How to Start Freelancing as a Programmer in 2023

The world has changed a lot, starting with our lifestyles, and ending with workstyles. People now prefer working from home or in cozy and fancy places. The so-called coworking spaces have become a modern tendency for many people.

Nowadays, even the most famous and prosperous companies prefer to hire remote workers or use the ‘hybrid’ work model: employees can work remotely or from the office.

This work model tendency became more popular after COVID-19, from the quarantine regime when people were isolated from society. 

Today, freelance programming is one of the most demanded and highly paid jobs. Programmers prefer having flexible working hours and net salary (avoiding the gross salary model).

How to Do Freelance Programming? Where to start in the Freelance Programming Career?

There always has been a debate concerning whether it is good to work from the office or remotely. But, after the pandemic the answer became vivid. 

Most programmers prefer to develop their professional careers by becoming freelancers and earning money independently.

Becoming a freelance developer isn’t a big deal today, as many platforms help and promote freelancers.  Most programmers agree that freelancing gives more opportunities to develop skills, experience, and broaden your knowledge base.

So, how to start freelance programming? 

Here are the simple steps you need to take to do freelance programming (remember: the first step is the hardest and most challenging one but not the impossible):

• Know your values – before starting to freelance you should define the core values of your work: how you want to pass the path you’ve chosen, where you are now, and where you want to be in the near future. Be fair, honest, and act on conscience.
  Prepare and pass the interview – before accepting the job offer, clients always do interviews with the freelancer to be ensured about the professional. So, before the interview, it is essential to be prepared for questions and repeat materials.
• Build a portfolio – if you still don’t have any projects, freelancing is the best way to do so. By building a portfolio, your chances of finding a well-paid job and becoming a highly rated programmer will increase.
• Gain experience – by working with different clients and developing various projects, you’ll craft your skills and become a more experienced freelancer with huge knowledge background behind.
• Take online courses – now there are a huge number of online courses (even free ones) that help you learn and strengthen your knowledge. Online courses also give you a certificate that you can attach to your profile, which increases the confidence of clients.
• Join vital networks – programmers and even non-freelancers usually join various networks, such as GitHub, to find necessary forums and the latest information about the technology world. Where they can ask questions and get answers, share unique cases and challenges.

How to Earn Money by Freelance Programming?

Programmers who have chosen the path of freelancing should be aware of the ways to earn money. There are several steps to start with:

• Sign up for the freelance platform – the best way to find a job and get highly paid is to register on different but trustworthy platforms such as ITHire, Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Toptal, Flexiple, etc. Not only freelancers can find jobs here, but customers themselves can find the right freelancer, and make an offer effortlessly.
• Create video tutorials – make teaching videos with short but concise plots. Create straightforward video tutorials with vivid examples so that even beginners can understand. Share your experience and skills with viewers in the videos, and give hints, tips, and tricks for overcoming challenges.
• Become a member of online courses – join different online teaching platforms and make a learning plan, improve, and develop lectures that will be helpful for many programmers. There are many well-known and favorite ones, such as Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, edX, etc.
• Make your Blog – blogging has become a profession today, moreover, one of the highest paid professions in the world. Entertaining and informative software bloggers can gain millions of followers and become powerful influencers earning millions of dollars. Software bloggers share their daily work cycle and lifestyle, challenges they face and overcome, the path they’ve passed, and how far they’ve gone.

The way of working has also changed dramatically, especially since the pandemic. People have become accustomed to a remote work style, and freelancing, especially among programmers, has become one of the most popular professions: work wherever and whenever you want.

Updated: 20 January, 2023