Freelancing 101: Create A Great oDesk Profile

A common mistake among new freelancers are rushing to get their first contract that they spend less time in creating an oDesk profile.

A great-looking oDesk profile does not mean you have to use fancy words but it should contain the necessary information that your target clients (also called as employers or buyers) wanted to see.

Take your time in creating your freelancer profile. We should aim to stand out from the competition and the way to do that is to have a great oDesk profile.

Here is a sample oDesk profile I found on the web:

What's great about this profile is:

1. It has a professional-looking photo.

2. It has specific title under her name. We can immediately tell what her expertise is.

3. It includes the skills.

4. It includes a clear objective statement.

Other things to consider to create a great oDesk profile are:

• Test scores - Make sure to hide those tests with failing marks from  public view. Pass the oDesk Readiness Test. Take the test relevant to your skills and make sure to publicize those that you scored well. 
• Hourly rate - Make sure that your rate is reasonable for your client. Consider the rate of other freelancers who have the same skills.
• Spelling and grammar - Make sure that your profile is free from errors. It is ironic to give yourself a 5 on your self-assessed English skills while your profile is telling prospect clients otherwise.
• Portfolio - You can flaunt your previous work by posting your portfolio. Just make sure that you asked your clients or previous employers that you will post your work and make sure it won't include sensitive or confidential materials. In some cases, you can just post the website or some photos instead. You can describe it in the text what your project was all about.

Here's what oDesk has to say on how to create a great profile: