Awhile back I had searched for some websites where I could get a taste of freelancing. I’ve found that being a student with barely any sort of portfolio it becomes tough to be accepted for any jobs. Also, many sites I came across wanted you to pay to submit a bid for the work. Sure the site has to make money to support itself somehow but the point of trying to get the job is for you to MAKE money, not to spend it trying to get the job. So, here are only 2 (yes TWO) sites that I’ve found that I feel can benefit any graphic design freelancer.
1.) SitePoint.com
They offer a whole bunch of services including articles, books, blogs…etc. But, what I want to talk to you about is the contest section they have. Anyone looking to hold a contest can create a brief of what they want done and set a prize amount that will be rewarded to the winner(s).
The Pros:
• Contests! Everyone loves contests!
• You’re able to see other member’s submissions. Although you don’t want to copy, you can get ideas for other projects and can see what sort of competition you’re up against.
• The contest holders are required to submit feedback for the submissions. If not the contest can be closed and/or canceled.
• Able to submit as many pieces of work as you want for each contest. This allows for more feedback from the contest holder and revisions of your work.
The Cons:
• Everyone can see your submissions which makes it easy for others to use and/or steal your designs. Be sure to include a copyright notice on your submissions.
• Sometimes the contest holders won’t provide feedback, this could mean they don’t care or are simply using the service to get free designs. The contest will be closed, but that doesn’t stop content from being used and/or stolen. Again, be sure to have a copyright notice.
• Putting your time and effort into a great piece of work that may not be chosen. Meaning you did the work for pretty much nothing.
Not as fancy looking as SitePoint but have tons more opportunities for freelancers in a lot more fields, such as: Java, proofreading, graphic design, photography, ASP, PHP, SEO, and tons more.
The Pros:
• Free to join and bid on freelancing projects.
• Lots of different opportunities for freelancing work and experience.
• The freelancers can bid on projects offering their price for the job (submitters set price range though, see below).
The Cons:
• Huge amounts of competition and is hard for someone new to get noticed among all of the pros who have a high ranking on the site/more experience.
• Always be aware of possible scams (that goes for anywhere on the internet really).
• The project submitter sets a price range (example$30-$100) which is usually very low for what the work requires.
• Some of the job descriptions are vague and don’t really explain what needs to be done.
Out of the two I can’t say just stick to one or the other. They both have their pros and cons. SitePoint.com holds contests where you do the work and enter it then hope to win. No guarantees with that though. With GetAFreelancer.com you try to get the job then you do the work. It’s more business like, but then again tons of competition and no guarantees of getting work.
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There’s so much competition on most of those freelance sites that you have to seriously undervalue your work to win any bids.
Regarding SitePoint’s contests (and spec work in general) NO!SPEC should be required reading for anyone starting at a career in design. It really is a bad thing for the entire industry, and for clients as well.
If you’re starting out and looking to build your portfolio, a good approach is to offer your services for free to some local non-profit organizations. Sure, you’ll be foregoing a small amount of compensation that you might have gotten from contests or bidding on freelance job boards, but in return you’ll be building relationships within your local community. Many of the people you’ll encounter helping out non-profits also have real jobs in (or connections to) your local business community, which can give you great leads for future paid.work. These are the clients that will pay the bills down the road - they’ll have a relationship with you and use you because they trust you and value your skills, as opposed to online bidders who are choosing from a large pool of candidates for every job.