Most effective freelancing for beginners?

Question

I'm currently in the process of learning Android app development, web design, and web development. I haven't quite gotten enough experience to the point where I would be able to sale myself as a true professional who is confident in his work just yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions as far as me gaining some good experience? Personally I wouldn't mind trying to build a website for free just to get the experience but where do I get the ideas from? I can' think of anything in particular on my own that'll get me realistic experience.

Any suggestions on where to start?

This doesn't really appear to be about freelancing, you aren't asking about a freelance issue. It's more of an educational issue (how to gain experience/learn real world usage). There are other SE sites dedicated to questions related to specific educational areas such as UX.se or GraphicDesgin.SE You may want to consider a different stack for more targeted, helpful answers. — Scott, Feb 14 '15 at 20:52

inkovic · Answer 1 · 2015-02-15T07:47:32.723

1

You always could try subcontracting off an experienced Android Developer.

Go to your local Android Development Meetups and talk with experienced people. Tell them that you learning Android development and ask if it would be possible to subcontract.

This way not only do you get steady work, but you can also be mentored by people more experienced than you are in the field.

Another added benefit is that this can also be part of your networking, so you get your name out there in the industry.

edited Feb 15 '15 at 07:47

answered Feb 14 '15 at 16:30

inkovic

161
3

This sounds awesome and I never thought about this. I'll definitely look into it. Are their any good sites to find meetups? – Ira Salem Feb 15 '15 at 06:57
Sure, meetup.com – inkovic Feb 15 '15 at 07:46

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 15 '15 at 06:24

Look at the jobs that are available on sites like oDesk and eLance and just get to work. These are real life examples of what people want built so building what they want is close to real life experience. Better yet, apply for the job. Demonstrate interest in their product or website by proposing improvements to their strategy. Just say you're busy and that's why it will take longer than other devs even though it's actually because you're learning every library as you use it.

You could mention that you are a new freelancer but that might make it harder to get work. You offset that with your price, strong interest in their product and strong skills.

As long as you know you can achieve the clients goals, go for it. Worst comes to worse, make a new account.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 14 '15 at 07:24

Build something for you. Build your own CMS and design it and support it with Android app. This would be excellent for the portfolio. The con is that it may take a long to finalize it.

Quicker solution may be to take existing CMS like Wordpress or Joomla (or any similar) and add your design and your plugins to it.

Lastly, making something free could not be bad. The accent is not on the "free", but on getting real requests from real clients. Something you will meet every day. The client does not have to be some client wanting free work, it can be a church, a home for abandoned children, even something cool for your own town or community. Making something for yourself will deprive you of real-life situations and requests.

Most effective freelancing for beginners?

3 Answers3