Get Profile Feedback from Experienced Freelancers on Upwork

[AndreaG]

Getting started on Upwork can take a lot of work and focus. To help make this process a little easier, we’ve created this post where you can request feedback on your profile. The community is full of experienced Upwork freelancers who are passionate about helping others. These users will review your profile and provide feedback based on their experience.

If you’re interested in requesting help, make sure your profile visibility is not set to “Private” and then reply below. 

We’re excited to see how Community members can continue to help each other to grow!

Note: A previous version of this post was closed as the number of responses made it difficult to read and navigate. If you had not received a response yet to a request you made, please post again in this thread.

[c8dbf8fd]

1. 
   Dear Members of our Community Group,

   I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to seek your assistance regarding my experience on Upwork. I have been a member of this platform for more than two months now, and I have yet to secure a job. I even upgraded my membership, but still, no luck.

   I am reaching out to you all because I believe that some of you may have more experience in this field and could help me identify any issues with my profile. I have seen some jobs that I know I can do perfectly, but I have not been successful in securing them.

   I acknowledge that I am new to Upwork, but I have worked on other freelance sites before. However, I am now fully committed to Upwork and wish to make it my primary source of income.

   Therefore, I kindly ask that someone in this group could take a few moments to review my profile and offer me constructive feedback. Perhaps there is something that I am doing wrong that I am not aware of, and your input would be highly appreciated.

   Thank you for taking the time to read this message, and I hope to hear from someone soon.

   Best regards.

[celgins]

Hi Ilyass,

Virtual assistance is a highly competitive skill category on Upwork. There are hundreds of thousands of virtual assistants and data entry specialists with the same skills, so winning jobs will be a challenge.

Your profile is okay, but your overview/summary is too long and doesn't tell clients how you can help them. Describing your personality traits seems like a great idea, but clients don't care; they only want to know how you can help them get results.

The first thing you should do is remove the greeting (see screenshot below). Greetings are nice, but they wasts space, and you want to use the first few sentences in your summary to convince clients that they should read more.

Instead of the telling clients how great you are, tell them how your services will make their business/company great. Maybe you can focus more on the client’s needs by answering questions a client might ask. For example:

• "My company is overwhelmed with the daily demands of running a business. What services does Ilyass offer that will help us stay on schedule, speed up production and avoid delays?" (Your answer would be something like: "I can help you stay on schedule by managing your calendars and ....")
  
  
• "Can Ilyass provide any recommendations for managing our emails, chat messages and customer relationships?" (Your answer could be something like: "I use MailChimp to setup and manage email campaigns and I often use a CRM to help with...")
  
  
• "My company is really busy, so how much time will Ilyass spend doing data research, web scraping, and data entry, and how often will he stay in contact with me to keep me updated?"
  
  
• "There are thousands of virtual assistants with data entry expertise... why should I choose Ilyass to help manage our customer platforms, manage our documents, and manage our data entry tasks?"
  
  

The answers to questions like these can help a client better understand why they should hire you, what they will get, and how it will benefit them.

Your portfolio, skill categories, project catalog, certifications, and employment history are good.

After you make these updates, keep applying for jobs that match your qualifications and skills by writing great cover letters. In your cover letters, always make sure you create a custom response based on the client's job. Focus on the client's specific points in their job description; highlight your qualifications; and tell the client how you will meet their requirements.

Good luck!

[dfc2612e]

Hi, andrea! I want to request a feedback. Thankyou God Speed!

[celgins]

Hi Albert,

There isn't enough information in your profile that tells clients about the services you provide and how those services will help them. Telling a potential client that you are hardworking and disciplined is okay, but everybody says that and clients expect you to be hardworking and disciplined. What clients really want to know is how your skills/qualifications will get results for them.

It is difficult to get data entry jobs on Upwork because there are hundreds of thousands of data entry specialists and experts, so you have to give clients an indication that you can do the job and do it effectively.

