Any demand for experienced java freelancers?

7 points by jamesk14022 12 years ago | 6 comments

I recently started looking to do some java freelance work to make some cash on the side. I like to think I'm a pretty experienced dev. However, on freelance sites, it always seems like a race to the bottom. Where can I find jobs that require someone with an experienced/large skillset?

danielstudds 12 years ago |

There's definitely demand, and you should be able to get decent wedge if you're any good at it. The reason why there's a race to the bottom on freelance sites is precisely because there's demand: a large number of people who are just in it for the money, rather than a love of programming, choose java because it's popular.

To get your day rate up, though, you're going to have to build up your own network, so that you're not competing against everyone else on the freelance sites. Check out Brennan Dunn's books/blog/email list. [1][2]

If you're good and get the right connections, you should be able to get up towards that $100/hr mark. To get beyond that, you really need to be able to point to a bank account and say, "because of me, there's more money there." See patio11 [3]. At that point, language is far less relevant - and in fact, I'd hazard a guess that Java is a particularly difficult language to do that with (because it tends to be more backend rather than front-end, but that's an unsubstantiated gut feel.)

[1] http://doubleyourfreelancingrate.com/ [2] http://brennandunn.com/ [3] https://training.kalzumeus.com/newsletters/archive/consultin...

tluyben2 12 years ago |

Odesk (and others) are depressing; freelancers here (north EU) cannot even live of the money generally paid on them. So the friends who are working on there usually try to avoid the hourly paid projects and do 3-4 at a time to boost to $75/day which, with the considered risks and utilization of freelancers is kind of the minimum. Even for jobs without any/much bidders (vague things I'm good at like a Haskell, Erlang and Prolog) the price point is pulled down to a point where it's not worth it.

For Java (which I have 15 years fulltime experience with including backend and frontend frameworks)/C# and iOS/Android the freelance sites are infested with $5/hour workers from the east who will not finish anything, write crazy unreadable code and most of them also do 3+ jobs at the same time, making sure you get the lowest grade. Exceptions are there, but I have done outsourcing for many years and the 'start you off with a senior to get you in and then replace with a junior who cannot do anything' is more normal and the reason we stopped doing it all together.

I am trying to use danielstudds advice here as well, but find it hard. All promises of 'premium freelance' sites never worked (while my gut says it still should by the way; site with rigorous intake with a minimum level of acceptance (if you have no talent at all then go fix that elsewhere first), having a panel of experts in different development areas who interview and assess you every 3 months and set your level(s) and price goals).

And i'm a social animal but I unfortunately hang out most with coders who 'already made it' (and don't care about work and have no connections anymore of that kind) or academic researchers (I would go for a position like that the rest of my life, but my credentials aren't good enough to say that I want to sit on a mountain working on formal methods and programming languages) or artists.

Good luck to fellow searchers.

penland 12 years ago |

This thread interests me as well. Java is the acquire currency language currently - it would be nice to leverage an advanced knowledge level for something beyond the 25$ an hour rate you see on odesk or freelancer.

mgamer 12 years ago |

Hi,

Please contact me at info@brightinventions.pl. We might have sth for you.

drallison 12 years ago |

What is it that distinguishes a "Java freelancer" from other programmers? Java is just another programming language. Why do you limit yourself to Java? And what does that tell us about you?

Good programming does not have a lot to do with the particular programming language involved, IMHO.

johnsocs 12 years ago | |

I'm inclined to disagree with this comment: The OP is simply saying that they have a developed skill-set and expertise with Java. This goes a very long way about saying who they are. I can assume they have good working knowledge of the Java language in addition to some great tool sets. Lastly having a specialty is never a bad thing.