Start Making Ton of Money as a Developer: My Career Way
How to find customers and promote your freelance business
Early Career and Learning Web Development:
In the early years of my career, I was focused on landing a high-profile job at a large corporation. I was constantly working hard and developing my skills. Thanks to my mentor’s guidance, I decided to pursue a career in web development. I began by learning the fundamentals: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Initial Challenges and First Project:
The first few months were challenging. Contrary to what some might say (“web development is easy for everyone”), I found coding to be difficult. The biggest hurdle was choosing the right technology to specialize in.
My first project was a simple blog website built with PHP. It was a significant accomplishment for me. PHP is known for its simplicity and abundance of resources. However, deploying it to the web took a full four weeks. Every day, I devoured online tutorials and scoured Stack Overflow repositories for solutions.
Early Career Struggles and Starting a Business:
Eight months later, I felt prepared to apply for my first web development job. However, I faced an obstacle: I was still an undergraduate student. In Turkey, many companies prioritize a diploma over coding ability. To gain experience, I decided to start my own company.
After nearly a year, I considered myself a seasoned web developer (at least, that’s what I thought!). I began applying for PHP-related jobs on LinkedIn, submitting over a hundred applications. Only three companies responded, and I landed a position at one of them.
First Developer Job and Learning:
I was incredibly excited about this new opportunity. I was eager to learn new coding approaches and expand my professional network. The first day seemed manageable — I was tasked with creating a product activation panel, which I assumed would take a day. Needless to say, it took much longer!
Throughout my time at the company, I learned and grew every single day. Once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to my brilliant mentor. Whenever I encountered a roadblock, he’d patiently explain the problem and guide me towards a solution. I spent nearly three years at this company, where I honed my core skills.
Transitioning to Freelancing:
Eventually, the 9-to-5 grind began to wear me down. I felt creatively stifled and disconnected from people. Working at a desk all day just wasn’t compatible with my personality. The desire for independence led me to quit my job.
Naive at the time (I was only 22!), I assumed I could find clients easily. However, reality set in quickly. It took three weeks to secure my first freelance project — a company website with eight pages. The pay was equivalent to a one-week salary, but it was a start.
The Importance of Business Skills:
This initial project made me realize that success wasn’t solely about coding; it was about acquiring clients. Just like when I first started learning to code, I dove headfirst into learning about startups, marketing, and other essential business skills. I devoured popular business books and networked with other entrepreneurs.
Self-Promotion and Growth as a Freelancer:
I actively promoted myself across all available channels. Every conversation, no matter the topic, ultimately led me to discuss the importance of web development in today’s world. I showcased my website portfolio and utilized online advertising. To stand out, I even created a unique NFT card.
I also applied for freelance jobs on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com. Initially, the conversion rate was low — about one project for every fifty applications. Eventually, the workload became overwhelming, and I began delegating tasks to my talented friend, a brilliant programmer himself. We worked together effectively for nearly two years.
Looking Back and Advice for Others:
After six years as a freelance developer, I can confidently say that everyone should consider learning to code. Here’s my advice:
- Practice Makes Perfect: Build a strong foundation by working on 5–10 projects.
- Showcase Your Skills: Utilize GitHub to display your work.
- Stay Sharp: Regularly practice problem-solving with platforms like LeetCode.
Remember, learning is a continuous process. The world of programming is constantly evolving. With hard work and dedication, you’ll achieve your goals. Success might not come today, but it will definitely come tomorrow. Keep striving for your dreams!
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