Upwork does not always have the greatest rep among freelancers. There are a lot of folks out there who look down on the platform, who see it as a marketplace for cheap, second-rate talent. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just ask the investors who just bought into the company's IPO in October 2018. Yes, in case you didn't know Upwork is now a publicly traded company - their shares were running at $21.00 at the time of writing this - and so is about as credible as it gets. It does not matter what you do - SEO, programming, writing, graphics - whatever you do there is high paying work out there on Upwork for you, and, in addition, there are great leads out there too, leads that can convert into high paying work off the platform. You just need to know how to make Upwork work for you. I founded - and continue to lead - a successful lead generation and SEO agency, Pearl Lemon, that now does six figures in annual business and employs more than a dozen people. I've done TED talks, I'm a motivational speaker, an ultramarathoner and much more. In other words, I'm doing more than OK career-wise. But I'm also still on Upwork. As one of their highest rated providers and someone who has billed $20k+ on the platform, it's not something I'd abandon, even though lots of people think I must have 'outgrown it' by now. Because Upwork is a great place to find great gigs, make the kind of money you are hoping to and set yourself up for long-term relationships with high paying clients off the platform for years to come.

Creating a Killer Profile - The First Step to True Upwork Success

When you first step into the world of Upwork, you will be a completely unknown quantity to any clients looking to hire dependable talent. Because Upwork places a great deal of emphasis on hours worked and job success scores, convincing your first clients that you can offer them the quality and service they’re looking for will seem like it's going to be an uphill battle. But you can significantly improve your chances of success by crafting an absolutely killer profile, one that is professional, well-written and has everything it needs to stand out from the competition. Not only will a complete and excellently-crafted profile help clients understand that you’re the real deal, but it will also show Upwork that you are a legitimate freelancer and they will reward you with job recommendations, exclusive services and priority in search listings. But what goes into creating a great Upwork profile? In this section, I'll take you step-by-step through each element of a successful profile and offer concrete methods that have proven effective for new freelancers building their reputation on the site. Keep in mind that while you might be eager and anxious to begin applying to jobs, it’s impossible to place too much emphasis on the importance of crafting a great profile. And also, even if you are already working on Upwork, keep reading, because the chances are that if you have the skills but aren't getting the jobs it's because your profile is not doing its job. Take your time and become your own biggest critic as you approach your profile with the same tenacity and commitment to quality you would bring to any paying job.  This section of the book is significantly longer than the others for a reason—a killer profile is one of the most invaluable resources you have in your battle to bring in clients and money on Upwork.

Your Profile Image

While freelance work of any kind might seem like an area where great content trumps all other factors, the truth is that you have to treat yourself like a business right from the start and market that business effectively in order to obtain the kind of consistent work out of which you can build a sustainable career. The first important step in marketing yourself is in selecting a profile image, which will be visible each time a client sees your proposal, comes across your information in search results or visits your profile directly.   Select a profile image that is a clear representation of your face. This is actually something that Upwork demands and they will yank your profile if you don't comply. So no avatars, no blurry shots of you and your mates, they - and potential clients - want to see you. The picture does not necessarily need to be a professional headshot, but should be a clear and flattering image featuring only you without distractions like other people or noisy backgrounds. You should strive to appear as professional as possible in your headshot, but do not forget to smile. You might be tempted to try to convey professionalism through a somber, unsmiling gaze, but this is a huge mistake. Clients want to feel like they can form a trusting relationship with their freelancer, and nothing conveys trust like a genuine smile. Not a smize or whatever it is Tyra Banks calls it, a genuine smile. Check out my profile picture below. Whatever your version of this looks like. Alive, awake, and raring to go.

Your Job Title

Next to your profile picture, your job title is the most important source of a first impression for any client who considers you for a job. In 70 characters or less you must be able to convey professionalism while also painting an accurate but concise picture of what you have to offer. Stay away from vague, arty descriptions that give very little concrete information about what you do. For example, let’s say you are a creative content writer specializing in marketing copy. BAD: “Weaver of Words, Master of the Pen and Zen Marketing Guru” GOOD: “Creative Content Writer and Marketing Copy Specialist” The first example is vague, silly and frankly really obnoxious. It gives clients zero information about your skills and screams unprofessional. The second (good) example is both concise and specific in outlining the freelancer’s skills. This leads to another important point- you might be a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to your chosen field, but even the illusion of specificity is more effective than a vague description designed to be a catch-all for clients.  

Your Skills

Upwork allows freelancers to add up to 10 skill tags to their profile, which will not only appear just below your job title but will also act as search keywords when clients look for freelancers directly. Choose keywords that are relevant to your field and are likely to be used by clients as search terms. Avoid uncommon synonyms for common tasks and strung together phrases using hyphens.  

