
Ask HN: How do I start freelancing? - Sargis
I'm a web developer and I have been trying to get a freelance gig for the past few weeks, but it seems nobody wants to hire someone without a decent portfolio. My portfolio consists of two projects, both about 100 LOC.<p>Is it necessary to invest some time in building an impressive app of my own or is it possible to find someone who'll hire me despite the fact that I have almost nothing to show?
======
adelevie
Create something that a potential client could actually find useful for
his/her projects. If that something solves a problem a decent number of people
are facing, _quality_ leads will reach you without you even trying.

I wrote a Ruby gem[1] because it was a fun project. It was in a problem domain
that interested me. A developer found the gem, saw that it would be useful for
his project, and soon became my first client.

I tried the "MVP for $500" approach a few months back[2]. It generated some
solid leads, but none of the projects were remotely as fun or as interesting
as my current one. It's certainly doable to compete based on some perfect
balance of price vs. quality, but I've found it's much more rewarding
(mentally and financially) to compete by being the #1 expert of some piece of
software a client wants to use.

Further reading:

Ruby dev Giles Bowkett wrote a pretty good blog post on lead generation for
freelancers, [http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com/2010/03/programmers-what-
to...](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com/2010/03/programmers-what-to-do-if-you-
get-fired.html).

[1] <https://github.com/adelevie/parse_resource>

[2] <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2685010>

------
CyberFonic
With only 2 projects and 100LoC each, I would have doubts whether you have
sufficient experience to go freelance yet.

Have you thought of scoping out the established freelancers in your area and
contact them to do some of their lower level work at a competitive rate and
with permission to link to those projects that you worked on? You certainly
don't want to claim credit for work you didn't do. So you do need to be clear
as to what you did. Showing your are a dependable team worker is going to be
in your favour.

------
intellectronica
One easy way to start is by looking for so-called "contracting" gigs - where
in practice you join a team, usually on-site, but instead of joining as an
employee you bill by the day. It's not very different from having a job, but
it gives you a chance to get paid for working on a diverse set of projects and
to build relationships with other people who are already working as
freelancers. Typically this type of work is shorter term and more flexible, so
if you see that you have an opportunity to get some freelancing work you can
moonlight on it, or reduce your work to 3-4 days a week.

------
hajrice
You could try doing what I did; It resulted in 20 leads (that's $20k of work),
even though I was really under pricing it.

My pitch was: MVP For $1k. You get an MVP for 1k. 0 iterations. I could have
charged $3-5k at least, looking back.

See hn thread here: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2075928>

This was the building block of my former consulting company.

Additionally, I'd recommend cold calling (you have to be good in sales, if
you're not, get better at it now -- go read the ultimate sales machine). It's
highly effective. Personal experience.

------
corkill
Did people directly tell you it is because you don't have a portfolio? And was
that the real reason? I would be careful about making assumptions.

Most people that get into the freelance game have little experience selling
themselves (I know I sure did), I would suggest sales skills will help you
much more than a portfolio.

A person will hire you if they believe you can get the job done at a price
they like. A portfolio is just a small part of saying I'm the right person for
the job.

No-one ever asked me for for a portfolio when I was doing websites, because
they aren't interested in what I did in the past, they are interested in what
I can do for them. Obviously the more complicated the job, the more proof
someone will be likely to ask for. Wasn't sure if your talking about making
websites or more complicated development.

Can you post specifically what you have done to try and get a freelance gig. I
feel we can help you much better then, rather than give generic advice about
yeah portfolios are helpful(which you already know).

------
linked
I'm a full time freelancer, and I've never shown anyone a portfolio. My jobs
are all earned by my reputation, which I get by my networking efforts. Even
back when I had a fulltime job, I've been attending conferences and meetups,
talking to people, and generally impressing them with what I know. That's how
I got the ball rolling in the first place -- I've been doing this for 4 years
now.

If you are a developer, and you seem relatively smart, there are hundreds of
people waiting in line to hire you. Everyone needs a web developer. Everyone.

~~~
earlyriser
I'm also starting as a freelance after some years of web experience in
startups and agencies but I have trouble finding these hundreds of people.
Could you elaborate on this?

