Calling all Freelancers!

[jhereford]

Hey there:

Would like to know how you all started your Freelance career? Any tips on getting your name out in the community would be great.

Thanks
JH

[staciecd]

Slowly. I am a Web Designer in my full time job, so many times, I get asked to do things when I mention what I do in casual conversation.

As for getting your name into the world, pick an industry or speciality and move forward. Join your local Chamber of Commerce to work with small business or join an association and meet tons of contacts in that industry. Having a strong online portfolio helps.

Stacie

[jhereford]

So you think if I am more interested in the Graphic Design industry I should market myself in that area rather than both graphic & web?

Thanks
JH

[AdobeAce]

Hi jhereford,

I would say the best way to get your name out there is with a portfolio website. It's what worked for me in getting work with ad agencies and design studios.

Getting people to your site is easy. Send an email to possible freelance clients with a link to your website. When I send out a batch, sometime I'll get responses almost immediately. It's amazing!

Ace

:D

[The Repro Kid]

I have to agree with stacie, I had a part-time art job before I ever got any freelance work. Once I was working for someone, I began to meet local industry people through my work. It wasn't long before they were asking me if I was available for freelance work.

And I have to agree with Ace, that you must have an online portfolio. Frequently you can respond to freelance jobs from local sources like newspapers, etc. Be aware that the art industry is an "impacted industry." Every solicitation in local papers etc, can receives hundreds of responses. the resume or letter must have some serious visual impact to get the reviewers attention and it must be backed up with an online portfolio. Many people request you send 3 or 4 PDF samples. Submitting 1 or 2 samples and then pointing them to your online portfolio is a better option. I usually try to list my online portfolio URL before the attached resume.

As far as whether to concentrate on Web or Print, this gets down to my main point that I always mention when dealing with this type of question -- (this topic is brought up a lot, you may want to do a search in this forum for previous threads) -- this is the part that so many rarely take seriously and the part that really makes or breaks all your effort.

Research.

You've got to do your own research, asking about other peoples experiences is a starting point but will not get you nearly the results than if you were to combine that with some quality time scouring CraigsList, MonsterBoard, and your local online newspapers to discover what people are looking for, paying, requiring, etc. Quality time means checking in on these sources on a daily basis for weeks or even months. Otherwise you will never spot any "trends."

This would go a long way towards answering your question about what to concentrate on. The sad truth about my area, Los Angeles, is about 50% of the job offerings are looking for both print and web abilities. The reason I call this sad is that both areas are full time endeavors. It's kind of like advertising for a chemical/mechanical engineer. True they are both engineering positions but they both require full time dedication. You are young and so, in the eyes of the current hiring climate, you have no excuse not to master both. I'm old enough to where I can get away with knowing only print and still look like a good person to hire.