Many professionals in this field go through practically the same way of getting their first orders. In order not to invent new ways, it is suggested to consider the most effective and popular ones.
1. Learn from success stories
Look at the websites of successful companies. Even better, look at those sites where designers show their work and track for yourself the highlights to diversify your experience and inspire new ideas.
2. Get training and find a teacher
Of course, it’s better to take a training course that offers individual or group guidance to students. It helps to understand the main mistakes more quickly and to ask questions if difficulties arise. If the training format also includes group interaction, where students can share their experiences, you can get the skills you need much faster.
3: Test and Create
Once you have a few ideas, go ahead and implement them: build several different websites on popular topics. You don’t have to try to sell your works, but you may need them as a portfolio at first. That’s why it’s important to create sites on the most in-demand topics, so clients can roughly see what a site in their segment might look like.
4. Create a portfolio
Sometimes you can even get by without training to become a web designer. But without a good portfolio, you’re unlikely to get your dream job. “But where would a beginner get one? – you might ask. In fact, you don’t need a real client or a finished project to create one. For your first portfolio, you only need to: redesign any poorly designed website; make several designs for charity projects. In addition to redesigns and concepts, a great way to fill out a portfolio for someone new to the game is to do tests and take part in competitions. When creating your portfolio, don’t try to cram all of your work into it at once: choose only the best ones. Don’t try to create too unusual or challenging projects right away, but leave it for a while until you’re more experienced.
5. Post your CV
Create and post your CV on job sites. It’s also worth registering on freelance job exchanges and blogging on social media to increase your search reach. Of course, if you are a web designer you should create your own website with a feedback form. Be sure to include a link to your portfolio. This will help convince clients because they need to see your work. Apprenticeships can be equally successful in freelancing as they are in the office. But in the beginning, it is better to go to the team, where there will be other professionals of the same profile. Live communication will allow you to develop more quickly and build up a base. It also gives the presence of permanent orders.
One last piece of advice
Do not try to get a large and complicated order right away. Start with the simplest projects you are guaranteed to cope with. Find your perfect free mockup here to check your work. This way you gain experience, including dealing with different types of customers, as well as building up your reputation. And then, gradually, you can move on to more complex and higher-paying jobs. Visit Kingsoftz