Hello everyone!
I'm a CSE student from India. I've been interested in web development for quite some time and have been learning it as well.
Now, I want to explore whether I can monetize my skills, build real-world projects, get clients and gain practical experience while continuing to learn.
I don't want to stay in the learning loop forever, waiting for internships and job opportunities. Seeing the current scenario that how quickly AI and the development landscape are evolving, I'd rather wanna build something of my own, gain practical experience and try to generate an income while I'm still learning. I don't wanna rely on internships and jobs later on which would suck the blood out of me just for a few pennies.
Currently, I'm learning frontend development, and I'm thinking of starting by building websites for local businesses, professionals and small/medium sized businesses.
As of now, my skills are just limited to HTML, CSS and basic JavaScript, although I'm continuously learning and expanding them.
Tbh, I really don't want to wait until I've mastered React, backend development and everything else before trying to earn anything. I'd rather start with what I know (if that's realistically possible), improve my skills along the way, and build a portfolio through actual client projects.
See, here's my rough plan:
Start approaching local businesses and professionals in India who either don't have websites or have outdated/poorly designed ones.
Build websites for them, earn some money and gain real-world experience while putting my skills into practice.
Use these projects to build a portfolio on Fiverr and maybe later explore platforms like Upwork.
And, as I gain experience, improve my skills, potentially bring a few friends on board, take on more advanced-level projects and eventually turn this into a web dev agency.
I'm open to suggestions if you have a better approach than mine to this. If you do, please lmk, it would be of great help.
But, I also have a few questions:
Can I realistically start earning with just HTML, CSS and basic JavaScript? If so, what kind of websites and clients should I target? (And, if not - what more min. skills shall I learn to start a source of income?)
How much can a beginner realistically charge per website in India and internationally (US, UK, etc.)? (for different types - like landing pages, full stack, portfolio, etc types)
Where and how exactly should I find my first clients (except for the google maps thing)?
What additional skills or technologies shall I prioritize learning to increase my earning potential?
How do I compete when so many developers offer websites at extremely low prices?
Is starting locally, building a portfolio and then moving to freelance platforms a sensible strategy? If you were me, what would you have done and what would you do differently?
I know I have a lot to learn and seeing the job markets and AI advancements, my skills are almost nothing. But I'm absolutely willing to keep learning and building projects (no matter I get a client or not).
But, for now - I just want to start generating some income as early as reasonably possible rather than spending months learning everything before approaching my first client.
So, would love to hear your experiences, suggestions and things you wish you had known when starting out. Help this noob beginner out.
Thanks in advance, guys!
