What methods / techniques did you use to get your first order on a freelance exchange?

Question

Freelance

After reading the answers on the Toaster regarding the fact that there is fierce competition on freelance exchanges, I want to know your opinion and make a small survey regarding the following question.
When you first started working as a freelancer (I'm talking about layout designers, front-end and web-developer now), how did you manage to find the first orders?
Can anyone share the secrets of how to find the first customer, how not to step on a rake and how to appear more attractive in the eyes of the customer to a beginner?
Thanks to all.

Answer 1

Wild competition on the stock exchanges is a myth, many projects remain without a performer. Last week, I urgently needed a front-ender for a small task with a normal budget (5 days - $1000) and the prospect of working on permanent projects - I could not find a freelancer. Customer from Europe, adequate, solvent. Of the 30 applications, there was not a single sane proposal - only Indians (who, according to the experience of the customer on such projects, screw up in 100% of cases).
Things to pay attention to at the initial stage:
1. do not scrutinize all project descriptions - set your own criteria, and choose only those that you like;
2. the description of the project you like should be read carefully, and in the application, state your understanding of the task (retelling) and a plan for solving it;
3. set realistic terms for entering freelance - from 3 to 6 months (such a period of time is required to understand everything in detail and gain a rating);
4. promise less, deliver more;
5. And the most important advice - start right now! no need to rush to learn English or master fashionable technologies - everything you need will come by itself in the process of work. Most clients don't care how many spelling mistakes you make, how good your grammar is, and whether you use design patterns. The main thing - the ability to effectively solve the tasks - quickly, and without excessive complication.
ps. The list of projects available on the exchange is just the tip of the iceberg, it is quite difficult to estimate the volume of repeat orders and long-term contracts there. If you spend the first half a year wisely, then you will no longer have to spend time searching for projects - there will be a queue of applications for order fulfillment.
pps I am looking for an experienced front-end developer to collaborate on interesting projects. I myself am engaged in backend, databases, Linux, architecture.

Answer 2

Competition is only among schoolchildren and there are not enough specialists, and for a freelancer, search is also just a job.

Answer 3

Dumping our everything

Answer 4

Try to find the artist yourself. You will understand how everything looks from the other side and make sure that it is almost impossible to find a good performer.

Answer 5

I tell you a secret, go with a proxy and register as a customer. Tell more?

Answer 6

I think everyone had their own version of the beginning, I can say one thing - you should not start freelancing if you do not have a permanent income. Ideally, find a permanent job, or a full-time customer and simultaneously submit applications on the stock exchange.
It seems to me unrealistic to earn ONLY on freelance orders, usually there are 2-3 regular customers who form from 50% of earnings, and everything else is small orders (of course, if you don’t have any unique talents).

Answer 7

If you are just a beginner, then look for simple orders that you are sure of what you will do, or if you are confident in your abilities, you can take what you don’t know, but you will quickly understand how to do it.

Answer 8

Once I filled out a profile on fl.ru. Added all my successful projects. And I forgot. The work was a shaft and without exchange.
A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly remembered and wondered if I could become a true freelancer. I went in, updated information and projects, paid for PRO, began to sift through projects. I subscribed to all small projects for a week, offered to solve for feedback. The answer was deathly silence.
Then I changed tactics: I began to set an adequate price and offer a discount for reviews. Bottom line: two orders over the weekend.
Try, know your worth, make understandable gifts. Do not be shy. People sometimes take on something that they don’t know how to do at all and eventually cope with it.

Answer 9

This is how I got my first order.
There was a task for the layout of one page, there were already about 7 applications, I directly wrote that I was a beginner and would gladly complete the task for a good review + a couple of hundreds of remuneration, an hour later I was chosen .. although I was still a complete noob then and could only typeset a fixed width , but that's another question. Of course, freelance work at the very beginning cannot become the main sources of income, especially if there are no reviews, ratings, portfolios .. you have to sweat and work for a penny, accumulate reviews ..

Answer 10

Dumping first to get in quickly.
And then screening out orders that only spoil life)

Answer 11

Why am I sitting there alone for the entertainment of gray matter and pumping skills?
And dumping is for ... We must value ourselves.

Answer 12

Make for reviews (mostly) pieces of 5 projects at a price of 10-50 bucks (depending on your specialization). Then, on larger projects, the customer will already see that you have good reviews and you are an adequate performer.

Answer 13

They write themselves.
True, I have a resume not a beginner.

Answer 14

A simple vba project has already been sent with an application. And a 20% price reduction.