Freelancer Work

[Sti_Jo_Lew]

I've been looking for a job for months now, and with my class schedule, lack of experience, and nothing impressive to put on a resume, I've had no luck. Because of this, I've been thinking about doing freelancer work online with Adobe Illustrator.

What sites do you know of that are good to use? What problems should I keep a lookout for? Is it common for people to take your work, and not pay you? Also, would it even be plausible for me to get chosen to do the work, being 18 with no experience or portfolio?

I hope you guys can help me with this, because I've kinda been stressing lately. :/

[Jake55778]

What kind of illustrator work were you thinking? Graphic Design stuff? Vector art?

In my experience the first thing any potential client is going to want to see is your portfolio. Not having one is an issue. Do you not have any personal work or school projects using illustrator you could group together into a portfolio? If you're confident enough with the software to want to freelance you must have learned by doing something.

I don't think people running off without paying is too likely if they've already agreed to hire you. But if you're worried simply watermark any images you show them until their payment clears, then send them the final version.

If you're stressed now, don't expect freelancing to help. Expect tight deadlines, sporadic income, and clients who expect sweeping changes to a project on a whim.

[Sti_Jo_Lew]

Thanks for the response Jake.

Right now, all I have are those two vector art things I posted in the art thread awhile back. I could throw together a couple things this weekend so I have a bit more of a portfolio. Yeah... I probably should have saved my stuff from class.

Ok, I'll come up with a watermark design to bring in to any projects I do.

And yes, I realize freelancer stuff isn't exactly reliable, but it has to be better than spending 4 months looking for a job, getting on interview, then not getting the job because you can't work 8 hours a day due to school. I'm really only considering this route as a temporary means to pay for the bus to college, and for college supplies.

[Blackadder51]

Dont hate me for this, but why are you looking for Full Time work?

Get a casual 12 hrs a week job, unskilled labour like Stacking Shelves/Maccas pay for a lot of shit. Its not good by a long stretch but we all have to start somewhere.

[Sti_Jo_Lew]

That's what I've been looking for. But here in Southern California, noone is hiring, everyone is doing lay-offs, and if they did hire they would hire someone who can work full time.

[SneakyPie]

Freelancing can be notoriously difficult starting out. When I graduated from univeristy with my Graphic Design degree, I was unable to find professional work for six months. In order to survive, I freelanced. Fortunately, I had a few connections and was able to make some decent money.

Like Jake said a portfolio is crucial. It's your most valuable tool in securing clients and you should ideally have both a printed and digital copy. If your skills aren't up to par, keep learning and practicing. Ask family and friends about possible work as well.

It's not easy, but once you land a client or two, hopefully word will spread.

Another thing is that it would be wise to become proficient in different things. You mentioned illustrating, but most clients typically look for one person to handle many needs. Something to think about.