Charity work will open doors.
I just started doing freelance work, not much since I'm still in school but enough that I feel I'll have a decent portfolio by the time I graduate. Nearly all the (paid) work I've gotten has been a result of doing free work for a local non profit organization. So I would recommend finding some non profit that you like and feel your work would benefit and ask them if they need any help. I really like doing flyer/poster design and I love music so I chose to do free work for a grassroots music organization, now I'm doing paid work for members of that organization or people who saw the work I did for them. So not only will charity work get you noticed it can get you noticed in the market you want to work in.
|