How To Become a Freelance Software Engineer.

So you’ve just qualified as a Software Engineer and now you need to find work. In turn you you thinking whether you should go freelance? In turn a freelancer takes on short-term or medium-term work for one or a several companies. Thus the great thing is when you freelance, you can work from anywhere you want to! In turn this is the freedom most people are looking for. All in all have you ever seen people working on their laptops at your local coffee shop? And you were like I want to be that person! As a freelancer you can work from home or wherever you like.

This blog article looks at what you do as a freelance Software Engineer or a freelance software developer. In addition we look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing. Thus we also look at how much you earn as a software engineer, as a freelancer in the IT industry. Also see our blog on 5 Steps to Become a Remote Developer

What do freelance Software Engineers Do?

According to Indeed Software engineers develop systems and software for businesses. These products range from business applications and games to network control systems and operating systems. A software engineer’s responsibilities may also include:

• Working with users to determine their software needs.
• Designing, developing and testing a system or application according to the users’ specifications.
• Drawing diagrams and models that help developers create the appropriate code for the system or application.
• Documenting the system or application in detail to help those responsible for future maintenance.
• Maintaining the system or application with updates and fixes as necessary.
• Recommending software upgrades for existing systems or applications.
• Collaborating with developers and other engineers to create software.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Freelance Software Engineer?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which calculates the employment growth for various occupations, that software engineers will see a 24% employment growth between the year 2016 and 2026.

Here’s 4 great benefits for freelance Software Engineering:

1. Could earn more money – You would normally charge a hourly rate or a development fee (not a salary), hence all the freelance work normally adds up to more money than a normal developer monthly salary.

2.The ability to be picky about projects, clients and tech – as a freelance Software Engineer, the world is your oyster. In turn you can pick what projects you want to undertake and what you don’t.

3.Flexiblility – you get to choose the time and day you work.

4. No boss – You essentially work for yourself, you are the boss.

But with that said, there’s also negative aspects of freelancing as a software engineer, they include:

1. Inconsistent income – you determine your ‘salary’, there will be some months where income might not be constant, highs and lows. In turn some months you might not get work.

2. Duration of projects – a project might take longer than expected, and payment might be based on a projects completion. In turn this could add stress and effect all your freelance work.

3. No interaction with colleagues – no mans an island, you might not be able to bounce ideas off co workers or interact with colleagues.

4. Taking Responsibility – Yes you work for yourself, but you need to manage your own time (motivation). In turn you are responsible for running a business, invoicing, tax etc.

Requirements to be a freelance Software Engineers?

Firstly to be a Software engineer, typically you need a combination of education, training, certifications and skills to earn a position as a software engineer.

Typically to be considered as a freelance software engineer, you normally do several freelance jobs, to gain a good wage. Requirements to operate, would be a pc/laptop, internet connection and software.

Typical Salaries of freelance Software Engineers?

According to Indeed as a freelance software engineer, your salary will vary depending on whether you develop applications or systems. Software engineers who develop systems normally receive a higher salary than those who create applications. Other factors may affect your salary, including the company’s location and the nature of the business. In turn Freelance software engineers typically charge a higher rate when doing a service

Overall common software engineer salary in the U.S.: $105,323 per year
Some salaries range from $29,000 to $228,000 per year.  Thus Freelance Software engineers can charge per project or per development time.

How Do I Get Into Freelance Software Engineering?

According to CarrerLancer If you want to start freelancing as a Software Engineer, read here

How Do Get work As a Freelancer?

• Start with 1 client and build a portfolio – Start with one client, charge a reasonable fee and build a porfolio (online website with testimonials). In turn this will add credibility and potential clients and can see what work you can do.
• Write Blogs to increase visibility – add backlinks to your articles, this will increase your present on the web and google. Take a look at some popular tech blogs. All in all these include: TechCrunch and Mashable
• Join Fiver – Fiverr’s  connects businesses with freelancers offering digital services in 300+ categories. In turn this is a great platform to get and offer freelance software engineering services.

Other great platforms to operate as a freelance Software Engineer includes:

Freelancer – a community of freelancers.

Toptal – for any seasonal freelancer

Conclusion

Overall if you enjoy freedom and being you own boss, work anytime and anywhere, then a freelance career in software engineering is for you! Thus with School of IT, you can become a internationally recognized and accredited Software Engineer in under 6 months!