Meet Zsolt Szegheő: An Avid Freelance Web Developer
How much experience do you have to have before starting a freelance career as a web developer?
What do I need to do before becoming a freelance web developer?
Should I make a shift from my pretty secure current job to unpredictable freelancing?
Those are just some questions you may have about starting a career as a freelance developer.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer them for you. But, I know who can. His name is Zsolt Szegheő and he is a freelance web developer from Hungary.
Let’s learn more about Zsolt’s freelance career.
Who Is Zsolt Szegheő?
Zsolt Szegheő is a freelance web developer from Hungary, born in 1981. He was first drawn to programming when he was 14, starting with Turbo Pascal. At the age of 17, he built his first Bulletin Board System (BBS) with Maximus.
Zsolt began his career as a Delphi programmer when he was 21. However, he soon became fascinated with the boundless possibilities of the web. That is exactly what prompted him to make a shift into web development a few years later.
With over a decade of experience under his belt, Zsolt has honed his expertise in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other essential tools of the trade.
From A Company Co-Owner To A Freelance Web Developer
At the age of 21, this freelance web developer completed a Delphi course provided by an international education company. During the program, he achieved exceptional results, earning him a job offer at the company’s Hungarian headquarters.
Working as a Windows application developer for more than seven years, Zsolt proved to be an invaluable asset to the team. He worked on developing various Windows database applications using Delphi and MS SQL to meet the unique needs of internal management. His successes in this area led to a promotion to the Dev Team Leader.
The Web Company Launch
As time went on, Zsolt gained more web development experience and skills. Working on an impressive number of web development projects, this prospective freelance web developer realized that this was his true passion.
In 2010, he decided to take the plunge, team up with a friend, and start their own web development company. Their main focus was on building customized web-based database applications and large-scale portals that drew in tens of thousands of daily visitors.
Zsolt’s primary role was in the frontend and database aspects of the projects. However, he also took on a significant amount of PHP coding and server optimizations, including PHP-FPM and Nginx.
The company specialized in a range of web development services, web design, and SEO, relying heavily on:
- HTML5
- Bootstrap
- CSS/SASS/LESS
- JavaScript
- jQuery
- MooTools
- Google Analytics
- NodeJS
- Socket.IO
- PHP
- Smarty
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Grunt
- Gulp
- Photoshop
Kickstarting A Career As A Freelance Web Developer
Zsolt reached a point in his career where he had spent a complete eight-year cycle holding the positions of CEO and CTO at the company. Feeling the need for a fresh set of professional challenges, he decided to move on from these roles and dive deep into the freelancing waters.
He decided to leave the company he founded for several reasons, both personal and professional. At the time, he already had three children. His primary goal was to keep his personal life and career in harmony, and the decision to walk his own way seemed perfectly reasonable.
Today, Zsolt is a seasoned freelance web developer, with over a decade of active programming experience, both frontend and backend. Here are just a few of his skills:
- Jamstack
- 11ty
- Webpack
- Git
- GitHub
- Linux/Ubuntu
- Bash scripting
- Nginx
- Traefik Proxy
- Docker
- Drone CI/CD
- Let’s Encrypt
- Netlify
- React
The Career Tips We Can Learn From This Freelance Web Developer
Choose The Career Path That Suits You
An average adult spends most of their time at work. During that time, we all go through various transformations. And, that is completely normal. We mature. Our goals, interests, as well as personal and professional lives change. Building a career that is at odds with your personal interests or values increases the risk of frustration, anxiety, and burnout. It may even cause a diminished sense of purpose.
Therefore, once you realize that your current career path doesn’t meet your desires, you should immediately start working on changing that. That is exactly what Zsolt did.
He chose a career as a freelance web developer that complements his family life the best. As a father of five, freelancing provided him with the flexibility to work from anywhere and set his own schedule that is in line with his private life.
Learn To Cope With Unexpected Situations
One of the most serious challenges a freelance web developer describes is dealing with uncertainty.
“What happens if I cannot work for any reason?”
“What if I cannot ensure a steady income by freelancing?”
Those are just some of the numerous worries that keep freelancers up at night. Freelancing can indeed be unpredictable. The fear of uncertainty results in increased anxiety, loss of ambition, and inability to act when initiative is critical. That is why learning to cope with such situations is essential. And, that is something we can all learn from Zsolt.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, it hit the global economy hard, causing damage to almost any industry. That is when the appeal of freelancing was put to test. It impacted their rates, number of clients, projects, and, consequently, income.
Amid the despair, one man’s determination shone through. Zsolt refused to succumb to the weight of the challenging circumstances surrounding him. The arrival of twins in 2019 added to the challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be particularly difficult for our web developer. During this period, Zsolt shifted his focus towards expanding his tech skills.
Build An Online Portfolio
This freelance web developer teaches us a valuable lesson in client acquisition and trust-building – without a strong online presence, success can be difficult to achieve. Despite already having an optimized LinkedIn profile, Zsolt went the extra mile by investing in a .ME domain and building a comprehensive portfolio website. By doing so, he set himself apart from the competition and established a greater level of credibility with his potential clients.
Here is what you can learn from Zsolt about building a personal website:
- Showcase your web development experience and demonstrate your skills and expertise. On Zsolt’s website, future clients can find everything they need to know about his education, career, web development skills, previous projects, etc.
- Make yourself searchable. Zsolt uses his website as a powerful personal branding tool. Namely, he chose his name as his domain name. That is how he made his name easier to remember and find. When someone googles “Zsolt Szegheo” his website will be the first thing they see.
- Keep the design clear, simple, and user-friendly. Zsolt opted for a one-page website. It is particularly useful for personal branding, allowing him to present your content linearly. A one-page website should also be fast, and mobile-friendly, with the most critical information prominently displayed.
Wrapping Up
Starting a career as a freelance web developer has several advantages, including the flexibility to manage your own time, work remotely, and achieve a work-life balance. Despite the various challenges and uncertainties that come with this career path, the approach you take to overcome these issues is critical to your success. Zsolt’s experience confirms that perseverance, curiosity, and a drive for life-long learning are essential for achieving success as a freelancer.
Zsolt, we are so happy that you are a part of the .ME family. We are looking forward to hearing about your future achievements!
