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Kelvin Atawura
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 19,022 PointsOpportunities for new developers
Keep wondering how new developer make self income till they get a job. I know they can do stuff like building wordpress themes but is that the only source of income that they have at present? I have read Ryan Carson blog about the web industry and what everyone does but it was a shame light wasn't shined on how new developers can make passive income with the little they know.obviously creating websites and mobile applications are what we all know but then when you look further there are stuff like building themes n that. Anyone cares to explain this further for new starters like me please?.I end up learning how to code all the time but see no progress as it is hard to get a client for a job nowadays due to the fact that almost every company got a site and more found of going to the developers who first created them for maintenance if the need arises.
2 Answers
Simon Klit
1,686 PointsHonestly, it's damn near impossible to make a passable income as a new developer. (I study as well, and in Denmark you get state education grants, which I live of.)
I generally consider myself a new developer, with only one year of actually making websites for money. What I do is that I make a few bucks by simply creating websites for people I know, sort of know, or people my friends know. Of course, this is tough if they already have their eyes on a proper company, or more seasoned developers. A low price, and concrete evidence of your skillset can sometimes win them over. Make sure that you're actually good, that you listen to them, accomodate their requests, correspond quickly and professionally and provide good insight and sound advice.
And, as you say, creating themes for systems is also generally a good idea to start out. You could develop plugins for these systems as well, if you're looking to create some more backend-ish stuff.
Freelancing on http://elance.com or http://odesk.com is also a possible route to take. If you can score some good jobs, it could net you some good money.
Of course, I have yet to get out of the "new developer"-state myself, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
Good luck :)
John Hartney
2,893 PointsHi Kelvin,
The key here is to have ideas, ideally (If you'll pardon the pun) you'll have lots of them, develop them until your #0000FF in the face in the hope you come up with something innovative.
You do have a point though, it's true of any industry that establishing a new foothold is never easy but you can not afford to let this stifle you. To be successful at anything you need to be passionate about it, expect to fail at many attempts and never forget... success is a well organized set of failures.
Update your profile, show where you reside, link to your incredible website platforming all the services you offer and how much you charge for you work, etc.
If you need hosting space, have a look at my community hosting project (In Alpha) I started about a year ago to help people learn how easy it is to manage your own hosting space. http://getsited.org/
Get involved in a NEW open source project, prospecting employers or clients like to see the ability to develop alongside a team. Once you gain some experience you might start your own open source project or company. Only few people are successful on there own so be on the lookout for trustworthy like minded people to team up with who might share your vision.
Ditto Simon Klit and his great advice, I too am in the "new developer"-state. Wish you all the best with your future developing.
Best regards
- JH