Hi Suzanne. My name is Steve and I was just reading your post about freelance graphic arts. I've worked as a graphic artist/writer for almost 20 years (by the way...need a partner?).
Anyway, the pay scale for graphic artists has gone way down hill, so you are better off going freelance. When I started (pre-internet), you actually needed to have artistic abilities, but since fonts and clip art have become so plentiful and computers are so user-friendly, they don't care so much for talent anymore and wages have stagnated.
But as far as a portfolio goes, maybe use a few good pieces you did in school, but take some time to look through newpapers and magazines, see a horrid ad and redesign it yourself (don't forget about white space!).
And another reason I was such a valued employee was not just because I was fast, but I was accurate, I got as much information from the client as possible, and if I still wasn't sure about the product, i'd spend a little time researching it myself to give them the best possible effective ad for their money. Do that and I guarantee you'll get repeat customers.
If you want to talk, you can email me at home at: svladoiu@sbcglobal.net
Thanks.
Steve edit

Suzanne,
I agree with Steve....you should check out sites like www.freepulsecard.com for project opportunities, they have an advantage that most freelance sites don't have...you don't have to compete for projects! @PulseCrd edit

Great question Suzanne! I've owned a few print publishing companies and now I run a custom media publishing company (most biz is related to online work). We worked with undergrads all of the time when I was publishing magazines. We contacted the local university and students worked with us daily. Several were paid coop students gaining experience while others volunteered to create ads for us so they could add to their portfolios. We were unable to hire everyone that was interested in working with us. We did frequently publish both the work created by the coops and the volunteers to help them build a portfolio. It was win-win for all of us.

Contact local agencies and design shops and offer your services. You might find they'll pay you but if not, offer to work on a few projects as a volunteer. You'll quickly build a portfolio.

I hope this helps.
Greg Magnus
AIM Custom Media edit

I think that you are right on the money, you need to network. And that may mean volunteering/interning at a few places just to get the exposure to some companies that contract out work. To freelance you will need to do more than just design, you will need to be a bit of an account rep too, that means calling up marketing departments and asking if they need some fresh insight. Good luck, i;m sure that you will find your way. edit

Hi Suzanne:

Great to have you at PartnerUp. It looks like you're on the right track! Networking is essential in business, and social media platforms make it possible like never before. Just as an example, I met my boss through Twitter. We were chatting about our food blogs one day, and one thing led to another. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to use these platforms effectively. Here are some suggestions on how to get the most out of this site in terms of participating: http://www.partnerup.com/tos/

Here's what you can do immediately here at PartnerUp:
1. Upload a photo
2. Add links to your other social platforms and your portfolio website
3. Share your knowledge with others. If someone asks about logo design, share tips--don't advertise. It will increase your reputation to share knowledge. It will harm your reputation to annoy others with pitches. Easy, huh?

Please feel free to message me if there's anything I can do to help!

Hilary Cable | Community Manager, PartnerUp.com |hilary.cable@deluxe.com
Deluxe Corp | www.deluxe.com
Small business blog:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/PartnerUp-Community/157895039939


edit

Great advice from the pros! I'd add just one thing as a tax professional: When you've finished your first tax year as a freelancer, you will be shocked at how much you owe in taxes. Pay yourself first. Take a few minutes to set up an online 401(k) account (online brokerages all offer them) and set aside retirement money. You'll be taxed on your income that's left after you've paid your retirement account. Also consider an interest checking account (online brokers offer these too) where you can save for your quarterly taxes.

Good luck with your new venture! edit

For your portfolio, if you don't have many client projects, try doing a couple projects for friends. Things like holiday cards and wedding invitations inherently get passed around. Or just find something fun -- for example, these "media packaging mashups" are really neat http://kottke.org/09/04/media-packaging-mashups

For networking, you should consider trying to join design communities like and Forrst (http://www.forrst.com) and Dribbble (http://www.dribbble.com) edit

Suzanne, make sure that your portfolio shows a variety of work (don't just put in brochures or ads).
While advertising and commercial design work hasn't quite recovered from the economic downturn, packaging has remained very strong, and there are many small to medium sized companies that can't afford the "ad agency" treatment.
You can find a nice niche there, potentially.
Also, don't discount the marketability of the support skills you've learned to become a graphic designer - assuming you've received the appropriate photoshop skills, you can pretty easily translate those base skills into image manipulation and color correction.
It's not the most glamourous work, but it can serve as good filler work to keep your income going (and can be a really good way to get exposure into other work).
In addition to all of the great suggestions you've gotten here, contact some of your local printers - with all the downsizing going on, their pool of skilled prep staff (particularly color and image manipulation) may be lacking, and that could be a great way to get exposure to clients. edit