Why can't I submit my general profile rather ...

john_murdock · ‎09-05-2019

OK, I've been on Upwork a few months and got shoved through the specialized profile wringer like everyone else—over my objections.

I am a graphic designer, that is what my general profile is about. But I had to submit a specialized profile despite that. So I wanted to go with "Print Designer," but there's no category for that.

So I had to choose "Graphic Design" for my specialized profile to my chagrin.

Now anytime the words graphic design are mentioned in a job posting I get a message from UW to the effect that they are going to submit my specialized profile, and one cannot change that. It is forced upon us without recourse or choice.

I have tried to seek help with this through support.upwork.com, but all one gets there is something like "Here's how to set up your specialized profile."

It's ridiculous and injurious to our ability to land specific and appropriate jobs.

And why are we all limited to 2 specialized profiles? That makes no sense either. Do we all only have just two things we do well?

We are being pigeonholed people.

tlsanders · ‎09-05-2019

Why did you "have to" submit a specialized profile?

browersr · ‎09-05-2019

If you want to provide samples of your work via profiles you are forced to do so via the specialized profile. For most people that makes the creation of a specialized profile, even when otherwise useless, required.

tlsanders · ‎09-05-2019

Thanks, Scott. I didn't know that--I've never had a portfolio on Upwork (or anywhere)

browersr · ‎09-05-2019

Portfolios aren't for everyone but there are many professions where showing past work is important especially if the freelancer doesn't yet have a lot (or any) reviews.

tlsanders · ‎09-05-2019

Agree. I've just always preferred to show the client my most relevant samples, rather than giving them the opportunity to wander blindly around looking at stuff that might not be relevant.

AveryO · ‎09-05-2019

Hi John,

I'm sorry to learn that this has inconvenienced you. Please know that we are testing ways for freelancers to be able to choose, and manually attach a specific specialized profile to a proposal. At this time, the profile that is most relevant to the job requirements will automatically be shown with your proposal. Your general profile and any other specialized profiles you have will still be visible to the client when they view your proposal and your profile details.

If you think that this working to your disadvantage, you have the option to unpublish, or delete your specialized profile at any time. I will also share your feedback about having more than 2 specialized profiles for the team's consideration.

~ Avery

browersr · ‎09-05-2019

Avery O wrote:

If you think that this working to your disadvantage, you have the option to unpublish, or delete your specialized profile at any time.

We should not gloss over the fact that this will prevent him from showing a portfolio. UW has continually positioned the specialized profile as an option while at the same time taking away a key feature of the general profile that results in making the specialized profile required for many. Let's not make it seem that deleting or unpublising a specialized profile is really a valid option for many.

richard_wein · ‎09-06-2019

Scott B wrote:
Avery O wrote:

If you think that this working to your disadvantage, you have the option to unpublish, or delete your specialized profile at any time.
We should not gloss over the fact that this will prevent him from showing a portfolio. UW has continually positioned the specialized profile as an option while at the same time taking away a key feature of the general profile that results in making the specialized profile required for many. Let's not make it seem that deleting or unpublising a specialized profile is really a valid options for many.

From what I've read in this forum, it sounds like you can add items to your portfolio via a specialised profile and then delete the specialised profile without losing those portfolio items, which will still appear in your main profile. Disclaimer: I haven't tried this myself. Of course, even if this works it would be better for Upwork to stop forcing us to use an undocumented workaround.

browersr · ‎09-06-2019

Richard W wrote:
Scott B wrote:
Avery O wrote:

If you think that this working to your disadvantage, you have the option to unpublish, or delete your specialized profile at any time.
We should not gloss over the fact that this will prevent him from showing a portfolio. UW has continually positioned the specialized profile as an option while at the same time taking away a key feature of the general profile that results in making the specialized profile required for many. Let's not make it seem that deleting or unpublising a specialized profile is really a valid options for many.
From what I've read in this forum, it sounds like you can add items to your portfolio via a specialised profile and then delete the specialised profile without losing those portfolio items, which will still appear in your main profile. Disclaimer: I haven't tried this myself. Of course, even if this works it would be better for Upwork to stop forcing us to use an undocumented workaround.

