Determine your path; then market yourself accordingly. Typically,
the most successful young designers I have come across know what they want — or at the very least, have a strong inkling.

While wanting a job is admirable, it in itself is a bit vague, and
doesn’t provide a valuable source of focus. If possible, determine
what type of designer you would like to become: will you specialize
in identity systems or package design? Do you enjoy designing annual reports? Perhaps information design or snowboard graphics are your strong suit. In addition to the work, consider which size and style
of studio you would like to design for — then evaluate their website,
understand the types of projects they produce, get familiar with
the way they discuss their work and clients, and respond similarly.

Your portfolio and website should look professional,
communicate effectively and have a consistent design style. If you
do not wish to specialize, then you should have a well-rounded body
of work that shows your abilities in all facets of design. If you do wish to specialize, then you need to build a significant portfolio showing
your expertise in a single area.

Also, be critical when editing your work — rarely is anyone
impressed by quantity. If you have ten strong pieces, and present
only those projects, you have a solid book. If you have ten strong pieces, and present twenty, the unfortunate reality is that your portfolio suddenly becomes quite average.