Introduction Video

Upwork offers freelancers the option to upload a video of one minute or less to be featured on their profile. These videos are often straightforward recordings of freelancers introducing themselves to prospective clients and speaking a bit about their skills and experience. A profile video can be a huge boon to obtaining work or a killer of potential depending on the level of quality involved. Here is a moment when you must do some honest self-assessment. Are you someone that comes across well on camera, that can articulate their thoughts well and speak clearly in an appealing way? If so, a video can be a huge benefit to your profile as it lets clients know that you’re a real person with an engaging personality that will make you pleasant to work with. However, if you don’t feel comfortable on camera, or don’t have the video editing skills to create a semi-professional looking video, it may be better to forgo a video on your profile entirely and concentrate on a killer overview instead, which we are getting to now,

Overview

Here we go. Your overview is your chance to truly sell yourself to prospective clients. Here you can go into detail about your skills, relevant experience and achievements, approach to your work and all of the elements that make you the only correct choice that a client can entrust with their work, no matter how many Upwork reviews you might have (or not have yet) The most important factor to keep in mind when crafting your overview is that how you write is just as important as what you write- clients will not only read your profile with an eye for your experiences and achievements but also with a focus on your overall professionalism. An overview with spelling, grammar, punctuation or usage errors will turn off prospective clients faster than you can possibly imagine. Review your writing and then review it three more times before publishing. But what about the actual content of your overview? The key here is to set yourself apart from the countless other freelancers on Upwork. One of the most effective ways that you can show that you mean business is by bypassing gimmicks, silly introductions or dumb catchphrases at the opening of your overview. Many freelancers use these tactics, but you’ll find that very few successful freelancers use them. I don't. Clients don’t want to waste their time reading a clever joke meant to endear yourself to them. Direct proposals are more effective places for tasteful personal touches, and we’ll talk about them later. In your profile overview, dive right into what makes you great at your work. Use complete sentences featuring strong adjectives that highlight your skills and experience. Keep in mind that clients don’t only want to know about your relevant skills but also want to get a sense of what it’s like to work with you. This is the one thing that so many Upworkers forget. Take a sentence or two to highlight how important you find professionalism to be in your work, and address your dedication to providing clients with a flawless experience. Once you’ve taken a paragraph or two (ideally around 4-7 sentences) to speak at length about your expertise, you can fill out the remainder of your overview with a few additional elements. The two most effective elements you can include are a straightforward list of your skills and a set of 2-3 positive reviews of your work. A list of your skills can act as a resume of sorts that will let clients know that you can accomplish the work that they’re looking for, while past client reviews (if you have them) will show that you have at least some track record of proven success.

Portfolio

A word of advice—don’t present a profile with an empty portfolio. Even if you are just getting started and have to create a simple blog and publish an article to it which you can then link to, you should begin your Upwork career with at least a couple of portfolio pieces that show you can actually do the tasks you claim to do. Still stuck for content? I've seen some freelance writers who have uploaded simple word documents featuring fictional articles, press releases or other content simply to showcase their writing skills. If you’re a graphic designer, design something! Whatever your field, find a way to show work that you’ve completed. You might feel silly linking to your own blog, personal documents or other non-professional work, but we Upwork experts can personally guarantee that there’s nothing worse than a blank portfolio.

Certifications

Your profile’s certifications section allows you to upload any course certifications you’ve completed and earned, either in-person or on the web. If you haven’t completed any certifications, don’t panic—this field is not one that clients focus heavily on when selecting freelancers. But, if you do have any relevant certifications, no matter how minor, you should absolutely take a few moments to add them.  

Tests

Upwork provides most freelancers with the opportunity to take built-in tests that show aptitude in various areas related to your chosen field. The results of these tests can then be shown on your profile so that prospective clients can see that you’ve scored well in various areas. Take as many tests as you can—don’t worry, if you don’t achieve an appealing final score you won’t be forced to show your result on your profile. You’ll also be given occasional opportunities to retake tests in order to improve your score.  Make sure you display the results of any test in which you finish in the top 20% of test takers because that will give you a big boost with both clients and Upwork itself in terms of visibility in search.

Employment History

Here you can list any relevant work experience related to your chosen field. Don’t panic if you don’t have any relevant work experience to boast about—this is a site dedicated to freelancers after all, so many clients will simply assume that you are a career freelancer if your employment history is lacking. But if you do have work experience related to your freelance skills, take the time to post descriptions of your accomplishments and what your job entails or entails.  

Education

Fairly straightforward—list any and all education in this section, even if it’s not directly relevant to your chosen freelancing area. If you don’t have as much education as you might like, don’t worry—I'm about to give you a little - but very effective - tactic that can really help you overcome that.

Other Experiences

OK, so this is the section where you can work a bit of magic that can be especially helpful to those who think they don't have enough experience or education yet. In my Other Experiences section - as seen above - I have a lot of random stuff. Stuff I've done that maybe does not directly relate to the services I'm offering. The fact that I'm a musician. And that I've traveled a lot. A bit random maybe, but it's interesting. And you can do it too. Maybe you play the guitar. Maybe you are a darts player. Maybe you're a great footballer, dancer whatever. You have stuff you do/have done that's interesting. Why should you put any of this in? Because, from a client point of view, most of the candidates you consider are largely pedaling the same thing. Everyone can say they'll get you X. So what differentiates you? And you'll be surprised. I have been hired on Upwork because 'hey dude, you ran a marathon, I love running, let's talk'. You never know just what it is that will get your foot in the door. So put lots of interesting stuff in the Other Experiences section. It's helped me more than it hasn't and it will probably do the same for you as well. So, there it is. These are the most important elements of a successful Upwork profile. There are some other fields that Upwork will instruct you to fill, but these are mainly straightforward and self-explanatory.  When it comes to the elements of your profile outlined above, remember that an investment of an hour or two can make a world of difference in securing you work for months and even years to come. While a great profile is critically important even for established Upwork freelancers, it is never more crucial than when you are first starting out and attempting to build a reputation on the site. Don’t take your profile for granted.   Like what you've been reading? Check out my book on the subject - as well as a few others - at Amazon.com. Interested in REALLY building your business. Check out my Secrets of a Six-Figure Agency course here  And stay tuned here, I'll be back with more Upwork Success Secrets soon.