How can I get a web design job in Toronto?

Best ways to get a web design job online?

• I know for sure the hardest part of getting a job with web design is getting your name out there but what are some tips on getting your name out there just through the web? I know doing volunteer websites are one. I want to create a portfolio website for myself but I currently can't afford a domain and monthly hosting yet. I'm about 4-5 years of self-taught HTML and CSS with a about almost a year of experience with PHP. I've been designing with photoshop for about 2-3 years now and there's a lot of professional designs I have done. What else could I possibly do to get my name out there some more and get myself a web designing job? I also prefer not to code but I can if I have to and I like to do pretty basic websites for people. I still need a lot of experience with databases and mySQL so I don't really want to do anything too big too. Thanks for the help. I'll choose a best answer too. :)

• Answer:

  It doesn't take long to learn (X)'HTML and CSS, you would be able to find your way around the references in a matter of a few hours, (days at most). And how many years of experiance you got, has little value in practice. HTML and CSS won't really get your far, to many already offer coding in these technologies. So even if you are an expert in this area, you will have a hard time finding a job. The best way to get known in your area is to create a blog/website, and publish articles and tutorials. While being active on other major websites in same feild, commenting on their Tutorials and Articles. And i don't mean to simply add a coment saying "good Tutorial", you should be thoughtful about your comments. Most webdesigners are capable of so much more then just working with photoshop or writing valid HTML/CSS. You might still be lucky and get a job, considering that some of the "veterans" are awful at writing code which validates, and that some of them even still uses tables for their layouts. I've even seen "webdesign" combanies who used WYSIWYG editors, and still had many customors. I would suggest you take the time to learn RSS, Atom, JavaScript, Ajax. Because this is something which doesn't take long, and it really add a huge level to what you can offer. People often think that its a few experts who know all these. But taking RSS for instance, you would be able to learn how to generate these dynamically in a hour or so. I would also suggest you extend your PHP and MySQL skills, but most importantly that you know how to use google, and the official php / MySQL reference manuels. And don't limit yourself to a few languages, other good choices would be .NET and C/C++, Java. Another cheap and efficient way to get yourself known, would be to promote your buisness in local papers. And don't be to limited about what to include in the ad, PC Support, Webdesign, Programming, whatever.