How to Create Upwork Account?

 

What is Upwork?

Upwork is the global marketplace where businesses and individual professionals are remotely connected. This is a new platform that grew through the unions affiliated with Odesk and Allens with just one name and that is "Upwork".

 Importance of Upwork Profile

A professional Upwork profile is an important part of increasing your chances of getting a job. This is not only important but also necessary. So, every freelancer should have a good professional Upwork profile. This is an important opportunity to get to know your potential clients, attract attention and keep yourself out of the competition - not just as part of your offer, but for potential clients who may discover your profile. Many clients find freelancers looking for the skills they need and invite them to view their work posts; This is a practice approach that can help businesses meet their project needs more quickly and successfully.

Completing your profile doesn't just give clients the information they need. This helps Upwork match you with more relevant projects and is a must if you want to achieve Rising Talent status or top-rated status.

Getting Started On Upwork

The first things you need to do when starting upwork is to make sure you have the right kind of profile.

Upwork has two types of profiles; Client profiles and freelancer profiles. Looking for a job as a freelancer, the right profile would be a freelancer.

Start your profile by selecting the most relevant job categories with your skills. Set an hour that reflects your level of skill and experience. You can search for upwork to get an idea of what similar freelancers are paying. Then consider these tips to help improve your profile so that it confirms your experience and skills.

Add a Profile Photo

When picking a profile photo, go for professional and friendly photos. It should be a high-quality headshot with good focus and good focus. A good quality profile photo is important because it tells the clients who you are.

Your profile photo is the first thing that represents you so it ensures friendship and professionalism. When taking a profile photo, look directly at the camera, smile, make sure the background is clear and seamless.

Remember, use your original image. Don't use cat photos or Google images or worse, don't pretend to be Lupita. We all know who he is and he's definitely not looking for work on the upwork 😎 but if you're looking for inspiration, this photo is a great example of a quality profile photo, just be sure you are!

 Add Your Title

This section is probably one of the most neglected sections of Upwork, Yet it is one of the most important parts of your profile. There seems to be a general tendency to write early whatever comes to mind while writing the title - something to fill in the required bit.

It’s important that you understand that this is your first real story that clients will see, so you want to get their attention right now. This client shows your profile to any client and hopefully, it will play a big role in determining whether you will be considered for the job.

When writing your title:

• Be simple and concise: Use straightforward words to create a professional title that describes your skills.
• Specify: Remember that competition is high and so you need to be very precise about what niche you want to work in and avoid being a jack of all trades as it will narrow your chances of hiring. So make sure your specific niche is clearly present in your title.
• Use keywords: Use keywords and phrases that describe your skills and what a potential client can use to find someone with your skills.

Example: For example, if you are a graphic designer you can go to specialized areas like Logo Designer, Visual Brand Designer, or Web Designer, Web Developer, etc.

Add Your Overview

The title is followed by a brief description. This is an opportunity for potential clients to say more about themselves. You can sell yourself in a few more words, count it.

Express the unique skills you have that will be valuable to your clients professionally and concisely. Focus on specific skills in your niche.

Quick Tip: Start with the most important information first because the first two or three sentences of your overview are visible on search results and other upwork pages. At the end of your overview, you can include skills related skills such as reliable, good communication skills, fast trainer, attention to detail, etc. Keep these things in mind when creating your overview:

1. The kind of work you want to do and the industry you want to work in
2. Years of experience hold you back
3. Your skills in systems and industry-related software.
4. Achievements that you are proud of.
5. The languages   you speak and are becoming proficient at

As you write all of the above, always keep in mind how your skills and success can help clients reach their business goals. After all, you have to prove your worth to them.

Finally, prove your overview to make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes because no client will leave you as fast as weak grammar.

Link Your Accounts

After choosing the right profile, you need to link your upwork account to other online accounts such as Bens, Facebook, Twitter, Dribble, LinkedIn, DeviantArt.

For example, linking your profile to your LinkedIn account will establish your online presence and make it easier for you to match relevant work that matches your skills and experience for upwork.

Linking your accounts help you build your reputation and verify your identity. As a result, your credibility in the eyes of clients will increase because they are able to see that you have a large presence online, not just upwork.

