Tips from Upwork’s Talent Success Team

[Lambert A]

please can you help review my profile

[Boniface M]

Hi Lambert, 

First things first please make your profile public (Go to Profile> Profile Settings> Visibility> change to Public) so that any client can visit your profile to see your expertise.

Not all clients advertise their jobs, they search individual profiles that meet their needs and hire from there.

Secondly, make sure you have uniquely laid out your expertise, skills, and experience on your profile.

Thirdly, you have to showcase portfolios of jobs you have completed successfully (either within Upwork or without) to showcase your level of expertise and how meticulous your work is.

Fourthly, if you have worked on previous jobs please ask your clients to give feedback wrt your excellent turnaround time and quality of work you submitted/executed for them.

Fifthly, make sure you draft a short, efficient, smart, and skill/service-oriented cover letter as a template to applying for jobs in Upwork which you know match your skillset.

Sixthly, always set your availability (on your profile) as per the amount of workload you might have at that particular moment (.there are 3 choices:More than 30 hrs/week, Less than 30 hrs/week Or As needed - open to offers)

Last but not least, make sure you apply to 3-5 jobs per day if you are not assigned any work at that particular moment.

Best,

Boniface Maina

Project Manager Specialised in Data Entry and Research

[Mike J]

Hi Lambert,

Thank you for your message. I reviewed your profile and have some suggestions:

• The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.

• Your profile overview is short compared to the average. Upwork’s research shows clients see it as a positive signal if the profile is well written and comprehensive. Therefore, consider crafting your overview as a pitch to prospective clients. 

  • Help clients understand your abilities better by listing information about your skills and experience in an original and creative way. 
  • Focus on how you can help clients achieve their goals. For example, expand on who you are, the services you offer, and what you’re most passionate about. 
  • Be clear on your expertise and mention specialized software or tools. 
• Your profile overview is difficult to quickly scan and understand what your primary services and experiences are. It might help to organize it with paragraphs: for example, have your introduction paragraph, a separate paragraph for skills, and one for experience. In this way, you might emphasize certain areas, but use caution with adding lists of skills with few to no related work examples because clients may question the sincerity of your skills list.

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I hope this helps!

[Usman K]

Hello Mike,

I need your help in setting profile and getting more jobs by proposals.

Regards,

Usman **Edited for Community Guidelines**

[Mike J]

Hi Usman,

Thank you for your message. I reviewed your profile and have some suggestions:

• The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise.

• Your profile overview is short compared to the average. Upwork’s research shows clients see it as a positive signal if the profile is well written and comprehensive. Therefore, consider crafting your overview as a pitch to prospective clients. 

  • Help clients understand your abilities better by listing information about your skills and experience in an original and creative way. 
  • Focus on how you can help clients achieve their goals. For example, expand on who you are, the services you offer, and what you’re most passionate about. 
  • Be clear on your expertise and mention specialized software or tools. 
  • If appropriate, let your personality shine through (include some excitement), and show your qualities and praise the work you do, instead of focusing on yourself.
  • Other examples of information you can include are past accomplishments and projects, preferred working style, and your business’ values (e.g. I believe in strong communications or thorough upfront planning), industries or lines of businesses you have worked in before, and the types of clients you have worked with before (start-ups, solo entrepreneurs, large businesses, etc.). 

To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I hope this helps!

[Adonsi J]

Hi Mike thank you for your advice, I would like you to review my profile. And let me know what I need to fix to have a profile.

Thanks

Jules

[Mike J]

Hi Adonsi,

Thanks for your message! Your profile is off to great start. One suggestion I have is to add a total of at least 4 entries in your portfolio. We know that clients like to see at least 4 separate entries (they don't always open them to see if there are more images inside). You might also be interested in this article: 4 Ways to Create a More Successful Freelancer Portfolio

[Amanda L]

Hi Mike, how much time have you spent as a freelance consultant and in what field? 

[Mike J]

Hi Amanda,

Thank you for your question! I've been a freelance translator since 2009 and have spent the last 2 years providing program support to Upwork's Talent Success team, specifically representing the needs of and advocating for freelancers.

[John F]

Mike: I am not exactly a newbie but I have a very relevant question. How do I know when a submitted proposal is still active? Many times I have had a very successful (at least to myself) interview and then I never hear from the potential client again. Is there a way that we can find out if the job is closed and that they have hired someone else? It would be very helpful if we know why we were not hired. Was it price? Was it time zone? etc. Currently I am 100% top rated.

Thank you for your help.