How can I start freelancing?

Work on getting a personal site displaying your previous work to market yourself. If you're looking for jobs, there are a ton of reliable freelance sites like http://freelancer.com and http://guru.com. Although you might get paid less, going through a service will help you get paid hassle-free. Unfortunately, I've known a fair share of freelancers who've had to chase after money.

Another thing to do is build a good profile. One way is right here in - I've developed some contacts. While Quora doesn't show how well you code, like say, , or solve problems like in , it shows how well you understand at a high level.

Because of your background as a developer, I'm assuming you want to freelance online. When I stepped out of college, I started out as an online freelance programmer. It's not as hard as some people may think, especially with the rising availability of outsourcing marketplaces online such as http://Freelancer.com or oDesk. Create a profile on these sites (it's as simple as creating a profile on LinkedIn and Facebook). Make sure you complete the profile - include a profile photo, work history (if any) or projects you've worked on, etc. Think of it as writing a resume, only online. Get your identity verified. This prevents the hassle of the sites requesting for your identity before you can withdraw anything. Make sure to provide clearly scanned IDs with your photos! Start bidding for jobs you're sure you can do and provide top-of-the-line results. The rest should follow! Other tips: * Make yourself available elsewhere online - create a comprehensive LinkedIn account and a portfolio website. * Write a blog that not only showcases your work, but your thoughts on things related to your field of interest as well. * Be gracious to clients and provide quality output to ensure return clients. * Create a PayPal account or other fund transfer accounts for easier transaction online. Hope these tips help! :-)

http://Freelancer.com is a great source for up and coming freelancers. And Roberts list of questions is a great way to assess why you would want to go into freelancing. There are also free Webinars out there that can help you I.D. the freelance world. Here's one gong on in the next few days: http://Webinar.beyondthediploma.com

What's even more important is the foundation of your future freelance job: money. Get hold of any theoretical expenses that you have and try to calculate the following: 1. what's the minimum you need to earn each month to pay rent, insurance, food? 2. keep in mind that there is a probability that you can get into rough times one day. What would be a good amount that also enables you to create reserves to get you through such a period? 3. What is your hourly rate? Freelanceswitch offers a fairly splendid online calculator for that: http://www.Freelanceswitch.Com/rates/ 4. don't start out with a high rate already. It can be a long process until you have established yourself. What would be a good competing amount in the beginning? There is a saying over here with my european colleagues: once you made it through the seventh year, you are a master ;)

I am an Indian freelancer and I work mainly for overseas clients who pay me in dollars. I have been freelancing for 5 years now and have used almost all the freelance portals like Freelancer, Odesk, Elance,etc. I feel quality jobs and well paid jobs can be found at Elance https://www.elance.com/?rid=3BPXM  . Although you will have to bid on the right projects for a long time before you finally land any project. Don't give up easy. All the best :)