I've detailed my life situation here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5378269 and freelancing as a (temporary) solution has been mentioned several times.
I have no experience with that whatsoever (nor working as a programmer), but I know I can write code and I'm ready to learn anything that would help me making some money out of it. I'd say my skills go like this:
Python > Scraping > HTML5/CSS > JavaScript > Django/Flask > SQL > PHP > Templates of sorts (Wordpress e.g.) > Writing > Linux administration >> Graphic Design
It would be really great if someone with experience in freelancing could point me in the right direction or answer some questions I have.
What freelancing websites and marketplaces are thrustworthy and well-frequented? Just googling led me to sites like freelancer.com, seated in Singapore and with quite a lot of shady offers. Although I wouldn't decline writing bots or private data scrapers as long as there is no world domination involved.
How can I compete with Indian and Chinese people working for $5 per hour? Such sites seem to be flooded with cheap offers. But they probably do their work just as good as I would and without a portfolio, references or a diversified skillset I can't offer anything they can't.
Are popular freelancing offers US oriented or is it possible to work as an European without a stack of complicated paperwork, regulations and rules to start?
Is choosing a very specific skill and building upon it the best way to get consistent jobs? Should I build some sample outputs/templates/guis for problems I feel the most comfortable solving and put them on some static page/heroku/similar?
How do I know a project is right for me and I'm able to solve it to the best of my knowledge?
I have no experience with that whatsoever (nor working as a programmer), but I know I can write code and I'm ready to learn anything that would help me making some money out of it. I'd say my skills go like this: Python > Scraping > HTML5/CSS > JavaScript > Django/Flask > SQL > PHP > Templates of sorts (Wordpress e.g.) > Writing > Linux administration >> Graphic Design
It would be really great if someone with experience in freelancing could point me in the right direction or answer some questions I have.
What freelancing websites and marketplaces are thrustworthy and well-frequented? Just googling led me to sites like freelancer.com, seated in Singapore and with quite a lot of shady offers. Although I wouldn't decline writing bots or private data scrapers as long as there is no world domination involved.
How can I compete with Indian and Chinese people working for $5 per hour? Such sites seem to be flooded with cheap offers. But they probably do their work just as good as I would and without a portfolio, references or a diversified skillset I can't offer anything they can't.
Are popular freelancing offers US oriented or is it possible to work as an European without a stack of complicated paperwork, regulations and rules to start?
Is choosing a very specific skill and building upon it the best way to get consistent jobs? Should I build some sample outputs/templates/guis for problems I feel the most comfortable solving and put them on some static page/heroku/similar?
How do I know a project is right for me and I'm able to solve it to the best of my knowledge?