At last the phpXperts seminar on “Current Web Trends” have taken place and I was one of the speakers there. Among all the topics, mine was a bit suggestive and naturally a bit less exciting. I spoke about how to become a PHP ninja – what are the characteristics they posses, what are the tools they use, what are the paths they follow etc. It’s actually a follow-up of one of my blog posts: “Becoming a kick-ass PHP ninja“.

Here goes the slides:

All the other slides, pictures, and videos are available here.

Enjoy!

Today I facilitated this workshop on Freelancing, organized by BDjobs.com. The primary focus of the workshop was to introduce the concept of freelancing to the attendee’s as well as to provide them with a general hands-on path on how to start freelancing. The total workshop covered a variety of sections starting from freelancing overview, freelance site reviews, tips on building a professional profile, the bidding process, tips on successful bidding, client management techniques, payment pitfalls, payment methods, etc.

You can download the presentation file here in two formats: PDF and Powerpoint.

The full workshop description is provided below. If you’re interested in attending the next workshop on April, get in touch with BDjobs.com.

Freelancing IT Jobs – How to Make Yourself Ready

A freelancer is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any particular employer. A freelancer provides some sort of service whether it is design, programming, content writing or almost any other occupation. The main difference is that a freelancer has many clients rather than one steady employer. Freelancers often charge by the hour, the day or the project and are effectively running a small business with their skill set as the star product.

Although you might be thinking that freelancing is simply a different kind of job, in fact it is running your own business. When you are a freelancer, you are a one-person business. At some point you might even expand to a larger operation by hiring staff. Or you could remain a freelancer permanently.

So, if you’re looking for the next major break in your career OR you’re a fresh graduate who wants to make a living OR you want to check what the thing freelancing is, this workshop will help you out.

Contents of Training:

Session One: Introduction to IT Freelancing

1. Introduction

• What is freelancing?
• Benefits of freelancing
• Type of freelancing scope
• Type of freelancing jobs

2. The Basics

• Things you need to start freelancing
• Popular freelancing websites
• Early success factors
• Preparing yourself

Session two: Successful Freelancing

1. Getting Projects

• Signing up in freelancing sites
• Building a good profile
• Successful bidding
• Project scope & Timing
• Project budget

2. Working with Project

• Milestones and deadlines
• Communication
• Track progress

3. Working with Clients

• Essential client skills
• Professional Relationship
• How to keep client happy

Session three: Payments and Others

1. Getting Paid

• Status reports
• Invoices
• Payment methods
• How to avoid payment pitfalls

2. Questions & Answers