Helping My Dad Get Started

OK well my dad has been looking for some ways to make extra money. So naturally I started thinking online. He knows C pretty well and a little C++ so he wants to do some freelance programming.

I don't really have any experience doing that so I am wondering how we can get started?

Should we create a website for him?
What kind of portfolio can you create with programming?
Should he join GAF, elance, rentacoder etc?

How would you get a new freelance programmer on his feet so that he can get some jobs and make some money?

Thanks in advance for the answers

 

I defenetely would buy a website and put something like a portfolio on it, with a lot of previous work.

 

The website is a good idea for a portfolio. Then, he could start by posting solicitations in the programming work section here. Once he's well known enough, he should have a steady stream of customers.

 

If he can adapt that to php which seems to be preferred right now he should be able to make a few bucks.

I have heard that it is fairly easy to transistion from one to the other.

 

Lots of people are looking for PHP scripts and coders, so I guess you can make some decent money if you are good at PHP.

 

If he knows some API or atleast a GUI library for most used platform "Microsoft Windows" then well and good, but if he is console age C programmer I dont think you guys find some good paid work. I myself am basically a C/C++ coder but now fulltime php+mysql coder. I shifted to php very easily. Control structures are same. But ya, you get too many facilities in php especially the typecasting the declarations, creating separate functions for separate return types. It hs classes, but mot code followed today is procedural programming may be becuase of it's ease.

When I shifted to php I first started with creating a files based forum software, and yet I create free files based applciations eventhough my commercial projects all involve sql.

If you plan to do so, as "Colbyt" also suggested here:

Then, you must first start reading little about it, create some tiny applciations, understand sql connection and query language atleast upto normal DML operations. Then adopt some tempalting engine liek smarty or some other lightweight one. And do your first traditional guestbook applciation. once done, do it's admin panel. then shift to some freelancing site, I would suggest www.scriptlance.com. Or may be start researching for most required small applciations, create them and start selling them. Advertise them on hotscripts and so many other sites to gain good traffic. Keep in mind genuine idea surely sells.

Let me know if I can help anywhere (I like to, because your father has same background as mine).

Check my IM contact in profile (if needed).

regards