~~~
driverdan
It really depends on where you live. If you live in an urban area with a
decent population there will be people you can meet face to face.

If you live in a rural area it's going to be a lot harder to meet people in
person. In that case focus on finding online leads or consider moving.

------
zackmorris
I've been trying to freelance off and on for the last 10 years but the only
thing that has worked so far was when I tooted my own horn a bit on elance:

<https://www.elance.com/s/zmorris/>

I've had one gig so far for $750 (that was an invite, not sure if from elance
or the client) and it went really well. I'm hoping to find two gigs a month in
the $500-1500 range each, because then I will be able to sustain myself
indefinitely here in Idaho.

I think that most of the people on Hacker News are very talented and may not
know it, or are sitting on achievements that they don't recognize. So maybe do
some soul searching or ask friends if you have done anything they have found
useful/impressive and then use that for your portfolio.

I have also been fixing computers over the last year to bootstrap but am
pretty burned out on it because I did that for 3 years before quitting my job
a year ago. I'm wary about being on call in my town because the main reason
I'm going freelance is autonomy.

I'm very interested in being part of a freelance network that uses strength in
numbers to find gigs and help guarantee work without putting undo pressure on
individuals, or forcing them to give up their independence.

I guess this was an overshare but I've given up on pride and am willing to do
whatever it takes to succeed this time.

~~~
patio11
You do iOS dev? You need to _radically_ raise prices. If you do not, people
will assume lack of competency, because your project rate would be
undercharging as a day rate right now.

------
a-priori
I attempted to start freelancing full-time about 2 years ago but had to call
it quits. I had an okay portfolio... more than it sounds like you have, but
nothing spectacular. It was enough to allay doubts about my expertise.

My problem was my network. I had only one regular client, a small web
consultancy that gave me a couple projects. But they weren't very profitable
themselves and so didn't want to pay me much, and were slow to pay even then.
Beyond that I had to get work from freelancing job boards, which are a poor
way to get good-paying work.

After about 6 months of trying to set up a sustainable business, only getting
the occasional small gig and going into debt for the trouble, I had to call it
quits. I now work at a consulting firm. I like it because it's a similar
experience, but other people bring the work to me :)

My point is that having a network of people who respect your work is
important. Ideally, starting out this alone should be enough for you to break
even (net of living expenses). From there you can nurture those clients
(they're your lifeblood) and try to expand. You should only resort to job
boards as an act of desperation to keep your pipeline from drying up.

Good luck!

~~~
a3camero
Don't underestimate what the parent poster says about "slow to pay". Everyone
is. Think months to get paid instead of two weeks like regular employment.

~~~
a-priori
Yes, dunning sucks. I did two projects for one client and they paid within a
week both times. I liked them for that. Most other clients, including the
regular one I mentioned before, varied between 4 weeks and 8 weeks.

There's a fine line to toe when it comes to following up on late invoices. You
can't let them slide, otherwise you're throwing away money. On the other hand,
you can't nag them otherwise you'll seem desperate for money. As a freelancer,
you must never, _ever_ give the impression that you're having cash flow
problems. Otherwise, whether it's true or not, your credibility goes out the
window.

I made the mistake of seeming desperate for payment on one of my last projects
when I actually was short on money. There was a minor hiccup in their accounts
payable process, and I overreacted. Realizing what I had done was one trigger
that told me it was time to pack it in.

------
mzarate06
If you already have experience, but not a portfoio, I'd recommend targeting
dev firms in your area for first-time clients. Here's why:

1) While I found most non-technical folks seeking freelancers to prefer a
portfolio over a resume, the same wasn't true for dev firms. They usually have
technical staff on board, so even though I lacked a portfolio at the time,
they still recognized my technical accomplishments and background (whereas my
non-technical clients really don't understand that stuff, they'd rather see a
portfolio).

2) Many make use of contractors at a regular frequency, so if you're able to
hook up with one, or a few, they'll help provide steady work during the early
times.

3) Since they provide steady work, you don't have to concentrate as much on
networking or marketing yourself. You'll eventually have to worry about that
stuff, but when you're starting out you have so many other things to worry
about. Dev firms help defer that burden, or at least keep the work coming
while you figure that stuff out.

Best of luck. Freelancing can be tough when you start out, but very rewarding
once you get into a good rhythm.

------
femto
Talk to as many prospective clients as possible, face-to-face, in the
geographical area in which you want to work. Explore their problems and what
you might do to solve them. The ideal contract will have you and the client
fitting each other, limited experience and all, and the only way you will find
this ideal opportunity is to get out there.

Keep in in mind that technical is only half of it. Communication in the other
half. The client wants someone that they can talk to, feel comfortable with
and trust. If the client and you are comfortable, you're a long way there,
even with limited experience. So again, talk to people.

If you do get online work, great, but I think you will have a better chance of
getting yourself established by starting locally. Also, only take work you can
comfortably handle, especially when building a reputation. Don't get desperate
and say yes to bad jobs. Clients value dependability over heroic efforts.

