Audition shows.
A good way to showcase your talents is to attend audition shows. These are held by various agencies or concert secretaries - details of which can usually be found in local music/entertainment brochures. It is quite common for the artiste/s to perform a few tracks on a no-fee basis. This may seem a little harsh, however this does give everyone a chance to see a sample of your performance prior to a booking. There may be a number of landlords and concert secretaries at your audition show, therefore the few free numbers you have performed may turn out to be extremely worthwhile. If you do not receive a booking do not worry, there can be many reasons. Some people are especially looking for duos as opposed to individual vocalists etc. Try to use the audition as a learning experience - you will have gained some invaluable experience of performing on stage, in front of a live audience.
Talent competitions.
Although you are now looking for professional work, it can be important not to overlook advertised talent competitions. These can be extremely useful as there are usually music-related people attending these events. As an example, I recently attended a talent competition whereby one of the judges owned a vocal recording studio. The prize on offer was a studio session to produce your own CD. Steve's Trax sponsored the event providing free backing tracks, therefore the winners received quite a lucrative prize. The venues which host these events usually are involved in the entertainment industry, so there is also a chance of receiving a booking.
Promote yourself.
One of the most overlooked methods, yet one of the easiest, is self-promotion. The internet has opened up advertising opportunities which were previously only available to large corporate companies. Have you considered setting up a web page advertising your talents? This can now be achieved in minutes with the many basic web editing packages that are on offer. Your website could consist of a photograph, description of your music style and details of equipment used. If you are considering updating the site regularly you could even list your future available dates and vebues. Try and think of all the information you would like to see from an advertisement - try and put yourself in the shoes of the landlord or concert secretary. This will help you to keep the content as specific as possible. Consider advertising in a local pub/club brochures. These can be surprisingly inexpensive.