Behance isn’t just a place to showcase your portfolio — it’s a powerful platform for finding freelance work, connecting with clients, and building a thriving creative career. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get hired on Behance. From optimizing your profile to landing freelance jobs with 0% platform fees, we’ll cover the strategies that help top creatives stand out and succeed.
1. Build Your Dream Portfolio
Your portfolio is your most powerful tool for getting hired. Behance projects serve as an effective case study of your talent, your problem solving skills, and your process. In addition to showcasing your best work, curate your portfolio to reflect the types of projects you want to be hired for.
“Behance projects are about presenting your work in a way that’s both visually compelling and strategically aligned,” says Michelle Deborah, who goes by ARTSBY EMDE on Behance. She emphasizes quality over quantity when it comes to your portfolio: “You don’t need to overwhelm your audience with tons of pages in your project. Focus on presenting the right amount of content that effectively showcases your creativity and makes your brand stand out.”
KOKORO COFFEE by ARTSBY EMDE
The most effective portfolios are up to date and ever evolving, growing and changing with your career. Keep your Behance profile up to date with your latest work, and remove any projects that are no longer relevant to your career path.
2. Think Like a Client
When creating her Behance projects, Michelle likes to put herself in the shoes of the client. “Ask yourself, ‘Why would I choose this designer? What makes them the dream choice for my project?’” she advises. “Use this perspective to shape your presentation, emphasizing what sets you apart.”
When a client looks at your project, they should get a clear sense of what it’s like to work with you. Include insights into your process, how you approached the brief, and what the final deliverables included.
Graphic designer Matias Fune’s checklist includes lots of high quality images that showcase various facets of the project — “as if telling a story” — and short, concise descriptions. “The project should explain itself, emotionally captivating with the images and rationally with the concept behind it,” he says.
LABONE by Matias Funes
3. Connect a Payment Method
Getting paid is just as important as getting hired. Connect your Behance account to Paypal or Stripe to transact securely with clients on platform and ensure a smooth process. As a payment connected member you’ll be able to send proposals in response to client inquiries, request an upfront payment before you begin the work, and get paid directly and securely on Behance. Plus, you'll be recommended to more clients and appear on our Hire page visited by hundreds of thousands of clients looking for talent.
Completing the entire process from proposal to payment on Behance has helped illustrator Jose Villacrez build more trust with his clients: “Previously, there was a risk of losing a client or project due to having to send third-party payment links. This could raise doubts or questions about whether it's secure, and I've had some clients decline to work with me based on this.”
Learn more about payment connections in our FAQ.
4. List a Creative Service
Make it easy for clients to know what you offer by listing your freelance services directly on your Behance profile. Clearly outlining your skills, budget, and timeline will help you attract more qualified leads. Start with a clear, descriptive title that reflects the service you’re offering, and a short overview explaining what the client will receive.
You can select examples of your work from your Behance projects to showcase your style and give your clients an idea of the final deliverables. Potential clients can send an inquiry directly from your Behance profile, and you can discuss additional details via messages or video call in the Behance inbox.
Learn more about listing your freelance services in our FAQ.
5. Price Your Work Strategically
Pricing your work is one of the most important but oftentimes difficult aspects of going freelance. “It is important to gather as much information as possible before starting the job,” advises illustrator Carolina Saiz. “If you are able to calculate the time it will take you to do the project, that is the basis for pricing and from there I would add other factors such as complexity of the work, number of rounds of changes included in your budget, and what uses your work will have.”
When you upgrade to Behance Pro, you’ll get access to Pricing Guidance, a data-driven tool that takes the guesswork out of pricing. Pricing Guidance gives you helpful benchmarks including the most common and average prices for services like yours based on how users in the Behance community price their own work, as well as insights tailored to specific categories and location-specific data.
6. Browse Freelance Jobs on Behance
One of the most direct ways to get hired on Behance is by actively browsing and applying to freelance jobs. Pro members get exclusive access to recommended jobs based on their availability and skill set. Each listing includes clear details about the project scope, budget, timeline, and client expectations, so you can decide quickly whether it’s a fit.
If you see a project that interests you, apply directly with a proposal. As a Pro member, you and your client pay 0% platform fees on all freelance jobs.
7. Be Responsive
When a potential client reaches out, how quickly you respond can make all the difference. “Offering a timely response to the client is the best way to close a deal,” says Jose. “Responding quickly demonstrates your interest and appreciation for the client's time.” He has found that responding within the first few hours of getting an inquiry exponentially increases his likelihood of closing the deal: “I applied this approach last year, and my closing percentage has been 75%, with projects closed by responding as quickly as possible.”
Playground Vol.01 by Jose Villacrez, Yowna studio, and Anderson Carranza
Behance offers the visibility, tools, and connections to help you thrive in your creative career. Now it’s time to put these tips into action and start landing the jobs you want.