~~~
mgkimsal
"Keep in in mind that technical is only half of it. Communication in the other
half."

Technical, imo, is about 20% of it. Communication, presentation,
professionalism and responsiveness are the other 80%. I recently had a friend
bring on two contractors for a project. One senior - years of tech - sr level
by any measure - and one juniorish.

The sr guy spent all his time refactoring stuff that didn't need it, ignoring
established tickets, not answering phone calls, ims and emails in a timely
fashion, and missing deadlines. The jr level guy checked in every few hours,
did the work on time and answered every question the client had.

Guess which one the client wants back for more projects? The technical stuff -
you can learn that quickly. And in fact, much of that changes or is 'new'
anyway so you can't be expected to be an expert at everything. You _can_ be
expected to be professional. Acting the part, and being available when a
client needs you, is about 80-90% of the business.

That's not to say you should lie/fake credentials and such - you will be found
out if you lie about stuff eventually, either by the client or someone in
their network. My point is generally, with most client/projects, it matters
less whether you're an SQL expert or CSS guru and more about whether you show
up when you say you will, and deliver what you promise.

------
smadam9
From my experience, my first jobs were from people I was connected with.
Usually it was a small job building a quick website for a friend, or their
boss, or a friend of a friend...you get the idea.

Even though those seemingly unimportant jobs were all I had, I was grateful
because I knew they would lead to more spectacular and promising prospects.

As expected, almost a year later, I was landing great jobs thanks to my quick,
small jobs at the start. People starting seeing that the jobs were finished,
people were happy etc.. Although my work is now in another realm, those
qualities hold true anywhere.

Try to find some jobs in your own network, see if anyone knows someone that
needs a website built or even just a simple button designed. That's how I
would start again if I had to.

------
meric
I got started with only 1 project in my "portfolio". It was more like 5000 LOC
however. Since then every client of mine has required me to sign NDAs so I
currently still only have 1 project in my portfolio.

~~~
Aloha
I'm surprised by a NDA that wont even allow you to disclose that you performed
a project that did some certain things, or that you performed an undisclosed
project for X Company, and then a list of the technologies involved.

~~~
meric
I do disclose technology and general themes involved but frequently the
contact says I cannot mention company names or individuals involved. Also even
when I can, I cannot show the result of the projects to potential clients.
Therefore, I only have 1 project in my portfolio showed to clients...

------
mgkimsal
It all depends on what you want to do.

Do you want to basically work on your own app but perhaps do custom installs
of it, or integration work with it and other systems? Then focus on building
on a basic app - while you're talking to potential clients. See if any
actually want to use it, and what the pain points are.

I don't do 'design' work specifically, but I suspect if you were pitching 'web
site design' to people, they'd want to see a portfolio.

Here's my 'portfolio':

website with my name on it, my location, and some description of what I do.
links to sample code/projects (just a handful) link to blog link to resume
(outdated by 2 years) list of some moderately current projects (yes, I know
you won't have that right now) list of tech I like to work with

That's my 'portfolio' on my site.

What often gets people to me, however, isn't that. It's referrals. Word of
mouth referrals from people in my network. But perhaps even more importantly,
I participate in local user groups. I nominally still run the local php/mysql
group, although I don't do as much day to day as I did years ago. But having
my name associated with the local PHP group on meetup.com means I get cold
calls from people just because I organize the group.

