Contrary to popular belief, it’s not difficult to find graphic design employment online. But it might be challenging to select the finest job search website when there are so many options accessible. For this reason, we have compiled the best list of 18 websites available for searching for graphic design jobs online. Both of you looking for full-time work and freelancers have possibilities.

Certain websites cater exclusively to various types of designers, while others focus on jobs in general. Join a number of these sites and populate your portfolio with your most recent employment to make the most of them.

There is a wide variety of safe sites and also some sites where you have to be careful with scams. We’ll let you know which Is which. Nevertheless, there are a few things to take into account in order to avoid getting scammed on any site:

• Always communicate with clients inside the platform where they found you. Unless it’s only a job listing site, then be mindful of communications. Check for their status on a site like Glassdoor.
• If a client says you have to pay a specific tool from them to do the job, it’s a huge red flag. If they need you to do a job on a specific platform or CMS, they should pay for your spot.
• When anything sounds sketchy, ask the design community before committing to anything.

1. AwesomeWeb

AwesomeWeb is a creative job platform for graphic and web designers. There are no design contests on AwesomeWeb, only direct hiring. The designer base on AwesomeWeb is smaller than the huge sites like Freelancer or Upwork and all portfolios are hand-selected for quality. 

Signing up is easy but you do have to show your best work in order to get hired by someone looking for designers. Your portfolio really needs to stand out from the rest. This platform only charges a monthly fee and they say that if you don’t get any jobs you can get that money back.

2. Authentic Jobs

Authentic Jobs is a small jobs board for creatives. The available jobs here are always changing, so it’s a good idea to subscribe to their newsletter. That way you’ll be notified when new work comes in.

The jobs listed on Authentic Jobs are usually senior level positions in different areas of design. Additionally, there are categories for UI/UX designers, front and back end developers as well as specialized developers.

3. Freelancer

The Freelancer platform is the largest freelance job platform in existence. There are job posting for virtually any type of job. The platform grew thanks to millions of small businesses that used it to find their ideal freelancers. 

Freelancer is great for entry-level designers although there are plenty of top-level designers making a living with Freelancer. They just had to work their way up the ladder to get there.

Many of the jobs on Freelancer are low paying but if you have a good looking profile and paid subscription, you can charge a lot more. You can get higher paid jobs with a free subscription if you have 5 reviews. Make sure your profile is up to date and you are offering all the types of design you are able to do.

The competition on Freelancer is off the charts. Also, this is a platform where scammers run rampant so always be mindful of the tips we suggest above.

4. Linkedin Jobs

Linkedin has long been the standard for professional networking. As a communication platform and now also considered a social media platform as well, Linkedin is a great place to find high-quality jobs.

The only caveat with Linkedin is that your profile is super important. It needs to be updated all the time and you need to be adding all your latest jobs as they happen. If you take courses online, always add the certificate to your Linkedin profile.

Getting a design job online with Linkedin can be done with a free plan but you will have more opportunities with a free plan. TapResume has a great guide on optimizing your time on LinkedIn to find jobs. Linkedin is good for all job types, freelancing, part-time, full-time or remote.

5. Upwork

Upwork is another giant online job search platform. Just like Freelancer, there are many types of jobs available for freelancers, not just design related. Similar to Freelancer, Upwork starts you off at low paying jobs and you climb your way up to better-paying jobs.

Read Also: How do You Onboard a Graphic Designer?

A big difference between Upwork and Freelancer is that if you apply for Upwork, their review team might not accept you. Not because you aren’t good but because there are too many freelancers that offer exactly what you do. The way they scan new members is through the profile you fill out at the start. 

The good thing is that once you are accepted, it’s not that hard to find jobs. The competition is not as high as in Freelancer because there are fewer freelancers on the platform. 

6. Freepik Contributor Network

Not all the design jobs you find online are through job boards and design contests. In some cases, it’s a more hands on approach. When you join the Freepik Contributor network, you submit your designs to sell on the Freepik Company sites like Freepik and Flaticon.

Of course, the process has some steps to follow. You must follow creative guidelines and learn the uploading process to facilitate the review from the Freepik team. All your submitted designs are reviewed before they can be added to the network. 

When your designs are accepted, they will be available to all Freepik Premium members and you will earn money for every download. If your designs are rejected, double check the creative guidelines and try again! Once you tap into the Freepik visual atmosphere, you’re set.

7. Design Jobs Board

This site is geared mainly to designers in the UK. Companies looking for designers pay to post their job listings on the site. As a designer, you can set the filters for full time,

part time, freelance or remote. The platform assures designers that all job listings are legit but all hiring and payment processes are up to the company and designer, not the platform.

