{"id":918,"date":"2021-07-20T13:40:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/?p=918"},"modified":"2025-06-11T12:00:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T04:00:41","slug":"good-freelance-developers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Developers Don’t Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Picture this: you\u2019ve just met someone. He or she is charming, good-looking<\/strong>, and seemingly perfect for you. You go on a date, however, and find out you\u2019re better off just being friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This dating analogy can, in some ways, be carried over to hiring freelance developers<\/a>. Just as with dating, someone can be an awesome person and really good at what they do, but still not be the right fit for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good developer isn\u2019t necessarily a good remote freelancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just because someone is a coding genius in the office doesn\u2019t mean that they will thrive in a remote or freelance setting. If you\u2019re hiring a freelancer, keep this analogy in mind before<\/em> you hire, even or especially<\/em> if the candidate is a referral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before hiring a remote or freelance developer, consider their\u00a0time management skills<\/strong>,\u00a0communication skills<\/strong>, and how much of a\u00a0team player<\/strong>\u00a0they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on for popular myths about on-site developers being good freelance developers, interview questions, and best practices for helping a good developer transition into a good remote freelance developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for top talent fast? See how <\/em>Arc<\/a> can help you:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u26a1\ufe0f Find developers, designers, marketers, and more
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time remote + fully vetted<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Save up to 80% with global hires<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hire top talent with Arc risk-free \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good On-Site Developer vs Good Remote Developer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Technical skills and portfolio strength are only two factors out of many that impact hiring decisions. Although many CTOs and team leads know how to evaluate how well someone can code, three main considerations they should keep in mind when making a hiring decision are a developer\u2019s time management skills, communication skills, and desire to be a part of a team \u2014 factors the Arc team keep in mind during our intensive vetting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Management Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While time management skills<\/a> are important to have overall, as an on-site developer, time management skills are essential but not as critical as they are for remote or freelance developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although on-site developers also have deadlines and deliverables, it\u2019s relatively easier for problems to be resolved and solutions to be discussed in person, reducing the potential difficulties that may arise from poor time management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For remote or freelance developers, time management skills are critical \u2014 poor time management can lead to assignments being done consistently late or not at all, which is damaging for both the developer and the client. Using the right\u00a0time management app\u00a0is also very useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read More<\/strong>: Key Analytical Skills to Look For When Hiring Software Developers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Communication skills are invaluable for remote or freelance developers. The ability to tell clients that they\u2019re going to be late on their deliverables or explain why a feature wouldn\u2019t work the way a client thinks it will is a make-or-break skill for a freelance developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although on-site developers may also tell their team leads that they\u2019re going to be late on a deliverable, their team lead acts as a middleman between the developer and the client or management. This means that although an on-site developer missing a deadline is bad, the potential for disaster is more limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, while communication skills are important for both on-site and remote developers, for a good on-site developer to be a good remote or freelance developer, communication skills are important to have in spades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team Player<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Part of being a team player is fitting into company culture and getting along with one\u2019s coworkers. For an on-site developer, culture fit is important \u2014 for a lone wolf to be forced to socialize with coworkers on a daily basis could be a very stressful experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, for a remote or freelance developer, getting along with team members is beneficial but not essential. A freelance or remote developer may often only interact with one or two people in their new (or temporary) team. Therefore, as long as they can work together without butting heads<\/a>, they\u2019re sitting pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"importance<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read More<\/strong>: 10 Ways to Improve Engineering Team Leadership Skills<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Management Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Myth<\/strong>: A good developer will be a good remote freelance developer because they\u2019re used to turning in their work on time, on-site, so it\u2019s not a stretch to carry that over to remote or freelance work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reality<\/strong>: A good on-site developer may be used to working in a more structured environment, with dedicated break times and meeting times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rookie freelance developer may not be used to having a lot of free time and structuring his or her schedule in a productive way if you don\u2019t have your expectations set out clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An otherwise good on-site developer may struggle with time management skills as a remote or freelance developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"giphy.gif\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Interview Questions to Ask<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. When did you start freelancing, and how many projects have you completed as a freelance developer?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Ideally, the answer would be neither \u201cthis is my first time\u201d nor \u201czero,\u201d but if it is, it\u2019s also not the end of the world. Ask them about collaborative side projects they\u2019ve done or to expand on their contributions to open-source software to get an idea of their experience working on projects with others remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the candidate seems like they\u2019ve had experience working with others remotely, preferably with some sort of deadline, that\u2019s a good sign that they could be a good remote freelance developer even if they don\u2019t have formal experience freelancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Describe your typical workday and break it down in terms of how much time you spend on each task.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      This question should give you a good idea of how your candidate prioritizes their tasks and time in their office or at home if they work remotely. He or she should be able to tell you how much time they spend on each task they do and why they\u2019ve chosen to delegate X amount of time to that particular task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The answer will vary depending on the candidate in question and their amount of experience, but the rule of thumb is that they should be able to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and be able to explain their reasoning for their time delegation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How to help<\/strong>: Provide your freelance developer with clear deadlines for deliverables, preferably broken down in order of priority. Don\u2019t just say, \u201cI need this done in six months, see you then!