I get probably 1 a month on average - some random project someone needs done,
and they don't know where to turn. They don't care about my resume, portfolio
or anything else. They have a need and need it done fast. I sometimes refer
them to other people in the local group or my larger network, or take it
myself.

"networking" is important, but sometimes a nebulous idea, especially for
people who are just starting out. Join other networks - get out there and
socialize some, and let people know what you can do. But also promote
yourself. An easy way to do that is to run your own group and publicize the
heck out of it.

Here's another idea:

Go to local chambers of commerce and organize a 'meet the geeks' ("meet and
geek" as a name?) night for local web freelancers in your area and the chamber
members. Have it be informal - maybe a couple short presentations by people in
the group about "how to get started on the web" or "things to look for in a
web designer". DO NOT present yourself, but do organize it. Get everyone's
name.

The local chambers should be able to find a space and food and get the word
out to their members.

Make yourself known as the go-to guy/gal in your area for work. Even if you
can't do the work yourself - that's not as important as being the middleman
for that information.

This will end up paying dividends simply because _almost no one else will ever
do this_. The fact that you put 3 hours in to organizing an event and getting
people to do something will raise your stature and peoples' estimation of what
you can do 100x what it actually is, but that doesn't matter.

Feel free to ping me if you want to discuss this more, or need more help
getting started freelancing. I run indieconf.com, a conference for freelancers
- perhaps you could attend this fall? (shameless plug!)

EDIT: Someone wrote me asking why I said to not introduce yourself. I was
saying "don't present yourself" as in "don't do a presentation yourself", but
instead have the event be a spot for other people to present themselves.
You'll still have a chance to meet and mingle with X other people, you won't
have to be as nervous, and the people you spotlight will reciprocate nice
things back to you over time.

------
Mizza
Building a portfolio is definitely worth your time.

Reach out to an open source project that needs a new website and offer your
services for free, or make a simple online utility to show off what you can
do, and open source that as well (open sourcing your products shows confidence
in your code).

Also (shameless plug ahead): if you're looking to pick up some freelance gigs,
sign up at <http://gun.io> and get notified when new freelance gigs for your
skills are posted.

------
joshuap
It can't hurt to "build an impressive app of your own", but as long as it's
something that is useful to other people. Don't just build something for the
hell of it. Build something that you're passionate about; that you can apply
to a real problem. You could also work on an open source project - the
community can act as a "client" of sorts.

Ask _everyone_ you have interacted with on some sort of professional level to
recommend you on LinkedIn. If they don't have an account, offer to help them
sign up.

Email _everyone_ you know and tell them you're looking for work, and make it
clear what you do (this should be in completely non-technical terms).

Answer job postings personally. Online jobs have a lot of applicants, so make
sure you are showcasing your personality, as well as your skills. Not every
job is a good fit, so better to eliminate the obvious duds as early as
possible.

Be honest. Don't try to sound like you have more experience than you do, but
also don't be afraid to speak authoritatively about topics you know well.

Respect yourself. You are interviewing to solve someone else's problems, so if
you're the expert in the room (so to speak), don't be afraid to be firm on how
things should be done. Quality clients should respect you for this, and you're
better off without the few you'll lose anyway.

Network anywhere and everywhere!

------
Sir_Funk
You basically should invest some time in building up a portfolio of your own
projects.

Otherwise you basically have to either undercut everybody in your bids to make
yourself attractive on a cost basis, or when you bid on a project, show the
customer a "proof of concept" or something that shows you already have
something solid to show them before they choose a freelancer, which may or may
not be feasible for the type of projects you're interested in doing.

------
ca136
Build at least one project that looks nice. You don't need to spend a lot of
time, but buy a nice-looking theme (I used themeforest) and build a simple
site for a small business. Then hit up your non-technical network. Show them
that you can give them an attractive website, and you'll probably find a few
people who are interested in working with you.

