Photo by on Michael Mroczek Unsplash In a previous article we talked about . And we talked about the importance of choosing the right type of projects if you are an entry-level developer trying to use freelancing as a stepping stone to get enough experience before applying to full-time remote jobs. 5 real examples of freelance projects that you SHOULD apply to Making the wrong choice could mean working on projects that are , so you won’t learn anything, or projects that are for your current level. You might also end up working on things to the languages and frameworks that you really want to master (e.g. Wordpress). too simple too complicated totally unrelated We visited Freelancer.com and Upwork.com and, using some simple filters, we found several projects that seem to be tagged with the right skills of a typical entry-level web developer. However, we chose , and for each one of them we wrote an explanation about why you should avoid it. 5 projects that you should definitely avoid Project #1 Why you should avoid it Because the , and because it’s asking for PHP and WordPress skills, two things you are not interested in if your goal is to maximize your learning of JavaScript and Ruby (or whatever your preferred backend language is, unless you are interested in mastering PHP). requirements are totally unclear Project #2 Why you should avoid it Again, it seems to be very focused on PHP development and tools built with PHP. However, the main issue here is the in this project. Even though it pays per hour, this project will hardly help you stay focused on making yourself stronger in your niche. And we have talked about before. massive amount of skills and technologies involved the importance of picking a niche Project #3 Why you should avoid it The client has taken the effort to write a more detailed description of the project including some general requirements of the project. However, . It includes not just building a website, but also building an iOS and an Android app. On top of that, you are also supposed to build the authentication system, shopping cart, etc. However, this is the typical case where reinventing the wheel is not the best option. This and can just utilize an (e.g. Shopify). Is the client open to it? Maybe, but installing and customizing existing applications is not how you are going to become a great developer. the scope of the project is huge client probably needs a web developer who is an expert in e-commerce existing e-commerce solution Project #4 Why you should avoid it The scope seems simple enough, and even though the budget is really low, if you are looking for experience, this could be interesting. However, have you noticed it says “ ” and that it lists “Graphic Design” in the list of skills? That seems to suggest the client is actually , not just build it. Are you also a talented designer? Most likely not, so avoid this project. Give me example of modern HTML design looking for someone that can design the page Project #5 Why you should avoid it The project is interesting. Anything that requires you to communicate with and will be good experience for your resume and portfolio. However, did you notice the client is saying “ ”? It seems unclear given the client is not providing a clear list of requirements nor designs. Are you even familiar with the Instagram API? Make sure you . integrate data from APIs The project should be submitted no later than 4 days from the start Are you sure you can build this in just 4 days? don’t overcommit Do you need help finding, choosing and managing freelance projects? We run a training program for remote software developers where you can with other students from all around the world. work on freelance and open source projects while doing pair programming

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