Add Portfolio Project to General Profile

[danish-muneer]

I created new "specialized profile". First turn off was I can only create two specialized profiles, so in total I have three profiles. Not a big deal but now I am facing an even bigger issue:

I can not add a portfolio item to my general profile. The portfolio I am trying to add doesn't relate to my two specialized profiles and should go to my general profile. But there's no way to do that. 

Currently, I see these options on portolio editor:

As you can see under specialty, my two specialized profiles are listed. Ideally, if I leave that blank the portfolio should be added to my general profile but I can't leave it blank. 

[AveryO]

Hi Danish, 

I would like to note that your general profile is the original Upwork profile you created before we launched specialized profiles. For your specialized profile, you can highlight your expertise. You’ll create a unique title and description, have the option to set another rate, and also be able to show only the Upwork contracts and portfolio items (from your general profile) that are most relevant to that particular expertise. For example, you can separate out the work you’ve done as a Search Engine Marketer, and Content Writer. 

I would like to confirm that there is no option to add a portfolio item to the general profile. As such, if you add a portfolio item to each, it will automatically be listed on the portfolio section of your profile. 

[danish-muneer]

Maybe take this as a feature request. There should be a way to add portfolio item to the general profile. I want to add a 'web desgin' that's not relevant to either of my specialized profiles (Search Engine Marketer or Content Writer). 

[JoanneP]

Hi Danish,

Thank you for your suggestion. I'll be sure to share this with the team for consideration. 

[danish-muneer]

Thank you

[bzstudio]

I think it needs to be submitted to the team for consideration again. This is a serious issue. Now all I have that's updated on my general profile is books. I am unable to show all of the other things I do. I deleted most of the old items on there, planning to update them, expecting Upwork's website to operate as it should.

It was submitted July 9, exactly two months ago. It should have been fixed by now.

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Lisa,

I checked your ticket and I can see that our team has shared detailed instructions with you on how to edit and arrange your portfolio items.

Please refer to the details on your ticket with number 26466248. If you experience any errors take a screenshot from your end and update your ticket so that our team can investigate it further. Thank you.

[taylerharris]

Can you make this information public? My specialized profile isn't even public (we're not allowed to delete them, so I had to keep it as a draft). However, I cannot update my profile because I can only add projects to my specialized profile and nothing else.

[gparlova]

How about if you share that information with everybody? 

I want to upload all the items I've created into my general profile, and there's no way to do it.  So if there's a way to do it, please share that info.

[petra_r]

---

Gordon P wrote:

I want to upload all the items I've created into my general profile, and there's no way to do it.  So if there's a way to do it, please share that info.

---

1. Create a specialized profile

2. Add the portfolio items to the specialized profile, which automatically adds them to the general profile as well.

[graphiser]

the answer should be "DO NOT EVER CREATE A SPECIALIZED PROFILE".

what you are suggesting is adding work in irrelevant categories. what upwork is suggesting that. I cannot tell how much i'm regretful that i even created a specialized profile. it's like upwork says in a hint that we shouldn't be doing work more than 2 areas...

[graphiser]

Hey guys! I think i found a turnaround solution!!!

Delete all 2 specialized profiles. Well... the last one, you can only switch, right? Whatever work you are gonna add on your portfolio, let's say Motion Graphics, switch to that and don't even waste time to fill anything because we will leave it as a draft. Just close the window.

Now add your Graphic Motion video to your portfolio accurately. It will also add this to your general portfolio with the right tag. And this tag won't change after you switch your specialized profile to let's say Branding Design to add your Brand Design works. Unless you need an edit. If you need an edit you will find your last draft profile and you will need to change it accordingly first. So i say prepare and seperate your works beforehand so you won't need to switch it everytime you want to add a work from same area.

Yes, your draft specialized profile will be a mess but since it's a draft no one will see it so it won't be a big problem.

kudos?

[danish-muneer]

Hi Joanne

Did you get a chance to discuss this with the team? Are we going to see this in near future?

[simonbour]

Are there any updates on this? I am experiencing the same problem

[a1a4cee4]

Same question. Any update?

