Hi all, I am currently an undergrad (sophomore) CEng (in the process of switching to CS) student. I've been programming professionally for about 3-4 years now (though officially documented/available projects is 3 years).
I've been researching doing Freelance/Remote work. But, I would like to first take advice from others whom are more experienced. I have tried looking for freelance work on upwork, but the market there seems to be filled with lots of AI/scam postings. And, regarding remote work, I’m hesitant about applying because I’m concerned about the following: 1- being still an undergrad 2- my location 3- missing out on skills that may be important
Would doing freelance or remote work even be possible? especially while still in a university?
Thanks in advance
Hi, if still in university I would try freelancing and not to worry much. You may have not time for fully remote work. Just jump and do it. Other option is doing internships. Not sure about the market
I have tried checking freelancing sites such as Upwork, Fiverr or Upwork, but it’s filled with either spam or very low paying jobs!
I'd stay away from any freelance listing that can't describe the handoff. "Fix this bug by Friday" is workable around classes. "Help us build the product" isn't. One small finished job and a decent reference is enough for a first run at it.
I don't even bother applying remote unless you're experienced. Too much competition.
What about your location?
Yes, this is real. Most likely freelance work is incredibly basic stuff you would be embarrassed to list on your resume (wordpress, GTM). But, so long as it's not consuming a lot of your time, the references you build can be good (helped me get my current job) and it's some nice pocket change. It'll likely be work you can just speedrun with AI in an hour and get paid $500.
I had no luck on upwork, but I cold reached out to every marketing and website development agency in my city and was able to build up a client base. I do a few hours of work a week for them and get paid around $500-1k though it's not consistent.