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Wow. This thread is blowing my mind. I'm a js fullstacker who is moving to Europe within two weeks and and I'm having trouble even getting replies to job post

by wjg 10y ago

Wow. This thread is blowing my mind. I'm a js fullstacker who is moving to Europe within two weeks and and I'm having trouble even getting replies to job postings when I offer a rate of $60/hr (I'm wondering now if that's too "cheap"?)! I feel like I'm missing something big on my resume, my approach, something (if curious, github is on my profile)... How did you all find your jobs? My blindly applying online doesn't seem to be working out well.

BlackjackCF 10y ago
I think it's probably building up a network and just having loads of experience? From what I've seen, most folks in the community kind of get lucky with their first job, build a network, and then just find jobs through their network after their first few years.
- ThrowCatchElse 10y ago
  Yep, I got all my (good) jobs through peers I interacted with in an open-source community. "Cold calling" a company by sending in my resume never worked for me.
nicolas_t 10y ago
Having a rate that's too cheap definitely doesn't help... After that, it's really networking. I found the first few freelance jobs through people I met at meetups and through the blog I had. From then on, it's mostly been recommendations from people who worked with me before.
- wjg 10y ago
  Ha, cool. I am actually in the process of writing up a blogpost on building an SPA w/ React/Redux/Node/Postgres/GraphQL front-to-back in hopes of getting some traction. :) The networking makes sense, I don't have a big one and not a lot of remote stuff within it. I'll have to begin to remedy that. Thanks for the advice.
  - nicolas_t 10y ago
    You're off to a good start with Flytrap. It looks interesting. You should show it here with a Show HN post. Also add somewhere in the doc or readme file that you're available for consulting engagements. The best clients are the ones who contact you directly so reminding people you're available in your projects is important.
    - wjg 10y ago
      Thanks man, really appreciate your thoughts. I've put it on a Show HN before, but as it's tough to get off the New page, got discouraged and kinda gave up on getting it traction. :) I'll do another ShowHN and the like, and make it clear I'm available for work on the readmes, etc.
vemv 10y ago
Just keep in mind that European companies don't pay US rates! London is bit of an exception, but lifestyle there is crazy expensive obviously If you want a US rate you have to compete globally, which is quite discouraging to me. So as a freelancer I'm happy to have a theoretically 'low' rate but which in practice lets me live more than well in Spain.
- passiveincomelg 10y ago
  The rates in London I've seen were pretty much the same as what I make in Berlin (400-500 GBP/day). These are from job postings by contracting agencies like Computer Futures. The only exception seems to be finance. Which, I think, requires domain knowledge.
  - vemv 10y ago
    First time I heard of such rates in Berlin! I guess they pay that in order to compete with London? Else they don't seem to correspond with Germany's market and cost-of-living...
    - passiveincomelg 10y ago
      Where have you been looking? Examples of companies hiring freelancers at those rates are T-Labs, ImmobilienScout, eBay and HERE. Berlin is actually lower than other regions that have higher cost of living (Frankfurt, Stuttgart, München) so it's not about competing with London. Check out http://gulp.de/ http://gulp.de/. They have a regular survey among their users with a good breakdown by location, experience and the type of work the freelancers do. You can also browse profiles there or project listings on http://etengo.de http://etengo.de.
      - vemv 10y ago
        Great to hear! Answering your question, I've not been looking anywhere - just what I read or could infer. 500 euros/day/head sounds beyond wasteful to me, at least when not in SF/London. I can only imagine there's got to be an awful ASAP culture in those environments...

by wjg 10y ago

BlackjackCF 10y ago

I think it's probably building up a network and just having loads of experience? From what I've seen, most folks in the community kind of get lucky with their first job, build a network, and then just find jobs through their network after their first few years.

ThrowCatchElse 10y ago
Yep, I got all my (good) jobs through peers I interacted with in an open-source community. "Cold calling" a company by sending in my resume never worked for me.

nicolas_t 10y ago

Having a rate that's too cheap definitely doesn't help... After that, it's really networking. I found the first few freelance jobs through people I met at meetups and through the blog I had. From then on, it's mostly been recommendations from people who worked with me before.

wjg 10y ago
Ha, cool. I am actually in the process of writing up a blogpost on building an SPA w/ React/Redux/Node/Postgres/GraphQL front-to-back in hopes of getting some traction. :) The networking makes sense, I don't have a big one and not a lot of remote stuff within it. I'll have to begin to remedy that. Thanks for the advice.
- nicolas_t 10y ago
  You're off to a good start with Flytrap. It looks interesting. You should show it here with a Show HN post. Also add somewhere in the doc or readme file that you're available for consulting engagements. The best clients are the ones who contact you directly so reminding people you're available in your projects is important.
  - wjg 10y ago
    Thanks man, really appreciate your thoughts. I've put it on a Show HN before, but as it's tough to get off the New page, got discouraged and kinda gave up on getting it traction. :) I'll do another ShowHN and the like, and make it clear I'm available for work on the readmes, etc.

vemv 10y ago

Just keep in mind that European companies don't pay US rates! London is bit of an exception, but lifestyle there is crazy expensive obviously If you want a US rate you have to compete globally, which is quite discouraging to me. So as a freelancer I'm happy to have a theoretically 'low' rate but which in practice lets me live more than well in Spain.

passiveincomelg 10y ago
The rates in London I've seen were pretty much the same as what I make in Berlin (400-500 GBP/day). These are from job postings by contracting agencies like Computer Futures. The only exception seems to be finance. Which, I think, requires domain knowledge.
- vemv 10y ago
  First time I heard of such rates in Berlin! I guess they pay that in order to compete with London? Else they don't seem to correspond with Germany's market and cost-of-living...
  - passiveincomelg 10y ago
    Where have you been looking? Examples of companies hiring freelancers at those rates are T-Labs, ImmobilienScout, eBay and HERE. Berlin is actually lower than other regions that have higher cost of living (Frankfurt, Stuttgart, München) so it's not about competing with London. Check out http://gulp.de/ http://gulp.de/. They have a regular survey among their users with a good breakdown by location, experience and the type of work the freelancers do. You can also browse profiles there or project listings on http://etengo.de http://etengo.de.
    - vemv 10y ago
      Great to hear! Answering your question, I've not been looking anywhere - just what I read or could infer. 500 euros/day/head sounds beyond wasteful to me, at least when not in SF/London. I can only imagine there's got to be an awful ASAP culture in those environments...