17 replies to this topic

[web_designer]

hi,
i want to work as a web designer/ developer freelancer online. but i can't find the best way to do that. till now, i signed up in freelancer.com, and i was placings bids there for more than a month but i didn't get ONE BID . even i offered the lowest price with the minimum days that job could be done. even after giving them samples of my work, and a brief about me and my skills.

the last thing i am thinking of now, is "reviews". i think that employers choose freelancers with high reviews only, but how could i get reviews if i didn't win any bid!!??

so,any advises, or new ideas could be helpful??
or any other freelancer's websites recommended that anyone tried them before and how to work on them as a freelancer??
any information or advices will help a lot, since i am new in this field, thanks in advance.

[Alphacide]

Unfortunately, nowadays its hard to make money freelancing online - Why? Because 3rd world country has figured out, they can read some programming tuts than make 5x their average pay working online. Your best bet to make some money freelancing is to advertise your skills in a local newspaper; or look for local businesses SEEKING a freelancer.

- Alphacide

[Little Asterisk]

web_designer, on 19 December 2010 - 02:52 PM, said:

hi,
i want to work as a web designer/ developer freelancer online. but i can't find the best way to do that. till now, i signed up in freelancer.com, and i was placings bids there for more than a month but i didn't get ONE BID . even i offered the lowest price with the minimum days that job could be done. even after giving them samples of my work, and a brief about me and my skills.

the last thing i am thinking of now, is "reviews". i think that employers choose freelancers with high reviews only, but how could i get reviews if i didn't win any bid!!??

so,any advises, or new ideas could be helpful??
or any other freelancer's websites recommended that anyone tried them before and how to work on them as a freelancer??
any information or advices will help a lot, since i am new in this field, thanks in advance.

Hmm... A lot of freelancers nowadays have trouble finding work because there's simply too much competition out there. Since it seems you don't yet have a developed portfolio, I'd suggest you to try and sign up for a service like 99designs.com (well, not like; sign up for 99designs.com! ), where you can submit your design to various "public" projects.

Why am I suggesting this path?

As you stated yourself, you'd need reviews for someone to hire you "professionally." Although you're basically doing work *for free* when making designs on 99designs.com, for you as a starting web designer that's not so bad. Once you get one of your designs accepted, you both get money and a new item to showcase for your portfolio!

The benefits of this system are that your potential employer doesn't have to review your portfolio and you can submit the designs regardless of your experience.

Hope this helps a bit!


~ LittleAsterisk

[web_designer]

thank you a lot, this is so helpful. and this is what i want right now. i knew i could count on you guys you are always come up with new ideas and advices, thank you a million. i will try to do my best .

[sonesay]

Hey like most have said its hard to find work out there with so many competition. You need to set yourself apart from the crowd and that means being able to show high quality work and consistent work. I've been struggling too for a number of years trying to build up my portfolio but believe me it pays off in the end. When you start winning jobs over others because you have the skills needed and experience you will feel much joy inside. Don't expect to get jobs all the time as there is always someone out there who is more skilled and experience online. Those big sites will definitely have strong competition so I would recommended you try local sites. This is also better as most clients prefer being able to meet with you and discuss things face to face. Sure its probably cheapier paying someone in the 3rd world country to do a job but they don't get to meet and discuss finer details and communication could also be an issue so that's a few more advantages for being able to meet.

One last thing I noticed you want to be both a designer and developer. These two are specialized areas and I'm not saying its impossible to be good in both it just means you have to work twice as hard but it does set you apart form being just a regular designer or developer only. I think a lot of employers do look for being able to get more out of employees so instead of paying a separate designer and a separate developer they just pay one person to do the job.

Working for free does suck but it may be an option if you want to get your experience up. Experience is important and if you don't have that you better well have a completed portfolio website showing your able to design, build websites that have all the common features like login system for users, content management e.g articles and commenting system or ratings. not all sites will require all these features but you need to be able to show you can build them.

From my own personal experience its been a long and hard road but I have got to the stage where I am capable to take on a project from start till end confidently. In New Zealand we have a lot jobs advertised for php and web development here so I'm sure its the same for most other countries. Just look locally as its more likely you'd get one there. Work hard and don't give up.

Edited by sonesay, 26 December 2010 - 12:45 AM.

[web_designer]

thanks a lot sonesay, you wrote a lot of useful advices here, i am really appreciated. i am trying to take things easy, and step by step. i already have my own portfolio, but it still under test, i will try to to what yo mentioned about adding more to it to show my skills. also, and unfortunately tried before to separates myself from being a designer and developer in one time. but i couldn't . when i work with codes i won't accept adding only colors for my design or accept anything so i switch to making designs. in the same time i am so obsessed in codes, i want to know every page how it has been done. so it is tough but i can't help it.

any way, i will try to follow your steps and never give up thanks again.

[Little Asterisk]

web_designer, on 03 January 2011 - 03:01 AM, said:

thanks a lot sonesay, you wrote a lot of useful advices here, i am really appreciated. i am trying to take things easy, and step by step. i already have my own portfolio, but it still under test, i will try to to what yo mentioned about adding more to it to show my skills. also, and unfortunately tried before to separates myself from being a designer and developer in one time. but i couldn't . when i work with codes i won't accept adding only colors for my design or accept anything so i switch to making designs. in the same time i am so obsessed in codes, i want to know every page how it has been done. so it is tough but i can't help it.

any way, i will try to follow your steps and never give up thanks again.

It's no problem if you both want to be a web designer and developer, however be sure to mention your assignments on different projects in your portfolio.

For instance, if you worked on a CMS for Amazon you'd put Amazon in your portfolio and write something like "Custom CMS Development" next to it.

~
LittleAsterisk

[Little Asterisk]

Oh, and also a recent article on thinkvitamin for web_designer regarding freelance work:

http://thinkvitamin....ce-development/

Hope this helps

~
LittleAsterisk

[cindyabs]

First you have to look for a job looking for a freelancer you can join in some freelance forum to know more. You have also to know if your employer really pay, check their background.

[web_designer]

thanks little asterisk, you always gives us a very useful links. and thanks cindyabs, and welcome to the forums, as i can see you are a newbie so welcome and enjoy your time in here.

now, the fact about freelancing online, that i learned till now, is it is a very hard thing to achieve, it needs a full time to do a lot in avery short time for contest holders, ad yet, they may don't like what you've done. so in other words, it needs patient, persistence and always full of ideas ready to work. but still i will continue working on it and ever giving up. hope me luck guys and girls, and i hope the day comes when i will post here about my first success . wish me luck.