Profile Rejected for Photo

[seanrrcoady]

I'm trying to start an Upwork account, and its being rejected due to my profile photo. I'd prefer to just have no photo, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

I've got photos of myself that I had professionally done and they are of me, but I do have a monkey mask on. Again, this was my solution to having to use profile photos and not being a fan of photos. I use these all across the internet, facebook, linkedin, etc. It is a very distinct photo of me, and anyone who wanted to find me could easily do so.

I'm just curious if I'm not going to be able to sell my services here because of a profile photo? Seems kind of ridiculous.

Thanks,

Sean

[kirnazdogan]

As a freelancer, you must have a profile photo in which your face is clearly visible. This helps customers to trust you and is a must for Upwork. Check this article for further reading.

[prestonhunter]

Hello, Sean:

If you don't want to use Upwork, that is fine. Nobody is forcing you to.

There are plenty of websites, including freelance work platforms, that do not require you to use a profile photo that shows your face.

[seanrrcoady]

Thanks for the reply Preston. I'm aware no one is forcing me to use anything. And I'm not on any other freelance sites. I've heard a lot about Upwork and decided to try it out. That's fine if I can't use the service based on what I look like. I was just looking for clarification as it seems a bit odd to me and wanted to know if there was any way around this.

[BojanS]

Hi Sean,

Please note that your profile must represent you as an individual and that all the information in your profile including your profile photo needs to be accurate, truthful and verifiable. 

Thank you! 

[seanrrcoady]

It does, it is a very distinct series of photos, and I use them everywhere except here I guess. If I were to use a different photo, that wouldn't be accurate, truthful, or verifiable. Thanks for the reply though.

[ivanlutrov]

Upwork have a very strict policy about profile photos. You can't even have a black & white photo, even though it may have been taken by a professional in a studio.

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Ivan,

Currently black and white photos are accepted as profile pictures on Upwork as long as they are clear, the freelancer's face is clearly visible, it's not a long shot and the picture is appropriate. 

[seanrrcoady]

What about religious exemptions? There is a link that just leads to a help box, which just leads to the page with the link, which just leads to the help box, etc, etc... a lot of people prefer to not portraitize themselves.

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Sean,

When a user prefers not to show their face for religious reasons and wear a veil, we make an exception and assist them with uploading a picture of them wearing a veil. Please, see this thread for reference.

[prestonhunter]

Upwork does not currently offer religious exemptions for people who wear a monkey mask in their profile photos on other sites.

[seanrrcoady]

So because I wear a monkey mask in my photo, I don't get a religious exemption? Thanks for all the input, Preston, but the staff are actually answering my questions. You can take a break.

[seanrrcoady]

But I don't wear a veil, neither do most religious people. That's an odd rule, but like I said, I just wanted to clarify whether or not I could use this website without a photo of my face. Simple answer is clearly no. Thanks for your time.

[ivanlutrov]

My

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Valeria K wrote:

Hi Ivan,

Currently black and white photos are accepted as profile pictures on Upwork as long as they are clear, the freelancer's face is clearly visible, it's not a long shot and the picture is appropriate. 

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My information is out of date then because that wasn't the case around a month ago when I went through one of Upwork's forced re-verification processes.