Congratulations, you just finished Le Wagon's coding bootcamp! Now you're probably wondering: "What do I do next?" Of course, you can apply for a web developer or product manager position in a company. But do you know that you can also start a freelance career right now?
Only 10% of Le Wagon's alumni choose to do so. Why? From what I understand, there are two main reasons. First, they believe they don't have enough experience to take on web development projects on their own. Second, they fear the precariousness of the freelance status.
These two points are completely understandable. But I believe they should not stop you from trying.
How to get your first paid contracts
Tell everyone. Your family, your friends, the families of your friends: everybody should know that you're embarking on a freelance career. The objective is that, if they need a website, they will have the reflex to contact you. That's how I got my first paid contract: a friend of a friend needed an e-commerce website for her vintage clothes brand.
Update your LinkedIn profile. Add Le Wagon to your education and change your job title. Do not hesitate to specify the coding language or framework you are most comfortable with. My LinkedIn job title was "Fullstack Web Developer (Ruby on Rails)". This will prevent you from being presented with missions that have nothing to do with your area of expertise.
Create a portfolio. You're probably thinking "Okay but I have nothing to show." That's not true. During Le Wagon, you created two web applications: an Airbnb clone and a final project. Although you did not build them on your own, they still show your coding abilities. Be transparent: specify that you built them while being in a team. Describe what they are about and share their links. For your final project, you can add the video of your pitch at the Demo Day — extract your pitch in a new video and share its link.
Create a profile on Malt. Malt is a platform where people who need a website can search for freelancers and send them a mission proposition. Malt takes a 10% commission. Using Malt gives you two interesting guarantees: the client pre-pays via Malt before the mission begins (no payment default risk), and every mission is automatically covered by a Pro Civil Liability insurance.
At the end of a mission on Malt, you are rated by your client. The first mission is the hardest to get because you don't have any ratings yet. To maximize your profile's attractiveness, you can ask your friends to recommend the competences listed on your Malt profile. I asked 10 friends and got my first mission proposition the same day.
Also take advantage of the "Malt Open" program: if you get a mission from outside Malt, you can bring it on the platform by billing via Malt. In this case, Malt does not take any commission and the client can rate your profile. I did that with two of my clients — found them via my network, billed them via Malt. So I had 3 ratings on my profile while having won only one mission via the platform.
Set your daily rate. I advise you to start at €250 per day. You can go beyond, but please don't go below. Even as a junior, your competencies are valuable — and keep in mind that you still have to pay taxes, health insurance, etc.
Administrative procedures. If you're in France, you can start with the "micro-entrepreneur" status. You'll also need to choose a health insurance and consider an income maintenance insurance in case you're hospitalized. It can feel sad and scary to think about, but being well insured reduces the precariousness of freelancing significantly.
Optimize your working process
Find the place where you work best. You probably won't find it right away — test several until you settle. I personally love working from home.
Once you find your sweet spot, invest in your workspace. Put your laptop on an elevated base so the screen is at eye level. Plug in a keyboard and a mouse. And most of all: invest in a second screen. It will allow you to have your mock-up design on one screen and your text editor and localhost on the other. After some research, I found an HP screen on Amazon for €99 and I'm very satisfied with it.
In addition to solo work sessions, do group work sessions with friends — in co-working spaces, cafés, or bootcamp spaces like Le Wagon's co-working area.
Keep in mind that, as a freelancer, you have the luxury of flexibility. You can work at home, in a co-working space, or even in another country. Is there a European city you've always wanted to visit? Book a plane ticket and go there for a month. You're free — use it.