Advice on finding freelance work

[kilps]

So without wanting this itself to be an advert, and wondering if there is a better section for this...

I'm a student on vacation with a fair amount of web development and some design experience looking for a bit of extra work - probably not at the best time of the year. Anyone have any advice on the best way to go about finding such work? Struggling a bit more than I have before (I often find work through referrals) :/

Thanks

 

[moklet]

Bad time of the year for that kind of work

 

[kilps]

Bad time of the year for that kind of work

Ya I know all too well... but sorta need it, and I'm guessing there must be at least some need - just got to find it...

 

[Murdoc]

Things are also slow myside on the freelance bit

The one thing that caught on well with me is offering my blush ideas for free
I approach alot of work clients(I work in printing) and often hint and suggest their logo/design/layout is crap and offer to show them what ican do.( My boss is ok with it btw) If they like ,they pay and if they dont its something for the porti atleast.

Another thing that works well, is to be in the mind set that no job is too small. I have a huge client who literally piles on work for design, which started from me designing her a kids label for a 4year old...

Anyway good luck in finding something and may you not loose too much of your soul doing so

 

[SilverNodashi]

So without wanting this itself to be an advert, and wondering if there is a better section for this...

I'm a student on vacation with a fair amount of web development and some design experience looking for a bit of extra work - probably not at the best time of the year. Anyone have any advice on the best way to go about finding such work? Struggling a bit more than I have before (I often find work through referrals) :/

Thanks

What kind of work can you do already, and what are you looking for?

And, where do you live?

 

[guest2013-1]

So without wanting this itself to be an advert, and wondering if there is a better section for this...

I'm a student on vacation with a fair amount of web development and some design experience looking for a bit of extra work - probably not at the best time of the year. Anyone have any advice on the best way to go about finding such work? Struggling a bit more than I have before (I often find work through referrals) :/

Thanks

If you're good enough people will contact you for work. You don't have to contact/advertise to get work.

 

[kilps]

Thanks for all the replies

What kind of work can you do already, and what are you looking for?

And, where do you live?

Web development/design - most of what I've been doing are websites for small businesses (Wordpress, Joomla), but I'm capable of more than that (I've built things from scratch with php/mysql). Cape Town.

If you're good enough people will contact you for work. You don't have to contact/advertise to get work.

Sure that's true - but then I'm a student who generally only looks for work vacation time, and I'm not really working on the huge projects which might earn me a good reputation - even if I could do them if I had the time.

 

[guest2013-1]

Sure that's true - but then I'm a student who generally only looks for work vacation time, and I'm not really working on the huge projects which might earn me a good reputation - even if I could do them if I had the time.

Life is in the details.

First off, being a student you're already a bit behind someone who works for a living. Because generally people who work "mingle" with other people who work. (Weird but true )

Same way, if I'm looking for students, you'd more likely be having less trouble finding students than I would...

Back to my initial "Life is in the details" point...

It's not a matter of how big the project is to build up a good reputation. I've built up a good reputation with several companies just helping them with mediocre stuff like changing text on their "About Us" page (with the CMS they have)

The problem for you however is the lack of work to be able to mingle and see/take on opportunities to be able to build a reputation. Mostly because you're a student.

As ****edup as that might sound, it's true, and most probably why you'll struggle finding work.

Case and point: Met someone 4 years ago who added me to their face-book. Haven't spoken maybe more than 50 words with them, but they knew I was good at my job (worked as a consultant for their company)

The other day they contact me asking how much I'll charge them to move their website because other people are ripping them off.

As honest as I am on these forums as honest I am in real life. And they know I don't take **** nor do I bull**** (much)

All about the connections you can make while working. Same way you can get weed without thinking about it, same way I can get work without thinking about it.

If you'd want, then I'd suggest asking a web dev company if you could work for them during the holidays. I know you probably want to make some money out of it, but like I said, if you're good at what you do the money will be offered. So do mahala work for a company "as a learning experience" and show them what you're made of... most likely you'll end up with a job offer

 

[kilps]

Life is in the details.

First off, being a student you're already a bit behind someone who works for a living. Because generally people who work "mingle" with other people who work. (Weird but true )

Same way, if I'm looking for students, you'd more likely be having less trouble finding students than I would...

Back to my initial "Life is in the details" point...

It's not a matter of how big the project is to build up a good reputation. I've built up a good reputation with several companies just helping them with mediocre stuff like changing text on their "About Us" page (with the CMS they have)

The problem for you however is the lack of work to be able to mingle and see/take on opportunities to be able to build a reputation. Mostly because you're a student.

As ****edup as that might sound, it's true, and most probably why you'll struggle finding work.

Case and point: Met someone 4 years ago who added me to their face-book. Haven't spoken maybe more than 50 words with them, but they knew I was good at my job (worked as a consultant for their company)

The other day they contact me asking how much I'll charge them to move their website because other people are ripping them off.

As honest as I am on these forums as honest I am in real life. And they know I don't take **** nor do I bull**** (much)

All about the connections you can make while working. Same way you can get weed without thinking about it, same way I can get work without thinking about it.

If you'd want, then I'd suggest asking a web dev company if you could work for them during the holidays. I know you probably want to make some money out of it, but like I said, if you're good at what you do the money will be offered. So do mahala work for a company "as a learning experience" and show them what you're made of... most likely you'll end up with a job offer

I completely get you - that's why so far most of the work that I've done has been for family friends and the like - I've been happy to work for a bit less to build up a portfolio and get my name out.

The main problem I've found with this is that these sort of referral jobs don't come often enough, but more importantly come at the wrong time ... i.e. I'm on holiday now - perfect time to get some work done, and I'm doing very little (after this week I'm stuck again).

But then again it's not the most serious thing in the world - I'm more using a skill I happen to have to make some holiday cash on the side (I'm not planning on doing this sort of work forever) - so maybe I just need to be a bit more realistic about when I can get work, or at least start looking for it earlier and deferring it for when I can do it.