Freelancing inCzech & Abroad

Jakub Stastny@botanicus

Today no cheerleaders, sorry guys ...

It's supposed to be a discussion, feel free to interrupt ...

Is It Worthy?As always, it depends. You've got absolute freedom as well as way better money, butno matter what, you have to deliver results: you have to manage your time, look for contracts, take care about expenses and not to forget the tax return. Oh and did I mention that you have to do the actual programming as well :) ?

What Can You Do?• Webs for end clients. Estimate, manage team

of people (you need at least a graphic guy), communication with client, specification of the project, the legal aspect of the contract ... Good luck with that!

• Do just your part of the job: find someone who needs just the code (or whatever's your expertise).

How to Start• It's tough ... expect it to takes months or even

a year.

• You need reference: start with OSS.

• Use Twitter for networking with another people of your community.

• Headhunters are very handy at the beginning.

• http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/london/ruby.do

• http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/contracts/london/ruby.do

• Contracts: AVG £350, MED £300

• Permanent: AVG 47.5k per year, MED 40k

• http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/london/ruby%20on%20rails.do

• http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/contracts/london/ruby%20on%20rails.do

• Contracts: AVG:  £325, MED £300

• Permanent: AVG: £45k, MED 40-45k

• Django: similar rates.

• http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/contracts/london/django.do

Working From Home

• Great if it isn't all the time.

• What works for me: 2/3 home, 1/3 office.

• If you can't go to the office, find a co-working space (The HUB).

• Oatmeal

Working to Abroad• The US: People are used to working with

external, remotelly working people.

• The UK: British are more conservative, they'll probably will require you to work at least sometimes on-site.

• Berlin: There is quite a few start-ups as well, but I have no experience with them

Links

• http://itjobswatch.co.uk

• Fuck You, Pay Me: http://vimeo.com/22053820

• http://theoatmeal.com/comics/working_home

Thanks for your attention!