well not me really
i get asked a lot on what should people do. ‘how
do i become a freelancer?’ ‘where do i start?’ ‘where do i find work?’
‘should i be a freelancer or go permanent?’

if anyone is at
least a little responsible for their actions, they will not be advising
you whether you should be a freelancer or not. because it’s like asking
a bank cashier what should you invest in, all they can give you is
options. it’s your future and nobody should ‘advise’ you about it.
people
form opinions and worldviews based on their very own story, few
are able to look at the market objectively. only thing one can do is
tell their story, but it won’t help you much.
first you have to
decide what you want to do. i can’t tell you how many cvs i get with ‘i
can do quark, photoshop, dreamweaver, html, css, php and mysql’. you
can’t do it all, no-one can. and if you can, you can’t do it well. find
out what you want to do. you want to be a designer, be a designer, put
together a portfolio of print designs and maybe interfaces. but don’t
claim to ‘do’ all (rather claim to have an understanding of the given
technology, a program is only a program). some jobs are not created for
freelancing, if you’re good a dtp, find employment in a newspaper. if
you’re a a bit more wide-range designer then go freelance, because with
SMEs you’ll have to be that bit more versatile.

freelancing is
as much a personality thing as a skill thing. you have to be organised,
driven, flexible, passionate or just plain best ever in what you do.
you have to be able to network/interact with people.

if you do decide to go freelance?
well,
a portfolio helps.. and a good cv, you don’t email other designers with
a pdf portfolio hoping they would push a bit of work your way (sure it
happens but you have to be very lucky). you put a portfolio together
(print, websites, anything) and go out into the big scary world and try
to sell yourself. it’s difficult (and doesn’t get much easier). what
with creative types knowing inside they’re good but not really being
the type to brag and sell themselves.
network, meet people, go to
agencies, print business cards and tell everyone (and your parents’
friends) you’re trying to find work, and then network more, go to
meetings, go out and meet every local business. look for niches. or do
the same online, but you have to be out there. and i don’t mean
advertising with fellow designers/coders because they see you as
potential competition.

good luck