I've been running a website of my own for over 15 years and every job and client I've ever had stemmed from that site. This site got me my first job in college all the way until my latest client. I can't stress how important it is to build something on your own and keep at it. I've also never gotten a job through LinkedIn, but I have gotten local clients from Craigslist. I've also had a lot of success getting clients being established on forums and going to business conferences.