How to Set Rates as a Junior Designer or Developer

Written by Younus Hussain

Published on 1 Jul 2021

Category Career Tips

Undercharging feels kind; it often burns you out. Start with a floor rate that covers time, revisions, and tools.

Price projects by outcome when you can (a mobile onboarding flow, a marketing landing page). If you must bill hourly, track every revision. Review rates every three paid projects.

Your MTP portfolio is marketing—pair it with clear scope and payment milestones.

A strong academic record can open doors for you down the road. More importantly, through the process of becoming a straight-A student, you’ll learn values like hard work, discipline and determination.

Rule #1: Always have a plan.

(a) As the semester progresses, keep track of key dates: tests and exams, project submission deadlines, term breaks, etc.

Enter these dates into a physical or digital calendar.

If you choose to use a digital calendar, I recommend Google Calendar.

(b) Schedule a fixed time every week where you review your upcoming events over the next two months. Mark down when you’ll start preparing for that Math exam, working on that History project, or writing that English paper.

(d) Next, note your commitments for the coming week, e.g. extracurricular activities, family gatherings, extra classes. On your calendar, highlight the blocks of time you’ll have for schoolwork.

This planning process might sound time-consuming, but it’ll typically take just 15 minutes every week.

This is a wise investment of time as a student, because the rest of your week will become far more productive.

This way, you’ll be studying smart, not just hard!

Rule #2: Be organized.

Ever had trouble finding your notes or assignments when you needed them? You probably ended up wasting precious time looking for them, before you finally asked to borrow them from your friend.

Many students tell me that they keep all their notes and assignments in one big pile, and only sort them out before their exams!

Being organized – it’s easier said than done, I know.