It really depends on your drive and determination to get yourself out there.
After I completed my course 2 years ago I got together the best portfolio I could from the jobs I had done - spend all my free time going into as many kitchen shops, bathroom shops, tile shops, chasing builders, plumbers until I got some work. I live in Halifax, but did not limit myself to that - went to all the towns & cities in a 20 mile radius - Huddersfield, Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Dewsbury.
There is work out there - You've got to find it, it will not find you ( till you get a good rep )
Get talking to other trades you meet on the job - they are good contacts for work.
Have leaflets printed , do some letterbox drops.
Hang around outside tile shops, stick your business card under peoples windscreen wipers.
Phone plumbers out of the phone book or yellow pages.
Have done all this and more at the start.
All this effort and I have been busy from day one ( the odd quiet time, but that's to be expected ) No money spent on Yellow pages or newspaper ads. 🙂