Instead of the telling clients how strong your typing skills are and how dedicated you are, tell them how your services will make their business/company better. Maybe you can focus more on the client’s needs by answering questions a client might ask. For example:

• "My company is overwhelmed with the daily demands of running our business. What services does Albert offer that will help us stay on schedule, organize our calendars, manage our meeting minutes, and avoid production delays?" (Your answer would be something like: "I can help you stay on schedule by managing your calendars using ....." and "I organize data collection tasks and input data into spreadsheets in a way that avoids inaccuracies...")
  
  
• "Does Albert have any recommendations for managing our emails, chat messages and customer relationships?" (Your answer could be something like: "I use Constant Contact to setup and manage email campaigns by ensuring your emails are properly categorized and managed for future use, which shortens the time required to distribute mass email campaigns.")
  
  
• "My company is really busy, so how much time will Albert spend doing data research, web scraping, and data entry, and how often will he stay in contact with me to keep me updated?"
  
  
• "There are thousands of virtual assistants with data entry expertise... why should I choose Ilyass to scrape web data, and manage our documentation and data entry tasks?"

The answers to questions like these can help a client better understand why they should hire you, what they will get, and how it will benefit them.

Also, add more items to your portfolio to showcase your skills and demonstrate your experience. You are competing with other virtual assistants and almost all of them have portfolios with 4 or 5 items. 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.

[f3a0bddc]

I'm reaching out to the community today for some assistance with reviewing my profile.

As someone who's experienced in customer service, application support, and has technical skills, I've been having difficulty landing my first client on UpWork. I'm proficient in SAAS, more especially with Zendesk Products and I believe I have the skills and expertise to offer excellent service to clients.

However, I've been struggling to attract potential clients on the platform. I'm reaching out to you all in the hope that you can help me by reviewing my profile and providing feedback on how I can improve it. I'm also seeking a mentor who can guide me in navigating the platform and help me secure my first job.

I would be grateful for any feedback or advice that you can offer. Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any suggestions or if you're interested in mentoring me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message. I appreciate any assistance from this community. 

UpWork Profile link: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~015a65d791a0627c66

[celgins]

Nestor,

I reviewed your profile and you have good content in your overview/summary. However, most of it focuses on your skills and experience, and you don't tell clients how your skills/experience will help them. For example:

1) You mention your experience providing excellent customer support via chat, email, phone, and in-person interactions. How does this help a prospective client? Can you provide customer support in a more timely manner? Will your customer support services help streamline their existing process for responding to emails, phone calls, etc.?

2) You mention that you are skilled in using various CRM and ticketing systems including Zendesk, HubSpot CRM, and Jira, but what does that do for the client? Will this allow them to better track their customer relationships and interactions? Will these ticketing systems aggregate support calls and inquiries better or faster, or will they improve business processes, etc.?

3) You mention that you have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to write technical documentation and user manuals. What does this mean to the client? Will your communication style help increase collaboration within a team? When you write documentation, will your writing produce more accurate documentation or can you write user manuals faster because of your expertise?

Your answers to questions like these can help a client better understand why they should hire you, what they will get, and how it will benefit them. Clients are looking for results, so I suggest you revise your profile summaries and tell clients how all of your skills will solve their problems and benefit their business.

Also, don't forget to add a portfolio. You are in a very competitive skill area, and clients will expect to see samples that demonstrate your experience. 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.

Unfortunately, the chances of finding a mentor on Upwork are very slim. Most people either don't have the time or will not make the time. If you haven't already, make sure to:

• Click the Academy link at the top of the screen and dive into the Courses and Learning Paths. Once you learn more about the Upwork platform, things will be much clearer.
  
  
• Once your profile is updated and you better understand the Upwork platform, read through How To Create a Proposal That Wins Jobs

Good luck!

[51ce9b04]

Hi. I'm new to Upwork and wanted to know what other freelancers think about my profile.

Thanks

[celgins]

Hi Andrii,

I think your profile is great. It's rare to see new freelancer profiles with a specific title, a client-focused summary, and great portfolio items. I don't see any major issues with your profile.

If you haven't already, you should consider adding a project catalog. The project catalog allows you to setup a pre-packaged service that clients can choose to buy without you sending a proposal. Due to higher than usual requests for project catalogs, reviews and approvals are taking a minimum of 10 business days. Read Get Started With Project Catalog for more information.

