One catch-22 that hits us freelancers in the face in the early early days is that we have to have portfolios, even if we’ve never had a client. Of course if you’ve never had a client you couldn’t possibly have a portfolio. Bummer.
What to do? Fake it.
Seriously, just make one up. Your potential clients are going to want to see what you have done. If you can’t show them that, the next best thing is to show them what you can do.
What I did at the beginning was have some friends make up companies for me and I’d design logos, business cards and letterhead for them. I also created logos and such for make-believe companies I’d conjured out of thin air.
If you’re looking at being a graphic designer this should do the trick. If you’re a web designer, do the same thing. Make up a great site for yourself first and then design some home pages for fake companies, family members, whatever. Whatever industry you’re looking at moving into, just get your work out there and make it representative of your skills.
The important thing is to remember not to let your lack of actual paying clients stop you. Also remember that any client you get is going to be more interested in your skills and what you can do than all the big names you’ve worked for in the past.
One thing I’ve never heard as a freelancer is, “Oh, you didn’t design NBC’s logo? Then you’re fired!”
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2 comments
Now that is an idea I had honestly never considered. I am working at breaking into the web training biz, and what could be better than creating a handful of programs that I built from nothing…
I am going to have to look into this. Do you have any other pointers for putting that kind of portfolio together?
@Stephen -
Hey dude. I do have some pointers and I’ll be posting some ideas in the near future.
I’d be happy to talk to you offline if you have any specific questions, but for now the advice is still “fake it until you make it.” If you have the skills, nobody is going to care about your resume or your client list.
Thanks for stopping by and for your curiosity!
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