Where can I find orders for a novice designer?

Question

Design

I know this question has been asked many times, but this is a beginner's fear. I've been studying design for half a year, self-taught, I trust textbooks more than courses. But I took courses from Mail ru. I'm not sure about the level of my work, and whether it is possible to freelance with such a level. My portfolio: https://www.behance.net/sanek152530781
Plans to work in the company on a permanent basis. I came for an interview, they said that everything was fire, but there I already had problems, I had to refuse. I left applications for Freelance ru and Freelance, but did not receive answers, so I think that I need to study further, and not climb. I would like to know how did you go through this stage, and where is the best place to find clients at the initial stage? Thank you!

Answer 1

1. Orders are never found quickly. Alas, from the beginning of the search to my first order, a little more than a week passed. At that time, freelance.ru was better than it is now.
2. If you are one of those designers who have completed courses and write exorbitant price tags, thinking that he is a true designer, then you will not find orders (alas, I could not check this moment anywhere).
3. The level of your work is not fire, but not miserable either. You have work to do. First of all, draw not only layouts, but also interfaces. All your work is quite pleasing to the eye, but it's just a well-chosen picture and some kind of grid. As a person who sometimes looks at designers, I lack exactly some ideas, some little things that I would pay attention to. In your case, just text and pictures. It's not bad, but you need to show people something deeper.
4. It is obvious that all your works from the portfolio are either drawn according to the courses, or somehow, for training, of course, it will do, but from the customer’s side, I would like to look at something more real in our Runet segment. That is, layouts that could be used directly in production. Now you, like the halves of the behans with the dribble, just have beautiful layouts, but they do not fulfill their functions. Try to take and solve some problem (see the cases of top studios), offer your own solutions.
5. I would recommend that you continue to expand your portfolio by looking for orders from time to time. Searching for orders at the very beginning of the journey is probably the most difficult and tedious task, but then it is easier when there is a customer base. But do not forget about practice and the qualitative improvement of your skills.