You live in NYC? Have a portfolio site? Got skillz? My agency's always looking for folks.

Simple answer: word of mouth (happy client = free ad) and emailing agencies (they have always something to do). All depends of your skills of course.

BTW: I have skills and I'll be available this week for the next ~2 weeks. Check my profile for the URL (is it spam? ;->).

I hope we're talking about freelance where rates start around £25 ($45) per hour.

a couple of good articles:

http://www.designinflight.com/05November/how_to_be_a_successful_freelancer_pt_1.html
http://www.designinflight.com/06February/how_to_be_a_successful_freelancer_part_two.html

Lance (or anyone in the Providence/Boston area),

If you're still interested in permanent or freelance work at Cramer, please let me know. We're going to be doing some hiring very soon - lots of big projects in the pipeline. We could use another good UI developer/designer as well as a Java programmer if you know of any.

Hello, this is my first post on these boards and really wanted to join this conversation.

My main problem is that I cannot find any agencies or businesses locally in my town, and none of the others I have contacted wish to hire remote freelancers.

The city in which I live really has very little to offer in regards to jobs in the CS or IT fields, and in fact, the country as a whole (Canada) seems to have a lack of interest in taking web design and sites seriously (most of our businesses don't seem to find it important, or if they do they all have a niece or nephew in Elementary school who could develop a site in FrontPage for free -- and get good grades for it to boot!)

Any suggestions for your frozen brethren?

That's right. I assumed the meetup was cancelled due to lack of RSVPs.

Anyway, I'll contact you. I'm working on my new portfolio site so that should be done by the end of the week.

adjustafresh, My name is Erik and I'm from Sweden. Where is Cramer located?

It would be fun to have som projects passed over, just to try how it is to work for a real firm. Since I'm still studiyng I haven't done that yet.

You can contact me at erik@olesund.se and go to http://www.olesund.se to se more.

I think if you are outside the US looking for work in the US, you can take the same advice offered here for people in the US. That is, bid on work on craigslist and elsewhere. Unless the posting specifically mentions local candidates only your bid should not be a problem.

craigslist is good if your portfolio stands out. The bottom line is if you have a good portfolio you'll get more work.

If you are asking where to get freelance work, I am assuming it is not your primary source of income. My suggestion... take it slow and take it one client at a time. Find someone who needs or could use a site, perhaps find local services in the area with sub-par sites and then cold call (email) them with what you have to offer. I'd suggest offering more than just design (seo, hosting, online marketing strategy); explain to them the true benefits of a redesign. More than a "pretty" portfolio, I believe most business owners want to see result oriented solutions. How can what you did for another company apply to my company? Don't be a designer to the client, be a solution a business issue.

Example.... I had a guy come out to give me an estimate on hardwood floors for my kitchen, we ended up with a barter agreement. I redo his website and does my kitchen floors.

I'm with Ordon. Word to mouth is without doubt the best way to get your work out there. If people are pleased with it they'll tell their friends and family about your services and that will spread a lot in no time. I can say 90% of my clients come to me saying that "someone told me about your work"...

NM, moving this post to somewhere mroe relevant.

Michael, what is the problem?

I've been trying to find a nice way to say "that kind of behavior is really irritating" and "you're making yourself look juvenile" but I'm not having any luck. I'm sure there's a time and a place for that sort of thing, this place really isn't it.

MCDX -- I believe nifkin has been trying to be overly polite and far from hostile since the beginning. He actually deserves a big thanks for trying to keep the integrality of this forum in tact and worth coming to everyday.

Just get the point that we are not here to find you and hire you -- we are here first and foremost to seek and share information that helps us do our work better. It is annoying that you just created an account and your first and only contribution to the forum is a solicitation for work.

I understand you are new to this forum and I think everyone here is rather sensitive to that fact – don’t take nifkin’s remarks as personal attacks, just good guidelines in helping to maintain one hell of a forum.

there r some sites like guru.com which provides projects u can try there.

I'm new too in here. If someone need an xhtml/css designer with intermediate layout design knoledge please drop an email. seedee@gmail.com

On a forum FULL of people who do web design, how many of them will be looking to hire other designers? Not many... and certainly not on every thread! D'oh! How do people not get this?

In my experience active advertising isn't very effective. All of my clients come from 3~4 good clients, who would spread word-of-mouth and send me referrals.

I'll second that. I spent a little over a year out freelancing and pretty much everything I ever got was word-of-mouth.

The more skills/talent you have, including personal and client relations, the more clients you will get. That's how big companys begin, unless you want to be an employee for ever. On the other hand Advertising is just a tool, not everything, advertising in just ONE SITE is less than zero. So if your designing and relations with client skill suck your carrer as a freelancer will suck big time.

The way a designer aproach and relate to people, person to person or internet, is what helps building successfull relations.

AHHHHHH again!

My name is Praji and I am in India.
I am looking for freelance work so if anyone has some work for me please e-mail me at praji_maxer@yahoo.co.in. I know Photoshop,flash,fireworks,dreamweaver,php,actionscript.

Sir,

I would like to introduce myself as a Graphics/Web/Multimedia Designer based in Karachi, Pakistan. I have worked online for different International and Local Design and Web Houses. You can see my portfolio at,

www.mozero.com

I would like to work for the prestigious Design Houses. Looking forward for to have reply from different web and design houses.

Thanks

thanks adjustafresh! ;)