[dtrain07]

Hey there,
I'm new to this forum, but hopefully you can help me anyways
I've been programming in C# / Java for some years now and I'm writing programs for friends and myself all the time.
Now I want to get starting in paid freelancing work. How do I know, if I'm ready for it?
What when I can't fulfill a requirement, my client asked for?

I hope you can help me and maybe tell me your story about how you got started.

Greetings

[tlhIn`toq]

Go to one of the freelance boards and monitor the contracts that come up. Can you do them? Can you do them fast enough to make a living at it? Look at the other bids: Can you do it at a competitive price to get the contract and STILL put food on the table.

If you have the skill but are slow you can't bid so low that you earn $3/hour.

Quote

What when I can't fulfill a requirement, my client asked for?

I have no idea what that's supposed to be asking. But its a good example of needing to double-check your communications before you send them to others. If you sent that to a client as part of your bid you can expect it to lower your chances of being selected.

If you can't fulfill a requirement then DON'T BID.

[Lemur]

"Man, if you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." --- Louis Armstrong

I'm a strong believer that you'll know when you're ready, and having to ask is just that much more of an indication that it's a bad idea. If you have to ask then you lack the confidence in your skills to make things work. Read through a few briefs, and ask yourself if you can realistically complete such a project from scratch. If the answers are coming back a resounding no, then that's your answer.

[creativecoding]

Lemur that's a good idea... to a point. There can be people who have no idea what the job/freelancing world is like and they might believe they can do anything in their languages, until confronted with a problem they can't solve. By then it's too late.

However both Lemur and tlhIn`toq are correct on that one point: If you can do them, you can do them. I would suggest looking at the market (freelancer and elance have listings) and seeing what's being requested. How much time are you willing to work for? How much money will you request? Will the work you provide make them say "Wow! This guy has superb work! I'll be hiring him in the future."? Answer all of these questions as truthfully as you can.

Here are some example entry-level job postings:
https://www.freelanc...ecognition.html

https://www.freelanc...me-Android.html

https://www.freelanc...er.4023031.html

https://www.freelanc...ts/4026251.html

https://www.freelanc...ith-source.html

https://www.freelanc...ery-Urgent.html

https://www.freelanc...rogramming.html

Can you do these? Can you do them in the time allotted?

[bgiles23]

creativecoding, on 09 December 2012 - 07:36 PM, said:

Lemur that's a good idea... to a point. There can be people who have no idea what the job/freelancing world is like and they might believe they can do anything in their languages, until confronted with a problem they can't solve. By then it's too late.

However both Lemur and tlhIn`toq are correct on that one point: If you can do them, you can do them. I would suggest looking at the market (freelancer and elance have listings) and seeing what's being requested. How much time are you willing to work for? How much money will you request? Will the work you provide make them say "Wow! This guy has superb work! I'll be hiring him in the future."? Answer all of these questions as truthfully as you can.

Here are some example entry-level job postings:
https://www.freelanc...ecognition.html

https://www.freelanc...me-Android.html

https://www.freelanc...er.4023031.html

https://www.freelanc...ts/4026251.html

https://www.freelanc...ith-source.html

https://www.freelanc...ery-Urgent.html

https://www.freelanc...rogramming.html

Can you do these? Can you do them in the time allotted?

You may also try get help on Certificationpoint.org. You may be able to build up your skill set there as well as they have many college students working on projects as well.