My way to freelancing

Good afternoon, dear habrachiteli! Today I will tell you about the thorny path that I went through to become a freelancer. I will tell my story, the story of a programmer, who once almost despaired of hopelessness and lack of demand for the profession of a programmer as such, but survived this difficult stage of his life.

Start

In 2006, I graduated from one of the universities of our immense country, received a diploma in which it was written that I studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and my specialty is “mathematician, system programmer”.
At that time, I had little experience working as a programmer in an organization at the university with three computers that was engaged in teaching students. The work was for a person who studied full-time, with a schedule of 2-3 hours per day. My task was to follow the “ancient” computers and maintain the written program of ratings for schoolchildren, as well as to follow the site. Additionally, I often helped students with writing programs for diplomas and coursework, from which I had a small income.
I just dreamed of becoming a good programmer, I was not particularly interested in hardware, I liked to understand the code, use clever algorithms, work with databases, and all this was easy and easy for me. I liked the process of creating a program from design, from complex development to its full implementation, followed by pointing the gloss.
This occupation fascinated me greatly and bore some fruit. For example, like even one of my graduation studies, which I helped write to a friend, they wanted to send to the All-Russian competition of graduation projects (I don’t know what happened, but it’s still nice).

First problems

The end of the university is a new milestone in life. You understand that you have overcome the next stage of life, after which adult life. I thought with pleasure that with my knowledge and experience it would be easy to find a job. But, there is always one thing, but ...
All the vacancies in the city basically boiled down to the fact that we need an enikeyschik, who will click and use his fingers to refill the cartridge ... And the salary is 10 thousand rubles. Not the ultimate dream, I wanted something completely different. The thing is that I got into adult life, and here it is. At such moments, you understand, everything that nobody taught you was necessary, you are a yellow leaf, which fell from a tree in the fall, and everyone feels like you are trampling on it. Nobody needs you, neither the university, nor the state, nor the employers, and if you need them, you will be assessed at these unfortunate 10 thousand rubles. Live on them as you want, do not deny yourself anything ...
Psychologically difficult to accept the situation. I began to think that it would be better to go to the market to trade. You can earn there, and you don’t have to study for five years. Or recalled the bad guys who were sitting at the back of the school. They have already organized a business and go to BMW, and I am with a diploma, but without work, and I don’t know what to live for.
Even as it is wildly remembered, but because of despair I went to work at the car wash, honestly endured for three days and could no longer wash cars in the cold. He became very sick and spent all the money he earned on medicines.
A person who has a higher education, who did not pay anyone for the exams and was a good student, is forced to do something incomprehensible. The most important thing is that nobody cares.
Many of you will say: “A good programmer will always find a job for himself!” You know, I thought so too, but it seems to me that the place where he is located plays an important role. Still, the province is the province. At that time, freelancing was not so common and, frankly, I did not think to look for work through the Internet, only in the city. There was no talk about moving at that time, I was married, and my wife was in her 3rd year.
Here at any person hands will fall. If it were not for my wife, who was there at a difficult moment and helped me, I do not know what would happen. I am not inclined to dramatize, but then it was really hard.

Up

Wandering over employers did not give anything, but after a couple of months my friend offered to go for an interview to a franchisee company that deals with accompanying and supporting clients in the line of programs on the 1C platform (“1C: FRANCHISING” is a network of enterprises providing integrated automation services accounting and office work), 1C programmers were required there. I had nothing to lose and I decided to go for an interview.
The director turned out to be a woman; from the very beginning she instilled trust in me and made a strong impression. My diplomas did not even look. Soft and demanding at the same time, she easily coped with her business. It turned out that the wages in the company are piecework: 50% of the amount earned, 50% of the franchisee (then I learned that for the franchisee 50% is a lot!). Some circumstances frightened me: I didn’t know 1C, I didn’t know accounting, the director’s words were alarming, saying that only 10% of programmers who came to her remained in the franchisee. Plus a bias towards programming on 1C. There is such an aphorism on the Internet: “1C is a basic translated by PROMT”. They say that a 1C programmer is not a programmer or an accountant, but neither this nor that, which the programmer doesn’t call a language. And, unfortunately, it was all I read exactly then. On the other hand, I perfectly understood that I needed to get a job. In general, there was nothing to do, and I settled down.
The team in which I had the opportunity to work left only positive memories in my soul. If you want to relax, go to the kitchen, put on a kettle, call someone to drink tea. Even at the holidays there was a feeling that you were at home, a large family sat down to have supper, a relaxed atmosphere, you did not feel the director-subordinate relationship, gifts in advance to all wives and children, who, of course, do not work for the company. There is a universal favorite, who always screw up somewhere and always be scolded, but at the same time they are not fired, but they want to buy a belt and flog it. In a word - family.
After a month of working as a franchisee, I already knew the built-in language, the features of 1C (7.7). They began to load me with puzzles, at first with quite primitive ones, such as adding another column to the accountant, then gradually increasing the workload. I gained experience and the number of clients increased, respectively increased salary. I was given tasks that did not require detailed knowledge of accounting or the specifics of accounting, and those for which no one wanted to undertake. There are various downloads, specific configurations, external components written in other languages, etc.
After a while, I began to realize that the work of 1C-nickname is not only to write something, establish and receive money - this is, first of all, a dialogue with a client. If you understand what the client needs, or you can strategically impose something for which the client will then tell you double thanks, you will enjoy success. You will be told: “I want that the boy who came to us last time would not come again, we want to work with you.” And this, believe me, is better than any praise - it is very nice.
Of course, in such work there were also disadvantages, where without them. Work in the evenings at home, constant traveling and customer calls, as well as a great responsibility.
I realized that 1C is a good source of income. An intelligent 1C-nick will always receive a decent salary.
Two years have passed. For family reasons, I was forced to go to another city and finish my work as a franchisee. It was very difficult to make such a decision, but life made it.
A new provincial town, no work, no friends, nothing. Is it all over again? I began to recall how events developed in the past, and it became a bit scary for my future.
')

