Tiếng Việt
A few nights ago, I got an interesting question from a young developer who just started freelancing, through a message on Facebook:
“How can a first-year developer become a high-earning freelancer quickly?”
Honestly, if you’re in your first year, it’s usually better to spend more time in a company learning the ropes—gaining experience and deepening your skills.
But this developer was really eager to become a freelancer, so I shared my honest thoughts based on what I’ve seen, experienced, and learned.
Now, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “high-income freelancer” (that feels a bit awkward to say out loud LOL),
but I’ve had the chance to work alongside some truly amazing freelancers—and from that, I’ve picked up a few things that make a real difference.
So here are four practical strategies I shared with them—and honestly, they’re not just for that one person.
If you’re reading this now, they can absolutely apply to you too.
1. Your Skills: Be in the Top 30%
The very first thing I want to emphasize is skills.
Freelancers get paid for their time because of their skills. No matter how good you are at communication or anything else—
if your core technical skills are weak, clients won’t see your value.
You need to sharpen your tools. That’s your foundation. This is the first step. And it's non-negotiable.
1. English: The Language That 100x Your Market
Next is English. The moment you become conversational in English, your potential market expands to the entire world.
And no—I’m not talking about textbook grammar. I mean real, practical communication skills.
As a freelancer, you’ll often talk directly with clients. If you can handle meetings in English, you can work with clients from the US, Canada, Europe, and more.
That means higher pay and more diverse projects—compared to working only within the Vietnamese (or local) market.
English isn't just a language. It's a key that opens doors to a much bigger world.
P.S. To be honest, my English speaking isn’t great either. I usually bring a translator to client meetings.
Funny enough—by the end of the project, the client often trusts the translator more than me lol
But still, it shows how important English is. It’s absolutely worth investing your time and energy into learning it properly.
3. Foreign Friends: Your Network Is Your Sales Team
My third tip is to make foreign friends.
The best way to do this is through travel—but I get it, not everyone can afford that.
If that’s the case, make the most of online communities. Facebook groups, Reddit, Discord servers—there are tons of global developer spaces where you can connect with people.
But here’s the key: don’t try to treat them like potential clients.
Make real friends—people who would help you just because they want to, not because they’ll get something out of it.
Those friendships? They can become long-term bridges to real work opportunities—maybe in a year, or even ten years later.
Just imagine: maybe right now you’re doing a $1 job at a local café—but in another country, that same job might be worth $10 or even $100.
Through language and real relationships, you gain access to that market.
3. Open Source: Your Global-Ready Weapon
Lastly, get involved in open-source projects or learn from them.
Every country, company, and developer has their own style—but open source projects tend to follow fairly standard structures and collaboration workflows.
Take something like Magento or WordPress—these platforms have been polished and shaped by developers from all over the world.
If you master just one of these kinds of tools, you’ll be able to adapt quickly no matter what kind of global project you’re on.
In short, you’re giving yourself a real, battle-tested weapon that works across borders.
To sum it all up:
1. Be in the top 30% in your core skillset.
2. Learn English and expand your market.
3. Build real friendships with foreign peers—and turn your network into
opportunity.4. Master at least one open-source platform to gain a global edge.
If you’re a first-year developer, I hope you take these four things seriously.
Because one year from now, you could be working on better-paying, more exciting projects—in a much bigger world than you imagined.
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