DaJobSucks

Programming from home

Written by HmD on 8/24/2008 04:58:00 PM

Computer programming is a highly demanded skill and career that many have become interested in over the years. Many have been successful freelance programmers and have done it from the comfort of their own homes. Generally, computer programmers are responsible for creating, editing, writing, maintaining, testing and updating the source code of computer programs. Computer Programmers work with both hardware and software, but mostly software.

As technologies becomes more advance and as business seek to integrate their processes with computer software, so grows the need for programmers. The allure for freelance programmers has also grown, as many companies find it less costly to outsource their service rather than hiring someone full time as a programmer. Experienced and well trained programmers have chosen to leave the nine to five setting to own their own programming business. The more qualified and experienced you are, the better will be your chances of gaining a large enough client base, so that you can earn enough to live a comfortable life.

To become a freelance programmer you will require the necessary skill sets. You need to have an interest in everything computing and have an interest in increasing your knowledge as software and technology changes. You need to have entrepreneurial skills, be able to market your service and be involved in social networking to promote your services.

Certification is also required. There is no one certification that is required for a business like freelance programming, however, some amount of formal training is required. You can contact your local universities and colleges to see what kind of training programs are available. You may want to get a diploma in Computer Programming, for example, or a degree (BA or BSc) in Computer Science or Information Systems. You can also get officially certified with Microsoft or Cisco. You may also consider doing an online course.

Like any other business, a good business plan is necessary. You should outline your short term and long term goals, identify the risks associated with achieving each goal and seek resolutions that will help you to avoid these risks. This business may take a while to gain momentum, so it is important that you continue working full time until you start earning enough to resign. Some experts have said that you should resign when you start making three times your current salary. The good thing about freelance programming is that start up costs are typically low as the most important requirement for a freelance programmer is knowledge and experience.

The amount of clients you will have depends on your level of competence, your certification, your work habits, and motivation to succeed. You may need to do quite a lot of advertising as their are so many freelance programmers in the market. Advertising on craigslist, word of mouth, brochures and advertising on forums tend to draw clients. The development of a website or blog with the services being provided may also help. In addition to advertising, freelance programmers has to consider the areas where the most money can be made. Currently, programming for Gaming and Web Development are highly demanded. Internationally, the combination of PHP, MYSQL, PERL, CGI, PYTHON, Java are also highly demanded and if you have experience with databases like Oracle9i and MySql you can live comfortably of your earnings. Mobile computing also seem to have taken off in the past couple of years.

Qualified computer programmers can earn a great deal of money. The average earnings per year for freelance programmers is 60,000, but much more can be earned with experience and notoriety. Here are a few sites where you can see available freelance jobs or gain general information about freelance programing:

Programming Bids
Rentacoder
Elance
Allfreelance
Codelance