Not a full-time job, but a project. Freelancing in IT: how to start, how to grow and is specialization worth it? 

Hmm… it’s best to start with some hard numbers. In 2024, companies increased their freelancer budgets by over 50%, and in IT alone the growth reached nearly 48%. On platforms like Just Join IT, there are now twice as many B2B job listings as full-time contracts. 

These numbers are clear: the IT market is changing. Project-based models are winning over permanent contracts because they offer more flexibility — for both companies and professionals. On one hand, there’s a growing need for “ready now” talent. And on the other hand — we have a huge pool of specialists ready to work remotely, often with very niche expertise. Freelancers are the answer to both needs. 

And if we add data from Freelancehunt, which shows that companies need less than 24 hours to engage a freelancer for a project, we get a picture of a fast, effective and flexible model of collaboration. 

There are many reasons. Taxes are one of them for sure. Under B2B contracts, especially with the IP Box tax relief, net earnings are significantly higher. Another reason is flexibility. A specialist can work for multiple clients at the same time, choose the projects that interest them, and manage their own schedule. 

For companies, it’s also more cost-effective. Fewer HR commitments, greater ability to scale teams up or down depending on the project stage. Often, businesses need a rapid increase in capacity — but only temporarily. Freelancers are a perfect fit for that.

Firstly, choose your specialization. That’s crucial. The more precisely you define what you do and the problems you solve, the easier it is to stand out. It could be backend with Python, UX design, or DevOps — there are many paths. Just don’t try to do everything at once. Clients are looking for specific skills. You can expand your capabilities over time, but at the beginning, it’s best to narrow your focus and build a strong presence in one area. Then you can grow your brand piece by piece. 

The next step is building a portfolio. Even if you don’t have commercial projects yet, that’s okay. Create your own — a website, an app, some automation — anything that shows your skills. The most important thing is not just dumping your code. Describe the project: what was the goal, what technologies you used, what challenges came up and how you solved them. Clients care not just about “what you did,” but whether you can clearly communicate the value of your work. 

I think the pros are quite obvious — flexibility, autonomy in choosing projects, and the ability take your work anywhere. You can work in the morning, at night, from a café or your home — you set the rules. You also have the ability to raise your rates as your experience grows and as you build your personal brand. 

But there are downsides too. Mainly the lack of stability. Income can be irregular, especially at first. You also have to manage your own workload, taxes, insurance and vacation time. And you need to know how to sell yourself — without actively looking for clients, updating your portfolio and building relationships, it’s hard to maintain financial stability. 

Exactly. You’re not just delivering technical work — you’re also your own project manager, sales rep and marketing department. You need to learn the basics of client communication, how to negotiate rates and terms, how to price your time, and how to manage your calendar and energy. It’s a very different kind of challenge than a regular job. 

Those who treat freelancing as a legitimate career model — not just a “temporary gig” between jobs — are far more likely to achieve financial stability and land larger projects. They regularly invest in development, work on soft skills, and build their personal brand. And it really works — over time, it delivers stronger results. 

I think it’s clear that more specialists are leaving full-time jobs because they want more control over their lives and career growth. Companies are also maturing into this model — learning how to work with freelancers, build distributed teams and measure work based on outcomes, not presence. 

Freelancing is clearly no longer seen as a fallback or side option. It’s more popular than ever and is slowly becoming one of the most important work models in the IT industry. It’s worth preparing for the fact that it will only continue to grow, because of the real benefits it offers both to specialists and the companies that hire them.