Where to Show Off Your Work, Find Jobs, and Get Noticed
Finding work is the most difficult part of being a freelance web designer, and especially a web designer just starting out. It can be tricky figuring out where to start, and how to find clients, no matter how much you’ve got in your portfolio and how experienced you are.
Because I get asked a lot how I personally find clients and maintain a fairly steady stream of work, I’ll share with you today some resources I use or that I’ve found that can be helpful. These resources helped me not only gain my first few valuable clients, but also helped me maintain a steady client base, with very little effort.
Show Off
Just simply posting your work on larger websites is often times overlooked as a very good marketing method. Many times clients that don’t know how to go about finding a web designer will begin looking on websites like Flickr, DeviantArt, Behance, etc. for designers looking for work. As you may have noticed, some of these sites aren’t even meant for online portfolios, but regardless, it’s where many clients start!
1. Carbonmade
Carbonmade is an area where you can place your online portfolio with a preset community ready to find you. Although it is not free, it has some quality jobs and work ready for you if you have a decent amount of experience.
2. Krop
Krop is a job board and portfolio directory like Carbonmade above. I didn’t put Krop with the rest of the job boards, though, because Krop deals more with permanent, non-freelance jobs in bigger cities. If that’s what you’re looking for, than perfect, but I realize most readers are looking for either local or freelance jobs. Despite the limitations of the job board for the majority, Krop has an area where you can set up your own resume and portfolio on their website, for employers or clients to contact you.
3. Behance
Behance is a website where you can put up your portfolio and your work is displayed visually. It is more of a community for artists than web designers, but there are web designers on there. Best of all, Behance is very exclusive, and while you may be rejected, if not, you are among the few and proud very talented designers. Getting on Behance can mean great success for finding clients and for getting noticed in the community.
4. Flickr
Flickr is an incredibly popular photography community that has spread to the common population rather than to just Internet junkies or photographers. Because of this, posting your work on Flickr could mean instant clients. Post examples of your work with tags of ‘web designers’, ‘web designs’, or perhaps more accurate keywords that describe your work more specifically.
5. DeviantArt
Just like Behance, DeviantArt is a huge art community, and like Flickr, it is more commonly known to a general audience. You can sign up for free and there are no ‘talent limitations’. With its active community, you can not only get feedback on your work very quickly, but also find clients very easily.
Find Jobs
I’ll admit, job boards can be a pain. They are overrun with designers, and even if you’re talented, you’re unlikely to win a position. I myself have posted jobs on a few for outsourcing reasons, only to find hundreds of applicants. There were many that matched my qualifications, but of course not everyone was chosen.
However, they are a places that do list jobs, and if you apply to many, you have at least a shot at getting noticed. If won, they are quality jobs that will get you some recognition as well. The trick, though, is indeed to apply far and wide for jobs on job boards. Below are just a few of my favorites that I check regularly.
1. Web Designer Wall Jobs
This job board has an equal balance of full-time and freelance jobs. The benefit of these jobs is that the employers must pay to post jobs, which means there are few, but the jobs are from more legitimate companies.
2. Smashing Magazine Jobs
This board is very similar to the job board on Web Designer Wall in that there are both freelance and full-time location-based jobs, and that it is featured as a part of a large, reputable design blog. Smashing Magazine also features a wide variety of creative job types.
3. Freelance Switch Jobs
This is perhaps my favorite job board because it is updated regularly and is perhaps the most active. However, it is still on a large website, so just like all the others it is overrun with applicants. This also has a variety of job types suitable for any freelancer, and they are all freelance jobs.
4. Authentic Jobs
Authentic jobs is a very professional job board, with reputable companies and many full-time location based jobs. There are, however, many freelance opportunities available. The downside with this is that they are very professional jobs and not necessarily suitable for beginning web designers.
Get Noticed
Web directories are also overrun, but also a place where many unknowing clients first look to find you. What makes web directories useful, despite the thousands of other competing designers, is that clients can do advanced searches and find exactly what they’re looking for. If you meet their needs, they are likely to find you. Best of all, you don’t have to do any upkeep with these types of sites; just get listed, and you’re listed for life.
Be as specific as possible when listing yourself (if options are available) in terms of your skill set, your services, and your business type. By limiting yourself, you’re not limiting your business. You’re really making it more definitive, unique, and focused.
1. Web Design Finders
2. Web Designer’s Directory
3. Web-Designers-Directory
4. Web Design Stuff
Just Starting Out?
Of course, the most questions I get concerning finding web design work deals with finding clients for very new designers. How to you get you first few clients? How to do you get some portfolio building clients? Here are a few starting places, but be ready for low wages and even more unfortunately low respect in some cases.
1. oDesk
ODesk is overrun and under priced. It’s a terrible place for long-term web design work, but it is a savior for new web designers. If you have to do a web design for $100 just starting out, this is your place. If you are unsure of your quality just yet, this is also your place. (Many designers on oDesk are under qualified as well) Start out here, get some pieces in your portfolio, and move on!
Of course, there are some quality jobs on oDesk, so always be searching those out too.
2. Craigslist
I haven’t used Craigslist much, but I know some beginner web designers have had some luck. The best part about Craigslist is that you can search both locally and for freelance jobs. It seems to have a more ‘one-on-one’ feel because of this, and as much as you can specify location, your competition can go down. The web design category seems to always be updating as well, no matter what location you look into.
3. Forums
Last but not least, get your work known on forums. There are also many new clients looking for relatively cheap work on web design forums. Forums like Webmaster-Talk and TalkFreelance are good starting points. However, avoid he design contests on these types of websites because there is a high chance you will not get paid for your work, not to mention it’s degrading to your profession!
there are some great points in this article now to do more research