Hi Jennifer,
Other freelancers cannot make referrals in the Community or on the Upwork platform. The only time referrals can be made is when a freelancer declines a job invite. At that point, the freelancer can refer a friend or search for a freelancer who might be a good fit.
I looked through your profile and there are several things you can do to improve it. Let's look at each section:
Title: Since you have worked as an administrative assistant since 2021, I think you should remove two words:
- "Entry level" = Since you have a few years of administrative assistant experience, you are not considered entry level. Plus, most clients are not searching for entry level VAs.
- "Aspirant" = If you do not have data entry experience, you should not offer the service. Avoid telling clients that you "aspire" to learn or know something. Clients come to Upwork expecting freelancers to have the skills to do specific tasks.
Your title will be more appealing as: Virtual Assistant or Virtual Assistant | Admin Support | Canva
Overview/Summary: The first paragraph of your summary is okay, but your second paragraph and beyond do not provide much value to clients. When you say: "Hi! I am currently searching for an entry-level job as I embark on new opportunities online." you sound like an employee looking for a job. Most clients come to Upwork to find freelancers for short- or long-term projects--not employees.
Clients would prefer to hear about the services you provide and how you can help them through your virtual assistance. Here is an example of better introduction:
| Are you looking for a self-starter and self-driven individual with a strong motivation to help your business and achieve quality work satisfaction, excellence, creativity, integrity, and success in all aspects? I am a talented virtual assistant who can provide administrative support, answer and make phone calls, respond to emails and chat inquiries, manage your data/content, scheduling meetings, make appointments, coordinate business events and calendars, manage social media accounts, and create graphics in Canva. |
Now, to further enhance your summary, provide more information that helps clients understand the benefits of hiring you as their virtual assistant. For example:
- Describe your strengths and why it should matter to the client.
- Talk about your typing speed, accuracy, attention to detail, and how you can maintain quality standards.
- Mention your time management and organizational skills.
- Which software applications and tools are you familiar with? (e.g., Microsoft Office, Slack, Google Calendar, Zoom, etc.)
- Talk about your ability to solve administrative problems and adapt to changing or new requirements if necessary.
Remember--you are competing with hundreds of thousands of virtual assistants, so clients need several reasons to choose you.
Portfolio: Add a portfolio to show samples of previous work or to demonstrate your skills. The portfolio is a chance to make a positive first impression on potential clients. If you don’t have relevant examples to add to your portfolio, you can create items that demonstrate your skills.
Skills: You are missing very important skill categories in your skills list. You should add Virtual Assistance and Administrative Support because both are highly relevant to your services. We are allowed up to 15 skill categories, so you should add any that align with your work. Upwork uses these skill categories to match you with relevant jobs, and to help your profile appear in search results when clients search for those skills.
Also, you may want to add one or two Specialized Profiles that focus on specific services or completely unrelated services. Having a specialized profile can help increase a freelancer's searchability.
The biggest change you can make is to your summary. Once you update it with suggested information, clients will better understand your services and the benefits of hiring you.
Good luck!