Interesting to hear, but I am also not going to take such a hack approach as a reasoned process (not suggeesting you are recommending it). At best that would an unintended loophole and one that UW could close at any time. UW should absolutely keep the specialized profile as it's a good idea under the right set of circumstances. What they shouldn't do though it force it on people for whom they know it isn't the right process and further if they are going to ignore that, they should not add insult to injury by pretending it's really a choice without significant consequences for those who don't want to use it.

mtngigi · ‎09-05-2019

@AveryO wrote:
Hi John,

I'm sorry to learn that this has inconvenienced you. Please know that we are testing ways for freelancers to be able to choose, and manually attach a specific specialized profile to a proposal. At this time, the profile that is most relevant to the job requirements will automatically be shown with your proposal. Your general profile and any other specialized profiles you have will still be visible to the client when they view your proposal and your profile details.

If you think that this working to your disadvantage, you have the option to unpublish, or delete your specialized profile at any time. I will also share your feedback about having more than 2 specialized profiles for the team's consideration.

Avery,
I know you're just the messenger, but the term "testing" should be changed to "forcing". I can no longer touch my portfolio to delete, update, improve, or add current projects without being forced into setting up specialized profiles.

"The profile that is most relevant to the job requirements" does not apply across the board. Freelancers should not be pigeon-holed in this way. We can already choose and manually attach relevant samples ... we do not need a bot to make this decision for us.

This directive is way more than an "inconvenience". It's out and out arm-twisting.

breece-page-gary · ‎10-10-2019

Why can't we choose which of our specialized profiles we want to use when putting in a proposal, for example i recently applied for a brand identity for which i have a specialized profile but because they tagged the job as graphic design it automoatically chose my graphic design specialized profile which was not as relevant to brand design as it was for brochure work, so basically you first force us to use specialized profiles and then force us as to which one gets added to any proposal, it doesnt make any sense to me, or is there a way to choose which profile you want to add that I am unaware of?

mtngigi · ‎10-10-2019

Gary B wrote:
Why can't we choose which of our specialized profiles we want to use when putting in a proposal, for example i recently applied for a brand identity for which i have a specialized profile but because they tagged the job as graphic design it automoatically chose my graphic design specialized profile which was not as relevant to brand design as it was for brochure work, so basically you first force us to use specialized profiles and then force us as to which one gets added to any proposal, it doesnt make any sense to me, or is there a way to choose which profile you want to add that I am unaware of?

And this is precisely why specialized profiles are useless. Many clients do not know how to cifferentiate or name what they need done. They think removing backgrounds from photographs is graphic design ... it isn't. Nor do they understand how many functions can and do fall under that one skill.

You're right - it makes no sense. But someone somewhere thought it was a good idea ... it isn't.

efc5e71c · ‎11-11-2020

Nonsense, specialized profile csnnot be unpublished,thst is why I am here.

For some bizzarre reasone portfoliomitems can only be added to the specialized profile as well.

Madness.

dzadza · ‎09-06-2019

John M wrote:
OK, I've been on Upwork a few months and got shoved through the specialized profile wringer like everyone else—over my objections.
I am a graphic designer, that is what my general profile is about. But I had to submit a specialized profile despite that. So I wanted to go with "Print Designer," but there's no category for that.
So I had to choose "Graphic Design" for my specialized profile to my chagrin.
Now anytime the words graphic design are mentioned in a job posting I get a message from UW to the effect that they are going to submit my specialized profile, and one cannot change that. It is forced upon us without recourse or choice.
I have tried to seek help with this through support.upwork.com, but all one gets there is something like "Here's how to set up your specialized profile."
It's ridiculous and injurious to our ability to land specific and appropriate jobs.
And why are we all limited to 2 specialized profiles? That makes no sense either. Do we all only have just two things we do well?
We are being pigeonholed people.

Same issue here - solved bynot having a specialized profile.

well - not really solved, but I refuse to have "specialized profile" until they do have a category that I'm actually specialized in

Why can't I submit my general profile rather than my specialized profile on a proposal?