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There are plenty of freelancing websites for graphic designers, but all of them differ in terms of opportunities, sharing and networking. Thus far, I worked through two freelancing websites that helped me to gain more experience as a Graphic Designer.

Freelancing on 99designs.com

I would recommend 99designs.com to entry-level graphic designers. This freelancing site is, from my perspective, oriented towards sharing and developing design concepts. Soon after I signed up, I found several one-time jobs that I could apply to. In each job post, I could clearly see what were the requirements of the client, how much time was left to submit my concept, and, for some job posts, I could even see the finished work of other contestants. So, the last part was very helpful as I was able to pick up some tricks from the more experienced designers. In addition to this, the platform is allowing the employers to give feedback to their freelancers and freelancers to like each other’s work. In the end, I can say that this freelancing platform literally offered me a start in creating my graphic design portfolio.

Freelancing on upwork.com

I would advise professional freelancers to try upwork.com, a platform where designers, developers, and analysts can apply to part-time or full-time jobs posted by their clients. Unfortunately, this website is no place for beginners. Although it has the entry level option, little to no employer hires an entry-level employee. In my case, employers wanted complete advertising campaigns, that included print material, social media campaigns and website redesign. For instance, they posted jobs for brand identities or logos and they mentioned that further cooperation for other graphics would follow. In other words, being able to design a logo was not enough for clients who wanted a full, step-by-step, marketing campaign. Overall, I can honestly say that I won no contests on this platform and that I gained little experience. However, I saw the profiles of experienced freelancers who won hundreds of contests and earned thousands of dollars per month.