I have two specialized profiles "eCommerce" and "front end".

Now I need to add an item to portfolio. The item is "LMS website with wordpress" which doesn't go with the two specialized profiles.

Waiting for any update if it's available.

Thank you

[e_krie_93]

This is still an issue has anything been done to fix it? I only have one specialized profile and have been unable to add any work to my general profile.

[AleksandarD]

Hi Erica,

Thanks for reaching out to us. One of our team members already reached out to you directly via a support ticket to assist you further.

Thank you.

[kenstone]

HI

Happy new year!

Will we be able to add a portfolio item to our general profile in 2020?

Thanks!

[r_schettino]

I'd like to reiterate what others have said. We should be able to add projects to our general profile. It seems kind of ridiculous to not allow that. I really don't want to create more profiles. Can someone tell me what is the reasoning behind preventing us from adding projects to our general profile??

[JoanneP]

Hi Rick,

It is by design that there is no option to add new portfolio items to the general profile anymore. Freelancers who do not yet have specialized profiles will not be able to create new portfolio projects until they create a specialized profile. This update is also to encourage users to create specialized profiles as this will allow freelancers to better customize their skills and experience. You may read more about it in this announcement. Thank you!

[danwtfun]

Hi,

To follow this logic (portfolio can be added only under a certain specialized profile), it means there shouldn't be any limit on the number of specialized profiles. Correct?
Probably it would have been a better idea to first provide a large number of specialized profiles (at least 5), and only then prevent freelancers from adding portfolio items to the general profile. 
An update on how this situation has been or how and when it will be solved, would be nice.

A big thank you!

[andrej-michalica]

Hi,

Could You please add a feature to completely remove Specialized Profile?

Thank You very much!

Have a nice day

[stephenbusscher]

This is crazy. 8 pages of people complaining about the specialized profile/portfolio issue and no solution or reasoning behind why.

14 months later.

I recently found out about this issue & have been told that my concerns will be passed on... but it's hard to believe it after reading this thread. Jordon B said it best on page 4.

UpWork, we want to know why we, the freelancers, still don't have a choice in the matter!

[toniolivier]

I'm having the same issue.  I can't understand why this topic is shown as "Solved" when it clearly isn't.

If you click on "go to solution" there is none!

As the OP reiterated - you cannot choose nothing (or general) - you have to choose one of the specialised profiles.

The only way I can think to solve this is to dilute my one seciality and change it from Web Design to Web and Graphic Design.  Otherwise the incorrect portfolio items will show up under one of my profiles (e.g. I will have to put Graphic design under animation or web design!)

A simple fix for the dev team - surely just add the general profile in the dropdown?

[ferreyra-rodrigo]

Hi. I'm creating a portfolio item from one of my past projects and I notice that I cannot deselect the "Related Specialized Profile" box chosen profile. Therefore, the portfolio item appears on my only specialized profile. The thing is that I don't want it there since it does not relates to such are of expertise.

I've tried with other projects with the same results.

I've attached a screencap of the problem.

Thank you in advance 🧉

[mtngigi]

The specialized profile issue is a mess, especially regarding portfolios. Do a search on the forums and you'll find quite a few threads/unhappy freelancers, like this one:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Help-My-Specialized-Profile-Ate-My-General-Profile/td-p/...

[AveryO]

Hi Rodrigo, 

The screen grab didn't attach to your post. Could you please post it again (making sure that you black out any private information such as username, and/or email address), so that I can look into this and assist you further? 

I'll wait for your message. 

[ferreyra-rodrigo]

Hi, Avery.

My bad. Uploaded!

Thanks for your reply.

[AveryO]

Hi Rodrigo, 

Thanks for following up. I'll go ahead and check this with the team and come back here once I have more information. 

ETA: Rodrigo, can you please confirm if you are adding the portfolio item from your General Profile (general profile > Add portfolio), or from a specific specialized profile (Specialized profile > Add portfolio)? 

[ferreyra-rodrigo]

Hi, Avery. I'm doing it from my general profile.

