11 Success Tips of Finding Freelance Software Development Jobs

 If you’re a Freelance software developer looking to kick start your career but don’t know where to start, read these 11 success tips to help you find the right software development job!

While there’s certainly no shortage of need for Freelance software developers, explaining the numerous software development jobs offered by the tech industry at the moment, starting your career as a Freelance software developer can be daunting, especially with so many options to choose from, right? Winning a Freelance Software Development work on freelance market places requires you are selectively pick the right jobs and strategically apply to them and do a proper follow up until the deal is sealed.

To ease your transition into your next software development job, this guide will help you understand how to stand out from the crowd and what you need to do to ensure that you land your dream job.

Here are the 11 success tips!

1. Be Concise About Your Needs and Priorities (What exactly do you need?)

What technologies you need to work with? How many concurrent jobs you need to undertake? What is a minimum budget per Project you are willing to accept? Is one off jobs or long term commitments are you looking for? These are all questions you need to ask yourself to get one step closer to finding your ideal Freelance software development job. Also, think of what you can compromise and what you can’t.

2. Adapt Your Resume to the Job Position (Each client or freelance Job are different)

Nowadays clients have various needs and therefore Software development freelance jobs are not always unique. You need to tailor your Job proposals to every Job you apply to. Highlight any relevant experience you have to the Job you’re applying for because that gives you an immediate edge and will help client gain confidence on your work. Provide external references or demonstrations related to similar Jobs you have done before. Also, use related buzzwords to the job within your proposal.

3. Learn Something New Every Day (Technologies change every hour!)

Employers and clients prefer software developers with prior experience or knowledge. That’s why it’s always an excellent idea to work on yourself and keep learning constantly. Take online courses, become certified in different coding languages, master a certain software, and similar. Certifications some services such as Udemy or Skillsshare are ideal.

4. Build a Portfolio (Your Freelance portfolio will speak for yourself)

We can’t emphasize this one enough. If you don’t have prior experience (and even if you do), in your spare time, always work on side projects or on your own website to upskill faster! Try to get some testimonials from reputable industry professionals. If you cannot immediately get feedback from happy clients try to approach any of your friends or even relatives you are more than willing to provide a testimonial or a positive feedback. We all have that “Uncle” who always wanted us to succeed in our careers. Get in touch with him today!

5. Maximize Your Job Search (More the search, more opportunities)

While it’s true that some search channels are more common than others, that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones. For freelance software developers, in particular, broaden your search to websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, Projects2bid and more.

6. Join Online Communities (Social channels and references matters a lot!)

Software developers worldwide have their own online communities where they network with like-minded people to share their ideas, discuss the industry, refer each other for jobs, and more. Some of these platforms include Stack Overflow, Hashnode, and Coderwall. Provide professional answers to questions in your areas of expertise. Make sure you use your original or called name in your profiles, so when clients search about you your appearance on such communities will come up in search results.

7. Work on Your Soft Skills (It helps when communicating with clients)

While software development jobs rely heavily on technical skills, that doesn’t mean soft skills aren’t vital for success. If you have top-notch technical skills but aren’t a team player, can’t think outside the box, or can’t handle constructive criticism, you’ll lose points in the eyes of potential employers or clients. Nobody likes hot tempered persons!

8. Build a Positive Reputation (It takes time so don’t rush)

This one’s especially important for freelancers who work on multiple one-time projects with different clients. Your reputation as a software developer is what’ll make or break your career, so make sure to value it! Word always gets around fast if you’re difficult to work with. Similarly, don’t underestimate the power of positive feedback!

9. Get Experience at a Big Company (Don’t forget the reference letter!)

If you have one of the mega-names on your CV or LinkedIn profile, you’d better be able to draw more attention and interest from employers and clients! The experience doesn’t even have to be for years – even an internship will do at places like Intel, IBM, Microsoft, and Facebook.

10. Switch Jobs Frequently (It shows you are in demand!)

The software development industry is one of the few where switching jobs frequently is a good thing. As a software developer, to be successful, you need to move from one organization to another to learn more, grow, and upskill. Each place you work will provide you with a different set of skills, which is precisely what you need to appeal to clients. Make sure you keep updating your online portfolio of experiences which each and every skill you learnt at each organization. Be it technical or soft skills.

11. Don’t Specialize (Why not?)

Last but not least, in today’s day and age, you’re better off not specializing in just one programming language, especially if you’re at the early career stages. Nowadays only a handful of jobs require niche programmers, so always aim to familiarize yourself with as many as you can so that you become eligible for more job opportunities.

In Conclusion

To find the right Freelance software development jobs for you, remember that the key is always to develop yourself and never stop learning! Only then will you grow to progress into the software developer you aspire to become.