I need an advice

[UNARRYCAW]

Hello!
I'm new here. I've been browsing tons of forums for an idea of what to do. I was laid off from my job about 3 month ago. I've been looking for a job since then, but did not even get a single interview. I worked as a web designer for a publishing company for the last 5 years. Looks like forums.wdwmagic.com is an active forum with active members and may be someone has some experience working as a freelance web designer. May be "WDWMAGIC Discussion Forum - News board" category is not the most appropriate for this question, but I want to try anyways to get some opinions before I go ahead with my life. I'm wondering if it is possible in the current economy to find work for a freelance web designer and make enough to pay for rent and groceries. I was able to find a small project on craigslist and I developed a website for a company. It was a small project and took me only a week to complete. I got paid $800 for 1 week of work which is not bad. Please people give me some ideas. I have 2 kids and my wife is out of work as well. Thank you in advance.

 

[brucie]

Wish I could help I am recently out of work as well. But welcome to the boards and good luck

 

[sittle]

Hello!
..... I worked as a web designer for a publishing company for the last 5 years. Looks like forums.wdwmagic.com is an active forum with active members and may be someone has some experience working as a freelance web designer. May be "WDWMAGIC Discussion Forum - News board" category is not the most appropriate for this question, but I want to try anyways to get some opinions before I go ahead with my life....

I am a graphic designer in canada.... this probably isn't the most appropriate forum for a graphic design discussion, BUT... as you know, there are a thousand designers out there all trying to get the same job.... these days everyone and their grandmom are designers. I have found when applying for a design job, 50% of the time getting a full time job or a freelance job is luck. Over the past ten years, I've had four with 2 layoff periods of four months.

If I were in your position I would branch out my searches from Craiglist, any designer worth their salt are well aware of all the tools out there online which can be used to find jobs, not just in the USA, but abroad as well. Currently we are so busy up here that we've been working overtime for months. I'm not endorsing moving to Canada to be a designer, I am trying to stress not to confine your search to your own back yard when you have a world wide search engine available to you.

As you know it's a digital age, graphic design knows no borders (except language borders, it's really hard to set type in a foreign language).

Try cold calling large companies (aka Disney) and start making contacts, and start looking for overflow jobs, they aren't very glamourous they aren't high profile, but they will pay.

To be freelance means you have to be a hunter gatherer unto yourself, your company is your family... most likely your wife is the CEO! HA HA!

Keep looking & stay positive! Good luck!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I don't think this is necessarily a "plug" but if it is, it can be removed.

Have you joined "LinkedIn" yet? That would be a good place to start.

Also, if web-design isn't "biting," are you artistically inclined? (Web designers usually have some sort of graphics design background...that's why I ask). That is always another avenue you could take. (Most people, when they are out of work, try to get back into the same job because that is what they know...but sometimes you need to broaden your search.) My wife recently lost her job too...and we were in panic mode...but luckily found a job fairly quickly.

Good luck and if I hear of anybody looking for a designer, I'll post it here.