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hskinner913
Community Member

Tips on Profile / Increasing Job Acceptances

Hi! Thank you in advance. 

 

I have been applying for jobs for about a year now, on and off in terms of how agressive. I have not had lucky landing jobs, and am looking for advice either on my profile or more general in terms of how did you build your network? How do I ensure my profile appears when companies search? I went on the main screen and searched freelancers by category...and my name doesn't show up? I'm sure they have to limit it some how.

 

I feel like I am qualified for the jobs I am applying for, with 10 years experience. I include a resume and cover letter. 

 

Open to all feedback!

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mystudiomke
Community Member

Heather,

 

You noted you send a resume and a cover letter when you send out proposals. Do you customize each cover letter to talk more about their project or is it more about sharing your experience and skills? Another question would be how many responses do you get from the proposals you send weekly? 

 

I took a quick at your profile and I can see you have the experience. When the profile is not the issue, I question your strategy for your proposals. Also depending on if your getting responses back or not. There is a bunch of good resources from Upwork and other freelancers who share their tips on writing out proposals. I would suggest taking a peek at those and see how they differ from you. I would only advise for writing proposals, try to minimize how many X years of experience, skills, blah blah and instead only focus on their job post. Spend time researching anything in specific to what they are talking about and how you can better help. Let your skills and experience be shown in your profile.

 

 

 

Lila

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7 REPLIES 7
mystudiomke
Community Member

Heather,

 

You noted you send a resume and a cover letter when you send out proposals. Do you customize each cover letter to talk more about their project or is it more about sharing your experience and skills? Another question would be how many responses do you get from the proposals you send weekly? 

 

I took a quick at your profile and I can see you have the experience. When the profile is not the issue, I question your strategy for your proposals. Also depending on if your getting responses back or not. There is a bunch of good resources from Upwork and other freelancers who share their tips on writing out proposals. I would suggest taking a peek at those and see how they differ from you. I would only advise for writing proposals, try to minimize how many X years of experience, skills, blah blah and instead only focus on their job post. Spend time researching anything in specific to what they are talking about and how you can better help. Let your skills and experience be shown in your profile.

 

 

 

Lila

I sincerely appreicate this Lila! I think you're right in regards to spending more time customizing my proposal approach. 

gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

Took a quick glance at your profile and IMO it's presented upside down. Lead with the expertise your target clients are looking for. They don't care where you've been or what you've done (and if they do, they can scroll down to your Employment History and Education sections). They want to know, at a glance, what you can do for them.

 

Re. your UW cover letter: don't send your resume, that's what your UW profile is for. The cover letter is, essentially, your proposal and it's short-attention-span-theater. When a client scrolls through proposals that have come in response to a job post, they just see the first couple of lines of your cover letter unless they click it open. Those first two lines have to make them click. Don't waste that valuable real estate on customary niceties. Jump right to what you offer for that project that they shouldn't pass up. 

 

If you haven't already figured it out, UW clients are notorious for writing vague, inadequate job descriptions. That can be an indicator the client is a dud, but not always. You have to learn to sift the chaff from the possible wheat. Then use your cover letter to ask questions that (1) demonstrate you are the expert they need, and (2) help them articulate their goals and think through their whole endeavor. Your goal is to get them to contact you in order to have a conversation--via UW Message, phone, skype, email, whatever suits the two of you--in which you thoroughly scope the project and determine if you are a good fit for each other.

 

Too many newbies (not you, necessarily) try to use UW like a vending machine. It's really a garden, you have to commit to it and tend it frequently in order to get things going and build momentum. By and by, you'll get some successful projects under your belt and acquire a JSS. A client or two (or three) will hire you for repeat projects. You'll begin to receive invitations to bid on projects, most of which will be dreck, but not all. You'll be on your way!

Hi Phyllis - Thank you so much for this feedback. Sincerely appreicate it! I will rework my profile. Interesting thought on using the cover letter to first jump right into what I can offer, then questions reagarding the job. Thank you!

martina_plaschka
Community Member


Heather S wrote:

Hi! Thank you in advance. 

 

I have been applying for jobs for about a year now, on and off in terms of how agressive. I have not had lucky landing jobs, and am looking for advice either on my profile or more general in terms of how did you build your network? How do I ensure my profile appears when companies search? I went on the main screen and searched freelancers by category...and my name doesn't show up? I'm sure they have to limit it some how.

 

I feel like I am qualified for the jobs I am applying for, with 10 years experience. I include a resume and cover letter. 

 

Open to all feedback!


Do you have work samples you could put into your portfolio? A few shiny appealing portfolio pieces go a long way in attracting attention.

Great idea! I do, just trying to figure out how to remove anything confidential while still making it relevant and value added?

mpacesova
Community Member

A while back I took this course where the guy offers many tips on how to get more clients. It's free if you use this link: https://skl.sh/2HROkfF. I hope that helps!

Michaela Pacesova
eLearning Designer & Developer
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