Freelancing Kit for Engineers

2 years ago   •   8 min read

By Zekeriya Mulbay
Table of contents

We have crafted a bunch of templates which can be used by engineers who want to start freelancing on their own. Freelancers can find profitable niches and generate profile headlines and descriptions. They also can find sample project descriptions and cover letters.

Freelancing Templates

Profitable Freelance Niches for Engineers

The following 3 niches were the most profitable hidden niches for freelance engineers:

  • 3D printing
  • Robotics
  • Technical blogging

These three niches are great because the work is steady, and the pay is well above average. Fees can range from $200-$800 per job, depending on the difficulty and time required to complete it.

Tips to Become a Freelance Engineer

Upwork, where you can bid on projects and earn money for your skills. It's a great place for new freelancers to start earning money online.

  • Measure Twice, Cut Once: When you're new to freelance engineering, it can be difficult to know exactly how much work you should take on. Upwork has a minimum that you're required to reach per week in order to keep your account active, so it might seem like a good idea to accept as many jobs as you can once you get started.
  • Not Too Many Projects: It can be tempting when the jobs are rolling in to accept every single open project that comes along. Resist the urge! You will quickly burn out if you take on too much work at one time. There is no way that you'll be able to meet deadlines for all of those jobs if you take them on at once.
  • Be Flexible: If you have multiple clients who need their projects done at the same time — or even worse, overlapping — it can be difficult to figure out how they'll all fit into your schedule and still make enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. Prepare yourself by being flexible with your schedule and always planning ahead

Freelance Engineer Profile Title Examples

  • Transportation Engineer with 2 years of experience in designing transportation infrastructures such as roads, sidewalks, bridges, bike paths and traffic lights
  • Software Engineer with 8 years of experience in building systems using C++, Java and Python. A strong grasp of unit testing, MVC architecture and agile software development methodologies
  • Web Developer with 6 years of experience using PHP, ASP.NET MVC and MySQL. Proficient in HTML5 and CSS3
  • Hire a Ruby on Rails developer for a fresh start up in healthcare
  • Experienced iOS Developer for startup looking to create a telemedicine app
  • IOS Developer, Coder of 4+ years, ready to work on your project!
  • Experienced Ruby on Rails developer looking for a remote job
  • Biomed engineer, with certification in a specific industry
  • Software engineer, proficient in several languages and tools
  • Mechanical engineer, with a specific focus in aerospace/aircraft/automotive/etc.
  • Chemical engineer, with certification in a certain type of chemical or process
  • Electrical engineer, with knowledge of specific types of equipment and systems

Freelance Engineer Profile Description Example

I'm a freelance engineer with over 6 years of experience. I've worked across many industries including health care, hospitality, and retail, and I've helped businesses of all sizes solve their most challenging problems.

I'm a self-starter who works best independently, but I can also collaborate well on teams. When working with my team members, I take the initiative to lead the design process and offer clear direction. I'm always open to feedback and receptive to new ideas.

What do you do?
I like to say that I build other people's dreams. My favorite thing is to come up with a crazy idea for some software or hardware system, then actually build it. It's incredible how much we can do these days with increasingly sophisticated technology!

Why should we hire you?
I'm a big picture thinker who loves to design the entire project from start to finish, from requirements gathering through development and testing and into deployment. I've been doing this for years, so you won't need to worry about me needing hand-holding or getting stuck on something minor if there's a bigger problem at hand.

Software Engineering Project Scope Example

Project Name: Create an online system

Budget: The estimated budget for this project is $45,000.

Goal: The goal of this project is to create an online system that will provide technical support for our clients.

Objectives: The main objectives of this project are:

  • To be able to make appointments online
  • To be able to view past appointments online
  • For the client to be able to message with the technician directly on the website and not have to call in or email them
  • For technicians to schedule their time online and get paid according to how many hours they work each day
  • For technicians offline time to be recorded so we can better estimate how long a job will take

Software Engineering Project Brief Example

Project Title: Develop a new software system

Background: [Company Name] is a startup that delivers packages in an environmentally friendly way. While their team has been doing a great job so far, they need to improve their technology in order to scale up their operation.

Objective: [Company Name] wants to develop a new software system that will allow them to track the location of all their delivery vehicles at all times, as well as keep track of all the packages they deliver and where they are going. This will allow them to optimize their operations and help them prepare for future growth.

Scope: The scope of this project includes developing a new application on top of existing systems with an easy-to-use interface that can be used by anyone at [Company Name]. It should be able to track any vehicle or package in real time and provide notifications when something goes wrong, like if a driver has not picked up the correct package or arrives late for a delivery.

Timeline: The timeline for this project is six weeks from start date until final product delivery, with weekly check-ins along the way.

