We are two college graduates trying to get some contract work (web development, rapid prototyping, web design). What is the best way to get these jobs? Is there a proper way we can contact startups in need? Or potentially post an email to our school's alumni lists? Is there a more efficient way than contacting people through Craigslist or Elance or similar sites. We're open to all suggestions.<p>Suggestion tag: "Contract HN"? Or does something like this exist to leverage the HN community.
<a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4156764" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4156764</a><p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4586047" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4586047</a><p>There is a monthly Freelancing thread on HN, on the 1st of the month
1. Find a popular thread on the HN front page.<p>2. Click on the usernames.<p>3. Write down email address from their profile.<p>4. Send the following email to the list of people you wrote down (at least a 100, because if you get a 2% response rate, you might get a gig out of half an hour of work):<p>Hello,<p>My name is $name, a freelance developer. Read your comment about $subject, and I think you make a good point. Anyhow, just dropping by to chat a bit about what you are currently up to. Hope you are having a great day.<p>Take care.<p>$name<p>Then just get a conversation going and talk about what you do. Simple.
I'd start with any freelance developer buddies you have. Chances are, some of them have overflow work they could pass on to you. Also check your own networks (including any school ties). Find out who in those networks is in need of some web work and see if you're a good fit.<p>You're also welcome to apply to matchist (<a href="http://matchist.com/talent" rel="nofollow">http://matchist.com/talent</a>), a new startup I'm working on to connect quality freelance developers with quality work.