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hleroux
Community Member

Feedback on my profile and cover letters

Hi there,

 

thank you for helping me out.  I just recently joined UpWork and have applied to a few positions only to notice that I've only had 1 profile view.

 

When I see the positions offered I feel that I am greatly suited for the position, but if my profile isn't even seen it makes it rather challenging.

 

Is being new on here and no other work history also a factor?

 

Could I please get some feedback on my profile and cover letter. Thank you so much.

 

Attached is a sample cover letter.

 

Regards

Hannah

4 REPLIES 4
cassajoy
Community Member

I am fairly new, though I have a couple long-term clients. I know I need to update my own profile but I'd like to give my two-cents based on youtube content and Upwork articles that have helped along the way.

 

I see a grammatical error in the first section of your profile; comma issue, and spacing between commas. With both the profile and proposal, the client is shown a certain amount of characters. With the proposal, maybe it is the first two sentences or so.

 

The cover letter feels impersonal, if you will. It reads like a cover letter I would send when applying to a job through a job board. The greeting can be a 'hello' or something like it, or actually addressing the client by name. I use the proposals to speak to the client, about their project, and what I can do to solve their issue. Client-centered, overall.

 

Oh lastly, I believe the one view you are seeing reflects your profile showing up in a search for your field - not actual profile views.

hleroux
Community Member

Thank you very much for your input. Yes, this is very new to me. I am use to traditional way of applying for jobs. Thanks for your input.

gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

Hannah, welcome to Upwork! Take everything you know about job hunting and set it aside. Freelancing is essentially operating a small business. Along with your marketable skill set, you need what I think of as wrap-around skills that include vetting projects for best fit with your core competencies; managing projects for stellar outcomes; vetting clients to avoid the flaky, the unscrupulous, the unmanageable, and most of the inexperienced (re. working with FLs); a clear handle on your own business plan and the ability to constantly scan the near and far horizons and adapt as necessary; thick skin; a sense of humor; and a temperamental inclination to persevere.

 

Your profile: very nice prose but UW is short attention span theater. The first 2-3 lines have to grab the reader's attention sufficient that they'll read the next 2-3 lines. Get to it: what you offer that clients need, how you solve their problem, lighten their load, make their life easier. Writing, editing, proofreading, SM mgt...get it all up top. Also, think about narrowing your focus. The key to success on UW is finding a niche. It's well worth your while to spend some time searching for UW FLs in each of the categories you're targeting. Look for people successfully landing the kind of projects you want to target, with qualifications/credentials comparable to yours, earning what you want to earn. How many do you see? What are their profiles like? How are they positioning themselves? That's your competition. Look at them, look at you, figure out how to find your niche and stand out.

 

Cover letter: no, no, no. Short Attention Span Theater. The client only sees the first couple or three lines unless they click it open, so you gotta get to it. Use the first few sentences to (1) show you read their job post, (2) show you know more about what they need than most or any of the other FLs who responded, and (3) make them want to know more. 

 

Also, be advised that UW is not an app you can figure out as you go along. It's a complex platform where it's easy to wrong-foot yourself to start with if you don't understand how it works and how to manage your job history. Bring patience and spend time in the Help & Support section learning about contract terms, how to get paid, etc. Browse the Community Forum to learn about how to avoid scams and all kinds of other stuff that's not easily found in the support material. (Because UW's marketing dept likes to pretend it's Candyland. It's not, but it is a place where you can find great clients and earn good money, if you decide it fits your own business model and invest the time and energy to get established.) 

 

Hi Phyllis

 

This is great feedback. Thank you so much for spending your precious time to give me some advice. I am going to make my profile and cover letter more concise to grab attention and I am going to narrow my expertise also.

 

Thank you again.

Hannah

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