Question about "Tips for creating a profile intro video" under New to Upwork

[eaa3fe17]

Greetings,

The video instructor included information about his YouTube channel.

I thought we were not supposed to provide information that could lead to someone hiring us not through Upwork. At least, I imagine someone could contact him via YouTube for work.

Does this mean I could include information about a website here on Upwork?  What if I put my LinkedIn URL here and someone who read it here then contacted me via LinkedIn?

I am not quite sure how to follow the rules.

[celgins]

Hi Linda,

As a for-profit organization, I believe Upwork prefers its Freelancers operate within the Upwork platform. That way,  when Freelancers make money, Upwork makes money. However, there are ways a client could identify a Freelancer on Upwork and hire them outside of the Upwork platform.

Within your Profile, you can create a Portfolio of previous work. A lot of Freelancers use the Portfolio to showcase the work they completed for Upwork clients and clients outside of Upwork. You can also add Certifications and Employment History in your profile. All of these features give Freelancers the ability to add information that identifies you outside of Upwork. A potential client who really wants to reach you could identify you through your Portfolio, Certifications and/or Employment History, and contact you outside of Upwork.

I am sure Upwork does not want its Freelancer community to blatantly market themselves by including LinkedIn, Facebook or IG URLs in their proposals, but Upwork does allow space in your Profile to market your skills (i.e. links to videos, project URLs, etc)., so it knows the risks.