All the comments in this thread so far are great, and you should definitely try a combination of all of them. It's been a while since I've needed to do this, b

All the comments in this thread so far are great, and you should definitely try a combination of all of them. It's been a while since I've needed to do this, but regarding the 'personal network' - back when I started freelancing I'd go to meetups that weren't directly related to my set of skills, but my skillset could be somewhat needed. If you're a dev and you go to developer meetups, there's a strong chance a lot of the room is doing what you're doing and looking for what you're looking for. Instead, attend meetups where people are likely to need your skillset but won't have it - agency owners, startups, SEO events, whatever. It's kind of obvious in hindsight, but you have to fish where the fish are. If you're a guy looking to pick up girls, a sports bar filled with guys is probably a terrible choice of a night out. If you're a girl looking to pick up guys, maybe it's a great choice. Be brave about conversation (you have nothing to lose!), introduce yourself to people, then just listen and ask questions. People love to talk about themselves, listen to their work and problems (of course talk about you, be natural, just talk less than they do!). Thank them for being really interesting to talk to, get their contact details. If you think there's work there, email them the next day: "It was really lovely meeting to you and chatting. I've been thinking about your problem with X, I'd probably approach it like Y. If you want to grab a drink and chat it through, we absolutely should." There's little worse/more off-putting than meeting someone at an event and they immediately trying to sell themselves. Establish a rapport and follow up after. Even if you have nothing to offer you can contact them and say it was lovely to meet them. Some of the best people in your network will be the ones you meet like this, stay in touch with, then remember you when the timing is right (and vice versa). Just my 2c! Good luck!