Anatomy of an Awesome Upwork Profile

When it comes to creating an awesome oDesk profile, there are a few things you need to ensure you’re doing to really stand out from the crowd.

The infographic below depicts the steps you need to take. Below the infographic, you’ll find even more information about each step.

Anatomy of an Awesome oDesk Profile - Steps Explained:

1. The Photo - it's important that you have a photo. Aim for something semi-professional, head shot's work great. Avoid holding anything in the photo, especially alcohol. You want people to take you seriously! This is important, so make sure you do it.
2. The Resume - the one page resume should form part of your overall profile. Create one especially for your oDesk profile that is brief and to the point and highlights all the skills you are hoping to use on oDesk. You can access a free template of the one page resume here.
3. The Portfolio - as a writer, you should have some articles or blog posts to upload here. If you don't, just create them. Also link to your portfolio website from here too. That could be your Tumblr blog, a WordPress blog or whatever it is that you use to showcase your work. If you're just getting started, offer to write a few things for friends and family and then link to those published items as well.
4. Skills - this is where you want to list your top 10 skills and make sure you list them in order of importance, from top to bottom. Think of these as your keywords. This is how potential clients will find you, based on the skills that you provide here. Make it count.
5. oDesk Tests - want to increase your ratings on oDesk as a new freelancer? Take as many tests as possible, at least 10 initially. Aim to relate these back to your skills and if you can get yourself in the top 20%, even better.
6. Overview Area - this is the most important part of your profile. This is where you tell potential clients what you'll do for them. Think of this as a sales letter and write more about what you provide and what you'll do for the client more than writing about you. Think to yourself "It's not about me, it's about them" and you'll be fine!
7. Rates - setting rates as a new freelancer on oDesk is tough - particularly if you're very experienced. Unfortunately, ratings and feedback are what count on this site, so initially  you'll need to shoot for a lower than normal rate. But only for a very short period of time. I would shoot for the first 4 clients and then begin to increase your rate by $5 or more each time. Do this until you've hit the sweet spot.
8. Apply for Jobs - once you've got your profile completely tweaked, and you've completed a few jobs, now is the time to start really thinking about how you can beat other freelancers. The best time to apply for jobs is between 3-5pm EST and if you're looking for local work, apply that same time to your timezone and also look between 8-10am.

These are just some tips about how to make your profile really stand out on Upwork.

There are more things you can do, and you'll find the full details in my book, Pimp Your Profile. Grab it on Amazon now — it's free 🙂