When I first started freelancing, I spent 10 hours on a redesign for a local
fitness boutique. It was an easy project that earned $700, but I would've done
it for free if I knew all the business they'd send my way after. After seeing
the site, the receptionist's brother wanted a website for his bike store,
another client wanted a new site for his business, even the guy who cut my
hair wanted me to make him a website after seeing the one project I had done.

If you can't find anyone in your network that's looking for help, try
contacting local businesses with crappy websites. You can create some screen-
shots of a potential redesign or even create a working demo page using pre-
built themes (check out trial.mysitemyway.com). You'd be surprised at how many
projects you can get from this type of outreach.

------
rglover
The one thing to remember is that it takes time. The best path to take with a
skim portfolio is:

1.) Think about a project you'd like to work on. It doesn't have to be crazy,
but preferably has elements that will challenge you. The best projects will
hands down will be the development of tools that are useful to you/open
source.

2.) If you have any network at all: friends, family or previous clients, send
out a quick email. Tell them what you're offering and ask if they need
anything done. Make use of those closest to you/familiar with your work.

3.) Post your info on the monthly HN "Seeking Freelancers" post. This is a
great way to churn out quality projects.

4.) Get on and contribute to communities like Forrst (if you don't have an
invite, let me know and I'll set you up) and GitHub. There are a lot of people
on these sites that tend to have overflow work that's perfect for a
freelancer. Just be helpful with others and contribute ideas frequently and
you'll come out on top.

If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an email:
me@ryanglover.net

Best of luck!

~~~
phzbOx
There are also live events in _every_ cities
(Hackaton/Workshop/Conference/Programming language groups) that are useful to
meet new contacts. Most often then not, people are looking for designers and
developers to help them with their projects. Startup events are also nice
places to find fun projects to work on. Lots of startups are happy to hire
less known freelancers for a lower cost and help them build their portfolio at
the same time.

------
jakejake
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that you could become proficient
with a certain platform and get your foot in the door that way. Just as an
example, spend a lot of time on WordPress or Joomla or Drupal or another CMS.
Write plugins, build themes, become really good with the platform. You'll
pretty quickly find people using that platform for their companies who need
help and you will be in a position to offer your expertise. That can be a way
to get your freelance career off the ground.

Freelancing can be a great job but it takes time to build up a good client
roster. The key to having a decent life while freelancing is having a client
roster that needs ongoing work so you aren't constantly hustling for work.

------
alexwolfe
I would definitely spend time building & working on your portfolio. A
portfolio is really a business card for any good freelancer. Your portfolio
can even be a collection of github projects, there just need to be some real
substance there.

Ultimately if you land a job freelancing the client is looking for a few key
things, an excellent portfolio, good communications skills, and most of all
experience. These qualities take time to develop and allow the client to put
more trust in the hands of someone outside the company.

An alternate to freelancing is working for some small startup for a year at a
time. You'll get a wealth of experience and also a chance to build your
portfolio. Good luck.

------
chubs
Here's an easy way to get started networking in your local area:

<http://blog.asmartbear.com/cold-calling.html>

Basically the gist of it is to offer people something simple for free, to
build relationships.

------
ilaksh
The trick for me is just to be willing/able to work for Bangalore wages, go on
odesk or whatever and find gigs that have actual specifications (they are
relatively rare but there are enough if you keep paging through). Find one
that you can get a good start on in a day or two and just do as much of it as
you can before you have to move on. Then send them a link to the prototype you
started. Usually after doing that a few times someone is smart enough to take
advantage of my cheap labor.

Once I did something similar with a prototype, but it was on reddit instead of
odesk, and turned into a great high-paying gig.

Of course, it would be better if you networked.

------
StavrosK
I've found that the best way to freelance is via word of mouth. However, if
you don't have a portfolio, what are your credentials? How do you plan to
convince people you're worth hiring? You might want to work on a side project,
it goes a long way towards showing people that you can actually build nice
things.

Also, the startup I'm currently working on does something directly relevant,
so you might be interested in updates: <http://www.instahero.com/>

~~~
connor
I agree, do side projects until you can convince somebody to pay you for
similar services.

------
aantix
On a side note, when it comes time for your billing, check out my library, Big
Bucks No Whammies (<https://github.com/aantix/big_bucks_no_whammies>). It
allows you to generate an invoice from your git commits.

