Freelance and full-time opportunities for frontend developers

There are many reasons to become a frontend developer. The ability to create and improve user experience is not only fulfilling but a rewarding career. As a frontend developer, your role involves creating websites or web applications. As the technology is expanding, frontend developers are being tasked with more challenging goals. If creativity is something that inspires you and you can code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then there are too many opportunities for you.

Opportunities for Frontend Developers are aplenty. They are high in demand, both full-time as well as freelancers. In this article, we explore the opportunities available for frontend developers on both fronts.

Freelance vs full-time opportunities for Frontend Developers

About 1 in 6 frontend developers are self-employed. The trend took an upbeat ever since the pandemic has forced people to work from home. Today, most full-time, salaried frontend developers think about freelancing someday. While being a full-time frontend developer is a safer option, being a freelancer also comes with its perks.

If you are confused about choosing between the two, a comprehensive comparison of freelance vs full-time job opportunities for frontend developers will help you decide better.

We’ll start by exploring the pros and cons.

Autonomy 

As a salaried frontend developer, you have the safety of a monthly paycheck but when it comes to autonomy, the flexibility is minimal. Freelancers are their own boss, this gives them full autonomy to decide their hourly rate, where they want to work from, and how to run the business. If you choose to become a freelance frontend developer you will have more control over the tech stack. You can solely decide the right approach for delivering a project. But as a full-time employee, you are part of a development team and have to stick to the decided tech stack and approach.

Flexibility 

Arguably the most appealing aspect of becoming a freelance frontend developer is the extreme flexibility. You get to work from home, or a coworking space or can become a digital nomad without breaking a sweat. At times, you might be required to work from client offices but the change in environment is more frequent. If you crave a routine in your work life, you are better off as a full-time employee working Monday to Friday.

However, the flexibility in your lifestyle as a freelancer is unmatched. You can choose to work from anywhere and decide when you want to work and when not. Such a lifestyle is incompatible with most full-time positions.

More per hour earning

Freelance frontend developer jobs pay you more per hour than you would make as a full-time employee. Most freelance developers charge anywhere between $80 – $250 an hour, rates that most salaried frontend developers can ever hardly achieve. That being said, the rates strictly depend on your experience and skillset. Also, as a freelancer, you will have no perks or benefits like paid leaves or sick days. You will have to handle marketing, contract negotiations, meetings, and handle days when you will have not enough clients.

Choose your tech stack 

You cannot do a lot if your employer does not approve of the tool or programming language you choose. As a freelancer, you’ll always have a choice to choose the clients who approve of your favorite tools and programming languages. Rather than working on an existing codebase, you will start greenfields projects, thereby avoiding a pile of spaghetti-code and errors. But this freedom will come with experience and when you are getting started you will have to accept whatever work is available.

Work-life balance 

As a full-time frontend developer, you will have to stick to deadlines and may not be able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Being a freelancer, however, allows you to manage your work-life balance more efficiently. While you still have to deliver projects on time, you have the flexibility to work from home and spend more time with your family.

Work-wise you can choose projects that interest you rather than getting frustrated and conform to your team’s way of working as a full-time developer.

How to become a freelance frontend developer?

Plan ahead

It is important to plan ahead to understand the industry needs your clients belong to. Start by putting in the research to discover what your target clients are asking for and what skills or strategies you need to achieve the tasks.

As mobile internet access is gaining popularity over desktop PC access, mobile frontend development principles are high in demand.

Specialize skills set

Most freelance jobs for frontend developers are focused on responsive design. While responsive design is a bid categorical term you might want to specialize in a particular growing field to land clients easily. Deciding on specialization will also help you build a portfolio to support your growth.

Ecommerce frontend development is one of the fastest-growing areas. You can master product pages, shopping carts and checkout processes to easily find freelance frontend developer jobs in this niche.

A strong online portfolio            

There is no better way to showcase your talent and explain your skillset. Building a strong portfolio allows potential clients to instantly realize the knowledge and skills you possess. The more vivid and versatile your online portfolio is, the stronger your chances of getting clients will be.Talent500 has already helped hundreds of freelance frontend developers land global clients. Be part of our elite talent network to kickstart your freelance career. Sign up today.