#edutech #college #work #NFT #education #remotework #onlinelearning #stem #talent #diversity #highered #STEM #blog

College students are notorious for being broke and living off Ramen noodles, taking out loans and maybe supplementing their studies with a part-time job or two to bring in a few dollars. But for those pursuing tech careers, there’s a much more appealing and lucrative option than restaurant work or retail: freelancing.

Freelancing enables college students to work, gain experience, and make money, typically without even needing to leave their dorm rooms (since a lot of tech jobs are available online). It offers flexibility, freedom, and resume experience to help students stand out once they graduate and enter the workforce.

Below, I talk to those who have done it before about their experiences and advice on how to balance your studies with earning extra on the side.

While Taylor’s main area of study at The University of Texas at Austin was theatre, he used his electives wisely and also earned certificates in business, computer science, and digital art & media, giving him a broad skillset to work with. His freelance business focused on “building digital experiences” for businesses—starting from simple WordPress sites as a high school junior and working his way up to full-service development and design encompassing websites, emails, logos, and more.

What drew him to freelancing? “It was a way to leverage my love of technology, making money doing something that I would have done in my free time anyway,” he explains. “I freelanced to pay my way through college as a first-generation, lower-middle class student from East Texas, and graduated with zero debt.”

After graduation, Taylor gravitated toward tech rather than theatre and now holds the role of Product Manager at the WordPress digital experience platform WP Engine. “I definitely attribute my professional success directly to the experiences and skills I learned while freelancing,” he says. “Freelancing teaches you how to not accept limits, to push harder than you thought was possible, and to deal with everyday pressures like deadlines, difficult people, and financial strains.”

His advice to those looking to start freelancing: “Learn something new or hone an existing skill. Start small, and grow your client base through word-of-mouth by doing great work. Don’t forget to set some of that freelance income to the side to cover taxes, health care, and other expenses that come along with being self-employed.” Finally, he says, remember that “Success is nothing more than hard work and boundless perseverance.”

Neel Somani (Computer Science and Business Administration major)

Currently a student at the University of California, Berkeley, Neel has already landed an internship at Google—and credits his freelancing experience in helping him set himself apart to secure that role.

“During my freshman year of college, I freelanced an iPhone app for the Baylor College of Medicine,” says Neel. “The app, Foley Rounds, is designed to reduce medical errors, and it has been adopted for use by 50 physicians.” He also developed web applications for a local hotel owner, a school district, and a research institute within UC Berkeley.

His advice? Don’t be afraid to contact businesses directly. “My biggest recommendation is cold emails. I probably sent about 50 targeted emails for every contract that I was able to get.”

Neel also recommends having a portfolio to show potential clients. “It’s really important to have previous work to show. Nearly every person I’ve worked with asked about previous projects that I built. I think the best way to get started is by developing a few strong personal projects to demonstrate your skill set. And of course, any web developer should have a solid website to display their previous work.”

Joseph Nagle (Journalism major)

In college, Joseph and a friend discovered that the tech skills of one and UX/writing skills of the other could be a potent combination. “We started building flash-based web pages for local businesses: he would build out a good deal of the design while I would supply the user flow and content. We researched places that didn’t have any kind of web design and started by simply showing up and speaking with the owners.”

Today he is the Director of Marketing for EverCharge, and says that the specific duties of the freelance jobs proved less educational than simply learning how to work and manage himself. “The content writing wasn’t nearly as valuable as learning how to hustle,” he says. “In the startup world, things need to happen quickly. Learning how to keep grinding away proved invaluable.”

The advice Joseph passes along is the same lesson that proved so valuable to him: “All it takes is a little hustle. Most people don’t succeed because they don’t try. It’s the ones who learn to stick with it who see the real payoff in the end.“

Gary McTall (Economics and Management major, CS minor)

Gary’s freelance hustle is a little different, because rather than doing online design/development work, he provided services actually fixing and maintaining computers. He started out by doing it for fellow students, then branched out into helping small businesses—and eventually the part-time freelance evolved into a full, official business with a recurring revenue model.

Today, Gary has moved on to become co-founder and CTO of a software company called GovSense, but credits that early experience with helping him understand computer users: “It helped me develop the soft skills to ensure our technology today can be used by mere mortals.”

When you’re looking for freelance or business opportunities of your own, Gary suggests keeping your ears open and listen for the things people need. “Like any opportunity, the key is listening and observing,” he says. “For example, I would listen to fellow students complain about how expensive it was to get their computer fixed and how painful it was to take it to a big box store and drop it off for days. That’s where my opportunity was.”

However, he also advises not to sacrifice passion for money. “It has to be something you enjoy or are passionate about. For any side hustle to work, you have to love it and want to do it even when you are tired.”