Create a Freelance Profile That Wins Business, in 6 Steps

With more and more people joining the freelance team every day it makes it much more competitive to find work even compared to just last year. There are several things you can do to stand our as well as make your profile more adaptable to different industries based off of your experience. This will set you apart as you can easily offer multiple solutions to an employer, by just filing one position. Meaning you can not only be an administrator and handle scheduling and incoming calls but you can blog and process payments as well.

Now you just need to figure out how to sell yourself in writing and here's 6 steps in the right direction:

Step 1: Create an effective headline: Your headline should be short and straight to the point. We recommend keeping it to one line, which is definitely possible because you only need to state three pieces of information.

Position title

Number of years of experience

Specialty

Step 2: Upload a professional photo: It’s not all about the words you use, but the image you portray. A professional photo is a big plus. This doesn’t mean that you have to head to your local photo studio and purchase headshots. Simply find a blank wall in your home and have a friend with a good camera snap a few shots of you. Don’t forget to smile! A friendly smile and a warm expression will do the trick. If you’re camera shy, you’ll benefit from finding a way to get over it. Choosing not to include a photo on your profile is more likely to hurt you than help you, because clients will feel like you’re hiding something.

Step 3: Open your profile by outlining your qualifications and experience: Cut right to the chase. Immediately open your profile by telling the potential client why you are a qualified freelancer. You must tell them everything they want to know about you immediately to prove that you are qualified for the project. If you hit all of their checkpoints, they’ll add you to the shortlist. Open your profile with:

Position title (i.e. Senior Graphic Designer, Junior Programmer, Entertainment Writer, etc.)

Years of experience in the field

Areas of expertise

Technical skills and program knowledge

Industry expertise (if applicable)

Step 4: Backup your qualifications with your academic background: Clients like to know that you have formal training and education in the field you specialize in. If you have academic credentials, mention them immediately after your qualifications and experience. Your academic background can either be related to the field you are freelancing within, or to the industry. For example, either of the following academic backgrounds and experience could apply to a freelance business writer:

a) A post-secondary degree in journalism or English or creative writing, along with an established portfolio of published work with several business publications

b) A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Business Administration or a related field, along with extensive knowledge in specific industries

Step 5: Always include your contact information: Many clients are drawn to hiring local talent. By mentioning where you are located, you could get the upper hand in local projects. Clients also want to be able to reach you. The easier you are to contact, the more reliable you will appear. After all, reliability is one of the most important factors for clients when hiring freelancers.

Step 6: Prove how great you are with samples and references: Clients want to know that you are capable of completing their project successfully, so prove it to them by showing them past successes. If you’ve worked for well-known companies or organizations, this is the time to name-drop. Even if your previous clients are small to medium-sized businesses, the client wants to know that you’ve been hired before. In the body of your profile, you can begin listing each of your major projects, starting from the most recent and working your way back. Include the client’s name, the project scope, the timeline, and the budget if applicable. If you encountered obstacles during the project, explain how you overcame them.

The very best way to stand out is to provide positive feedback, referrals and testimonials of the client's you have helped with detail of the solutions you were able to provide. This will show that you would make a great addition to any team. Just make sure you leave out details on your personality of by focusing only on stating you are a hard worker without actually showing any results or testimonials to back it up. You won't have to create filler sentences to plug your qualities as your profile should show all of that with in itself.

What do you look for when hiring a professional of any type?

Article Source: Fresh Books

Image Source: E.W. Scripps School of Journalism on Flickr