Here's a sample invoice:
[https://github.com/aantix/big_bucks_no_whammies/blob/master/...](https://github.com/aantix/big_bucks_no_whammies/blob/master/sample_report.pdf?raw=true)

------
driverdan
Without more background info I can't give you specific recommendations but
here are my general ones. Some of my recommendations are very basic with the
hope they help someone so don't be insulted if you already know or understand
some of this.

Freelancing is a Business

\-------------------------

First make sure you realize you're starting a business. You may be working by
yourself but you're starting a business like any other. You'll need to do
accounting, marketing and sales, planning, etc. You can't sleep all day,
lounge around, and expect work to get done. Make sure you're disciplined
enough to do the work.

If you have a full time job don't quit just yet. Get a few freelance projects
under your belt first. Make sure you have months of income in the bank to get
you through the slow times. If you've decided to move to freelance because you
lost your job think long and hard about it. Do you want to run your own
business or do you just like to code? Are you prepared to chase down clients
and sell your services to them?

Learn about billing and invoicing. Don't expect to bill 40+ hours a week,
especially when you first start. There's overhead in running any business.
You'll have tasks that aren't billable. Account for this.

You need to have people skills to run a business, especially if you haven't
already established yourself. If you're not great at selling or interacting
with people focus on improving these skills.

Build Credibility

\-----------------

Your potential clients need to know you're credible. This is why many people
have recommended improving your portfolio. In reality there are multiple ways
to build credibility and the best one for you depends on what you do.

Understand your target client. You are trying to sell your services to them.
You need to know what they want and need. If your client isn't technical then
what good will code samples do? If your client is the CTO of a development
firm how useful will a pretty website be without code?

In general it's a good idea to have a nice looking website with some sample
work. It doesn't need to be an amazing design but make sure it doesn't look
like a coder with no design skills made it. Pay someone if you have to, you
want your business to look good after all.

The actual samples and quantity doesn't matter too much so long as it fits two
criteria: it's good and it highlights what you do. If you write code have a
few samples from the languages you work in. If you build basic content sites
for businesses (eg CMS or ecommerce sites) put some screenshots up or link to
them. If you're a designer put up some nice designs.

Portfolios are best for incoming leads, when potential clients come to you.
They don't know who you are and are making a judgement based on your website.
As I highlight below networking is a much better and more likely way for an
unestablished freelancer to get work. Don't expect many (if any) people to
stumble onto your portfolio and hire you from it.

While a portfolio style website is nice it's even better if you can establish
yourself through work, video, or words. This means blogging, speaking at
conferences, starting or contributing to open source projects, and hosting or
organizing events related to your expertise. Establish yourself as an expert
at what you do.

Set an hourly rate that reflects your skills and raise it over time. I
recommend billing at _least_ $50 per hour. Setting a higher rate actually
implies credibility. That said, you'd better be able to deliver. Someone
paying for your time expects to get quality work out of it.

You'll always have more credibility if you can meet someone in person. Which
leads to networking.

Network, Network, Network!

\--------------------------

In my opinion this is the absolute best way to get clients. Get out there and
meet them in person. Reach out to people you've worked with in the past and
see if they need some work done (don't steal your employer's clients though).
Get on meetup.com and go to events, lots of them.

Don't network for just yourself, do it for others. If you run into someone who
needs a designer but you write code put them in touch with a freelance
designer who does good work. Help out your fellow freelancers and small
business owners and they will return the favor. Even if they don't you'll be
happy to know you helped a friend.

Try Everything

\--------------

Just because people are giving you recommendations doesn't mean you can't get
work elsewhere. Try everything that comes to mind.

Try looking through the computer gigs section of craigslist. I tried this once
when I needed new clients. I emailed less than 10 people, had a few respond,
and ended up with one client.

Get Your Hands Dirty

\--------------------

Finally, be prepared to do work you hate when you first start out. You may
have to accept work you don't enjoy doing to establish yourself and get
experience. My first substantial freelance gig was a content site / CMS
project. I hate content sites. I find them tedious and boring. I did it
anyway. You have to do what you have to do.

