Are any of you guys here freelance web designers, or programmers? I've been looking for work in the web world, but it's been a bit difficult for me, one reason being my lack of qualifications, and another being that here in Leeds, it's not much of a technology city, so their isn't much on offer.

I can do the work, I have spent over two years teaching myself the ways of the web and have learned quickly and am confident enough I can build most applications and design most sites from a specification.

But as I've said, it's been difficult and I am about to quit looking, due to frustration. I don't want to give up my career choice of being a web programmer, so I have decided to start looking into freelancing so that I can get a portfolio built and get some more experience under my belt and of course, gain a bit of money.

I'd just like to know if anyone here is, or was a freelancer and how your experience was, did you enjoy doing it? Was their any up and down sides? ect. Also I'd be most interested in knowing how you began doing it and if it lead to anything that you may consider 'big' or an achievement.

I know their are websites that allow you to promote yourself and make yourself available to work. I know of oDesk and Sitepoint, but do you know of any others?

Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing some of your replies (if any)

- Chris.

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