How to Survive Your First Year as a Freelancer

Three months into freelancing, Judith Böhlert's first project ended and she could not find another client. It shook her self-esteem and brought imposter syndrome. She did not quit because she had promised herself a full year first. In her talk on 14 May 2025 she shares what worked for her and what she wishes she had known, as a software engineer who went freelance during what she calls one of the weirdest job markets in recent history. She calls it a personal account: take what works, leave the rest.

What the talk covers

• Know your why: freelancing is not a magic pill for a tough job market, and clients will not line up just because you lack a permanent job. List what you liked and disliked in past roles, and note what would change as a freelancer. Hers was freedom and flexibility.
• Do the money maths: your monthly costs, including tools and everything an employer pays today, such as health insurance and pension contributions (she does not go into details). Then your realistic billable time, because you earn nothing for sick days, admin, acquisition and gaps between projects. Check how long your savings last.
• Price by market value, not by your expenses. Ask peers in your niche what they charge. Her rule of thumb: a small flinch is fine, but if nobody negotiates at all, you may be charging too little.
• Do not mess with the tax office: put its deadlines in your calendar, and call it when unsure.
• Set a no-quit period, such as one year, before you judge.
• Find your first client through an online presence and, above all, your network. Her first client came from a warm introduction.
• Build an imaginary board of advisers for each role you now play, and find a community.

Who it's for

People who are about to go freelance or are in their first year.