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I am a recently graduated graphic designer. I would like to know if there are any worthwhile websites that I could present my portfolio and receive or look for job offers.

I have came across the following freelancewebsites by searching the web that seem to meet my criteria:

I've also found two articles providing reviews on these types of sites:

I am new to the online freelance market. As a result, I don't have any clue which websites are mainstream for graphic designers and illustrators (which are my specialties). It's not immediately discernible to me which sites are the ones that are not a scam and are also good place for establishing myself.

I'm mainly looking for the resources that experienced designers are familiar with. I'm looking to narrow it down to the ones that have been used by those established in the industry. As a result I decided to consult the matter here and ask for input.

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  • Almost all freelance designers I know do not rely on any web site to gain work. Word of mouth and a couple broad connections (to print providers or marketing companies) are all that is needed.
    – Scott
    Feb 19, 2014 at 18:22
  • I nuked all the comments, but there was a discussion on this question here for anyone interested
    – JohnB
    Feb 19, 2014 at 18:44
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    @Scott, that is true when there is a high demand for job and in a country and good ways of communicating which I don't think is the case for me. Also I think its very helpful to connect to international market using internet.
    – Naji
    Feb 19, 2014 at 18:48

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If you are looking for freelance work, you can try Elance or Freelancer. Both sites allow you to upload your portfolio for a fee, but the best way to find projects in those is to browse the ones other users upload.

I've worked with both, so I'd recommend you to be particularly careful about which projects you choose, there are lots of fake ones and it's quite competitive, as there are freelancers from all over the world with very different money exchange rates. My advice: Charge what works for you, don't go lower than your usual rate just because of the other offers.

It's probably better if you choose one site (between those two, I'd pick Elancer, they are more professional, no unexpected fees like freelancer), because these pages are based on reputation + portfolio. Upload some good examples of your work, and try to get some projects, perhaps smaller, to get you started. Having some positive feedback makes a huge difference, and while it's a bit tricky to get hired without reviews, once you have a couple of them everything gets easier.

If you want projects to come to you, I'd consider something like Behance or Dribble, that are specificall y used to display a portfolio.

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  • Thank you very much for a such a thorough reply. I didn't get what you mean by "browse the ones other users upload."? And I didn't understand the rationale behind uploading my work only to one of Elance and Freelancer. Wouldn't uploading to both double my chances? :)
    – Naji
    Feb 18, 2014 at 19:30
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    In those sites, a user posts a project and other users make offers. You generally get to say how much you want to charge, and you can see what other people is charging as well. But you shouldn't let that influence you much, only you know how much money works for you. And yes, definitely uploading to both is a good idea, but reputation and project feedback is what will get you hired, so it's better to try and build rep in one site. So for example, instead of having 2 positive votes on one, and 2 in the other, you could have 4 in only one (more rep = more chances of getting more projects).
    – Yisela
    Feb 18, 2014 at 19:33

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