Working for a foreign client for a freelance programmer is an excellent way to convert your earnings into hard currency and insure yourself against exchange rate fluctuations. The easiest way to find your first clients is on intermediary sites. What are the features of working there? And which exchanges should you give preference to?
It is worth immediately noting that freelancing as a phenomenon has two “faces”. The first is working on exchanges, that is, intermediary sites like the Russian fl.ru or the American upwork.com . The second opportunity is to work for specific clients with whom you have contacted outside of intermediary sites. Here, the search for clients is in the hands of the freelancer himself (however, clients can contact you themselves, but for this you need to start “word of mouth”).
What are the features of working on exchanges for freelancers?
Firstly, the platforms are interested in having as many customers and programmers registered on them, as well as in making as many transactions as possible. This means there is usually no shortage of orders on exchanges. Secondly, your portfolio on the website is your business card, which allows potential customers to get to know you better. There is no need to create a separate website with your work - which can be a plus in very busy conditions or for a beginner. It is important to make a good portfolio - because for people who do not know you, this will be the first criterion in deciding whether to work with you. The third feature of exchanges is high competition. You need to be prepared for this when registering on such sites. The profession of a programmer has long ceased to be the prerogative of a small select group: residents of different countries work on international exchanges for freelancers (including India, which is known for acceptable quality and dumping prices at the same time). Therefore, when you participate in a tender for an interesting order, you risk encountering a dozen or two rivals. Fourthly, the user rating is of great importance on exchanges. A newcomer will have a hard time competing with experienced fellow freelancers who have already accumulated a solid rating. To begin with, you can take on inexpensive short-term orders - this will allow you to move from 0 and add a few new items to your portfolio.
Equally important for receiving your first orders is to learn how to correctly write a cover letter for a project application. Some programmers create standard text that is copied over and over again in new applications. This is a bad idea - because it is important for the customer to understand that you are not just grabbing the first thing that comes your way, but that you have experience in solving his problem and understand what exactly it is. So, it's worth taking a little time to get to grips with the project—and to write a custom letter. Perhaps even including some ideas about what you will do when you receive the order. What else should you consider before starting to cooperate with online exchanges for freelancers?
What is the cost of entry to a particular site? As a rule, on international exchanges there is no fee for membership, but on Russian exchanges they often offer to buy a “pro” account.
What commission does this or that exchange charge? A common figure for international sites is 10%.
How will the money earned be withdrawn? One of the most common methods is PayPal, but in Ukraine it is impossible to cash out your earnings legally. The second option is SWIFT payments, which are credited to your bank card. However, in this case, income will have to be registered and taxes paid on it, as on income received through foreign economic activity. And the third option is international payment systems (for example, Skrill and Payoneer).
If you are going to work mainly through international sites, then make sure that your knowledge of English is sufficient. It is also useful to understand the characteristics of the customer’s country and its mentality in order to avoid conflicts or misunderstandings.
One of the most popular sites for freelancers - more than 10 million users are already registered. It is not just a message board, but a convenient space for working with many functions, including free chats for both clients and freelancers. Site commission: 20% for first earnings over $500, 10% on all orders from $500 to $10 thousand and 5% on orders over $10 thousand.
The site positions itself as providing services to the top 3% of freelancers. Therefore, it is not so easy to start working on it. After registration, you will need to pass a four-step test: knowledge of English, ability to write code, a technical interview and a test project. This way, the site guarantees customers the quality of services provided by its freelancers.
This site is aimed at those who work with Joomla, WordPress, Magento and other similar technologies. The interface is very simple, the site is not super popular, so there are not as many orders there as on other, less niche resources.
This platform is aimed not only at programmers, but also at freelancers from other fields. The number of registered users is 1.5 million, and the total volume of job offers is 3.4 million. The company is located in the USA. You can go here to see what employers offer and how much they are willing to pay. The site is suitable as a part-time job, especially for beginners who speak English.
Another resource designed not only for programmers, but also for writers, designers, marketers and other specialists. Its advantage is the absence of commission for freelancers. Otherwise, the set of functions is standard: you need to register, create a portfolio, bid on projects and complete them.
If a Russian-language interface is important to you, you can start with these sites:
The resource positions itself as the No. 1 site in RuNet for freelancers of all stripes: from programmers to interior designers. Most likely, we are talking about superiority in the number of users. Each registered performer can get into the rating, rising in which he will increase his chances of being chosen by the customer. The site is ready to guarantee the security of the transaction, but for this you will have to pay a small commission.
A very popular resource in the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet. Overall, similar to other similar sites. However, in addition to the rating of freelancers, there is also a rating of customers. Employers can organize competitions and tenders, and in order to secure transactions, a system for their safe conduct is used.
This Ukrainian site has a modern interface, very convenient compared to many other resources in the post-Soviet space. It checks the personal data of freelancers, and customers can leave reviews about the performers they dealt with. And the performers themselves can be sure that they will receive payment for their work, since the site reserves the money due to them. Among the platform’s tools: a personal messaging system, a project forum, attachments, etc.
It attracts attention because its creators are the authors of the Habrahabr resource, popular among programmers. The design of this site is minimalistic and the functionality is simple. The projects are mainly development projects: development of websites, mobile applications, software, there is also a small proportion of projects related to design, translations, and advertising.
This is a new project from former fl.ru executives. They created not just a platform, but a full-fledged intermediary: the client does not need to communicate directly with the freelancer, this function will be performed by the company itself. In order to get into the developer base, you need to go through a rigorous selection process. But the advantages are worth it: for example, the site will provide assistance for working with foreign customers if you do not know English. Which sites to choose is up to you, depending on your personal preferences. But the best thing is to try several sites to gain your own experience and understand the nuances that distinguish them from each other.
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