How to Build a Web Design Career as a Freelancer

Have you hired a web designer lately? If so, then you wouldn’t be surprised to find that the majority of people who choose this career spend at least a few years as freelancers. Even the top designers who end up working for large corporate advertising departments tend to pick up extra cash working on the side during or immediately after college. Unlike other business professionals in marketing, finance, and more traditional disciplines, web designers usually find it easy to locate side gigs and private clients.

Building a successful career in web design as a freelancer or a candidate in a UX design firm requires a combination of creativity, technical skill, business savvy, and a strong work ethic. At the start, it’s crucial to build a portfolio of work that showcases your design abilities and demonstrates your expertise in different areas, such as user experience (UX) design, web development, and visual design. Additionally, staying up-to-date with the latest web design trends and technologies and honing your communication and project management skills can help you stand out in a competitive market.

Here are some of the reasons so many of today?s college and grad-school students consider a career in this trending career path.

It?s Easy to Get Started, Even Without Credentials

If you are self-taught or have had enough coursework to give clients what they need, you can start a micro business out of your home or dorm room. All you?ll need is a modest dose of ambition, a basic skill set, and a bare bones website where prospective customers can see what you have to offer. These days, there are even high school students who have learned the necessary lessons to work part-time and earn decent money for their efforts.

Pay Rates are Competitive

Compared to flipping burgers, waiting tables, and dozens of other available but low paying jobs, working as a website creator offers the chance to set your own rate of pay. You can charge much more once you get a few corporate clients under your belt, but even in the beginning have the opportunity to set market competitive rates that are well above the living wage standard. The truth is that reliable, skilled tech workers are hard to find and earn good money in all kinds of economies.

IT Degree Holders Rise Quickly through the Ranks

If you choose to obtain a formal college degree in IT, your web design skills will help you rise to the top of the professional marketplace. In fact, ambitious adults who take out student loans to finance their information technology education move up quickly. Education loans are easy to apply for and offer some of the best bargains in the world of high-end job training. An added benefit of taking out a student loan is that even if you decide to switch careers, you?ll still hold a valued college diploma in a relevant field.

Becoming Unemployed May Not be a Fear

Web design pros can always visit major online job boards and find freelance work. With the explosion in growth of small and micro businesses, there?s an ever-increasing need for attractive, informative, client-friendly websites, and people with the skills to create them are rarely out of work.

There?s a Realistic Career Path

The entire IT field is filled with opportunity and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Many of the top tech positions at major tech startups, advertising agencies, and traditional corporations are filled by professionals who began their careers as web designers. While the idea of a clear-cut career path might not be what brings so many people into IT or web design, specifically, it?s definitely a bonus for anyone who chooses this ever-growing field.