What do webdeveloper employers look for most in website contracting

Question

I am a software developer looking to make money. I have been self-teaching myself C++, C#, PHP, [X]HTML, CSS, Javascript and SQL for the last four years and am very comfortable with each language listed. During those four years I was living at home; which made it easy to focus on programming more then if I had to support myself.

My problem is that the place where I work (a local tech repair/website development company) does not bring enough income. The place has a lot of potential and good people and I believe in its eventual success; but eventual is not good enough compared to what I should be making considering my daily responsibilities.

So going on a full or part time job that requires relocation is not possible. What I am looking for is to develop web applications for people over the internet, but have yet to find a site that provides good opportunity and reasonable pay.

So my question is this: What would a person looking to either outsource or contract a web developer look for? I have no website, no portfolio and little money.

What should I focus on the most to make a person say "this is the guy I want - and I trust him enough to contract this deal over the internet instead of in person"?

What I don't want to do is "build a 30k-line CMS for $500" that ends up being "built" by some out-of-country freelancer who puts some special branding on Joomla. I want serious, down-to-earth people who know what a web developer is worth and respect them as much as an employee that they would hire.

I have a few ideas of pre-building software and selling it, including hosting, for a monthly price. Which market should I go after?

The reason why I am asking help here is because I know many people are in the position I am in; and I think it is a good resource for any programmer who needs income on the side.

I would be grateful for any help on this subject.

Answer 1

I would say that, at least to get started, you're going to need to go out and meet with people, go on-site to gather requirements, and work on building your network. Only after you have proven yourself to some people will you have built the trust to do 100% freelance work remotely.

I would put together a resume and post it to some job boards, talk to some recruiters about your situation. A portfolio or public "hobby" website that you can show people will go a long way.

Or you could try cold-calling some small consulting companies in your area, they may be willing to take a chance on you on a freelance basis. Once you have done one job and delivered, you shouldn't have much trouble getting more work.

Answer 2

As someone who does a good bit of contract work, and also hires contractors, I can tell you the best way to get hired (contract or full time) is to build a strong network of contacts. A good place to start building a network is at your local user group meetings. Go to every meeting you can find that is related to the technology that interests you or your potential clients. It also doesn't hurt to get to know the computer science professors at any colleges or universities in your area.

You also MUST put together a portfolio and some sample websites. I can tell you as an employer, I would immediately discount anyone who came to me for a web development contract who couldn't figure out how to get a website on line. Here's how the interview would go. Me: "What's the address of your website?" Applicant: "I don't have one." Me: "Why not?" Applicant: "I can't afford one." (or any other answer) Me: "Thank you for coming in today."

That might not be "fair" and it might cost me a great developer, but this market is too competitive to allow for that kind of thing. There are too many ways to get a website on line for free today. Joel Spolsky made "Smart and gets things done" famous because it accurately describes two very important qualities in a software engineer. It doesn't really matter how smart an applicant is if he/she can't get anything done.

I suggest you put building a sample website and getting it on line at the top of your to-do list. You asked about getting a potential employer to trust you. Smart employers use the "trust, but verify" approach. For an employer to begin to trust an applicant they don't know, they are going to want to see some evidence of what you have done. Some might get that evidence in a day-long interview, but most will want to see it before you get to the interview point in the process.

When I first got started on websites (Not my area of expertise, but I wanted to understand the process.) I went to the local fire station and police station and offered to donate 40 hours of my services for free. I ended up building an internal site and a web site on a contract for more than 40 hours. (I invoiced them for my total time and then discounted the first 40 hours and claimed it as a marketing expense on my taxes.) It gave me some experience and some "real" web sites to show my work. You might try something similar with any organization that appeals to you. (Google search for charitable organizations)

Answer 3

If it's just the ordinary standard web sites and applications, they are now largely outsourced to the cheap countries. Most of the tasks are so standardized and million times developed all over that it takes just a little customization work. I believe getting a freelancer job to glue just a simple site together is now a matter of incredible luck.

Your advantage over oversea coders will come when the customer would want you being on call at day. You living in more or less the same time zone, being able to speak normal understandable English and being a subject to "reachable" law system will give you advantage if an employer is seeking more than just cut the costs to zero.

If you talk about building web sites, then you'll need a portfolio.

If you are interested in development of professional web applications, then portfolio is not that important but a background in software development and computer science is of the primary interest. Any good developer can learn HTML and CSS, but not any web scripter can master professional development techniques.

Answer 4

you have to just register on the freelance websites like elance.com,limeexchange.com to get a freelance work online i software development catwgory