Once you start getting enough work you can turn down projects you don't want
to do. Find what you like, focus on that, but for now do whatever people will
pay for.

------
doc4t
I get most of my freelance projects from the different agencies that I signed
up with. Sure they take a percentage in provision but the salaries are so high
anyway that I don't mind too much.

For the provision they will do all the legal work - which can be considerable.
I'm very satisfied with this arrangement.

I would recommend you to get in touch with agencies. Just make sure they don't
screw you over - the division should be at least 80/20 in your favor.

~~~
rquantz
Could you talk more about your experience working with agencies? Are there any
in particular you would recommend?

~~~
doc4t
The customer contacts the agency which then contacts me. I negotiate the
salary with the agency and they make the contract and any other legal/paper
work with the customer.

Before being hired you obviously have a normal interview with the customer.
The depth/length of the interview is proportional to the duration of the
assignment which can be anything from 3 days to several years. My last
assignment was 10 months and only ended as I decided to not extend the
contract.

I generally like that a given job is usually no longer than 3 months. I come,
work, enjoy and leave again before it gets boring. And you leave with A LOT
more money than being full time employed.

The downside of course that you have no job security, pension, health
insurance and you have to manage your own company including accounting and
legal work. But this is also why you are paid more as you need the money for
the services related to your company.

It is my impression that it is always possible to get work. The more
specialized you are and the more experience the higher the paycheck.

If you happen to be located in northern Europe I would recommend ProData
Consult (www.prodataconsult.com) - my current agency. They do require your
expertise to be at a certain level though.

Even though I am busy at the moment doing one of my own project I am
continuously being offered new jobs from these guys and I have the impression
that they really care about 'their' consultants.

------
jbrowning
Like others have said, I would work on building your portfolio. One way to do
this is to donate some web development work to a non-profit in your area --
hopefully one that is well-known in the community. Not only will this give you
something to add to your portfolio, but it will also give you an idea of any
underdeveloped skills that you need to work on.

------
Strom
Improve your sales pitch. Do some initial work for a lower rate, then you'll
have a portfolio of actual work.

------
vellum
You need more projects. They don't have to be fancy, but they should look
good. Once you’ve filled out your portfolio, you should go to meetups and talk
with some other designers/programmers. Many of them are busy, and they might
farm some work out to you if they think you’re dependable.

------
perezda
A portfolio is a quick way for someone who doesn't know you to get an idea of
what you're capable of. Try and get a gig through people that know you, they
won't need you to prove as much. What type of gig are you looking for? What
are your skills? What skills are you trying to improve?

------
itmag
Has anyone here checked out Ramit Sethi's paid materials on freelancing? Were
they any good?

I am a fan of what he gives away for free:
[https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/04/5-techniques-to-double-
yo...](https://www.odesk.com/blog/2011/04/5-techniques-to-double-your-
freelance-rates/)

------
prawn
Start a community site regarding something you're passionate about. Blog,
forum, etc. Make it clear within that community that you're a web developer
and always be clear about the sort of projects you can help with. You need to
be in it for the long haul because it won't take off for a while but will help
you later. That worked for me at one point many years ago. An alternative
would be to become entrenched within another community that is already
established. Make sure you're passionate about the topic at hand (sport,
hobby, etc) or you'll stand out as an imposter.

Build a personal site - nothing crazy and nothing that is difficult to update
or requires constant maintenance to stop it looking dead (e.g., blog component
or 'latest news').

Make sure friends and family all know exactly what you do and that you're
looking for work. They'll keep an ear out for opportunities. Sometimes they
might be over-enthusiastic, but any lead has value. If your work queue is
empty, you can handle a few time-wasters or painful jobs to get your start.

Major charities will usually turn down offers of unpaid online work (they want
donations) so try for smaller ones. Or community sports groups. Companies may
be wary of someone without a portfolio but given your spare time, you can
afford to design a concept to prove your ability - no obligation to them.
There is a line re: 'work for free or full-rate, but never for cheap', so you
might have luck doing some charitable freebies rather than cut-price for small
businesses.

Remember that the little jobs will often be the most painful, so don't give up
when the early projects drag out. Always be building in your head a picture of
how long certain types of tasks take you. Track it manually if you need to -
concept design, cut to HTML/CSS, etc.

