Ultimate Guide to Freelancing - Part 2: Finding Work

Finding Work via Your Close Network

• Start with your close network of friends, family, and former colleagues

• Take a friend out for coffee (or virtual coffee date in Covid-19 times)

• Email an old professor or colleague asking if they know of any opportunities or have any advice 

• Google Hangouts, Zoom, and FaceTime are great options for video chatting

• Any sound decision is based on research and advice from experts – these conversations with your close network will help you 

• Ultimately, these relationships build over a lifetime and are based your behavior and/or talent

• It may be wise to secure your first freelance gig prior to quitting your 9-to-5

Online Job Search

• Online resume and portfolio sites are very helpful. These include:

  • LinkedIn

  • Working Not Working

  • Behance

  • Archinect

  • Dribbble

• LinkedIn makes your resume easily searchable by hiring agents

• LinkedIn can also be used to connect with prospective companies or like-minded individuals 

• Sites like Working Not Working or Behance host your portfolio (and resume) and can help potential clients or employers find you

• Keep an open mind. You might find something on a questionable job site, or even Craigslist (which is how I got my first internship)

• Once you find an opportunity, connect with the company via their website’s contact form if the site you found the job seems questionable 

• If you don’t hear back in a week email or call again

• Persistence pays off, as many of these companies need new employees, but are so busy they accidentally lose good candidates in the mix

• The best way to secure a job is via a recommendation. LinkedIn is helpful in this situation as you can see if you have any connections

• The more you want the job, the more time you should invest in researching the company and employees. This will help you craft your introductory email as an argument for how you’ll supply value to the company if hired

• Keep a Google Document of important contacts, hiring sites, and prospective companies or clients. Download my template below: (I’ve also included some helpful links)

Recruiters

 

• Recruiters will message you on LinkedIn and can be very helpful

• These recruiters are in-house employees of the company hiring

• If they have a specific job in mind and you are interested, continue the conversation. If not, say no thank you, ask for them to stay in touch, and add them to your network for future opportunities

• By adding them you are more likely to be found by their vast network of contacts

• Search for and connect with recruiters by sending a friendly message

Staffing Agencies

• Staffing agencies or independent recruiters, are not employees of the company hiring, but rather work for an independent company that recruits for numerous other companies

• Some creative staffing agencies I’ve heard of include: (This is not an endorsement)

  • Creative Circle

  • 24 Seven

  • Career Bliss

  • The Hired Guns

  • Kimble Group

• Search Google for staffing agencies in your area

• Early in your career, staffing agencies can help you secure gigs you otherwise wouldn't be able to secure 

• Staffing agencies’ gigs come with strings like lower pay and usually restrictions on working with their client in the future

• Sometimes staffing agencies are required to submit a certain number of applicants to their client, so don’t feel bad if there are a lot of dead ends 

• Feel confident to negotiate on terms and rate

• Get on a staffing agency’s email list to be notified of opportunities and interesting companies

Networking

• Networking events are exhausting, but can lead to gigs

• Fake some confidence, print business cards on Moo.com, and go to them regularly

• Search online for networking groups or events to join that you find tolerable. I like the “Out Professionals in Advertising & Media” group or the brand new group I organize, Brooklyn Creative Club (Follow us on Instagram to join!)

• Industry professional groups can be the most helpful for networking, job hunting, and resource finding. Check these out:

  • http://nymediacenter.com

  • http://designjobs.aiga.org/

  • http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/?nav=mdj

  • http://www.psfk.com/jobs#!PGs1K

  • https://segd.org

  • https://www.oneclub.org/

  • https://www.aia.org/

  • https://www.asid.org/

  • http://www.iida.org/content.cfm/professional-organizations 

Jump to:

• Introduction: Ultimate Guide to Creative Freelancing

• Part 1: Starting: Part-time vs. Full-time, Contractor vs. Freelancer

• Part 2: Finding Work: Online Job Search, Recruiters, Staffing Agencies, & Networking

• Part 3: Marketing: Portfolio Website & Social Media

• Part 4: Taxes

• Part 5: Determining your Rate

• Part 6: Paperwork: Contracts, Non-Disclosures, Quotes, Estimates, & Invoicing

• Part 7: Motivation: Schedules, Deliverables, & File Organization

• Part 8: Administration: Healthcare, Retirement, & Savings

• Part 9: Advice: Client Relationships, Best Practices, & General Advice

Love,

Paul

For snarky design commentary follow @gpaulbenson on Twitter

And see our previous blog post: “Tools & Resources for Designers” for additional advice. 

Best of luck! And please send your tips or questions my way by commenting below! Also, would you be interested in video tutorials? Let me know!

Special Thanks to:

Channing Ritter (Freelance Advisor)

Brendan Bergen (Copywriter & Social Media Advisor)

Hana Sato (Creative Recruiting Advisor)

Aliza Adam (Freelance Advisor)

Selwyn Rocha (Graphic Design Advisor)

Anna Lu (Professional Feedback)

Tero Honkala (Marketing & Creative Media Feedback)

Chrissy Raftery (Professional Feedback)