More higher

To my surprise, I found a well-paid job fairly quickly and after 2 weeks I worked. It was not a franchisee, but the position of a 1C programmer in a large organization. My past work experience helped me a lot, and I easily started a new job. The tasks were no less interesting and difficult than in the franchisee.
After a year of work, my immediate supervisor was promoted, and I took his place. I became a senior programmer and managed a staff of several people, such as programmers, like me.
It would seem that all is well, even excellent. A good salary, a lot of interesting projects, a great team.
But something is wrong ... Soul and family requires more, or as they say: "appetite comes with eating." That is what you wanted before, you are not enough. I want to earn extra money, I want to be my boss and not have anyone higher, but how? Start your own bissnes? It is tempting. And if it does not go? Indeed, in this city there are franchisees, they have many clients, many employees, and who are you? Go to this franchisee? Earn credibility from the beginning? This one is not like the first one, there are bad reviews. Yes, and still want something else.
Finally, I thought it over and came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do in my situation was to try to make money by selling my projects through the Internet! The Internet is an excellent platform for the development of any commercial project, why should I not use it? Moreover, the head of the IT department knocked out a useful privilege through the management: after hours, IT staff can sell their own products designed for the organization. After all, if the development was useful to us, it can be useful to others! And the income from the sale will be a salary increase. So what? Forward?!

The first serious project via the Internet

At work there was one solution, written for the needs of our department, in which I was the main developer. From time to time another employee helped me. I decided to sell this development. First through intermediary sites. Then, when it went, opened the IP.
Frankly, it was scary. He was not afraid that things would not work. The decision was bought perfectly! He was afraid of the unknown ahead.
For example, ask any of you in the forehead: how to sell your program to the end customer? What documents must be given to the client? How do I transfer non-exclusive rights to a program? What should be written in the license agreement? How to attract new customers? Etc.
All these thoughts did not give rest, plus you should not forget about the main work on which you honestly worked from 9-00 to 18-00. Time spent on customers only after work and at lunch. Tired very much ...
Do not forget that I have a family and a child.

Point of no return

At work, the workload gradually grew, programmers for various reasons were dismissed (mainly due to relocations, because the provincial city and specialists were from other cities, there were few local ones). Instead, recruited newcomers who needed help to join the workflow. After all, it was difficult to grasp all the details at once - too much organization. In the organization itself, the shifts began not for the better ... All of this piled up gradually and in January 2013, the point of no return was reached. I decided to quit my job and become a freelance ...

Freelance!

Thank God, by this time I had already opened the IP, there were regular customers who have accumulated over the whole period of work. The solution, which I modified, released updates, regularly bought. I decided to devote myself to him and maybe over time add something else. There are new customers in the city and several remote customers who sometimes perform some tasks.
I have been working on myself in full for 3 months already, and most importantly, you know what? I like!
I like the fact that I can choose when and where I work, I like that nobody except me says: “Why don't you work?”. I am my own master and I decide myself with whom to work and with whom I don’t. Yes, hell, like that I can read Habr at any time!
But there are, of course, disadvantages: sick - there are no sick leave, vacation is not paid (for obvious reasons), contributions to the Pension Fund for Private Entrepreneurs have increased this year (about 35 tr.).
But still, working for yourself is very nice!
At first, it was not at all customary to sit at home when others go to work. Then I got used to it. During this time, I had to develop a methodology for working on the organization of my working time, which helps me. He also revised his attitude towards clients and work. I try to separate working and personal time.
The path to freelancing was long and thorny, I sincerely hope that the difficulties that were overcome were not in vain and were left far behind ... At the moment - freelancing, hopes for a good life of my family.

Thanks

I am grateful to my first franchisee, who at one time took me to work, although at that time I did not know 1C. For two years - only the best memories.
Thanks to my wife, she passed this way with me, always and in everything supporting me. Thank you, dear, for what you are.

I want to tell everyone. Do not be afraid and do not despair, you must be confident in yourself, then you will succeed. Do not be afraid of the difficulties that will stand on your difficult path, all this can be solved, because there are no hopeless situations! Think about what you will do in the future and do not sit still, it will pay off later.

I will be very happy if my publication helps at least one person to gain self-confidence. Confidence and perseverance - the key to success in any business ...