Before reading if you are new to freelancing consider reading this post first:
https://dev.to/saifullahusmani/what-i-learned-in-freelancing-as-a-self-taught-developer-n2j
Hi, my name is Saifullah Usmani. I am a Programmer and a Graphic Designer. I have been programming for 5 years now. And I have worked with several freelance clients.
If it sounds like a thing that will add value in your life then consider following my page because I keep creating quality content for you.
The rat-race:
The rat-race is a word I am using means the loop in which you get stuck while working as a freelancer of learning every new technology coming in the world.
Mostly startups and young/new entrepreneurs with little to no knowledge about tech, and different technologies used for development likes to work with all the latest/most-loved/near-future-best-technology/glamorous/aggressively-favoring-community's opinionated technologies.
As a developer who is new in freelance marketplaces has to follow this trend until your opinion means something.
How to get out of this rat-race:
Getting out of this rat-race is sadly not easy because of the fact that more and more people are learning programming and their opinions in terms of proportion overcomes the opinion of developers with decades of experience.
You have to understand that what you are stepping into(freelancing) is a business.
And in business there is a lot of risk, so wise business people tend to listen to advices of professionals or only work with professionals, the rest of them go for trend.
One thing you can do is go for great businesses or follow the trend
Now getting deals with great businesses is not easy as a developer with no strong portfolio so you have to follow the trend and work with the type of clients I referenced before.
What I did?
TIP #1: Learn sales communication skill
Well my powerful point was that I had learned sales communication skill(read the article link given above to learn more about it) which made me sound professional even when I was a beginner with no portfolio.
TIP #2: Become professional
Now you have to work with these clients no matter what until you are good enough and valued enough that you can reject clients instead of them rejecting you(not rudely, you can say NO in a beautiful way as well).
You will ask I don't get orders how can I become professional with no experience.
It is simple, you don't have to have a real client to make a website(or any other thing you are involved in). Just be a client for yourself, order yourself to build something. And add that to your portfolio.
Don't wanna do it?
still no problem, you can work with little to no money for someone and have it on a portfolio.
Still don't like the idea?
Learn communication skill, get orders and do it yourself or let other people do it for you.(I discussed about this in-depth in the article I shared the link above)
Still not satisfied?
Well you have to understand that freelancing is not easy than a job but more harder.
In job you have someone to take care of your food but in freelancing you are on the top, which means you are alone and everything's beneath you. You are on an infinite terrain with no whispers or guide. No love or hate. It is just you and you.
so follow the two advices I gave to build your portfolio.
If it is an adventure then there must be some safety precautions, No?
Safety precautions for freelancing:
1: Never leave your job for freelancing.
2: Do it part-time.
3: Have at least 6 months of expenses before starting freelancing full-time.
4: If you have no responsibilities and you are young just start freelancing.
5: If you are older and cannot switch easily, consider learning financial education. Start investing, don't go for freelancing. Have enough from passive investing income so you can do whatever you like i.e freelancing. I recommend reading "Rich dad Poor dad" book. You will thank me later if you analyzed how powerful advice this is.
Are you out of the rat-race?
Yes if you are professional or can talk professionally you have to power to convince your client about which tech is best.
I sometime refer clients because the tech that is best for you is not in my expertise.
The tech you will learn in the rat-race will be fruitful for you because you can work with clients from multiple backgrounds.
I know python but I work with everything related to Django and DjangoRestFramework+Frontend(React and React native)
I learned multiple technologies but I cannot change lanes every now and then.
I know one tech and I am good in it so I convince client if that tech is best for them otherwise I just refer them to other sources.
Or if I know the tech partially that they are interested in and that is best for their product I don't start learning that tech. Remember it is rat-race. Just reject the client or refer them. Remember that is the freedom freelancing has given you. Why don't take advantage of it?
Does leaving rat-race means I don't learn any other new tech?:
Never.
When I say no to something and yes to something it is not 0 or 1.
You are not a computer who only understands yes or no.
Remember this world is not 0 OR 1. It is 0 AND 1.
Between 0 and 1 there is infinite amount of numbers meaning possibilities.
So if I say leave the trend of learning every new technology this doesn't mean taking a sacred vow of never accepting the industry's achievements of new tech.
It is not sticking to one tech but learning the best tech or tech that can solve one problem greatly.
In my case python it is general programming language which means I can do a lot with it.
But if you are into php, you can only do desktop apps and website. So if you wanna go into ML or AI learning new tech is your next goal.
But if for example you are into jquery, and it is dying you must switch to it's alternative or go for other framework or learn Nodejs to expand possibilites
My point was to just limit the randomness and taking things into your hand, and if necessary expanding your possibilities by learning new tech.
Remember this world is and world not or world. There is always a new way, strategy or solution.
Accept every change but never be accept change so much that you get lost in it.
Change is like a illusion, people who don't accept it and people who accept it completely are doomed, but people to understands it succeeds.
I hope I gave you a thing to think about for the rest of your day.
I wanted to give you another perspective to thing from, and I think I have done the jo right.
Let me know if you have any suggestion/query.
Stay blessed and Happy.
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