Finding freelance work

Hi guys,

Was hoping that some of you may be able to outline what sort of approach should be taken when applying for freelance work?

These kind of opportunities don’t really seem to be ‘out there’ on the internet/job sites/websites etc…

Is it a case of applying to ‘Z’ company/consultancy, and seeing what comes back as you would with a speculative approach for a junior/senior/general design job?

Thanks!

Applying for freelance work as in soliciting? Most people I know who are successful freelancers have built up a bit of a reputation first. They get a lot of their work through word of mouth but will potentially solicit, sometimes called cold calling, or fishing, by sending mailers, offering to set up informational meetings, or what is often called a “capabilities presentation” to show a potential client what they can do.

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I have been doing freelance for the past 3 years.
I do not recommend it over having a steady job in a place you like, but it is a nice way of doing various different jobs and build a portfolio.
There are several freelance websites, competition is steady so pay is generally low, you will only find few interesting projects and sometimes you don’t have a good idea what kind of company you are working with, plus the platform takes a significant percentage of your earnings as fee. You need a good portfolio and some reputation to get decent jobs.
I recommend to build a good portfolio, business cards and a focused elevator pitch for yourself so you have something to show, and see if you can build a network locally around you through friends, family, your school, businesses in your city, visiting tradeshows etc.