Business networking can help. Many areas have little small business
organisations that will have get togethers or advisors.

Especially look to connect with marketing people who work for small businesses
with suppliers/sponsors/etc and marketing freelancers who need a go-to web
guy. Make an initial contact through an unrelated interest rather than going
in with a sales pitch immediately IMO. If you are a strong programmer, speak
with small graphic designers who likely farm out their backend work. Or if
you're a designer, try to get a feel for which IT companies want a designer
they can tap either as a contractor or someone directly in contact with their
client.

(Me: Web developer about to complete a 14th year in business, now with two
employees. Started by working on the side during an on-the-job traineeship.
All work is now just word of mouth; have never advertised, barely bothered
networking, etc.)

------
perfunctory
Ask a freelancer friend to introduce you to the client. That's the best way,
really.

------
ryanschmidt
I've had a few others ask me the same thing so I wrote this short blog post:

[http://echostats.com/blog/03-31-10/find-hundreds-great-
jobs-...](http://echostats.com/blog/03-31-10/find-hundreds-great-jobs-daily)

Here's the text:

Many have asked how I'm finding freelance jobs in this market. Well, here it
is! A couple months ago I decided that I was not going to be able continue
bringing on clients if I didn't bust my butt trying. I spent some time on
CareerBuilder and Monster Jobs but had zero luck. Those sites are not built
for the freelancer, but Craigslist is.

Craigslist is a Freelancer's Dream Come True There are so many job postings on
Craigslist it seems impossible to sift through them all. To add to the
problem, Craigslist is still playing this "locals-only" game where they try to
trap you in your city's section. Well, as a freelancer, location is
irrelevant. We can work from our home in our pajamas. So, how do break out of
this localized prison? Thankfully, Craigslist gives you almost everything you
need.

Craigslist Loves RSS Feeds Almost as Much as I Do Ever notice there are no
images on the Craigslist site other than those inserted in the listings? If
so, you missed a very important one. At the bottom of each search results page
there is an orange RSS feed button and that's the most important part of this
setup.

Craigslist + RSS + Netvibes Forget about your love affair with Google for one
second. Google Reader is lame in comparison to the nifty, easily customizable
Netvibes. For this example, it's what I'm using and it works perfectly.

Tools Gathered: Check. Now It's Time to Find Jobs On Craigslist's home page,
you may or may not have noticed that there is a list on the right hand ride of
the layout labeled "US Cities". This isn't by accident. It happens to be the
largest cities in the US and that's exactly who I want to be targeting as a
freelancer. Click on the first one in the list (Atlanta) and let's get
started.

Under Jobs, I select "Web/Info Design". Select whatever option you'd like.
Select all the search options you like, specifically "telecommute" No need to
enter any search terms, just click Search There it is! Your list of jobs for
that city. Scroll to the bottom right and grab that RSS feed Import that into
Netvibes Title the feed whatever you'd like (e.g. "Web Jobs: Atlanta") Now
repeat these steps for all the other cities you'd like to charge a premium for
your amazing services

Contact the Job Posters Once you have the list of jobs, you need to start
contacting the job posters. Be courteous, include your resume and your
portfolio and don't forget your phone number! Try your best to stand out. Be
very clear with your subject line what it is you're e-mailing them for. They
are getting hammered with requests so you don't want to blend in.

It's a Numbers Game Recently, several people have asked how I am using
Craigslist to push my freelance career forward. I thought this would be the
easiest and most beneficial to spread the very simple concept so that more of
you can try it. It is not fool proof and it does take work. Before I recently
became maxed out with work, I was sending out 20 resumes a day. I would go for
days without a single response because of the amount of e-mails the job poster
was receiving. It's a numbers game and if you're persistent, it will work to
your advantage.

Good luck!

------
pknerd
try sites like vworker, elance etc

------
shareme
Depends on your geographical area, if you are very near a large city such as
Chicago, Ad agencies will generally take you on as a temp to outsource to
their clients if you have a web project portfolio to show even if its
small..its not fully at freelance rates but still nice coin to get..