When you start applying for jobs that match your qualifications, focus on writing great cover letters. Write a custom cover letter based on the client's job:

1) Acknowledge the job you are applying for.

2) Highlight your qualifications.

3) Address specific points in the job by explaining how you can solve their problem.

4) Request the client reach out to discuss or request an Upwork Zoom call to go through their requirements.

Good luck!

[b38a0933]

Hello, I am new to upwork and if you would be so kind, can someone review my profile. I would like to get some feedback and some pointers. 
Cheers!

[celgins]

Hello Mazen,

I reviewed your profile and everything looks good. The only suggestions I have are for our overview/summary. The first line in your summary "Mechatronics - CAD/CAM Engineer" is probably not needed. Also, you do a good job in telling potential clients the CAD/CAM services you can provide, but you should also add information about how those CAD/CAM services will benefit the client and get results.

For example, does your research/development process make the product design phase faster, more accurate? Does using Fusion and SOLIDWORKS allow you to produce 3D renderings at better scale or allow you to make changes/modifications quicker? Do you provide mockups or 3D models that help clients get a better view of how the final product will look?

Your answers to sample questions like these can help a client better understand why they should hire you, what they will get, and how it will benefit them.

Then, add a portfolio to showcase your skills and demonstrate your experience. I think clients will expect to see sample isometric drawings, diagrams, molds, SOLIDWORKS screenshots, etc. 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.

You should also consider adding a project catalog. The project catalog allows you to setup a pre-packaged service that clients can buy without you sending a proposal. Due to higher than usual requests for project catalogs, reviews and approvals are taking a minimum of 10 business days. Read Get Started With Project Catalog for more information.

After you make these updates, start applying for jobs that match your qualifications and skills by writing great cover letters. In your cover letters, always make sure you create a custom response based on the client's job. Focus on the client's specific points in their job description; highlight your qualifications; and tell the client how you will meet their requirements.

[26d256b8]

Hello there and a warm welcome to you! It's great to have you here and we are thrilled to assist you in any way we can. Whether you have questions, need advice, or just want to chat, we are here to lend an ear and share our knowledge. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything, and we look forward to getting to know you better. I'm quite good at using software apps like Photoshop and Illustrator feel free to slide on my DM.

Thank You Everyone.

-Greetings from Philippines

[26d256b8]

Hello there and a warm welcome to you! It's great to have you here and we are thrilled to assist you in any way we can. Whether you have questions, need advice, or just want to chat, we are here to lend an ear and share our knowledge. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything, and we look forward to getting to know you better. I'm quite good at using software apps like Photoshop and Illustrator feel free to slide on my DM.

Thank You Everyone.

-Greetings from Philippines

[allpurposewriter]

Sai,

Why do you call yourself a "junior" graphic designer? I've never heard of that and it sounds like you're putting yourself down. You have to build yourself up in a profile, not point out your weaknesses. So you're new. So you'e young. Don't mention that stuff. Point to your strengths. Show confidence. 

[413a8730]

Hello,

Can you advice me how to get my first job on Upwork. 

Maybe my profile is the problem.

It was set to Upwork members, and now I set it to Public.

Best regards:

Nedeljko Nikolic

[allpurposewriter]

Nedejiko,

Start with what you can do for your clients, not your background information. The background information is important, but it shouldn't be the first thing you say. The first thing you say is "I can get the job done." Then you tell people when you started translations.

[0896c323]

Could I get feedback on my Profile?

[celgins]

Hi Mumtaz,

I reviewed your profile and here is what I see:

Title: Your title is good, but it would be a lot better to be more specific. Since you are focusing on Urdu and English, maybe Urdu/English Translator, Editor, Proofreader. Upwork uses your title, overview/summary and other areas of your profile to match you with jobs, so including "Urdu" and "English" in your title will help.

Overview/Summary: You have good information in your overview/summary, but it starts by telling clients your strengths and what appeals to you. You eventually tell clients a few things you can do for them, but I suggest speaking to what you can do early in your summary.

