My First Freelance Gig: Building an E-Commerce Store

#webdev #javascript #freelance #design

In December 2023, I landed my first freelance gig, marking the first entry in the experience section of my resume. It was with a small company that manufactures dairy and cosmetic products. The client was supportive and confident in my skills, making it an exciting opportunity. My task was to create an e-commerce store for selling their products, using React, Material UI, Node.js with Express.js, Firebase, and MySQL.

I implemented various features, including an order management system, an admin panel, order confirmation via email and WhatsApp, discounts, a product form, and authentication using JWT. Material UI significantly enhanced the user interface, allowing me to create a visually appealing and functional store. The project took nearly two months to complete, and I successfully delivered it, gaining valuable experience and a certificate in the process.

Working with a professional client for the first time taught me that "the client always wants more" is indeed true. Despite some moments of skepticism about freelancing, I found the experience rewarding and educational. However, I haven't taken on a second gig yet, as I secured a paid internship soon after. I'll be writing about that in my next blog.

Unfortunately, the repository for this project is private, but here are the key features I implemented: