Where to find work as a Freelance Graphic Designer
Looking for work as a freelance graphic designer isn’t as hard as it may seem. There are plenty of places to look for work online. Getting the job, on the other hand, can be a bit more tricky. Some job boards are safer than others for freelancers. Unfortunately, some online job platforms are full of scammers that will take any newbie for a ride.
I have been working as a freelance graphic designer for a while, so I’ve put together a practical list of online platforms to find work. Good luck on your search and remember, the freelance life is not always stable so don’t put all your eggs in one basket!
Always sign a contract!
The most important thing I can tell you when working as a freelance graphic designer is to always sign a contract. If the client is a friend, then an email agreement is usually enough. Also, try and always get 50% of the agreed rate before you even start the work. If you don’t have a contract you can find some great templates online.
The Safest job boards
This section includes the safest places to find work as a freelance graphic designer. By safer, I mean free of scammers and horrible people that will make you work for peanuts or convince you to work without a contract.
The Linkedin job board is one of the most trustworthy in the business. To find job postings in your field, simply use the search function and start applying to the jobs you think you can do well. Linkedin has an “easy apply” option, all you need to do is upload your updated CV and links to your work.
99Designs
The 99Designs community is pretty great for finding jobs. To get the jobs though you have to set up a profile and portfolio first. Then you have to start submitting work to design contests to get some eyes on your work. If you do well, then you can climb the ladder for better jobs and direct hiring contacts.
Flexjobs
The Flexjobs site is one of the most reputable sites for finding freelance, remote and part-time work. There are jobs for all industries, use the search options to find graphic design work. Flexjobs pride themselves in always screening all jobs so that workers are not scammed into bad situations.
Pangian
One of the newest job boards for remote workers is Pangian. The site and community are still fairly new but there are more jobs being added all the time. You can join the Pangian community for easier access to receive the weekly newsletter with new job postings. There are jobs for all industries, but there are often graphic design jobs.
Other ways to find work
Facebook Groups
Believe it or not, Facebook Groups are also great places to find freelance work. Groups for entrepreneurs, digital nomads, startups and the like always have a prompt where you can promote your services. Not only that, people are always posting about needing a graphic designer. You can pitch your services in a comment and hope they contact you. Usually, it’s the first commenters that get the job.
In a coworking space
Another great way to find work as a freelancer is by joining a coworking space. This is not an instant solution but more of a long game. Find a creative coworking place and sign up as a regular. Get a subscription and go work there as much as possible. When you are there, it will be easy to network. Other coworkers will ask what you do and when you tell them you are a graphic designer, give them your card. Every single person in the coworking space might need a graphic designer at some point, especially if they are startups.
Word of Mouth
After you have been working freelance for a while, your clients will start recommending you to other people. As long as you are doing a good job, of course. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get work as a freelance graphic designer because the projects come directly to you without intermediaries.
Sites where you need to be more careful
The following sites have been used for finding work for years. Not only by graphic designers but for all fields. The problem though is that they are so overcrowded with people looking for work that it’s easy to get scammed.
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- Craigslist
Fiverr, for example, is a site where people can get a logo for five dollars. Do you want to design logos for five dollars? That is your prerogative. Craigslist is hard to control and you never really know who is hiring who.
There are lots of people (including graphic designers) working on these sites and making a living out of it. They have mastered the art of not getting scammed by reading the signals.
These are the signs to look out for when pitching for jobs on these sites:
- Does the hiring company have a good profile with good standing and reviews? If they don’t have a profile at all, they are scammers.
- Does the hiring company have contact information on their site and working guidelines? If they don’t, they are scammers.
- Are they asking you to communicate via Skype or Whatsapp instead of via the chat inside the job site or via email? They are definitely scammers if on top of that they also avoid giving you an official email contact.
- Are they asking you for a payment in order to get a membership that will then give you jobs? Never accept this kind of deal!
As long as you know how to read through the scams, you can get good jobs on these sites. But for the sanity of mind, better stick to the safer sites.
Self-directed work
The last and probably the most fun way to work as a freelance graphic designer is to sell your designs online. You can become a Freepik contributor and sell your illustrations and designs right here on the Freepik platform. If you have lots of time on your hands and are always designing, you can also try other sites like Creative Market. Another way to sell your designs is through a drop shipping online store like Society6 or RedBubble.
Over to you
How do you find work as a freelance graphic designer? Have you ever been scammed? Leave us a comment down below about your experience as a freelancer!