Add an Introduction Video

Upwork has the option to add a contact video to your own profile. Although not completely necessary, the video:

• Separates your profile and increases your chances of being noticed by clients.
• This is a great opportunity to give an interesting look at who you are, what you offer, and showcase your language skills.
• Clients build trust by gaining a sense of who you are and how much more personalized then just a picture.

Your video should be about a minute long, no longer than that. Introduce yourself, give a brief description of the type of work you are interested in doing, describe your skills, experience, and past employment. Conclude by thanking visitors for their interest, expressing a desire to work with them in the future, and be sure to invite them to visit your profile.

List Your Skills

Make a list of the minimum five and maximum 10 skills that enable you to do your job. These should be the most important and most relevant skills in your job department (and the job you will apply for).

Make sure you order them efficiently. Upwork lets you ‘drag and drop’ the listed skills.

Upwork has thousands of skill-based tests. Make time to test some of the skills you listed. Taking exams is good for your profile because employers look at them to make sure you're really fit for the job.

Assess Your English Skills

The official up cover language is English, but there are thousands of freelancers who are fluent in other languages. You need to evaluate your English skills - do it honestly.

Even if you are not a writer, your ability to communicate with clients is important. True to your language skills, clients need to have an idea of what they can expect from you

If English is your mother tongue, select the 'Native or Bilingual' option. If you can only write or speak in English, select the appropriate option. If you have knowledge of other languages, list them as well. Of course, don't lie that you are fluent in a language when you know very well that you can only write in the language mentioned.

 Select your Experience Level

You must rate your level of experience as part of having a 100% complete profile at Upwork.

There are 3 levels, entry-level, intermediate, and specialist. The level you choose is not based on your experience in upwork but overall professional experience in your area of expertise.

For most freelancers who are employed and freelancing or who are doing part-time freelancing but now want to do it full time, their level of experience may be intermediate or specialist depending on the number of years worked.

However, if you are only starting from a specific field, be honest, and select the entry-level. This will not only affect your profile but also help clients measure their ability to manage different projects.

Add Your Employment History

To improve your profile and credibility, list your employment history as a demonstration of your experience, past projects, and qualifications. In this section, list your previous work experience focusing only on projects related to the type of work you want.

Use bullet points to highlight achievements and specific skills. Make sure you include a brief description of your responsibilities and examples of projects in each of the listed locations.

Go back when you find clients in Upwork in the future and be sure to add them to this section. This will not only showcase your added experience but will further strengthen your credibility as a freelancer at Upwork and get you more work done.

 Add Your Education

Let clients learn more about your educational background to make your testimonials more valid. List the name of the organization and your degree (s) in chronological order with the most recent degree at the top. Although what you have studied is not related to what you are currently doing, the educational background is important.

If you do not have a formal education, it is not a big deal. Add all informal and self-taught lessons to the "Other Experiences" section.

Listing your education should be simple and precise. If you are newly qualified, make sure to update your profile regularly to land more work in the future.

 Build Your Portfolio

For a few categories like Web Development, Design & Creative, Writing and Likes, this is a very important category that should be part of a winning profile. So if you fall into these types of categories, putting together a great portfolio will definitely work.

When using a client's work in your portfolio, such as a website, a brochure, a blog post, etc. you have created, make sure you have permission before sharing it with your clients.

When adding to your portfolio make sure you put your best work first. If you have a job that you are not so proud of, it is best to give it up. If you have skills in multiple fields, make sure your portfolio reflects your broad skills. In short, let your portfolio tell your story.

Make sure you keep your portfolio up to date by updating any new projects you have completed. It shows clients how your talent has grown over time. Also, when you get feedback from past clients, make sure you link them to any items related to your portfolio.

Lastly don’t forget to file each item under the most relevant section, for example, see articles and blog writing, social media marketing, web, and mobile design, graphic design etc.

Set your Hourly Rate

Finally, the last step when creating your upwork freelancer profile is to determine your hourly rate. This is probably the most confusing bit in the profile because people feel ashamed of themselves as valuable to them, again some people perform it. Although there is no exact hourly rate, make sure your starting rate matches your experience and skills. Take a look at what other freelancers are charging in your selected categories and pick a rate that is competitive with them.

Get Ready to Succeed on Upwork