4 ms·

Freelancing in C or C++

i know C and C++ are different languages and i wanna know that what type of work is being done in freelancing space i am embedded firmware, old jaded guy writes C and assembly and now i am interested in C++ and don't tell me to learn C# java python scala javascript or any bullshit i don't wanna work in toy fucking programming languages. i just wanna know what could be freelancing domains where C++ is used or rust because i monitored them on upwork and there was lot of game development stuff and opengl on job postings but i don have a rig level computer so i can't do game development or cuda programming on that thing and my Brother said that low latency backend are things / HFT backends but i didn't saw jobs for them specially on freelancing platforms. This goes for rust too because it is widely used in crypto space not in web backends and if it is just a 1 posting per month and that could starve me or work again in C language in embedded space . write if you are professional c++ or rust developer !

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
GianFabien 2y ago
All the C/asm contracts I got were through networking with companies actually building real stuff. In my experience the freelancing sites mostly list work for which there are lots of available programmers, like C#, Java, JS. The only time I use C++ is if the SDK is C++ oriented. For me bit twiddling, etc is easier to implement using structured assembler. Other people's abstractions often require more learning time than the time they save me. Then there is the debugging ... sigh!
swatcoder 2y ago
Pretty much everything with strict resource requirements or other reasons for aggressive resource use optimization: embedded, automotive, industrial control sytems, games, operating systems, audio and other (soft) realtime media applications, hft, tools and frameworks for all these things, etc But you'll note that most of these things are very sensitive to quality of work. That is not something that people find easily on freelancing platforms like upwork and so people seeking contract help for these things don't post their work their. Instead, buyers generally reach out through established connections ("word of mouth", past coworkers, approved vendor lists) or fall back to hunting through Google and LinkedIn for firms/individuals that look impressive, hoping that the impression holds up during a requirements gathering, bidding, and estimation process. Given where it sounds like you are in your career, your best bet might be to find work inside a contracting firm that can feed you gigs (they'll do sales, they may do project management, they may staff a team alonside you, they'll take a large cut). If you make good impressions on the clients and colleagues you work with there, they will become the personal connections that feed you independent work some years down the road. Without taking the time for that, it can pretty had to break in, and much of the work you may be able to find will be miserable table scraps for poor clients who barely know what they're doing themselves.
- yasirdevloper 2y ago
  reasonable freelancing is for noob python,js ,c# guys i undestood your thoughts
  - GianFabien 2y ago
    There is a huge difference between freelancing and contracting. With freelancing you go to sites like UpWork and seek out work. With contracting you engage in professional networking activities, you identify the organizations that might need your C/C++ skills and then pitch to them. You build your reputation and portfolio of successfully completed projects. Obviously, contracting requires more effort, but it also pays far better. For most of my career I actually had paid work for 5-7 months a year. Much of that time involved working 60-80 hour weeks with quite a bit of travel on top of that. During the "bench time" I would chill and network.
proc0 2y ago
I'm wondering this myself. I'm trying to steer away from web, I can't stand it anymore, but I digress. I hoping to build a portfolio of C/C++ games and UIs and get anything in the game industry or alternatively in some embedded system UI space. From there hopefully I never have to touch web apps again. Didn't think about freelancing but seems it would be hard given that C/C++ is used in domains where the code is sensitive and cannot just be given to anyone that is not trusted, but if anyone has more ideas on how to pivot towards C/C++, I think these jobs will still remain after AI takes the low hanging fruit that is web apps.
- GianFabien 2y ago
  For ideas on how to pivot, see my reply above in relation to what has worked for me. As for the embedded space, I have been increasingly including REST, WebSocket, SSE services for front-end engineers to hook in GUI / WebApp features. Futzing with tiny LCDs and limited buttons, etc is basically a waste of effort. A solid API for WebApps to connect to provides for far better user experience.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

GianFabien 2y ago

All the C/asm contracts I got were through networking with companies actually building real stuff. In my experience the freelancing sites mostly list work for which there are lots of available programmers, like C#, Java, JS. The only time I use C++ is if the SDK is C++ oriented. For me bit twiddling, etc is easier to implement using structured assembler. Other people's abstractions often require more learning time than the time they save me. Then there is the debugging ... sigh!

swatcoder 2y ago

Pretty much everything with strict resource requirements or other reasons for aggressive resource use optimization: embedded, automotive, industrial control sytems, games, operating systems, audio and other (soft) realtime media applications, hft, tools and frameworks for all these things, etc But you'll note that most of these things are very sensitive to quality of work. That is not something that people find easily on freelancing platforms like upwork and so people seeking contract help for these things don't post their work their. Instead, buyers generally reach out through established connections ("word of mouth", past coworkers, approved vendor lists) or fall back to hunting through Google and LinkedIn for firms/individuals that look impressive, hoping that the impression holds up during a requirements gathering, bidding, and estimation process. Given where it sounds like you are in your career, your best bet might be to find work inside a contracting firm that can feed you gigs (they'll do sales, they may do project management, they may staff a team alonside you, they'll take a large cut). If you make good impressions on the clients and colleagues you work with there, they will become the personal connections that feed you independent work some years down the road. Without taking the time for that, it can pretty had to break in, and much of the work you may be able to find will be miserable table scraps for poor clients who barely know what they're doing themselves.

yasirdevloper 2y ago
reasonable freelancing is for noob python,js ,c# guys i undestood your thoughts
- GianFabien 2y ago
  There is a huge difference between freelancing and contracting. With freelancing you go to sites like UpWork and seek out work. With contracting you engage in professional networking activities, you identify the organizations that might need your C/C++ skills and then pitch to them. You build your reputation and portfolio of successfully completed projects. Obviously, contracting requires more effort, but it also pays far better. For most of my career I actually had paid work for 5-7 months a year. Much of that time involved working 60-80 hour weeks with quite a bit of travel on top of that. During the "bench time" I would chill and network.

proc0 2y ago

I'm wondering this myself. I'm trying to steer away from web, I can't stand it anymore, but I digress. I hoping to build a portfolio of C/C++ games and UIs and get anything in the game industry or alternatively in some embedded system UI space. From there hopefully I never have to touch web apps again. Didn't think about freelancing but seems it would be hard given that C/C++ is used in domains where the code is sensitive and cannot just be given to anyone that is not trusted, but if anyone has more ideas on how to pivot towards C/C++, I think these jobs will still remain after AI takes the low hanging fruit that is web apps.

GianFabien 2y ago
For ideas on how to pivot, see my reply above in relation to what has worked for me. As for the embedded space, I have been increasingly including REST, WebSocket, SSE services for front-end engineers to hook in GUI / WebApp features. Futzing with tiny LCDs and limited buttons, etc is basically a waste of effort. A solid API for WebApps to connect to provides for far better user experience.