How to become a freelance programmer without knowing much about Web Design?

Question

I am an aerospace engineer, but I'm quite adept at programming I believe. I am very strong with C, C++ and Python. However, I use it for computational simulations and embedded systems in the aerospace field. It has nothing to do with developing apps or websites, etc. Everywhere I have looked I've found these freelance jobs tend to be for this type of work generally.

Would it be better I just tutored in C++ or Python instead of trying to become a freelance programmer? I am just looking for some extra money during my graduate school months when I am off from work.

Additionally, would it be that hard to pick up some HTML, Javascript, or database knowledge to be able to create websites or apps once one is already adept at the (harder) low level languages like C/C++? I'd imagine it would be a steep learning curve (using the expression correctly). How many days of full dedication do you think it would take to be able to create a pretty decent app or website?

Answer 1

To be honest, in my experience Web Development is already a highly saturated market (lots of people doing it plus lots of 'build your own website solutions available to the general public). It's unlikely that you will get a decent ROI from this sort of work assuming that you get any clients at all (especially given that you've already stated you're not a professional in this field).

Unfortunately, is no straightforward answer to 'how long does a good website take to design' because it often mostly depends on the wishes of your client. In addition to the fact, you've said yourself that you specialise in C++ or Python (general used for backend code) therefore there is no guarantee that you could design a decent web front end which at the end of the day is what most clients want, a good looking website!

I don't say any of the above is discourage you, and if you want to learn new skills then there is always time for that. However, perhaps not in a commerical setting until you have all of the necessary skills well-rehersed. In this instance, I'd play to your strengths and see what you can do with your C++ and Python knowledge

Answer 2

I would say making a decent website isn't that hard. You just need to use a decent framework and basically the framework does most of the job for you. I would say a simple CRUD web application can take up to 10 hours maximum. The issue is mostly the frontend, the frontend (making your application dynamic and make it look good) is probably the harder part, but it really depends on what you want. I would say if you use a frontend library like Bootstrap or Foundation you can come up with a decent basic frontend.

I learned frontend and backend web programming in maybe 6 months after I got my university degree in computer science, and I spent most of that time playing video games, so it's not as hard as you think, but it's true that the field is really crowded.