Hi, My name is Samet. I graduated from college as a biomedical engineer in 2020. I'm 24 years old. I'm an Istanbul resident. I concentrated on Android application development after graduating, and I'm still in this industry today.
How do you use your desk?
At home, I have a desk and a desktop computer. Generally, I keep a notebook on my desk where I save my notes. On occasion, I keep my notes there rather than on the internet because it is simpler to access.
What are your dreams?
First of all, I can state that I have the sense of having accomplished something in life, of being rewarded for my efforts, and of living in circumstances that make you feel as though "I didn't do anything for nothing." One of my goals is to serve my nation and do my part to honorably represent it through my employment.
How do you spend your time in a day as a Freelancer?
Besides freelancing, I had no prior work experience. I did not work in a position where I could learn my trade, or the industry in which I wish to advance. Therefore, I spent my entire day learning, doing research, and applying before I started making money from freelancing.
This is how I experienced the time following graduation. I applied for employment at Upwork after realizing that my own talents were mostly used on my own work with the thinking, "Why can't I do other people's work as well?"
When I first started working, I still spent my days learning, doing research, and doing that job. I've been in a great process where learning and working are done simultaneously.
How did you decide to become a Freelancer?
I had no specific aspirations or objectives for becoming a freelancer after graduation. I had the desire to create a mobile application that would fit my needs, release it to the public, track the responses I received, and then adjust my future plans in light of what I had learned.
I barely spent six months on this application after graduating in this direction. Having first-hand experience with the creation and distribution of mobile applications gave rise to the concept of "orienting myself to the works I can make in this field." I was able to meet with the Upwork platform and Freelancer Guide thanks to my sense of faith in this topic.
I joined Upwork in March 2021, and two weeks later I received my first job offer from a client in the United States. He was present in entry-level positions at Upwork, which helped me secure my first job.
What do you suggest to fresh graduates in my field?
If they have these two views, they should understand how improper they are since they predominate my initial thoughts, which are "how I can handle with getting a job among those" or "why would they choose me." I believe it is crucial to emphasize the statement that "I designed a mobile application for myself, I took care of my own business first, and I can take care of business for others."
I've found that learning Kotlin is more important than learning Java as a programming language. As a Java programmer who later switched to Kotlin because it is now more commonly used in documents, I can attest to Kotlin's significance in this industry.
What's the biggest barrier when you decided to do that?
The largest barrier in the decision-making process, in my opinion, is the notion that "Why would they choose me among so many individuals, I have no experience, I have no previous work experience, why should they take me when looking for a job?"
I was able to get through the process because the winner was my confidence in myself, despite the fact that I had no prior work experience in this industry. I also saw that I could achieve anything in this profession and felt that I could succeed.
Why did you decide to become a freelancer?
As a new graduate, I can claim that the psychological challenges of job searches related to the department from which I graduated, as well as the fact that they are tedious and time-consuming, indirectly inspired me to start my own business. I am unable to compare my full-time working experience to that of others in this area, but if I had to list the benefits of continuing to work as a freelancer, I would say that creating your own work schedule and improving your self-awareness in the corporate world are the two main ones.
Why export?
Export because it gives the opportunity to meet and communicate with different people from different countries. Of course, the biggest advantage is in the direction of earning dollars.
The platforms that I work on
Just Upwork 😊
Details on my profile
to demonstrate my knowledge of the programming languages I use, the programs I use, and my abilities. To include the fresh material I learnt in order to provide a substitute for those who require it.
Zekeriya Mulbay
Communication in English
I found that reading in English throughout my time in college greatly aided my written communication at Upwork. To this point at Upwork, I have never spoken to a client verbally.
Correct customer selection preferences
Since I have no prior experience in my industry, the first jobs I took at Upwork were ones at the entry level in it, which were the most ideal for me. So, looking back, I can conclude that the best clients in my early career were those who were beginners and understanding of relatively novice freelancers.
Later, as we work with many clients, I can claim that the ideal client eventually appears based on our personal experiences.
Zekeriya Mulbay
At this point in my career, knowing what I know now, I would never choose to work with the clients I did my first job with again. The consumers who understand the software business, are understanding, and have good communication are the most accurate, in my experience so far, especially when I consider the most recent clients I dealt with.
Particularly, those who do not use imperative language, who express their needs clearly (could you please do this, yes please), who inspire others (particularly with emojis), who are tolerant of criticism and give others a chance, and who recognize that they are the perfect clients for me.
Which jobs do I apply for?
Just Android programming
The harsh things during Freelancing
At first, there can be instances where you can't get a job in between, especially after getting the first position. Of course, the reason for this was that my experience was less, and I lacked the experience to apply for the correct jobs.
Although these processes may make you lose motivation, you may overcome them by telling yourself, "That only indicates there are many things I still don't know and I need to develop myself in them, I need to learn new things." It actually has the potential to be incredibly enlightening and helpful in this situation.
My suggestions to New Freelancers
The first piece of advice I would give to myself when I first started would be to "maintain your expectation accordingly by being conscious of your own level of knowledge," taking into account where I came from and the experience I have obtained.
The story of my first job
My first employer's client was an American. The self-confidence it gave me by finishing the task was very significant, even though there is no one with the qualifications I can work with with the experience I have obtained and who can better me in my sector.
He had a really acceptable profile and jobs for a beginning, and even though the budget for each project he completed was little, the little bonuses he put in between were extremely stimulating. After I finished the job, giving 5 stars and writing "excellent engineer" in capital letters provided me a fantastic motivation:)
He had a very suitable profile and jobs for a beginner, and although the budget for each job he did was low, the little bonuses he threw in between were also motivating. When I look back, I see that even though there were moments when we had communication problems with him, he contributed a lot to me.
What do I do in a bad mood?
Looking back, I can see that one thing I did when I was depressed was to review the areas in where I fell short in my field and to conduct study on those areas, which was really beneficial to me. Without the method of discovering what I was lacking, I would struggle to find new employment.
Working with long-term clients has also prevented me from becoming disheartened because of the experience I have now. Even though there are occasionally bothersome things in interactions with clients, there is usually a common ground.
The benefits of Freelancer Guide
As a recent graduate working as a freelancer, I am not alone in this industry, and having access to others who have gone through the same challenging situations as me has been very beneficial. The presence of names with a lot of experience also allowed me to see things from their perspective.
I knew I could stay in the field of freelancing with confidence because there were people nearby whom I could counsel on matters such as incorporation and taxes that I did not understand and encountered problems with.
My goals in future
First of all, I can say not to be limited to Android in my field and to complete the parts that I can learn and know missing.