Clients expect to read about your skills and qualifications, but they really want to know how your skills/qualifications will benefit them. The first two sentences are important because the client will read them first, so you should write something that is strong and impactful.

For example, you could revise your summary by telling clients what can you do, how you might do it, and why it is beneficial to them. Maybe something like:

I’m a teacher with more than 30 years of experience teaching BS & MA classes to thousands of students. I specialize in Phonetics & Phonology, General & Applied Linguistics, Semantics & Pragmatics, TEFL, and World English, and can provide training and translation services to small and large organizations.

I create engaging, highly effective language training that teaches students the four-skill integration (reading, listening, speaking, and writing modalities) with primary emphasis on listening and reading. I can also help your organization by expertly preparing, managing and translating your academic and fictional text from Urdu or English and English to Urdu.

I am excited about all aspects of linguistics-based subjects and I can help you prepare for your BS or MA exams. Since 1980, I have delivered thousands of translations from English to Urdu and Urdu to English, and taught 400+ (or another number) linguistics-based courses as an instructor and lecturer at the National Institute of Modern Languages, Qassim University, and for multiple organizations.

----------What can I help you with?-----------

✔ Expert in translating academic and fictional texts (non-scientific) English – Urdu and vice versa

✔ Expert in human linguistic written translation services

✔ Expert translator: English to Urdu/Urdu to English

✔ Expert voiceovers for Urdu or English

✔ Expert in helping improve your communication skills

Let's talk! I'm available for a video call through Upwork Zoom to discuss your projects and how I can help.

Porfolio: You may want to add a portfolio and include a few examples of translated text.

Everything else in your profile looks good!

[0896c323]

Thanks, Clark for your awesome feedback. Can't thank you enough for your considerate and cooperative behaviour. But the problem is I cannot log in as it says " Your account has been closed. Please contact customersupport if you would like to reopen your account". Even to contact support they ask to log in. I am simply baffled.

[celgins]

Mumtaz,

That is odd. I can still see your Upwork account.

I can attempt to notify a Moderator to see if there is something wrong with your Upwork account.

[AndreaG]

Hi Mumtaz,

I checked your account and it appears to be active. Could you please confirm if you're referring to a different account perhaps? If so, please send me a private message with more information about that account so I could check.

[16417f22]

Hi Andrea! Thank you for your support.

My name is Jennifer and also I have the same question. It's been a long time without an invitation or a response. I was wondering too if my profile is wrong or if I need to modify something. Might be helpful if I upgrade my membership? I have applied many times recently and also I have attached my projects done in my previous jobs out of the platform. I would like to start here some day.

[celgins]

Hi Jennifer,

Your profile is set to Private. You must set your profile to Public so we can see it and make suggestions for improving it.

A lot of freelancers—even Top-Rated and Top-Rated Plus—are finding it difficult to get profile views and responses to their proposals. Keep applying for jobs that match your qualifications/skills by writing great cover letters. And make sure you write a custom cover letter based on the client's job:

1) acknowledge the job you are applying for.

2) highlight your qualifications.

3) explain how you will solve their problem.

4) request an Upwork Zoom call to discuss their project.

[de3e7730]

Dear Andrea,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Zeeshan and I'm a freelancer on Upwork. I came across your profile and noticed that you have a wealth of experience working on the platform.

I would be honored if you could spare a few moments to review my Upwork profile and provide some feedback. As an experienced freelancer on Upwork, I'm sure your insights would be invaluable to help me improve my profile and increase my chances of landing new clients.

I have included the link to my Upwork profile https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016eb0ca7b910cd8e6  for your convenience.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best regards,

Zeeshan Ayub

[celgins]

Hi Zeeshan,

Andrea is an Upwork Moderator. She provides valuable information to freelancers and moderates the Forums, but she doesn't provide profile reviews.

I reviewed your profile and have a few suggestions:

Title: Remove your name from your Graphic Design specialized profile.

Overview/Summary: Your overview/summary has some good personality traits, but you don't tell clients how you can help them, and clients don't really care about personalities. Your summary needs to focus on the client's needs and how you can help them get results. Clients expect to read about your skills and qualifications, but they really want to know how your skills/qualifications will benefit them.

