Starting as a freelance coder?

Question

Freelance

Actually, a cap, and a bit of context:
There is a certain Vasya, a typesetter. He has average knowledge of HTML and CSS.
This means that he has studied in detail some courses on them or books, all this along with practice, he has a dozen or two adaptively designed layouts, that is, little experience and a little stuffed hands. I read some additional literature, such as "Immersion in HTML" to make pages more confident and better.
But he's not a programmer yet. He teaches JS, he is interested in growing someday into a full-fledged front and possibly getting to know the back.

Now:
At this stage of development, Vasily wanted to earn money for his first Doshirak freelance. He is aware of the competition. In order to somehow break through, he decides to follow the example of his comrades from India and try to make a few simple orders for next to nothing or even for free. But at the same time, qualitatively - in order to get good reviews and real combat experience, you can learn something new. He would have made layouts further anyway, and so, perhaps, then it would be easier for him to take an order on the stock exchange.

Question(s): is it worth it? How do customers usually react to people who are willing to do something for a review? Perhaps it is worth changing the strategy or learning js first before getting into the exchange?
Or even try to stumble into an office nearby? Although they are not around, because Vasily's city is more like a village, and he cannot move on his own, or he is afraid.

Answer 1

Let the layout designer Vasya get himself some kind of blog and train his strength on it. I started with this a long time ago.
At the same time, he will pump skills in SEO, CMS device and many other interesting things.
So that the blog does not die like millions of similar ones, you can come up with an original design, for example, in the style of the Windows interface or another OS, it doesn’t matter, even though it’s a command line .
Also pumped in design.
So, everything is in the hands of Vasya, the main thing is not to cormorant.

Answer 2

Chance of success to receive the first order ~0.000000000001%
Chance of successful completion of the first order ~50.0%
Time to receive the first order ~from 0 to infinity
And for a portfolio you need dozens of such orders
The conclusion suggests itself, right?

Answer 3

Work first on the shadow forums.
Like lzt.guru or dark2web.com
There is almost 0 competition.
I used to earn money there.
Then fill your portfolio, and go freelancing.

Answer 4

You don’t need to work for a doshik, you will only kill motivation. Learn the basics of js, complete some react courses, and off you go to June. At first they will refuse, but you will fill the skill of interviews, this is also a plus.
The main thing to remember is that a decent office will not save a penny on a junior's salary, and it's better not to get into shit.

Answer 5

No one will take to work for a doshirak, after all, people need some kind of result, and no one wants to experiment with a free layout designer. Time = money, people need quality work done, and no one wants to invest in your "education". Since you are a beginner coder, then most likely (almost 100%) you will not be able to do it well. A normal customer will not contact you, even for free. And those who agree will most likely be extremely inadequate and work with such a customer is more expensive for themselves.
What to do anyway?
Make yourself a portfolio of your own projects, or design new sites for friends, acquaintances, neighbors, cafes that you like. Share it on social networks, tell your friends and acquaintances, etc. Work for yourself, and when you get a good level, you will start getting job offers.
Do not forget the main rule of the market: Demand creates supply, and not vice versa.

Answer 6

If you want to eat so much, then it will be faster to go the other way.
Make something useful. For example, a beautiful template. In the form of HTML, nobody needs it. Accordingly, we integrate with the CMS (the same WP).
Post in any community. There will definitely be someone who wants to finish / redo something. Here's a penny for you.
Not sure if this works with WP. I bypass it. It worked fine with Modx builds.

Answer 7

You have a very skewed view of freelancing, look for success stories of other freelancers.