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jkferguson
Community Member

Upwork Portfolios

Greetings everyone,

 

I'm an artist(the drawing and painting kind) from Australia living in Japan. Been using Upwork for over a year now.

Thanks everyone at Upwork.

 

Posting this here, because I am really hoping other freelancers agree, and somebody does something about it.

Two things that are frustrating me right now.

Submitting a job proposal, I canNOT see the job poster's name, or company name, etc. I feel unprofessional addressing them as,...nothing. Just, Hi,

Or Dear Hiring Manager,

Anyway, after I have submitted a proposal, I can go back and check and now I can see their name.

I bet we'd all look pro if we could address our potential future clients, professionally.

Anybody got any tips, or advice? Grateful in advance.

 

And please, please, please,...do something about the portfolios! They're driving me crazy!

I edit them, save/update them, and then NO change was added.

Example; moving the order of sections up and down.

Nope! No change.

 

Not much freedom at all with the portfolios. And that's more than 50% to me.

 

Please don't ask me if I clicked the save or update button.

 

Anybody having similar problems?

 

Thanks very much for your time.

Jason

 

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
barada00
Community Member

Hello Jason. I wish I could draw 1 10th of what you do : )

If you look at the past work of clients which you can see below the job offer, you can see some past freelancers writing the name of the client like "I love working with Sebastian, I hope he hires me again." I know this is not an ideal solution and Upwork won't be letting freelancers see the name of the clients before they apply; I'm surprised they do even after applying. Since the clients see only the first couple of lines of each application (if they don't click to see the rest) I don't start with a greeting. Most of my applications start with "Please see attached samples..." which seems to work for me. The first few words of your application should be aimed to make them click and read the rest. They receive many applications and that is the only way to stand out.

 

What you wrote about the portfolios is really a problem. I'm sure there are a lot of people who feel the same way. I'll add my +1 to this request and I'd be really happy if the Upwork team does something about it and let us change the order of portfolio items under each thumbnail. I won't hold my breath though... One work around is deleting the item and redoing it which is a PITA.

 

If you are having trouble reordering the main items in your specialized profiles I found that reordering the main items on the general profile reorders them in specialized profiles too. So just change the order of them on the main one.

 

OT advice: To your applications attach some relevant/similar samples explaining what was asked and how you solved the problem (don't send a link to click or ask them to check your portfolio in another place, and don't send a pdf with all your portfolio items) and you'll have no free time very soon.

 

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8 REPLIES 8
barada00
Community Member

Hello Jason. I wish I could draw 1 10th of what you do : )

If you look at the past work of clients which you can see below the job offer, you can see some past freelancers writing the name of the client like "I love working with Sebastian, I hope he hires me again." I know this is not an ideal solution and Upwork won't be letting freelancers see the name of the clients before they apply; I'm surprised they do even after applying. Since the clients see only the first couple of lines of each application (if they don't click to see the rest) I don't start with a greeting. Most of my applications start with "Please see attached samples..." which seems to work for me. The first few words of your application should be aimed to make them click and read the rest. They receive many applications and that is the only way to stand out.

 

What you wrote about the portfolios is really a problem. I'm sure there are a lot of people who feel the same way. I'll add my +1 to this request and I'd be really happy if the Upwork team does something about it and let us change the order of portfolio items under each thumbnail. I won't hold my breath though... One work around is deleting the item and redoing it which is a PITA.

 

If you are having trouble reordering the main items in your specialized profiles I found that reordering the main items on the general profile reorders them in specialized profiles too. So just change the order of them on the main one.

 

OT advice: To your applications attach some relevant/similar samples explaining what was asked and how you solved the problem (don't send a link to click or ask them to check your portfolio in another place, and don't send a pdf with all your portfolio items) and you'll have no free time very soon.

 

Hi Baris,

I think your work looks great.

And thank you.

Yes, if I find their name in any feedback, I think cool, and I might use it.

If I use it, I'll add, "I hope I spelled your name correctly."

 

But, wow! Really, clients do that?

I suppose,...if they're flatout busy.

Great idea Baris.

 

Thanks heaps.

I like the way you created your portfolio.

 

re: "I can NOT see the job poster's name, or company name, etc. I feel unprofessional addressing them as...nothing."

 

Don't worry about this.

 

As a freelancer, I don't use any kind of greeting or address at all.

 

I just tell them how I am going to work on their project. Very effective.

 

And this is NOT going to change.

Upwork PREVIOUSLY made it possible to see client names and company names...

 

But BAD PEOPLE used that information to look up direct contact information and pester the heck out of clients, asking to work for them outside of Upwork, or just trying to outright scam them. Clients didn't like that at all!


So this is not coming back.

 

Also: As a client I have hired dozens of artists on Upwork. I don't read proposals from artists. I look at their portfolios.

Thanks Preston.

 

Do you like a lot of the artists portfolios on Upwork?

 

What do you think of mine?

 

Thanks.

re: "Do you like a lot of the artists portfolios on Upwork?"

 

Of course!

 

Artists' portfolios are typically the only basis on which I make hiring decisions. I have often hired artists without ever reading anything they have written or looked at anything else.

 

It's worth noting that sometimes I like the portfolio of an artist who applies to my job, but I still might not hire the artist if their portfolio makes it clear that they are not quite right for a particular job.

Thanks Preston.

 

Do you see something in my portfolio that I could change?

I'd be grateful for any comments.

 

Maybe this isn't the place to ask?

 

Anyway, I appreciate everyones feedback.

Thanks.

I would drastically reduce the amount of work displayed in your portfolio, pick the very best and leave all the rest out, I know we always want to put everything we do in our portfolio, but I think that some of the drawings you have in your portfolio are not helping you (for example the character design, the logo, digital black and white), other could be better displayed (the Christmas colouring book is nice, but I would change the cover) or you could add some pictures from the final product (for example the English teaching material) and finally I would group some of them together.

Valerio,

Thank you very much.

Will do.