Coffee break #14. How a freelance programmer can find his first clients, 8 tips for juniors

How can a freelance programmer find his first clients?

Source: Medium Do you have a skill you want to convert into money? If yes, then you should start making money from programming through freelancing. There are many advantages to this. You don't have to go through interviews, work a strict nine to five, or endure grumpy coworkers and bad office coffee. The only problem you will encounter at the first stage is finding clients. Using the right online tools, you can provide yourself with orders much faster and find paying clients. My recommendations are very simple, but effective.

1. Open a LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is the most famous social network for professionals. By creating an account there, you can present your programming skills, experience and education. And of course, on LinkedIn you can connect with your potential clients. It only takes a few minutes to create a profile. But remember that LinkedIn is not like Facebook or other social networks. Here you need to put on display only what clearly tells the client about your professionalism. Add to your network those you have worked with in the past and current colleagues. Try to meet other programmers. Share interesting and relevant articles. Write posts that reflect your professional ideas. Post tips and tricks that you use in your work. Position yourself as an expert in your niche. People will watch and follow what you say. The opportunities that come with interacting on LinkedIn are endless—you should make the most of them.

2. Register on freelance exchanges

Thanks to sites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fivver, you can find a decent hourly wage as a freelancer or consultant. My experience with Upwork was positive, although it took me a while to understand how the platform works. Be prepared for programmers living in less developed countries to complete your order for half or a quarter of the cost you expect. Therefore, you may have to set your bids low at first. But this must be done for the sake of the portfolio. Do not forget that many clients are not looking for cheap, but qualified specialists. And they are ready to pay such people good money. By creating a portfolio of several completed jobs and receiving positive reviews, you can then bid higher for your work.

3. Start a professional blog

Having your own blog on Medium or YouTube will allow you to build a reputation as a professional and find clients. After all, your audience will include not only newcomers, but also potential employers. Having an online presence will give you a huge advantage. You will be able to demonstrate your professional qualities in a favorable light. Industry leadership is a powerful way to expand your reach, even if you don't consider yourself experienced enough. People will turn to you in the comments for advice. Be willing to listen to their stories and offer them anything you can to help with their situation. Not only is this a great way to establish a person-centered approach to running a business, but it's also a method for honing your skills, which you can then use when working with paying clients.

8 Tips for Beginner Developers

Source: Dev.to By observing his interns, the author has compiled some useful recommendations for aspiring developers.

1. Don't try to learn everything at the same time

From my own experience, I can say that learning to write code is hard work. And not only because of the study of syntax, but also because of the large number of different technologies. It is not enough to just learn a programming language; you also need to master the most used libraries. Don't try to learn multiple languages ​​and/or frameworks. Just choose one of them. After learning the first language (framework), learning the next ones will be much easier.

2. Don't rush! Try to understand what you are doing

When I was a junior, I was always in a hurry to get somewhere. I observed the same thing with my interns. Once you receive a task, you don’t need to rush to write code. It is much better to take a piece of paper and start working on thinking about approaches to a solution. If you don't have any ideas, ask mentors for help or search the Internet. This way you can construct a logical solution that will be much easier to turn into a working one.

3. Don't copy the code. If you find a ready-made solution on the Internet, figure it out and rewrite it again

Believe me, if you simply copy-paste someone else’s code, you will not only learn nothing, but also risk adding unfamiliar bugs. If you find a working example, read every line of it, understand it, and then rewrite it with your own modifications.

4. Set time limits

This point is very important. Always limit yourself in time when taking on something new. I've noticed more than once how easy it is to lose track of time while working on code. So my advice is to try to solve problems on your own, but don't forget that a good developer knows when to stop and ask for help. When taking on a new problem, spend 30 minutes searching for a solution. If you find yourself stuck, ask for help.

5. Plan tasks

I’ll give you a simple piece of advice: divide tasks into small pieces. This will make it easier to coordinate your actions, plus you will have a pleasant feeling after completing work on each individual stage.

6. Start a personal project using the same technology you use at work.

If you're new, use the same technology for personal projects as you do for work. Usually at work there is no opportunity to create projects from scratch. But personal projects give you a chance to work with those parts of the language (framework) that you do not use during working hours. I remember when I started using Docker. I didn’t really understand what it was then. But then I created my own project using Docker in combination with automated deployment. After this, it was much easier for me to participate in discussions related to Docker, as well as use the acquired skills at work.

7. Keep a log of your activities

When I started, a colleague suggested to me that I should keep a journal (or log) of what I did and learned. This is a great idea. You will always have a reference book with information about how you solved a problem in the past.

8. Rest! This way you will be more productive and will be able to remember everything better.

To be honest, I have problems with this myself, but I strongly recommend that you take regular breaks. For example, you can code for 30-45 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. Trust me, it is good for both physical and mental health. Also, don't forget to spend time on hobbies that aren't related to programming.