Optimize your profile: selecting the right skills to stand out

Optimize your profile: selecting the right skills to stand out

Creating the ideal freelance profile that accurately showcases your skills, expertise, and service offerings is trickier than it may seem. Some freelancers tend to be overly modest, leaving out essential skills that clients are looking for. Others go overboard, listing off an overwhelming number of competencies. Finding the right balance requires some nuance, but don't worry - this article will guide you through winning strategies for selecting your profile skills.

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Focus on your core strengths

While it may be tempting to list every skill you have to make your profile stand out, this approach often backfires on talent platforms where companies use detailed search functions to find freelancers with the right skill set to match their projects. A more effective approach is to focus in on your core strengths and offerings to present a clear and compelling profile for potential clients. Clients seek freelancers who excel in their respective fields and can significantly contribute to project success.

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Pro Tips

·      Ensure the descriptions of your professional experiences and academic background align      with and support the skills highlighted on your profile for consistency.

·      Go beyond just listing skills - elaborate on your depth of knowledge in certain areas by mentioning specific methodologies, technologies, tools, etc.

·      If you have niche expertise, definitely include it as this can attract targeted clients.

·      If you have a specialized industry background or proven track record, highlight this as a selling point in your bio.

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While showcasing strengths is important, we advise limiting the number of skills to 15-20 skills/experiences for an easily digestible profile. Too many skills can make your profile appear unfocused and affect the effective matching of your profile to roles on the Freeely platform.

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Step into your client's shoes

On the Freeely platform, clients find freelancers in two main ways - either by searching for specific skills/keywords or by posting a project brief that gets matched with relevant profiles. In both cases, the Freeely algorithm matches your competencies with the client's needs. Therefore, the keywords in your profile are crucial for visibility to clients with suitable projects. Ensure that your profile features the keywords prospective clients are likely to search for by:

·      Leverage the curated skills list and use specific, industry-standard skill names.

·      Benchmark successful freelancer profiles in your field for effective skill displays.

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Pro Tips

·      Set a calendar reminder to revisit and update your skills as your expertise grows. Every new project completed allows you to update your skills and showcase your most recent project and experience.

·      It's important to recognize that your skills and expertise will continually evolve over the course of your freelance career. Routinely revisiting and updating the skills on your Freeely profile ensures it remains an accurate representation of your current capabilities. Setting periodic reminders to refresh your profile is a simple way to keep it updated and reflective of your growing skillset.

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Your Freeely profile is your virtual storefront, and a well-written profile accurately reflects your skills and experience. It is your biggest opportunity to attract ideal clients and projects. By highlighting your specialized strengths, using client-friendly terminology, and keeping your skills aligned with current offerings, you'll craft a compelling profile that positions you as the perfect fit for your prospects' needs. With this tailored approach to skills selection, you're maximizing visibility for the work you're most passionate about.

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www.workfreeely.com

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