News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

benAO90

Looks like you've gotten some helpful tips so far. Here's a few things I can add.

As far as marketing yourself as niche vs. a generalist developer, it really depends on the types of clients and projects you are looking to work on. Being a generalist means you will qualify for more projects, and probably can create extra work for yourself since you can help clients with a broader range of development tasks. This will be useful if you want to help clients build and scale a product. Niche skills on the other hand means more niche marketability and searchability for clients looking for those specific skills.

When it comes to marketing yourself....keep blogging! Even if its only for 15 mins a day, write something. Share what you've been doing, answer questions for potential clients and other developers. You've already seen the pay off. Netowrk, online and off. Go to events and conferences, share your work and interests. Personal connections still count for a lot, and have a stronger tendency to lead to referrals.

Lastly, don't forget, as freelancer you are your own business. Some freelance platforms will take care of a lot of business aspects for you, but you still should be prepared/ knowledgeable about the following: -Terms of Service Contract -Your own (favorable) NDA -Time Tracking/Invoicing Software - Regular Review of Your Rate

Here's an article I wrote on landing clients as a freelance dev: https://www.codementor.io/blog/land-clients-freelance-develo...

Advice for New Freelance Developers

Can more experienced freelance developers offer some advice to someone trying to launch their freelance career? Specifically, I'm looking for suggestions on-building up clientele-client communication-remote workflows-time tracking-contracts and other legal concernsThank you!

( Read More... | 4 comments | 3 points | on HN )
Re:Show HN: Highig – My first day as a freelancer on Thursday November 16, 2017 @05:24AM (#15711550)
Looks good so far! I agree with the previous comment, it would be best to include samples of your work, along with a brief introduction, the tech stack used, and links to the code if possible. If you have an online resume, it can't hurt to attach that also. Some clients will like to see not only the finished results of your experience but described more formally as well.

I like your introductory statement, but its not clear how clients should address you. This is an easy fix. For example: Reach out to (Kamran) at..... This adds a bit more personality to your page. I wrote an in-depth article on developer resumes and portfolios not too long ago, maybe you will find it useful. https://www.codementor.io/blog/Software-engineer-resume-2ouy...