How & Where To Get Paid Freelance Work While You're Still A Design Student

Updated March 2026.

Jacob Cass is a designer from Newcastle, Australia, who freelanced under his business Just Creative Design while still a student. Jacob’s talent brought him awards and published work worldwide. This post, originally written when Jacob was 21, has been updated with current platforms and resources — the problems he identified are the same; many of the tools have changed.

As a design student, I know how hard it is to break into the field. In this article I am going to share my tips on how and where to get freelance design jobs while you are still studying.

The Problems

There are five main problems that design students face. They do not yet have the skills needed to be a professional designer because they are still (1) learning the software, (2) building a portfolio, and (3) developing their client and time management skills. On top of that, they have (4) no reputation and (5) no one knows about them yet.

Let’s look at each problem and its solution.

Problem 1. You do not yet have professional design skills

This is the reason you are studying. But do not be a passive learner — you need to push yourself beyond what the course requires. Read design blogs, get involved in online design communities, borrow books, ask questions, and get out there.

Go to your local design studio and ask for work experience. I did this and worked on their pro bono projects. I learned more about dealing with clients and managing time in those months than I had in the previous year of study. Most studios are happy to hear from enthusiastic students — they had to start somewhere too.

Recommended Reading

Graphic Design School by David Dabner A companion to what your course is teaching. A useful aid.

Non Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams Essential reading for anyone starting out in design. Typography, contrast, alignment, repetition, proximity — the principles explained without the jargon.

Graphic Design as a Second Language by Bob Gill Aimed at students and teachers of design. Strong on the design thinking process.

How To Be A Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy Covers the realities of working as a professional designer. Essential for the more advanced student.

Recommended Blogs and Resources

Just Creative Design Varied tips and resources for designers.

The Graphic Design School Blog Tips, tutorials, and articles aimed at design students.

Smashing Magazine Long-running resource with design tutorials, UX articles, and tool roundups.

Abduzeedo Inspiration, tutorials, and creative work.

Problem 2. You do not yet have strong software skills

Software proficiency comes from practice, not from reading about it. That said, tutorials accelerate the learning curve significantly. Find a beginners tutorial in the software you are using, work through it, then revisit regularly as your skills develop.

One approach that opened a new world for me: downloading free stock files and deconstructing them to understand how they were built. See a texture you like? Pull it apart. See a layout that works? Reverse-engineer it.

Tutorial Resources

Adobe Help and Tutorials Official tutorials for all Adobe products — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and beyond.

Envato Tuts+ Design Free and premium tutorials across print and digital design.

YouTube Search for specific techniques. The volume of high-quality free tutorial content has expanded enormously since this post was first written.

Problem 3. You do not yet have a reputable portfolio

Every designer started with nothing. Building your portfolio is the most important thing you do while studying — it is what gets you your first job.

Build it up by taking on fictional briefs, responding to real briefs on contest platforms, and using your university work. Studios do not mind if your portfolio items are fictional, as long as the work is strong and you can explain your design decisions.

Read our post on putting together an effective portfolio for practical guidance on what to include and how to present it.

Building Your Portfolio Through Contests

Contest platforms are a reasonable way to build your portfolio as a student. Your odds of winning any individual contest are low — but the brief-writing, the feedback, and the finished work all have value.

99 Designs — Design contests across logo, brand, and web projects.

Crowdspring — Similar model to 99designs.

Keep in mind that the professional design community has mixed feelings about contest-based work. Once you are established, this model is worth reconsidering. As a student building a first portfolio, it has legitimate uses.

Problem 4. You have no knowledge about clients or time management

Almost all design graduates share this gap. The only way to fix it is through experience — which is why work experience at a local studio is so valuable. Drop in, introduce yourself as a design student, and ask if there is anything you can help with. You will be surprised how often the answer is yes.

When you do start working with clients — even small, informal projects — treat them like professional engagements. Document the brief in writing. Set clear timelines. Invoice properly. These habits are easier to build when the stakes are low than when they are not.

This reply came in from a reader after the original post:

“Hi Jacob. I followed your advice about just asking a local studio and was shocked when they said I could go in one day a week. I always thought they’d be miserable or have no time for silly young students, but they had to start somewhere too. It may be pro bono work but it’s vital experience.”

Getting The Work

Here comes the harder part. Once you are confident enough to go looking for paid work, here are the platforms and job boards worth knowing in 2026.

Freelance Platforms

These are the most accessible entry points for student designers looking for paid work:

• Fiverr — Low barrier to entry. Good for building reviews and small project experience.
• Upwork — Broader freelance marketplace. More competitive, but better-paying work once you establish a track record.
• 99 Designs — Both contests and direct client work.
• Dribbble — The design community’s job board. Skews toward more experienced designers, but worth knowing.
• Behance — Adobe’s portfolio platform includes a jobs section.

Job Boards

For graduate and student positions, internships, and junior roles:

• Authentic Jobs — Long-running design job board.
• Coroflot — Design-specific jobs, internships included.
• Smashing Magazine Jobs — Design and web roles.
• Krop — Portfolio hosting and job board for creatives.

For local work, do not underestimate LinkedIn and direct outreach to studios in your area. Many junior design positions are never formally advertised.

Self-Promotion

Read our post on self-promotion and winning work for a more detailed look at how to build a reputation and get in front of the right people. The principles in that post apply just as much to students as to established designers.

Once you have the foundation in place — the skills, the portfolio, and some client experience — the work will follow. See our Introduction to Foundation Course if you are still building those fundamentals.

Good luck.