I found it incredibly difficult to get hired for a reasonable rate using any online service. All successful freelance gigs I've had have either come through ref

I found it incredibly difficult to get hired for a reasonable rate using any online service. All successful freelance gigs I've had have either come through referral or cold call. Granted your first gig should be priced accordingly but when the majority of experienced freelancers work for <$50/hr on Elance it's hard to not stoop that low.