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Business

Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points
Posted by Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points

Finding work for the first time, and from home

Hi!

I am looking for advice please on finding work for the first time as a web developer.

I am familiar with HTML, CSS, SASS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Laravel, AngularJS, jQuery, Twitter Bootstrap, and git. I have made a couple of web applications that I love using myself, but I don’t feel as though they are quite ready for the public.

Firstly, how will I know when I am ready for a job? It has been suggested to me that I start with an internship. Would you agree?

Being able to work from home is a high priority for me. Do you have any recommendations for where I could find work or an internship from home?

I love making web apps but I’m not sure how likely or how soon I would be able to make a living from doing that. Freelancing appeals to me but when I browse the freelancing job boards, I find them intimidating because people say they are looking for 'experienced' or 'expert' developers and I feel a long way from being either of those.

So do you have advice please on where I should start?

2 Answers

Ruben Gurdzhian
Ruben Gurdzhian
6,166 Points

Jenny,

I had the same question about 5 years ago and I think that you shouldn't be afraid of job postings with "experts required" words and try to qualify in any case. Just state in the cover letter that you would like to gain experience in this area and lower your price a little (at least for the first couple of projects).

I am sure you'll find some cool projects very fast

BTW, I got my first freelance project using Upwork(Odesk) after 2-3 weeks after registration and filling the profile

Hope this helps

Thanks

Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points
Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points

Thanks Ruben! Good to know! :)

Mark Cabangon
Mark Cabangon
3,940 Points
Mark Cabangon
Mark Cabangon
3,940 Points

You can never go wrong putting to practice your new skills with projects. Get your skills known by your immediate circle of influence, i.e. Facebook. For the last 8 years, I've had all my clients through references.

My first website that I built was for a group of people I knew and is now 6 years old and growing. I'm in the middle of planning its re-design this year!

Others are by word of mouth and by people who know me. Those are the best way to sharpen your skills and get the experience you need. In the process, you can build your portfolio this way and show the recent/previous works that you have done.

You can even get a good idea as to what direction you want to go. This year is the first time I feel comfortable to step out and start my own business! I've built a reputation, I'm confident in my target clients/niche, and I have clients who support and will back up my work.

It is exciting to look down the road and see the potentials. If I can leave you with this illustration: A parked car is hard to turn, but as long as it is moving just a little bit, the wheel becomes easier. Remember, as a designer, you are to find a problem, then provide a solution for it. Anyone can build a website, but you can provide a unique solution to a unique problem.

Mark C

Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points
Jenny Swift
Jenny Swift
21,999 Points

Thanks Mark, inspiring and very helpful! And I like that illustration! :)