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So I have recently been teaching myself to code in various languages in order to create some responsive and attractive websites. I am growing in my abilities and could happily build some smaller simpler websites.

My question is whether there is a best way to gain some exposure to freelancing in some smaller projects maybe even as part of a team? I guess the ideal scenario here is just to have that extra layer of first of all credibility whilst you gain first pieces of work, but also a layer of safety with some slightly more experienced heads checking the output of my work.

It would be great to be able to confidently try my hand at some better work then have it reviewed professionally without risking any reputation - of course I could take this on myself and maybe get a functioning website of some complexity but if the code is a little clunky or not well future-proofed its still a future reputation risk.

Any remote/freelance projects/employers of note anyone can recommend? (I know of the likes of upwork/freelancer but feel these sites are massively over-subscribed with a lot of noise and not much really happening, plus lack that layer of cover I am really after)

tgillham
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I'll advise you to get an intern position with a local tech company.

As an intern, you will work under the guidance of senior developers as you gain real world experience.

Never be afraid to make mistakes in coding and life ( as long as they are not deadly). You will learn and grow faster by making mistakes. They will make you a much more smarter developer as you learn from them. You are not your mistakes.

Instead of looking to be a perfect developer that writes perfect code ( there's no such thing anyway), make up your mind to be an evolving developer. You will keep evolving day after day.

I hope this helps you relax and have fun coding!

Torty Emmanuel
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The first thing you want to do is establish your network. As a freelancer, your network is your lifeline. Surround yourself with developers who you aspire to be, and people you want to work with. You will end up becoming who you hang around. I have been freelancing for a few years, 100% remotely, and 90% of my work as a mobile developer was landed by word of mouth through my network.

Join as many Slack groups as you can. You just have to Google "slack groups for developers" and you'll have hundreds of thousands of people around the world at your fingertips in Slack.

From there you should go to as many developer conferences, talks, meetups, etc that you can. I would also advise you participate in hack-a-thons. Depending on where you live geographically, you shouldn't have to travel far.

Finally, connect with me and send me a message. My LinkedIn is in my Stack Exchange profile. I have been freelancing for a couple years as a remote mobile developer and would love to give you extended advice.

Tyler
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