Freelance Programming

Programming jobs are becoming increasingly popular as more individuals, small-to-midsize businesses and major corporations are finally coming to realize that having an online presence is paramount to success in today’s digital age. As a programmer, you may find yourself wealthy in talent and poor in actual money and connections. If that’s the case, it’s time to take the future into your hands by being proactive about finding work. Here are 20 resources you can check and use to fulfill your goals of becoming a freelance programmer in the coming year.

Freelance Programming – What You Will Need

Before you start hunting for freelance programming jobs, it would be wise to set up a website that includes some sort of portfolio. Most potential clients are going to want to know that you can walk the walk, so to speak, before they actually take a chance on you. If you have websites that you’ve constructed, apps, security programs or any other freelancing products and/or services, showcase them proudly and you will get far more results during your search for paid clients.

Beyond a live site, a portfolio and possibly a blog, you will need to uphold some type of social networking presence. Today’s clients want to see that you are active on social media and that your social media posts can showcase your talents. If you don’t have a presence, you will have a harder time finding work than your competitors who are actively posting and tweeting on a daily or at least weekly basis.

Once you have a site and social presence set up, consider that to be your web for catching freelance programming clients. The following sites and platforms will help you lure those clients in.

Freelancer

Freelancer is like the Monster.com of freelance job hunting. You can search jobs by price type, listing duration, listing types, average price, average hourly rates and programming languages. Whatever you hope to do, you will likely find it on this platform.

Odesk

This freelancing jobsite opened its virtual doors in 2004 and has been a prominent marketplace for freelancers of all types ever since. Just so you know, the average job on Odesk yields the average freelance programming specialists at least $5,000 per project. If that doesn’t entice you to sign up for the site, nothing will.

Project4Hire

Whether you know C++, Oracle, UNIX, Linux, Perl or Java, there is a job for you on Project4Hire. You can also find jobs for mobile and tablet app generation, game development positions and many more.

Elance

Similar to Odesk, Elance is another must-have resource for all serious freelance programming professionals. Create your profile, bid for jobs and hope for the best.

Smashing Jobs

A division of Smashing Magazine, you will find freelance programming jobs on this platform looking for contract web developers, web designers, software development engineers and senior Magento developers, just to name a few. In addition to freelancing work, you can also find full-time work if you want a little more permanence in your hunt for the perfect job.

GetACoder

One of the most famous platforms for finding freelance programming positions, you will find a lot of activity and plenty of job opportunities. If anything, this might be a good site to check out if you need some portfolio samples or freelancing resources for your own job-hunting efforts.

Guru

Another popular one, this site sports over 25,000 available services by categories like engineering and architecture, web design, software, IT and more. If you want to be a freelance programming guru, this is definitely a platform to bookmark.

Digital Point Forums

A legitimate source for learning about freelancing and finding freelance programming positions, you will want to visit this forum daily if you want to remain competitive. It is recommended that you begin your foray into the forum by browsing at first, just paying attention to the conversations that are initiated before you actually participate. Then acclimate slowly and start to make a name for yourself by offering valuable advice and by responding positively to those posters who share their own valuable information. Do this properly and the best freelance programming jobs may come looking for you.

You now have quite a few resources for finding the most rewarding and earning freelance programming positions. Begin by creating an online as well as social presence and then start actively pursuing the most lucrative positions you can find. Or start off slow by finding moderately priced positions until you build up your portfolio and confidence. The beauty of the industry is that there are many jobs to be had. If you put enough attention towards what you want to do, you’ll eventually find the success you’re after.

Image Source: Manuel Bahamondez H on Flickr