It was on that faithful day of June 9 2022 when I got my first job as a web developer. I was hesitant at first because I didn’t knew what I should do, what should I expect and how is the process gonna be. But eventually I gave in and said to myself, this is going to be a nice addition to my job experience.

I was initially alone in the project, but later on when I found out that I making a website for a Security Agency, I had to invite a front-end web developer friend of mine as I knew my design skills we’re not really that good.

To say that it went smoothly is an understatement. Something is always bound to fail, and as a developer, you need to fix these problems even when it’s not your role, because it’s needed.

So I’ll highlight some of the problems that I we encountered and how my coder friend and I overcame it.

Something is always bound to fail, and as a developer, you need to fix these problems even when it’s not your role, because it’s needed.

1. The customer may not always know what they want.

This was our first problem when we’re at the initial stages of development. I remember I was in the office, facing the client and their subordinates, expecting them to just give us the Figma file where we can see what designs they want for the website so we can just start on coding it, but in my disappointment, they don’t, they don’t even know what Figma is.

Lucky for us, my friend and I listed a couple of websites and used those as an example to the client for to look at. It took a while but they managed to find a design that they like so we took note of the design aspects of it and then I came back home, alone.

My friend live far away from the office so he can’t really go with me, plus he had been an introvert pretty much their entire life so… after that, for the next 3 days, we just alotted our time in making a wireframe for their website.

They don’t even know what Figma is.

2. Be Willing to Learn Another Technology

Most of people probably don’t want any change. It’s bad, it takes time to get used to, it’s unfamiliar, unsettling and you feel like you’re out of control. But in programming, learning another technology is a requirement, the world of IT is constantly ever changing and if you don’t adapt, you will fall behind.

Based on the design that the client wanted, my friend and I decided that it’ll be better if we just use one of his past projects as a base for it. Extending his code proved to be difficult later on, as it was written using vanilla HTML and CSS without a framework.

The world of IT is constantly ever changing and if you don’t adapt, you will fall behind.

Mobile responsiveness is one of today’s web standard, it should not be optional but mandatory. Meanwhile the code from my friend’s past website was not. It was just a mess. So I’ve decided that I’ll take two days to rewrite all of it in Boostrap to take advantage of its column and grid features that make implementing mobile responsiveness easy.

Mobile responsiveness is one of today’s web standard, it should not be optional but mandatory.

3. If Needed, Do Things Beyond Your Role

To those developers who are working in a company and are receving constant pay every month, I envy you, as this is not the case with my friend and I. As we’re just starting, in fact we are just a bunch of 2nd Year Students (at the time of writing this) from Adamson University in the Philippines. Just us, we don’t have a Project Manager who usually talks to the client and negotiates the price for us.

And because we do not have someone who can negotiate for us, we had to do it for ourselves, specifically me. I’ve had to go to the office and meet up with the client to show the current progress, ask for their feedback and of course, face the executives of the company.

And I think it applies to all freelancers who are just like us.

It’s not our role, but we have to do it because it what’s needed.

4. Do a Contract Signing First Before Coding

I repeat, you have to have a contract signed first before starting any code. It not only protects you, the developer, but also the client from any possible issues and liabilities, most especially money related. It ensures that both parties agreed to the contract and it’ll be a win/win situation.

It was our dumb mistake to not have one. After a month of developing the website, we scheduled a meeting with the client to talk about the final status of the website. We we’re almost complete by then, pages that they wanted we’re already accomplished, pictures we’re already uploaded and all that’s needed is to discuss the price, including the hosting and domain fees.

A contract ensures that both parties agreed and that it’ll be a win/win situation.

Inevitably, when we’ve arrived to the price segment of our presentation, they asked us for a contract, to which we are surprised because we do not have one, so I had to go back home that day and I’ve had a meeting with my friend to make the contract with.

It was our dumb mistake to not have one.

5. Do Not Underestimate Your Value

You will be shocked by this but please stay with me, we asked for a whopping Php 6000!

Yes, that is the price that we only asked despite having us (two) in our team and the amount of effort that we put in into making the website, which brings me to the next point.

We asked for a whopping Php 6000!

We’re both bad at money but especially me. Every time my partner and I evaluated how much we should be asking for in each session that we did the website, I would always retaliate at how big the money my partner is asking for. If he suggested it should be 300, I would lower it down to 250 or 200.

Needless to say it was ruthless, but I only realized that at the end. As I have mentioned, we needed to write a contract at the end of the development, it was a blessing in disguise, had it not happened, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to re-evaluate the price that we initially asked for.

If he suggested it should be 300, I would lower it down to 250 or 200.

Thankfully after a lot of conversation with my friends who’s older than us, and some teachers, we’ve decided that we’ll ask for Php 15,000. The client agreed so we’re good!

Had it not happened, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to re-evaluate the price that we initially asked for.

Current Situation

As of writing this article, the General Manager (aka the client) got sick of COVID-19 unexpectedly and it pushed back the supposed turn over date of the of the website. It was unfortunate but I wish for his fast recovery soon.

I’m excited for the turn over and I can’t wait. Once it happens, I’ll be writing article about it to describe how it feels like, and I’ll also discuss the future working / partnership plans that my friend and I have in the future. Till next time! 🫰