8. Design Week UK

Design Week UK is a site very similar to Design Jobs Board. There are lots of types of design jobs available on the Design Week site. Most jobs available are in the United Kingdom but other countries in Europe also have listings.

This is a reputable site and you can be sure of the companies that post their openings.

9 . If You Could

Not just another job listing site in the UK, If You Could is made for creatives by creatives. As a designer it’s easy to sign up and find jobs. Most jobs are in the UK but there are occasionally job postings for other parts of the world. If You Could is associated with It’s Nice That and they review all job postings.

This is a legit job posting board and a great opportunity for professional designers.

10. Creative Pool

The job listing at Creative Pool is full of high-level companies looking for top-notch creatives to join their teams. The listings are international and mostly on-site permanent jobs. There are freelance jobs as well.

This is the site you need if you are looking for a full time permanent position in a top-lever or corporate company. There are jobs for designers of all types, plus other creative fields. Most of the jobs are in the UK but there are plenty in other big cities like New York and San Francisco.

Think of Creative Pool like Linkedin for creatives. It’s like a mix between Behance and Linkedin. You have a profile where you showcase your work, then network with other creatives and finally you can find jobs in the job listings. When your profile is good enough, the platform offers you a standalone website. All in all it’s a good option for creatives.

11. Creative Guild

Creative Guild is a continuation of another creative resource called “creative mornings”. These are free international events all about meeting and networking with other creatives over breakfast. Creative morning is a long standing event and in 2018, the team created Creative Guild in order to take the real life connections online.

The Creative Guild site offers designers and many other types of creatives a personal profile where to showcase work and post news about their creative endeavours. Another networking site similar to creative pool, behance, and dribble, Creative Guild is also great for finding jobs.

The job listing is international and easily searchable by profession and speciality. Also, don’t miss out on attending a Creative Morning in your city.

12. Behance

Behance is the portfolio site connected to the Adobe cloud. Here, designers showcase their best work and network with other designers. The Behance platform also has a job board with international work opportunities. 

The best way to get jobs on Behance is to keep your profile up to date with your best jobs. Be mindful of how you present your work on the platform, first impressions are key. When you look for jobs on the job listing, there are lots of filters to help you hone down what you need. 

Check out the listing that fits your expertise and apply straight through Behance. It’s all pretty simple and to the point. Jobs posted on Behance are legit but always follow the suggestions we describe above.

13. Dribbble

Dribbble is similar to Behance in that it’s a portfolio site. The difference is that on Dribbble you have a limit of how much work you can show. That’s why you need to be selective with what you show and always make it look great. 

A lot of top-level designers show their work in progress in Dribbble as well, but that’s not available for entry level. The way to get onto Dribbble is to be invited by another designer. Of course you can bypass that by paying for a subscription but having the community accept you looks better on your profile.

14. Toptal

Toptal is much like Freelancer but much more exclusive. To get on the Toptal network you need to have quite a few years and a lot of high-quality work under your belt. This platform is not for new designers. 

Once you get onto Toptal, you can be assured that all the jobs are high-level and will pay well.

It’s a platform to aspire to.

15. The Loop

Similar to sites like Design Week UK, The Loop is a design job community to find good design jobs. The opportunities are all based in Australia and most will ask that they applicant be Australian or have a valid Australian work visa. 

Apply to The Loop if you are a designer in Australia and are looking for jobs in the city you live in or one you’d like to relocate to.

16. AIGA

AIGA is the professional association or design, based in the United States. Most professional designer that are United States citizens have AIGA memberships because it gives them lots of professional support and opportunities. 

The jobs board on the AIGA website is open for any designer to see, but as a member you get better support for applying to these jobs. Also the companies that post on this platform, expect to hire AIGA members.

The best way to use this job board is to become an AIGA member. Also you should either be a United States citizen or permanent resident.

17. Coroflot

The Coroflot platform was created by designers for designers. As a designer you can join the community and talent network to find jobs and meet other creatives around the world. Coroflot lets designers sign up and create a profile. You don’t need to apply but if you want to get jobs through the platform you have to add your best jobs and be active on the network.

If your profile is empty or low-standard it will simply get lost in the mix and you will not land the jobs you want.

18. Krop

Krop is more than an online job board. With Krop you can create your own portfolio website that looks amazing and can take your work to the next level. If you don’t create the portfolio you can still search for jobs in the job listings. But like other sites, the better your profile looks, the more success you’ll have when applying for jobs.

The job listings on Krop are all based in the United States across the biggest cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. You don’t need to be in the United States to create a profile website with Krop. 

Finally

You no longer need to rely on enormous websites like Freelancer or Upwork because you have seen 18 other internet platforms where you may obtain design projects. No matter whatever platform you choose, never forget that obtaining a good design job largely depends on your profile, CV, and portfolio.