How do you find clients on LinkedIn and work with them?

I'm currently studying UX/UI Design and working on improving my skills and building a solid portfolio. I’ve seen many designers here and on LinkedIn working with real clients on various projects, and I keep wondering: how do you actually get started?

• How do you connect with new clients through LinkedIn?
• Do you send cold messages? If yes, what do you usually say?
• Do you target startup founders or companies?
• Do I need a personal website, or is a Figma or Behance portfolio enough at first?

Honestly, I’d love to start working on real projects, but I’m not sure how to approach potential clients or present myself professionally.
Any advice or personal experiences would be super helpful

Am curious about LinkedIn clients and freelance work on the platform is it limited to folks in same countries or across?

It's mainly a conventional job platform posting resume, applying for regular jobs etc.

But freelance is different unlike platforms like upwork and Fiverr.

You would need to have a personal website or at least Behance to show off your portfolios.

Linkedin is free to start, just start connecting with web designers or digital marketing, but I feel like this niche is quite oversaturated but still worth a try since it is free.

You're doing a great job by learning and building your portfolio. To find clients on LinkedIn, try sending friendly and personal messages that show how you can help. Small businesses and startup owners are usually open to working with new designers. Using Behance or Figma to show your work is fine when you're starting out. You don't need a website right away. You can also create your own projects or redesign apps to show your skills. Keep practicing and reaching out, and real projects will come your way.