Meet the Computer Scientist Freelancing Across America

After finishing his PhD in computer science, Nick Gallo realized something big: He wanted to travel the U.S., and he’d need to get out of an office to do so.

Gallo decided to try freelancing after an already robust career in tech and academia, including a stint at MIT’s Lincoln Lab.

Three years in, Gallo’s freelance career is strong—and he’s getting to see new parts of the country he calls home.

Starting in California—and on Upwork

“I’m from the northeastern U.S., and I got my PhD in California. After finishing my degree, I decided I wanted to make my way back toward the East Coast but also live in the center of the country,” Gallo said. “I’d always wanted to see what America is and what America’s really like, to get to meet the people that are in our country and see what some of their lives are like.”

Embracing a nomadic lifestyle meant that Gallo would have to find many of his clients online. He tested several freelancing platforms to make his dream a reality.

“Upwork was the platform that worked for me best—so I stuck with it. I could get multi-thousand-dollar jobs through Upwork early on, which led to projects valued in the tens of thousands of dollars,” Gallo said. “This lets me make a living and keep freelancing. I can work remotely with no real time constraints.”

Advancing on a journey of discovery

Today, Gallo works with startup founders on both short- and long-term projects through Upwork, and he’s a popular consultant on the platform. Three years into his freelancing career, he’s consulted with over 100 clients. He views Upwork consultations as a great way to bring in clients and build a pipeline.

“Many people will book a consultation call first. Many clients do not have a pre-defined six-month project in this field.,” Gallo said. “They typically say they have an idea, they don’t know what to do, and they need to talk to you about it. From there, we may move to a smaller data analysis or explanation project before moving on to a larger project together.”

Gallo said that he’s heard hundreds of interesting ideas from non-technical founders, and these conversations are always a valuable experience—even if they don’t lead to a larger project.

“Consulting is good for me. It’s difficult; I must be on my feet and really listening to what clients are saying to extract what they want and how I’d approach it. I have to look at new business problems and think about what I’d do and what other projects it sounds like,” Gallo said. “That’s been a great experience. It’s helped me better understand entrepreneurship and building a business.”

Planning a productive path

Gallo believes that other computer science and machine learning professionals can find success as a consultant—even if they’ve never freelanced before. It’s even possible for professionals interested in making a career switch into AI and data science fields.

“One piece of advice I have is to start by working on data sets related to domains that you have experience with,” Gallo said. “A lot of people think ‘I have this data set I need to analyze, so I’ll learn how to do it.’ I don’t think that’s a good idea. Instead, take data from an industry that you understand well, and then when you do your practice analysis, you’ll be able to say, ‘Do these results make sense to me? Are they sensible?’”

If someone’s coming to computer science from a non-technical field, Gallo recommends hiring an expert to build custom AI/Machine Learning solutions for them.

“One of the common pitfalls I have seen for clients that have no technical experience is trying to do these projects on their own,” Gallo said.  

Even though Gallo readily embraces the flexibility that Upwork gives him, he tells newer freelancers that using that time wisely is a big part of his success.

“Flexibility is great—but you have to do something with that flexibility. Even if work is slow, have other projects that you’re working on,” Gallo said. “Traveling is a project of mine right now. I’m also reading great classic books, from philosophy and history to literature. Pursuing personal projects makes it easier for freelancers to build a good life around their work.”

Gearing up to blaze new trails

When he looks to the future, Gallo still sees himself working independently—but no longer a team of one.

“One disadvantage to freelancing is that you’re kind of alone. And that can make it difficult to build your skills,” Gallo said. “I think that building a team will allow me to take on different projects and offer more services. If someone hires me to do a machine learning project, I can then offer the expertise of my team to help them integrate the project into their business.”

For now, though, Gallo’s still realizing his dream of seeing the United States, one new town at a time. Today, it’s Nashville, Tennessee. Next year, it might be somewhere further east. Luckily, he’s got the flexibility to figure it out all on his own terms—with some help from the steady income he generates on Upwork.

Move your machine learning projects forward on Upwork

Whether you’re interested in advancing your career in computer science or want to work with Gallo and other machine learning professionals, Upwork’s the place to start.

You can begin to learn the fundamentals of data analysis and work on your own projects while taking courses, start booking consultations with clients, and find just the right person to help bring your ideas into reality. Log in or sign up for an Upwork account to get started.