I have been actively coding for the last 7 years and somehow I still don't know how to freelance. I find it such a hustle sometimes. I have tried a few times in the past and if it's not a shitty pay to no pay, it's a shitty client or an absurdly old angular 1 project that needs support and additional features, WHYY!! just WHY!!

I want to give freelancing another chance. Help!!
How and where can I freelance properly? Tips and pointers are also welcomed.

Not a freelancer here. But if you are trying the channels that ate open to everyone, you will compete for shitty projects against cheaper bidders. I think you need to build your network first.

@aviophile

This x1000

@aviophile I disagree. That hasn't been my experience with freelancing so far.

OP you should consider starting your YouTube channel and start posting stuff about what you know. Clients will find you instead of the other way around.

I have 7 years of experience just like you and you can check my channel in my profile for an idea.

@SidTheITGuy BOOM that is excellent advise.

In my case I got lucky, worked for a company and then left in good standing offering the owner to contact me if he ever needs something, that I would like to chill with them anytime (I liked their office env) dude later on started messaging me about friends of him that need the type of shit I did for him, simple shit like automated report generation in specific formats, web facing data endpoints, glue scripts that they could have automated through cron jobs or something like that etc etc.

It got to a point in which I would only have time for maintenance. Good times, pay is nice. But it pays to have a personality and being able to talk to people.

@AleCx04 I have a feeling that @aviophile got non-payers or low-ballers and he made this opinion up about freelancing.

Also, demotivating others just because your experience is shitty is downright evil. You couldn't pull it off doesn't mean no one else can.

@SidTheITGuy

No, I don't think he's trying to do anything of the sort. His advice was sound, and I still back it up x1000.

Networking can be done in many ways. If your YouTube channel gets you clients, that's great.

I don't have a YouTube channel and the connections I established in my past gigs get me clients. It's all networking in the end, which is why I support the notion x1000.

Best way to build the network? Can't say. I myself always let my work speak for me, but might not be feasible for anyone.

From OPs tone, it does not seem like he's a stranger to salaried work.

Maybe start by leveraging connections made there?

@SidTheITGuy i don’t get it. You say you disagree, then you are telling your success that happened in entirely different way.

@SidTheITGuy on asecond thought, I realized you probably skimmed my comment entirely. I started with saying I am not freelancer at all…

@aviophile If you're not a freelancer yourself, why are you even in this conversation? And then you're demotivating OP from doing so. That's a new level of stupid you managed to reach.

@SidTheITGuy oh fuck off bro, go learn the beautiful English language first since you clearly lack comprehension skills.

@robian Don't listen to bird fuckers like @aviophile who aren't even qualified to be in this conversation themselves. It's like listening to a carpenter's opinion about the future of the country and what should be done for it.

I was in a similar position. I realized that freelancing is not my thing, so I don’t go there.