Maybe you can focus more on the client’s needs by answering questions a client might ask. For example:

• "My company needs several items to build our professional brand. What types of items can Zeeshan design?" (You could answer this by saying: "I can design minimalistic logos, business cards, flyers, corporate brochures and other items to help promote and advertise your business. I am an expert with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and use these applications to deliver high quality print and digital designs.")
  
  
• "Can Zeeshan provide any recommendations for creating a promotional video and adding graphics to it? If so, how will that help my company?" (You could answer by saying: "I develop and edit compelling promotional videos that help generate leads and increase brand awareness. The high-quality videos and graphics I create are completed in only a few days, which allows you to start marketing your business as soon as possible.")
  
  
• "My company is really busy, so how much time will Zeeshan spend developing our branding campaign and how often will he stay in contact with me to keep me updated?"
  
  
• "There are thousands of graphic designers out there... why should I choose Zeeshan to create and edit our promo video and design assets for our branding campaign?"
  
  

The answers to questions like these can help a client better understand why they should hire you, what they will get, and how it will benefit them.

Skills: You should add more relevant skill categories to your skills list. I noticed that Graphic Design isn't there, and not many tools (i.e., Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc.)

Employment History: Add short job descriptions for each job in your employment history.

[2d4a2260]

Hi Andrea .

I'm new to Upwork.

Could you please review my profile and leave some feedback on what could be improved?

Thank you.

[547b7c7e]

Hi Andrea G .

I'm new to Upwork.

Could you please review my profile and leave some feedback on what could be improved?

Thank you.

[celgins]

Hi Ynm Abu,

Andrea is an Upwork Moderator. The moderators provide valuable information to freelancers and moderate the Forums, but they do not provide profile reviews.

I reviewed your profile and there are several problems you need to fix.

Hourly Rate: Your hourly rate is extremely high. Almost all data entry operators or specialists with your experience are between $4.00/hour - $10.00/hour. No clients will hire you at $25.00/hour.

Title: Since Microsoft Word and Excel are two different applications, you should add some spacing in your title and capitalize the first letter of each word: Data Entry Operator | Microsoft Word/Excel

Overview/Summary: There are several grammatical errors in your summary--at the beginning and towards the end. In addition to the grammatical errors, you say: "Just read the hundreds of five-star reviews below & you’ll realize you never have to look for any other freelancer." and there are no five-star reviews in your profile yet.

Maybe you can revise the first part of your summary this way:

I’m an expert Data Entry & Computer Operator with experience helping companies with their data entry tasks and managing their websites. Whether you need help with copy/pasting, data collection, data extraction, admin support, online research, or document conversions, I can help your business by accurately and efficiently completing these tasks on-time based on your schedules.

I have experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, WordpPess and blogs, and can fully manage your data entry projects from start to finish. If you need a lot of data entry and virtual assistance completed, stop relying on luck to get quality freelancers.

Here is the list of services I offer:

(the list of services are good)

Then remove: "Just read the hundreds of five-star reviews below & you’ll realize you never have to look for any other freelancer."

Portfolio: Add a portfolio to showcase your skills and demonstrate your experience. 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: There are several more skill categories you can add to your skills list. We are allowed up to 15 skills.

It is important to keep your skills list updated with relevant skills categories so that Upwork can match you with relevant jobs, and so your profile will appear when clients search for your skills.

Employment History: Also, add a short job description for each job in your employment history.

Good luck!

[2d4a2260]

Hi 👋.

I'm new to Upwork.

Could you please review my profile and leave some feedback on what could be improved?

Thank you.

[allpurposewriter]

Kateryna,

I don't know your field at all (marketing automation?) so I'll keep my comments brief. But I don't think (although I'm just guessing) that one year of experience is not that impressive. I would change that to "I am an expert _____." Leave out the length of experience somehow. 

The same goes with mentioning you've only been on Upwork two months. This is like declaring yourself as new to this and most people would consider that an increase in risk. I would delete that, too.

In a positive tone, deascribe your services. What do you actually do and how does that actually benefit the client? That's what you should write about. Focus on that.

