Freelancing is an increasingly popular career choice for software engineers. With the rise of remote work and the gig economy, it's easier than ever to work as a freelance software engineer.
With lots of recent, high profile lay-offs and technology's constant march towards the new shiny, there's possibly a feeling that reliable PHP developers are not as sought after as we once were.
Have no fear though. As a Laravel freelancer, you're in good company! You're using one of the most popular web application frameworks in the world, built on top of one of the most widely-used programming languages used on the internet.
However, being successful as a freelancer takes more than just using the right technology and having the relevant technical skills. In this blog post, we'll discuss three important tips for becoming a successful freelance Laravel software engineer.
As a freelancer, the most important asset you have is your portfolio. Your portfolio should showcase your skills and expertise, and demonstrate how you can add value to a potential client's project.
Make sure you choose projects that align with the type of work you want to do, and that you're passionate about. Take the time to write sufficiently detailed case studies that explain your role in the project and the impact your work had on the final product.
Try not to overdo it though - keep it light - and remember that the person looking at your work may not be as technically-minded.
A strong portfolio will help you stand out from other freelance software engineers and make it easier for you to win projects.
Communication is key when it comes to freelancing. You might be working remotely with clients from anywhere in the world, and you need to be able to communicate effectively in order to build strong relationships with them.
Make sure you're comfortable communicating via email, video chat, and other remote communication tools. Be responsive to your clients' needs, and make sure you're keeping them updated on your progress.
Strong communication skills will help you build trust with your clients and ensure that you're delivering work that meets their expectations.
As a freelance software engineer, you're not just a technical expert, you're also a business owner.
You need to be able to manage your finances, set your rates, and market yourself effectively in order to be successful. Take the time to learn about the business side of freelancing, including how to write contracts, how to invoice clients, and how to manage your taxes.
It's also important to develop a strong personal brand and market yourself effectively. Use social media and other marketing channels to showcase your expertise and build your reputation.
That's partly what Veliance is here to help with, but don't simply leave your profile here and expect the leads to come flooding in!
Get your profile into other places, engage with people, reply on social media, chime in on discussion forums (Slack or Discord threads), use the search history to find recent posts by people who might be looking for your skills, go to meet-up groups (not just tech ones) and share your work and experience in a number of places.
Be specific about what you have done, what you can do (your skillset e.g. Vue vs React, MySQL vs Postgres), what kind of companies you’ve done that for and the benefits that it brings them.