Part of the joy of freelancing is having the chance to pick and choose the projects you work on, along with the buzz of bagging a client that is perfectly matched to your skills. 

That’s why, at The Work Crowd we’ve developed loads of features and functionality, to make matching you up with the right clients as simple as possible.

As a freelancer, the best way to ensure you’re considered for (and hopefully win!) the ideal jobs for you, is to spend a bit of time honing your profile and preferences on the site. It doesn’t need to take long, but could make the vital difference for potential clients when they’re thinking about who to hire.

To help you get started, here’s our six steps to making the perfect freelance profile that truly shows off your skills!

Professional Profile

• The best way to make a great first impression is to upload a professional and up-to-date headshot.
• If you can afford to get a professional photo done, then it can be worth the investment but if that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t worry - with the right background and good lighting, a friend can take a great shot for you using a smartphone.
• Opt for something that shows your face clearly, looking at the camera and smiling.
• Avoid anything too informal – most clients aren’t interested in seeing your weekend escapades!

Your bio is important

• This is your chance to showcase your core expertise, skills and successes as well as what you have to offer a client. Ask yourself, why should clients hire you over other freelancers, what problems can you solve and solutions can you provide?
• Focus on the most important – and strongest – points first. Think about why previous clients have liked working with you and highlight these characteristics upfront.
• Add some personality and passion where you can – clients want to know they’ll enjoy working with you, as well as that you’ll get the job done.

Career timeline and highlights

• This is your opportunity to show off your core transferable skills, where and how you have used them for other clients and the successes and results you have achieved for them. With this in mind keep your timeline as recent and relevant as possible, while highlighting any measurable results.
•  Clients spend on average 6 sec’s reading a profile, think in terms of ‘ headlines and format your profile to flag in bold, key transferable skills and expertise. Use bullet points, so that potential clients can easily extract and read the information they are looking for.
•  Communicate your success and provide real life examples with stats to back this up.

Uploads

• Create a rich, visual and informed profile, by uploading examples of your work. This might be your credentials, previous design work, media clippings and coverage, articles and content written. This gives clients a first-hand look at the quality of your work and speeds up the hiring process.
• Do attach a visual picture or screenshot with your file, which will draw clients to it and encourage them to download them.

Tags

• Tags are super important to include, this is how our clever bot matches you to only the most relevant roles! So think carefully about the main services you offer,  where you’re strongest, before making your decision.
• Skills- You can choose five areas that you are an expert in and an additional five where you have some experience.
• Industry -Tag the industry sectors where you have experience, which will be activated once you’ve included at least one brand you’ve worked with in that sector.

The basics

Simple, but effective, take note of these super quick details that can make all the difference when matching you with potential clients:

• Availability - You can quickly let clients know whether you’re free and, if not, when you will be in the future. So you can have your next project lined up and ready to go.
• Full or part-time – Does what it says on the tin! The Work Crowd has a whole range of opportunities, from a couple of days a month to five days a week. Just let us know what works best for you.
• Rate – Avoid any awkward budget conversations by including your standard day rate on your profile. All clients have a budget in mind so this avoids any misunderstandings later on.
• Endorsements - Freelancers with 2 or more 5 star reviews are awarded an ‘approved badge’ and rated more highly by our algorithm in client matches.

Finally, if you have a question on any of our features and functionality, we’re here to help! We're always on hand to offer assistance, so just drop us a line at hello@theworkcrowd.com - with any queries or feedback.