The Main Reason Why Jr. Software Developers & Beginners Should Avoid Freelancer.com
Self-Taught Route
Freelancer.com is an online platform that allows individuals with all sorts of technical skills (not only software development) to apply and possibly find online gigs.
There are several similar freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, etc. where ANYONE can create a profile and offer services online. As a result, there is way too much competition for low-cost gigs offered by clients that are looking for cheap labor. Why cheap labor? These platforms typically promote themselves as being low-cost third parties. Even if you find a gig as a freelancer this might not be monetarily convenient for you.
If you are a beginner or a Jr. Developer, and don’t care about money because your goal is only to get any sort of entry-level experience, keep in mind that it would still be very hard to find a client that would give you an opportunity. Why? because there are candidates that not only have more experience, but are willing to do the same work for less money and have positive reviews (or high rating). When you sign up for these platforms, you will not start as a 5-star freelancer since you have zero reviews.
Anyhow, I’ve tried Freelancer.com and I personally didn’t have a great experience. My goal is to save you time! Therefore, read the following bullet points that describe how the process went for myself:
- I created an account.
- Then I completed the verification process for email, phone and bank account.
- On my profile, I’ve included my software developer portfolio. You may include any work samples or blog publications as well.
- Once the previous steps are completed you can start submitting a limited number of bids (like an “application”) for the gigs that you are interested in. On these bids, you need to include a proposal (short text that resembles a cover letter for job application) and basically try to stand out from the crowd.
What was the outcome?
I’m technically an entry level engineer and couldn’t find any work on freelancer.com. I realize that submitting bids is time-consuming and there is way too much competition.
I accepted the fact that I’m simply better off looking for experience elsewhere. Just like everything in life this was simply another learning experience.
Did I lose anything by trying? Just some time. Maybe you tried this and it worked (congrats if that’s the case!) but when you search for work experience there isn’t something such as “one size fits all”, meaning that freelancing simply didn’t work for me.
Wait… so is freelancing a bad idea?
Don’t get me wrong, freelancing is a great way for experienced developers to earn some side-income, but most likely this will not work if you are in the process of figuring out how to get into the tech industry or if you are a Junior Developer. In most cases, freelancers are individuals that have been working or employed as software engineers for many years. They have advanced-level skills when it comes to using a specific stack or set of instruments.
Conclusion
Anyone that doesn’t have too much time in the field should avoid freelancer.com and the other platforms because you are probably not going to find much or any work, and even if you find it, you will probably be doing underpaid work. That is certainly not worth the time nor your computer’s wear and tear. You can always try it for yourself and figure out if it does work for you. If you are a beginner or Jr. software engineer, you are probably better off contributing to open-source, networking or filling job applications for entry level positions. Good luck on your future endeavors!
