Get Started With Freelancing: A Beginner’s Guide For Software Developers

Freelancing is one of the best ways to earn a little extra money on the side and it can even replace your 9–5 job and give you the freedom you always wanted.

I decided to write this blog since so many people showed interest on this topic on twitter:

This blog is basically a little more elaborate version of the tweet.

Just to give you context, I’am a Computer Science graduate, working as a software developer from past 6 years. Even though I had lot of experience with different programming languages like Python, Golang, Java, HTML / CSS / jQuery, JavaScript etc, I always struggled to get started with freelancing, well until last year. I didn’t know how to convince clients that I can do the job.

I had been applying to jobs on platforms like Freelancer, Upwork etc for years with 0 conversion. I was discouraged and doubted if I can ever make money on the internet by freelancing. The thing is there are too many developers on these platforms and the chances of your application getting lost in the noise is pretty high.

Last year I hit a goldmine when one of my friends introduced me to Codementor. I created a profile on this platform and was able to earn close to 1500$ per month. And I was mostly working in my free time along with a day job, at a startup! Codementor is relatively new and high paying compared to other platforms. You can charge a task 50$ what clients usually pay 10$ for the same task on other platforms.

Follow these tips which have worked great for me. These tips will help you land your first freelancing task:

Profile Picture: Put a good profile picture in which your face is clearly visible. It is very important to have profile picture. Do not leave this blank.

Profile Bio: Your profile bio should mention your top skills. This is what clients see when they search for freelancers for…