[AveryO]

Thanks for confirming, Rodrigo. I'll go ahead and look into it. 

[AveryO]

Hi Rodrigo, 

Sorry for the delay as I had to check this with the team. They have confirmed that this is working as designed. Since you only have one Specialized Profile, the option to select a Specialized Profile is disabled. Once the portfolio items are posted, you can go to the Portfolio section of your Specialized Profile and edit this section. From there, you can deselect the portfolio item so that it only shows in the General profile. 

Let me know if you have other questions and I'll be happy to assist you.

[ferreyra-rodrigo]

That worked. Thank you!

[wayneedclarke]

Avery suggested; "Since you only have one Specialized Profile, the option to select a Specialized Profile is disabled. Once the portfolio items are posted, you can go to the Portfolio section of your Specialized Profile and edit this section. From there, you can deselect the portfolio item so that it only shows in the General profile."

That suggestion does indeed make my problem project visible only in my general profile, and since I did not make any selections on the drop-down menus on the Add Details page, those Specialized Profile-specific and inappropriate headings did not appear in the public's view of the project.

However, the suggestion does not deal with the core of the problem, which is that on the Add Portfolio Project page I cannot deselect my specialized profile, and I do not have the opportunity to choose my general profile as a selection.  I don't know why the programmers assumed that freelancers would only want to add portfolio projects that relate to specialized profiles, and not to general profiles.  Because of this I cannot change the inappropriate specialized profile heading that is visible to the public on my problem project, and I cannot add any of the appropriate selections on the Add Details page, since the drop-down menus still show the inappropriate headings.

Perhaps I could have added portfolio projects that relate directly to my general profile if I had added them before I added my first Specialized profile, but it seems that it is too late for me to take advantage of that now, unless I delete my specialized profile, or perhaps all of my profile, and start over.

[VladimirG]

Hi Wayne,

Regarding your question about adding Portfolio items to your general profile, please know that this is working as designed. This is to encourage users to create specialized profiles as this allows freelancers to better customize their skills and experience. You may read more about it here through the announcement post and if you haven't already, consider creating an additional specialized profile to showcase your Voice Talent skills.

[syeda-nadia]

Hi, Avery.

My bad. Uploaded!

i am add portfolio General profile but it`s add the Web Design profile...

Thanks for your reply.

[BojanS]

Hi Syeda,

This is by design, you won't be able to upload a new portfolio item without selecting a related Specialized profile. If you don't want a portfolio item to show on a Specialized profile, you can go to that profile's portfolio section, select the pencil icon in the upper right corner and then un-select that item from the list. This will remove that item only from that Specialized profile but not from the General one.

Thank you!

[syeda-nadia]

Hi Bojan S,

Thanks for reply

but i do not have access to any of the related specialized profile category. please check the attached image.

Thanks

~ Syeda.

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Syeda,

As Bojan mentioned, this is by design and your portfolio will be added to your specialized profile. Once it's added you can remove it from your specialized profile and it will be listed under your general profile.

If you don't want a portfolio item to show on a Specialized profile, you can go to that profile's portfolio section, select the pencil icon in the upper right corner and then un-select that item from the list. Thank you.

[wayneedclarke]

When I first filled out my General Profile I used it to describe my Creative Writing work, but then I decided I would change my main freelance category here to Voice Talent performer, and I made that the thrust of my General Profile.  I now have a Specialized Profile for my Creative Writing work.

I first added a portfolio project to my portfolio that related to my creative writing.  Now I want to add a project that relates to my General Profile as a Voice Talent performer, but the first page of the Portfolios editor; the 'Add portfolio project' page, first has a space for the Project Title, then there's a space for Related Specialized Profile that is pre-filled with 'Creative Writing', and I cannot change that to my General Profile.

Then, on the third page; the Add Details Page, under "Select the specific services and skills you demonstrated while working on this project" it lists the categories: Creative Writing Deliverables, Creative Writing Skills, Writing Genres, and Languages, each with a drop-down menu of appropriate selections, and I cannot change those categories to Voice Talent categories.

How do I add a portfolio project that relates to my Voice Talent work?