Is freelancing possible without prior experience?

Career Advice
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I want to become a freelance web developer. I have a solid background in programming (have a BSc in Elec. Eng.) and spent the last 5 months learning HTML, CSS, JS, React, and NodeJS. I’ll also take a 4-6 month internship and hire a mentor for code reviews/pair programming.

However, people have told me that it is absolutely necessary to spend 1-2 years working as a frontend dev in an agency/company alongside senior devs (preferably in a mixed team) to gain experience before even trying to go the freelance route. But I also found others saying that it is possible to become a freelance WordPress dev with no prior in-house experience. So, I have a few questions:

  1. Can someone with no experience of working as an in-house dev become a freelance WP dev?

  2. How would I compensate for not having worked with/been mentored by senior devs in a company? Hiring a mentor?

  3. Is there any difference between WordPress/PHP and frontend (JS/React) when it comes to working as a freelancer with no experience? Which one would be more suitable to someone with no prior experience?

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As a caveat, I’m no expert on freelance work or WordPress…

  1. Can someone with no experience of working as an in-house dev become a freelance WP dev?

Sure. Is it easy? No, but it never is. But sure, you could take a few easy small freelance jobs (probably for low money), build up a reputation, and gradually get better jobs.

How would I compensate for not having worked with/been mentored by senior devs in a company? Hiring a mentor?

By working your ass off and learning as much as possible. But it is true that you do learn a lot on your fist job, working with more experienced devs.

Is there any difference between WordPress/PHP and frontend (JS/React) when it comes to working as a freelancer with no experience?

Yes, a huge difference. PHP is a completely different language that FCC does not teach. Some of the early stuff about HTML, CSS, and JS would be useful. I’ve heard something about React with WP, but don’t know much about it.

Which one would be more suitable to someone with no prior experience?

My (fairly uninformed) instinct is that WP is an easier thing to get started in, but because of that the field is flooded with low skill but cheap people that live in places with very low costs of living. Unless you want to live in a place with a low COL, that is going to be difficult to compete with. I guess some people do make a good living with building WP sites, but I imagine that they are the best of the best. I don’t know this for sure, but that is my impression.

I think people sometimes hear/infer that web dev is a quick and easy way to get a great career. No, it is a long and hard way to get a great career.

Again, I’m no expert, but thats my perception.

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