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abixbg
Community Member

How should I respond to asking for external portfolio profiles on job applications?

It's either wasted connects or risk of a ban. Here are examples from the last few jobs I wanted to apply to. It is also super confusing because it's not in the job description, it's on the questions that Upwork should be at least keyword checking and not allow maybe? And I am not listing jobs that still show up in search containing "send us your applications on blabla@randomdomain.com"

  • Include a link to your GitHub profile and/or website
  • If available, please link to a GitHub repo and portfolio.

And some personal insight: You are only making applying harder for legit freelancers, while I have the impression that the majoiry of the clients don't even know (or care) about that restriction given how often I am asked for links like that.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Hi Radoslav,

 

We know sharing your past work is important. Therefore, you can share links to external portfolios when you submit a proposal. Note: We understand external portfolios may include contact information, it is still fine to share these, though please make sure to ask the client to only contact you via Upwork. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork

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5 REPLIES 5
g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Hi Radoslav,

 

I understand your frustration with this. Could you please share the job post URLs with me via PM (click on my name) so that our team can investigate this further? Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork

My frustration is not with that exact cases, it is with the fact the system does awully bad job of preventing such job postings and more so with the fact that if anyone wants it would be super easy to find that client outside Upwork anyway. I am on Upwork not because I can't use Google, but becasue until recently I could expect to get good quality clients in under a few days. 

Even if you make them change it they probably already hired someone that ingored the rules and provided them with the links. And I am not blaming the clients either since I would also want to see the GitHub or a portfolio format which is multiple times better than what we can provide on Upwork.

florydev
Community Member

I could be wrong but I thought that sending a link to your github is one of the myriad of exceptions allowed in this TOS rule change.  

 

I never send mine anyway and it wouldn't help them if I did since I don't keep public repositories anywhere, and not on GitHub regardless.  I build code for clients, their stuff is private to them, I don't share it with other clients and I wouldn't share this client's either.

 

Right there is an answer that might work.  Might not.  But I still manage to find jobs on here with an answer pretty much like that.

 

Personally I thought this new rule would be terrible and I have to admit it hasn't been that bad.  I think they have been saved by the zoom integration because I don't believe the Upwork voice/messaging system was up to the task.  

 

Does it grate having to say all the time..."hey because of Upwork's rules we have to keep communication on the platform until we have a contract", sure.  But I haven't yet had a client who cared.

 

I know the rule isn't made for me or probably even you but for someone who is going to get scammed.  The scam because significantly less likely if they have to stay on platform and thus, reluctantly, I have to admit the change was for the better even though it isn't better for me.

g_vasilevski
Retired Team Member
Retired Team Member

Hi Radoslav,

 

We know sharing your past work is important. Therefore, you can share links to external portfolios when you submit a proposal. Note: We understand external portfolios may include contact information, it is still fine to share these, though please make sure to ask the client to only contact you via Upwork. Thank you.

~ Goran
Upwork

@Mark: Thank you for your point of view and I kind of agree with what you are saying about scam prevention. On other hand having a rule system that is so easy to get bypassed and has myriad of exceptions is only handicapping legit users like me and you.

My point of view is that Upwork should explicidly and frequently remind both Clients and Freelancers that communicating outside is not secure, but not making this bannable offence. Rules that can't be policed are bad.

 

@Goran I have accepted that as a solution to my query.

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