If you are a graphic design programmer, you have many resources for finding work, including conventional media, traditional job websites, and sites like Craigslist and online freelancer sites. Those are listed in order of increasing probability of success. When it comes to traditional media, like newspapers and classifieds, you pretty much have to have either great timing or great luck to score a decent job. But don't write it off without trying, because you never know.
Traditional job websites have the advantage over classified ads in that they are updated more frequently and the listings don't have to meet a print deadline and then wait for that edition to go to press. So you might get tipped off on a good lead from a traditional jobs site. Though there are plenty of jobs on Craigslist, there is plenty of dross to get through, and many of the advertisers on Craigslist will want you to work for next to nothing. This may be OK for a short job to get a foot in the door, but there are also Craigslist advertisers who will expect you to continue to work hard on a pauper's wages.
Websites that connect freelance graphic designers or other freelancers with people looking to hire people for specific projects can be sources of an abundance of opportunity for a jobs specialist looking to work as a part-time or full-time freelancer. Before signing up with a freelancer site, thoroughly read the terms and conditions and ensure that they are not charging you a big fee just to join and look at listings.
A decent freelancer site will charge both the worker and the person or company hiring a small percentage or flat fee when a project is awarded. It will also offer and encourage the use of escrow accounts to protect both parties from dishonest partners. Some sites will offer a "preferred" membership that will allow the member to browse more job offerings, and in these cases, the preferred member fee will mean that there is no project fee taken as there is for basic members. These "preferred" memberships should be on the order of a few dollars a month, and you should be able to cancel it at any time.
If you are a freelance graphic design expert, and you've never sought work through a freelance portal, here is one way to maximize your chances of finding continuous work. First, if you can afford a "preferred" (or "gold" or "premium") membership at a freelancer site and if the site allows you to cancel it after a month, then go ahead and sign up for it. Sometimes the better jobs are advertised only to these members.
Bid on several jobs at the lowest rate you possibly can. Eventually you'll hear back from one or two potential clients and have an opportunity to submit a sample of your work and a proposal for how quickly you can turn around their job and what price you'll charge. When you land that first job, that's when your real strategy begins.
Do that first job to the absolute best of your ability and deliver it either on time or early. Most sites allow clients and freelancers to rate one another, and if your client likes your work and gives you a top rating, then getting your second (and third, and fourth ...) jobs will much easier. A surprising number of clients will offer you continuing work. If you consistently produce good work and draw good reviews from clients, then clients will start asking you to bid. You may eventually get enough long-term work that you can drop the "preferred" site membership altogether. Within a couple of months, you can get to where you have a full-time workload.
Keep proving yourself, and you can increase the rates you charge clients. It requires a lot of hard work and long hours, but if you're a graphic designer or other jobs specialist looking for a freelance programming job, your chances of finding it are better than they ever have been.
