10 success Tips for finding Freelance “Graphic designer” Jobs

Graphic designing is certainly a big industry and can be quite competitive, so you should try to do everything you can to make yourself stand out as an ideal freelance graphic designer. The market is huge, but at the same time it looks quite promising for those who specialize in it. It creates a field with endless possibilities and is rewarding after solving the challenging tasks. 

Year by year with the rise of social media and remote working there are more and more companies and start-ups looking to hire talented graphic designers. Also with the proliferation of graphic designing tools and web based services (SaaS) it is becoming increasingly easy to produce art works. Therefore as a Freelance Graphic designer the only limitation is your imagination. Therefore I am giving below 10 success tips you can follow in your search for graphic designing Jobs online.

10 success guides on finding freelance Graphic designing Jobs

1.    Define your goals as a Graphic designer (Where you want to be in 1 year?)

• What are your goals as a Graphic designer?
• What kind of a freelancer profile do you wish to create?
• How attractive you want your instagram feed to be with different creatives?
• What tools and software you wish to excel in?
• What are your main art styles?
• What markets are you going to target the most as a Graphic designer?
• What are your income targets for the 1st year?

These are few questions you can ask yourself in setting your primary goals as a Freelance graphic designer.

2.    Develop your graphic designer skills (And master in few tools)

Start learning with essential graphic design tools and software packages. Some of the tools graphic designers utilize nowadays are:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe photoshop
• Adobe inDesign

Follow recognized certification courses. It can enhance your online profile. Also undertake online skills tests for different tools and publish scores in your profile.

3.    Don’t stop learning (Practice makes perfect)

Practice makes perfect. Especially graphic designs. Once you’ve learned the basics, continue to practice. Practice is one of the most effective ways to build your expertise and become a great graphic designer. It’s crucial to keep up with the trends, so learn and progress constantly. Keep studying the graphic design industry, it’s vast and updates very quickly. 

4.    Create your portfolio (And make it outstanding)

In creative fields like graphic design, a portfolio is necessary. They allow employers to visualize your work and observe the most fascinating projects you have worked on. Initially, it might be difficult to find content for a portfolio. Below are few tips to enhance your graphic designing profile:

• Do few template art works covering different areas of the market and publish on your profile
• Create several free works for not necessarily big and famous companies
• Display your skills test scores for added value
• List the graphic designing tools you have specialized in
• Explain (visually) the approach you take to meet clients creative requirements

5.    Narrow down on a specific niches (More focused you are more quality you can bring in)

As a freelance graphic designer you can specialize is certain types of art work. So areas you can focus are:

• Book cover designing
• Leaflet designing
• Web art designing
• Logo designing
• Branding
• Cover page designing

Once you select your niches you can publish several templates of your work in your online profile under each niche so clients can better understand your graphic designing skills.

6.    Keep producing content even in your spare (And make it a habit)

As a freelance graphic designer you need to have a habit of creating graphical content even if they are not for any client requirements. When you are in the habit of creating graphical content it gives you numerous benefits that help you in securing freelance graphic designing jobs. Few of the great benefits of having the habit of drawing are:

• Helps you excel in your tools
• Urges you to explore new tools
• Expands your imagination in graphic designing
• Helps you build your online portfolio
• You will have a bunch of your own content on display as templates for clients to choose from
• Keeps you at the edge of what’s happening in the world of graphic designing

7.    Keep your CV up to date (And make it available online)

An up to date resume is vital in any industry. In graphic designing it is even more vital as your success can only be judge by going through your previous work.

Also in freelancing employers generally prefer freelancers having a formal CV. In certain companies they require a CV to get internal approvals. Therefore as a Freelance graphic designer it is always good to have an up to date CV which is a documental proof of your skills and abilities.

Below are some guidelines specific to Graphic designing when you formulate your CV:

• Have a creative title that showcases your thinking and artistic styles
• Use an eye catching theme for the CV. This shows your level of creativity
• Add your professional photo
• Include a brief on your personal profile
• Add your educational background and highlight the specific skills in graphic designing
• Add work experiences related to graphic designing (Avoid adding none related references)
• Add minimum two referees who have vast experiences in the field

Also make your professional CV available only in your graphic designing profile

8.    Get properly equipped (It impacts your performance)

As a freelance graphics designer you need to have proper equipment in place. Graphic designing in modern day demands you to have powerful hardware resources as most of the graphic designing software require highend hardware specs. Also any work you do should have efficient backup mechanisms. Below are important aspects you need to consider in getting properly equipped:

• Prefer a desktop over a laptop as desktops are better for multimedia processing
• Have multiple screens setup (It helps a lot in graphic designing)
• Have a powerful graphics card
• Have high resolution supporting monitors
• Buy a drawing pad for hand drawn art works
• Keep your virus guard up to date
• Have UPS with surge protection
• Signup for a cloud backup service (eg:- Google cloud storage, Dropbox or amazon cloud) and have your work backed up regularly
• Have good lighting arrangement
• Have an ergonomically designed chair

9.    Connect with other designers (Capitalize on network power)

Like in many other fields, building your network in graphic design industry is vital. Below are places you can find graphic designing groups where you can join:

• Facebook groups in graphics designing
• LinkedIn media groups
• Whatsapp groups
• Viber groups
• Adobe graphic designer forums
• Other professional groups dedicated for graphic designing

Join them make a circle of friends whom with you can get along and discuss about graphic design developments, tips and tricks and other related topics. The process of discussion will help to progress and learn more. Through connections you will always know about job openings and latest trends. 

10.  Work on your communication skills (Be a good listener)

Communication skills involving listening, speaking, observing and empathizing makes a graphic designing process faster and more efficient because the margin for errors in the work and miscommunication decreases. Few aspects you need to focus when discussing any graphic designing work are:

• Get your clients to explain their requirements clearly
• Ask for any references of previous art works or styles they have in mind
• Be flexible and try to adjust the clients’ requirements in the discussion
• Honestly highlight any limitations you may see in the graphic designing process for client’s requirement
• Where ever possible refer clients to art work references so it Is much clear for both parties

Encourage the conversation. Ask questions and invite opinions. Direct communication and feedback allow you to resolve any misunderstandings quickly. 

Final thoughts

Graphics designing is an interesting area especially if you have the necessary passion to it. Securing Graphic designing freelance work in modern day is always challenging as more and more freelancers engage in graphic designing work. Therefore it is important that you follow a consistent approach in enhancing your professional profile, improving your graphic designing skills and keeping up to date with latest happenings in the world of graphic designing. Follow the above 10 guides that will surely give a positive impact in securing quality graphics designing work.