,

Please contact me at info@brightinventions.pl. We might have sth for you.

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drallison
What is it that distinguishes a "Java freelancer" from other programmers? Java
is just another programming language. Why do you limit yourself to Java? And
what does that tell us about you?

Good programming does not have a lot to do with the particular programming
language involved, IMHO.

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johnsocs
I'm inclined to disagree with this comment: The OP is simply saying that they
have a developed skill-set and expertise with Java. This goes a very long way
about saying who they are. I can assume they have good working knowledge of
the Java language in addition to some great tool sets. Lastly having a
specialty is never a bad thing.