[celgins]

Hi Kateryna,

I looked over your profile and I have a few suggestions about your overview/summary. You provide good information for the client, but there are some grammatical errors that you should fix. Also, I suggest providing more information to tell the client how your clickfunnels services will benefit them and get results. Finally, I suggest removing your name and location from your summary; clients can see your name and location when they view your profile. Maybe you can revise your summary this way:

Need to upgrade your business? I can help you with that! I am a Funnels Expert specializing in marketing automation and converting targeted leads into long-term customers. My main goal is to grow your business by increasing your business profit through conversions and sales.

I help business save time by designing high-converting marketing campaigns using funnels and other resources that drive traffic, increase conversions, and grow the company's brand. I have successfully helped clients move their businesses beyond simple recognition; I use a marketing formula that takes your business to the next level.

MY STRENGTHS:

(everything after this is good)

You should add more relevant skill categories to your skils list, but only if they are relevant. For example, you might want to add Clickfunnels and Landing Page Design or Landing Page Optimization.

After you make these minor updates, start applying for jobs that match your qualifications by writing great cover letters. Write a custom cover letter based on the client's job:

1) Acknowledge the job you are applying for.

2) Highlight your qualifications.

3) Address specific points in the job by explaining how you can solve their problem

4) Request the client reach out to discuss or request an Upwork Zoom call to go through their requirements.

[2d4a2260]

Hi Clark,

Thank you very much for the recommendations. Very valuable.

[29b15cd8]

Hi, I joined Upwork for a long time and since then I've not had success getting a job. Could you please review my profile and tell me the areas that need improvement? Thank you. 

[celgins]

Hi Precious,

I looked at your profile and I have a few suggestions to help improve it:

Title: Capitalize the first letter of each word to help your title stand out. You should also remove the word "Experienced" and save that for your overview/summary. (i.e., Content Writer, Researcher, Editor, and Proofreader)

Overview/Summary: Remove your name on the first line: "I'm Precious Isaac." Clients can already see your name on your profile and this takes up space on the first line, which is very important.

Your summary provides some experience and personal attributes, but you should focus more on a potential client's needs. Clients expect to read about your skills and qualifications, but they really want to know how your skills/qualifications will benefit them. In other words, tell clients how your content writing will benefit them (i.e., you generate content quickly, or your writing is well-known, etc.); tell them why your proofreading and editing is beneficial to them (i.e., you can fix typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling to make their documentation better); and how your online research will help them (i.e., your research method is generally faster than typical methods, which allows you to collect and decipher data faster, etc.)

Portfolio: You should add more samples to your portfolio to showcase your writing and editing 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.

[29b15cd8]

Thank you, Clark. Your feedback was helpful, I'll definitely work on those. 

[9e29d47c]

Hi, I'm new to upwork, I come as an independent service provider. And for that I need visibility on my profile. This is why I am writing to ask for your help, please.

[allpurposewriter]

Carmel,

You wrote one sentence and it has several errors in it. May I suggest you find an editor who can work with you or find another line of work.

You wrote "I'm a pragmatic freelancer, that have experience in web writing, pdf converting, virtual assistant Rapid, integrated, rapidly, good jo".

I see at least five grammatical errors in that one sentence. If someone wants a writer they usually want error-free copy. 

Sorry to say so, but you're not even close to that.

[5ace52dd]

Hi Andrea,

Excited to be here. Looking forward to working within the uplift community. 

[allpurposewriter]

Bill,

If you're looking for freelance work as a customer service specialist, then your write up should be about your skills and expertise in the field of customer service, not your aspirations as a writer. Don't you think that makes more sense?

[cc8f8302]

Hi Andre

I was hoping that you could review my account. I need to know if it's good enough for the clients to pick me as their worker. I'm humbly asking you because i really want to have more experience,

[allpurposewriter]

Julius,

Freelancing works best if you focus on one skill, one service, one area in which you have expertise. This is generally considered better than attepting to work at two or three different things. You are competing with experts on Upwork, so it's very hard to find work if you're just throwing up a Hail Mary and expecting people to take you seriously.