How to Actually Put Yourself Out There as a Designer

I feel like one of the biggest pieces of advice you hear as a newer designer is to “put yourself out there.” Which sounds great until you’re actually trying to do it and have no idea what that means. Do I post my work? Email people? Go to networking events? Apply to everything I see?

When I was first trying to get experience as a designer, I definitely didn’t have some perfect strategy for any of this. I just started finding little ways to get my work in front of people, meet other creatives, and give myself more chances to find opportunities. And I think that’s really what putting yourself out there is. You’re basically trying to make it easier for people to find you, see what you can do, and think of you when an opportunity comes up. So if you have no idea where to start, here are some things I would actually do.

First, have somewhere to send people

You need a portfolio. It does NOT have to be perfect, especially if you’re still in school. It also doesn’t need to have a million projects in it. I would rather have 4 or 5 projects that I’m genuinely proud of than fill my website with random work just to make it look like I’ve done more. Class projects count. Personal projects count. Design briefs count. You just want somewhere you can send someone when they ask, “Can I see your work?” And please make the link easy to find. Put it in your Instagram bio, LinkedIn, email signature, wherever it makes sense.

Actually tell people you're a designer

This sounds so obvious, but I swear it matters. Tell people what you do. If you’re looking for an internship, tell your professors. Tell your classmates. Tell people you know. Post about it. if you’re starting to freelance, let people know you’re taking on projects. You never know who knows someone who needs a designer. Some of the opportunities I've gotten throughout my career have come from connections I made way before I actually needed anything from them.

Email people

This is probably one of the easiest things you can start doing. If there’s an agency you love, email them. If there’s a designer whose career you’re interested in, reach out. If there’s a company you would love to intern for but they don’t have an internship listed, you can still ask. You don't always have to wait for someone to post an opportunity before you introduce yourself. And don't write a five-paragraph email explaining your entire life story. Tell them who you are, what you're looking for, why you're reaching out to them, and include your portfolio. That's it. Will everyone respond? Absolutely not. But you only really need the right person to respond.

Post your work

You don't have to become a content creator to put yourself out there online. Just start showing people what you're making. Post the finished project. Show your process. Talk about something you learned. Share a project you're really proud of. I think designers sometimes get so used to looking at other designers' work that we forget most people cannot do what we do. Something that feels like a random class project to you could be the exact thing that makes someone think of you when they need a designer later.

Enter things

Competitions, exhibitions, portfolio reviews, student showcases, whatever you can find. Especially if you're still a student. There are so many opportunities specifically for students that you literally will not qualify for anymore once you graduate, so take advantage of them while you can. And you don't have to wait until you think you're going to win. Submit the work anyway. Worst case, nothing happens. Best case, you get an award, get published, meet someone, or suddenly have something really good to add to your resume and portfolio.

Talk to people who are ahead of you

One thing I wish more newer designers did is just ask people questions. Find designers doing the type of work you want to do and talk to them. Ask how they got their first job. Ask what they would change about your portfolio. Ask what they think you're missing. Ask what they would focus on if they were graduating right now. You do not have to figure out your entire career by yourself when there are literally people who have already done what you're trying to do. And when someone does take the time to help you, stay in touch with them.

Go to things

I know. Networking events can feel awkward. But go anyway. Look for design events, AIGA events, portfolio reviews, conferences, workshops, school events, creative meetups, anything that puts you around other people in the industry. And don't go into it thinking you have to walk around handing everyone your resume. Literally just talk to people. Ask what they do. Tell them what you do. Exchange Instagrams or connect on LinkedIn. That's networking.

Apply even when you're questioning yourself

If you look at an internship or job and your first thought is “I'm probably not qualified enough for this,” apply anyway. Obviously there are limits to this, but I think newer designers talk themselves out of opportunities way too quickly. Let them decide if you're qualified. Your job is to put your work in front of them. I've applied for things before without knowing whether I had a chance. Sometimes nothing happened. Other times it completely changed the direction of my career. You genuinely don't know until you try.

And please follow up

If you email someone and don't hear back, that doesn't automatically mean they hated your work. People are busy. Emails get buried. Send a follow-up. The same goes for people you meet. If someone gives you advice or offers to look at your portfolio, actually follow up with them. You don't want to constantly ask people for things, but staying in touch with people you've met can go a really long way.

You don't have to do all of this at once

If you're reading this thinking you need to make a website, post every day, send 30 emails, go to a networking event, enter six competitions and completely redo your LinkedIn by tomorrow... you don't. Pick one thing. Send one email this week. Post one project. Enter one competition. Ask one person to look at your portfolio. Putting yourself out there isn't one big thing you do once. It's a bunch of really small things that make more people aware of who you are and what you can do. And eventually, those little things start connecting. Someone remembers your work. Someone sends your portfolio to someone else. An old connection reaches back out. One email turns into an internship. An internship turns into freelance work. That's really the point. You can't control exactly where your next opportunity is going to come from. But you can give it a lot more ways to find you.