Do you think using websites like Elance, to obtain side jobs while still working full time, could help my programming career?

Question

Do you think using websites like Elance, to obtain side jobs while still working full time, could help my programming career?

Answer 1

I'm not sure about the skills you obtain from doing freelance programming jobs. If at all, you learn a lot about managing your client-requirements and keeping your client happy.

If you simply mean your career (and not so much your skills), if you can show you have a lot of experience with different situations (try to pick your freelance jobs accordingly) I think that'll improve your chances.

Answer 2

It depends on the jobs you take. It could be a good way to push yourself or to get experience in technologies that your current workplace doesn't provide. I have no experience with this specific web site, but I have used side jobs as a way to improve my skills and to learn things prior to them being implemented where my day job is.

It is also important that these side jobs do not negatively impact your full time job.

Answer 3

Any side jobs you do will help your skills but good luck bidding against some of the overseas people on that site. You'll be working for peanuts! =)

Answer 4

If you're interested in money, the rates are very low. Also, you'll be alone without help if you have a problem (notwithstanding stackoverflow.com, of course) with an unhappy customer.

If you're interested in learning, I suggest joining an Open Source project. There are thousands, in all programming languages. You'll join a community which will be happy to have you, even if you only submit a patch or write documentation (after reverse engineering the code).

Also it will look good on your resume. The only cost of joining an OS project is your time. Everything else is benefit.

Answer 5

I have to agree with Christian and say that if you're more interested in getting experience then an open source project would be more likely to expose you to a wider range of problems. Your code will also be constantly reviewed by your peers which is extremely valuable in improving your code.

Finally, if you're looking to make a few dollars, I know colleagues that started out working on open source projects (DotNetNuke in particular) and now work full time either consulting for companies that use that open source product, or developing their own third party add ons for the product, so there is still some financial incentive in open source.

Answer 6

No, you will spend just as much time doing the client administration pieces as programming.

Working on an OSS project will help your programming chops much more.

Answer 7

Besides working for peanuts, odds are you'd be violating your employment agreement.

Answer 8

It might be worth mentioning to your current employer. Mine was happy to know that I do work on the side. He views it as an opportunity for me to get more experience. The key is to not let it interfere with your day job at all.

If you are trying to find work on the side, I've found that word of mouth is better than websites like elance. Go to your local users group, and meet people. There are often people looking for help at users groups.

You can always try out a small project on elance and see how it works for you. If you don't like the experience, nothing says you have to go back :)

Answer 9

I'm not familiar with elance, but I've learned a lot from various side-gigs I've done.

Answer 10

I've worked on oDesk for about 250 hours. You will need to offer a below average rate for your first job or two but after that you can raise it once you have feedback. On oDesk, the average pay for a developer is about $16/hr. My current highest paying job is $22/hr. The higher paying jobs I've seen have been people with specialized, in-demand skills like Cold Fusion or iPhone development. But even then, an hourly rate over $30/hr is rare to find. Plus, oDesk will take 10% - which is not bad considering they have guaranteed payment.

I'm doing this work mainly for money but it has been a good learning experience. Once I don't need the money anymore I doubt I will continue unless I can land a good ongoing task - and those do popup now and then.

If you want to advance your skills I would concur with joining an open-source community or do your own projects.