All about Toptal
You can read Uzbek version here
Introduction
Have you ever heard of the Toptal Freelance Community? Yeah, that company where only top 3% talent is hired. That one. Anyway, in this post I would like to talk about getting hired into the network as Software Engineer and working with clients from my own experience.
Why another how-to-get-into-toptal article? Yes, there are a bunch of articles exploring what I am about to talk about. My main reason is to raise awareness among my Uzbek peers that it is more than possible to get in and pursue a successful career at Toptal. Another reason is that I am contacted by people a lot on this topic, now I can send them this link. You see how you got here? :P
Disclaimer: This article is mainly about working at Toptal as a Software Engineer. If you are in a different profession, the interview process will be different for you.
Why join Toptal (on not to)
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to work. So, the best I can do is to enlighten you on advantages and disadvantages of working at Toptal.
The pros are:
- Good hourly rates.
- Professionals you can learn from and surely become one of them.
- Access to different interesting projects & freedom to choose.
- Different engagement options: full-time, part-time, hourly. For example, if you feel like spending more time with your family, it is easy to switch to a part-time commitment.
- Active community with many events organized by members
… and the cons are:
- Remote/Freelance work might not be your thing. Working with clients will require a bit more than pure coding.
- If not careful, over time your resume may get filled with short-term positions. Though it can be avoided by only going for long-term projects, you still might want to take that cool project that unfortunately lasts only 4 months.
- For the same reason above, short-term projects may not be as fulfilling as long-term ones.
- Time zone differences. Expect at least a 3-hour difference. Though you are not expected to work the same hours as your client’s timezone, it still is an issue.
- Though most of the time you will have clients, it is still your responsibility to find gigs. It is a freelance network, after all.
Alright, we have 5 pros vs 5 cons! — “Perfectly balanced as all things should be”