\u201d By giving your remote freelance developer deadlines for specific chunks of the project, you\u2019re giving him or her a better idea of how to structure their schedules to meet your deadlines, which helps both of you in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Need to know how to attract the best candidates? Learn How to Write a Software Engineer Job Description that Attracts the Best Developers<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Read More<\/strong>: Problem-Solving Skills for Software Developers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Communication Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Myth<\/strong>: A good developer is used to communicating with a team lead or manager, so they\u2019ll have no problems talking to a manager in a slightly different setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"giphy.gif\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Reality<\/strong>: A good developer may be used to working closely with a team lead when it comes to meeting their deliverables daily or weekly. He or she may have frequent access to their team lead or manager and can ask about deliverables or report delays at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A good developer working as a remote developer might need to learn to be more proactive and vocal about deliverable deadlines and project requirements than they are used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Keep in mind, though, that not all good developers are proactive about asking questions or persistent about getting answers immediately (especially if they are remote and their client is hard to reach).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Interview Questions to Ask<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. How do you deal with delays and setbacks in your projects?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        The answer you want to hear for this is, \u201cI let my team members\/project manager\/team lead know as soon as I know there will be a setback in my project.\u201d While you do want your remote freelance developer to deal with delays and setbacks autonomously, you also want to be kept informed of possible delays and setbacks on their end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Given the nature of remote work, you want to know that your good developer can be a good communicator as a remote freelance developer. Letting you, the client, know of a possible setback means that he or she is making sure you\u2019re in the loop, which allows you to think of contingency plans instead of being caught unawares until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. If a project requirement is unclear, how do you go about getting clarification if you and your client only meet bi-monthly?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Your ideal remote freelance developer candidate should answer, \u201cI would be proactive and request clarification through email or a brief meeting as soon as I have a question.\u201d While requesting clarification doesn\u2019t take long, not all good developers are necessarily proactive when left to their own devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The key here is that the question asks what happens if he or she only met bi-monthly with the client. Although autonomy and independence are good, someone who proactively asks for clarification is invaluable in that they are invested in their work (and your project) and aren\u2019t content to rest on their laurels doing nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          How to help<\/strong>: When meeting with your remote developer, be sure to ask how they are doing when you ask for updates or just to check in. While this may seem like handholding on your part, it provides not only a way for both of you to be on the same page, it also gives ample opportunity for them to voice their concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Read More<\/strong>: How to Create a Remote Work Culture That\u2019s Supportive, Positive & Fun<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Team Player<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Myth<\/strong>: A good developer doesn\u2019t need to talk to others to write code. He or she is a coding genius who only needs minimal instruction to \u201cdo their thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Reality<\/strong>: While it\u2019s true that some developers prefer working alone, many good developers may be used to working in teams and having someone to bounce ideas off of regularly, whether in scrum meetings or in team discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A good developer working as a remote developer might need to adjust to working as a lone wolf when it comes to problem solving, especially if they were used to working in a more structured environment or close knit team on-site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Interview Questions to Ask<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. What type of setting are you more experienced working in (e.g., a structured team at an established company, a remote team, an unstructured startup, a one-man-band)?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            There is no \u201cright\u201d answer to this question. However, the candidate\u2019s answer will tell you what kind of interactions he or she is used to having when coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If he or she is used to working in a structured team, either on-site or remotely, you might expect the candidate to be used to a certain amount of intra-team communication when it comes to solving problems or coming up with solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If he or she is used to working for an unstructured startup or as a one-man band, then they might not need to talk to coworkers to spitball ideas with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            After hearing their answer, you can decide whether your company\u2019s culture is a good fit for the candidate\u2019s working style. If so, great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            If not, you\u2019ll need to decide whether you want to invest the time into adapting your team culture to fit the candidate\u2019s needs or to invest the effort into\u00a0integrating them into your company culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. On a scale of one to ten, how important is it to you to work closely with others on a daily basis?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Again, there is no correct answer. This question is about determining culture and working style fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              No matter how good the developer is, if they\u2019re used to working closely with a team and you can\u2019t provide that for them, they won\u2019t be a good remote freelance developer for your<\/em> specific needs, even if their technical skills are off the charts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              If your remote freelance developer candidate feels that it\u2019s 8\/10 important that they work closely with others and you like them, you have to consider if you’re willing to provide your remote freelance developer with a team member to interact with them on a basis they\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              If not, you may have to settle for being just friends with this candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              How to help<\/strong>: If possible, assign someone on your team as a dedicated liaison to the freelance developer or\u00a0invite them to scrum meetings. This way, if they need someone when they need to ask a question or to talk to in order to solve a problem, there\u2019s at least one person who knows them and can talk them through it rather than a rotating group of strangers they don\u2019t know or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Read More<\/strong>: Hiring In-House vs Remote Developers: Cost & Competitive Advantages<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              Well, there you have it \u2014 even if you\u2019re sure that the developer you want to hire is technically capable, that\u2019s still only half of the equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              That being said, if you find that your good developer might not be a good freelance developer and want to hire him or her anyway, you can help the transition by making it as smooth as possible by following the tips that we\u2019ve provided here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              With time, patience, and good resources to help you and a strong\u00a0freelance developer hiring platform<\/a> behind you, you\u2019ll find the developer that fits your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Need more interview questions for potential engineering candidates? Read\u00a0our guide with 10 Freelance Engineering Interview Questions<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              You can also try <\/em>Arc<\/a>, your<\/em> shortcut to the world’s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers
              \u26a1\ufe0f Vetted and ready to interview<\/em>
              \u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              <\/a>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hiring","category-remote"],"yoast_head":"\nGood Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Good Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Arc Employer Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/arcdotdev\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1128\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"635\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Christian Eilers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@christianeilers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@arcdotdev\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Christian Eilers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Christian Eilers\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0276e1a4c2cc153bd3a36e249b935613\"},\"headline\":\"Good Developers Don’t Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2251,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/good-freelance-developer.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Hiring\",\"Remote Work\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Good Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/good-freelance-developer.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/good-freelance-developer.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/good-freelance-developer.jpg\",\"width\":1128,\"height\":635,\"caption\":\"good software developers aren't always good freelance developers\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/good-freelance-developers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Good Developers Don’t Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Arc Employer Blog\",\"description\":\"Insights on hiring and remote work\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Arc.dev\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/Arc-alternate-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/02\\\/Arc-alternate-logo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Arc.dev\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/arcdotdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/arcdotdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/arcdotdev\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/arcdotdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/Arcdotdev\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0276e1a4c2cc153bd3a36e249b935613\",\"name\":\"Christian Eilers\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Christian Eilers\"},\"description\":\"HR & Career Expert Christian Eilers is a career expert specializing in resumes, cover letters, the employment process, and life on the job. At Arc, Christian enjoys helping software engineers and developers find amazing work opportunities through the Arc platform and blog. He\u2019s been featured as an expert on HR and talent acquisition in publications such as Business Insider, Upskilled, Databox, and HR Technologist. A native of New York City, Christian currently lives in and works from Kyiv, Ukraine.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cae.nyc\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/christianeilers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/christianeilers\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arc.dev\\\/employer-blog\\\/author\\\/christian\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Good Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers","description":"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Good Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers","og_description":"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.","og_url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/","og_site_name":"Arc Employer Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/arcdotdev","article_published_time":"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1128,"height":635,"url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Christian Eilers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@christianeilers","twitter_site":"@arcdotdev","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Christian Eilers","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/"},"author":{"name":"Christian Eilers","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0276e1a4c2cc153bd3a36e249b935613"},"headline":"Good Developers Don’t Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers","datePublished":"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/"},"wordCount":2251,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg","articleSection":["Hiring","Remote Work"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/","url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/","name":"Good Developers Don't Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg","datePublished":"2021-07-20T10:40:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-11T04:00:41+00:00","description":"Good developers \u2260 good freelance developers, often. Learn how to tell a good freelance developer from a not-so-good one.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/good-freelance-developer.jpg","width":1128,"height":635,"caption":"good software developers aren't always good freelance developers"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/good-freelance-developers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Good Developers Don’t Always Make Good *Freelance* Developers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/","name":"Arc Employer Blog","description":"Insights on hiring and remote work","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#organization","name":"Arc.dev","url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Arc-alternate-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Arc-alternate-logo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Arc.dev"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/arcdotdev","https:\/\/x.com\/arcdotdev","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/arcdotdev\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/arcdotdev","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/Arcdotdev"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0276e1a4c2cc153bd3a36e249b935613","name":"Christian Eilers","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2393b496d274f3041663e9e83526918bf97200815398dfc4f65a329eabd76821?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","caption":"Christian Eilers"},"description":"HR & Career Expert Christian Eilers is a career expert specializing in resumes, cover letters, the employment process, and life on the job. At Arc, Christian enjoys helping software engineers and developers find amazing work opportunities through the Arc platform and blog. He\u2019s been featured as an expert on HR and talent acquisition in publications such as Business Insider, Upskilled, Databox, and HR Technologist. A native of New York City, Christian currently lives in and works from Kyiv, Ukraine.","sameAs":["https:\/\/cae.nyc\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/christianeilers\/","https:\/\/x.com\/christianeilers"],"url":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/author\/christian\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}