Budget: $50k

Engineering Project Cover Letter/Proposal Example

Hello,

I am writing to you in regards to your posting for a [engineering project]. I understand you're looking for someone who has experience with [raw materials] and [product types], and I believe my skills make me an excellent fit for this position.

In the past, I have worked on similar projects as a [position name] for companies like [company name] and [company name]. Through these experiences, I've picked up valuable skills that would make me an asset to your team. For example:

  • I've gained experience in [relevant skill 1] through my work at [company name].
  • I've learned how to [relevant skill 2] during my time as a [position name].

These skills have been invaluable in my past projects, particularly when working with clients like [client name], whom I helped to improve their operations by creating a system that helped them better track data trends.

I'd love to hear more about this opportunity and what you're trying to accomplish! Please let me know if you'd be interested in having a conversation about how my experience might meet your needs.

Client Communication Templates

Introduce Yourself as a Engineers

My name is [name], and I'm a freelance engineer.

I've been working as a freelancer for [duration] years, and I've had the pleasure of working with companies like [company name].

I specialize in [specialty], but I can also help you with [other specialty].

How to Update a Engineering Project Status?

As a freelance engineer, you know that keeping your project status up to date is important. But if you're new to freelancing, it can be hard to figure out how to keep your project status updated.

First, check in with your client or employer. Ask them what they want the status of your project to be. For example, if you were working on a website redesign for a client and they wanted to see progress being made every week, you'd update their project status as "in progress," but after every week when you'd send over drafts of pages or designs, they would update their project status back down to "in progress."

If your client doesn't have any specific preferences about how often they need updates from you, then just make sure that at least once a week (or whatever interval makes sense for the type of work)

Freelancing Price Increase Letter for Engineers

Dear [name],

I'm writing to let you know that I'm increasing the price of my freelance services.

my costs have gone up and I need to pass those on to my clients. I've been working hard to keep prices low and affordable, but I'm at a breaking point where we can't continue doing business.

I understand that this might cause problems for some of my customers, but I hope you'll understand that it's necessary for me to keep providing quality work at an affordable price.

I'd like to hear from you if you have any questions or concerns about the change in pricing.

Missed Appointment Email Example

Hi [client name],

I'm so sorry I missed our appointment today. I was stuck in traffic and couldn't get out of it. The good news is that I've already started working on the project and will have it ready by next week.

If you need anything else from me please let me know. Otherwise, I'll see you next week!

Engineering Project Delay Letter Example

Dear [client name],

I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to complete your project by the deadline you provided. I apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause, but unfortunately, my workload has become far too demanding for me to meet the agreed-upon due date.

I understand that it is important to you that your project be completed as soon as possible, and I would like to assure you that I will do everything in my power to complete it as soon as possible. If there is any way that I can assist or expedite the process, please let me know.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Interview Questions for Engineers

  • What is your greatest strength as an engineer?
  • What is your greatest weakness as an engineer?
  • What are your goals for the next year? Three years? Five years? Ten years?
  • What are some of the challenges you've faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
  • Have you worked with a team before, and if so, what was it like?
  • Tell me about a time when you've had to make a difficult decision that affected other people's lives or careers. How did you handle it?

Freelancing Branding Templates

Elevator Pitch Example for Engineers

I'm a software engineering freelancer looking to work on projects that are challenging, interesting, and fun.

I've been working as a developer for the past 5 years and have experience with many different technologies and languages: C#, C++, Python, Java, Ruby, Javascript. I'm also familiar with some front-end languages like HTML/CSS/Javascript.

I'm passionate about creating high quality products that solve real problems for my clients.

Freelance Engineer Narrative

I have been working as a freelancing engineer since 2016. Since then, I have worked with clients in the US, UK, and Canada.

I started working as a freelancer because I was not getting enough work as an employee at my previous job. I was looking for ways to get more experience in my field of expertise and better pay, so I decided to take the leap and start working as a freelancer.

I think the biggest challenge when starting out was finding clients who would be willing to work with me as a freelancer instead of an employee. Luckily, there are many websites where you can post your profile and start contacting potential clients (such as Upwork.com). These sites usually have systems in place that help match up freelance engineers with potential employers, which makes it easier for both sides to find each other.

As far as advice for people thinking about becoming freelancers themselves, I would say it's important to be very clear about what kind of projects/tasks you can take on before agreeing on payment terms with clients. This way both parties know what they're getting into before they sign any contracts or agreements together!

Blog Ideas for Engineers

  • How to become a Better Programmer?
  • Why Engineers Should Write Code?
  • 5 things you can do to improve your job performance as an engineer
  • The 3 most important skills for engineers
  • 7 tips for getting a raise at your engineering job
  • The top 10 things to consider when looking for a new job as an engineer

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