

Ask HN: Is Freelancer.com for real? - speeder

I am visiting the site and it is all gamified and shiny and whatnot...<p>But how much I can score hourly as mobile developer there? Any clue?<p>Also how much of the projects there are real? And how hard is to get projects?
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Spoom
Personally I would recommend Guru.com instead of Freelancer; I've worked with
a few of those sites and Guru seemed to be the most professional. Also, if
you're worried about being paid, use the site's escrow system (Guru has one, I
believe Freelancer does as well). Your employer pays into the escrow, you
complete the project, you request that they release the escrow to you, you get
paid. If they don't release the escrow, you can get (usually free) dispute
resolution services through the site. This has saved me from a shady employer
at least once.

Your hourly rate very much depends upon your skills. Start bidding high, and
see if you get any catches. There are people on these sites making $100 / hr.,
but these people have a lot of history and are well-known. Don't expect to
make the higher rates when you're just starting out, and remember you're often
bidding against people in third-world countries. At the same time, remember
that you'll be taxed as self-employed, so make sure your rate includes the
amount you're likely to pay in taxes in your country, and make sure you save
that percentage back since you're likely going to owe big time when you file
your income tax.

Getting projects is a challenge; mostly it's about projecting a professional
appearance through your proposals. Make sure your English and grammar are top
notch. Justify why you are the best person for the job. Tell the employer what
you'll do to build their project. Split the project into milestones (each with
payment attached). Essentially you should be writing a highly customized cover
letter in every proposal.

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mrbarrett84
I'm not too sure about anyone else, but I had rather limited success with this
site. The only jobs I were offered were not those I applied for, but shady
third-party offers from companies who the site must've sold my information.

Also, not sure what country you are in, but for many Web design and simple
programming jobs it is hard to compete with those willing to do the work for a
much lower price (I even saw some people bidding for jobs at $2 per hour in
some cases).

Just my take.

~~~
speeder
I am from Brazil...

Also, I don't do web. For mobile I use cross platforms SDK or native.

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tagabek
I've had experienced with sites like Freelancer. 99% of the time it becomes a
bidding war. I was not happy with any leads and I ended up with $0 profit and
a wasted day.

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ig1
If you want to earn on a hourly basis rather then project basis you might want
to look at <http://peopleperhour.com> and other similar site which
specifically focus on hourly work.

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que0x
It's real. however, they became famous lately and they increased their fees.

It was my source of money when i was a student (it used to be
getafreelancer.com)

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aiurtourist
As an employer, the only two places I've ever looked are odesk and elance.
I've never heard of Freelancer.com. Just one data point though.

~~~
strobe
also guru.com is very good place for dev works

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AlexeyBrin
If you want to get paid by the hour try oDesk, better prices (just my
experience).

