Having a professional profile that clearly outlines your skills is a great way to set yourself up for success in our work marketplace. Here are a few tips for standing out from the crowd (while staying in line with our policies).
Why do I need a strong profile?
Creating a winning profile is the first step to success, and could mean the difference between landing the contract of your dreams and not.
First, clients can search and view profiles, and then directly invite you to work with them when they see what you have to offer.
Second, when you submit a proposal for a project, your profile will pop up alongside your response—hopefully swinging the balance in your favor when clients make their decision.
What should I include in my profile?
Your description is your chance to paint yourself in the best possible, truthful light. Give concrete examples of experience and skills, rather than abstract descriptions. Industry-specific lingo is fine if your target audience will understand it, but be careful about using too much jargon.
And don't forget the basics as well: your name, title, and a clear picture too.
While you might put off finishing your profile when you first join Upwork, the sooner it's done the sooner you can start making a great first impression with potential clients.
What shouldn't I include in my profile?
It's only natural to want to present yourself in the best possible light, but don't exaggerate. If you overstate your ability and win work because of it, you're likely to put yourself under a lot of stress and there's a good chance things won't go so well.
It's better to be realistic about what you can offer than risk negative ratings, which will only make it harder to get future work.
On top of that, putting deliberately false or misleading information on your profile is against our Terms of Service (TOS)—and if you do that, we might have to take action against your account. Here are a few other things that definitely shouldn't end up on your profile:
- Other people's work. Your portfolio should be yours and yours alone—taking credit for work by others violates our TOS.
- Advertisements of links to products or services you provide outside of Upwork. The same goes for offering services that aren't supported by Upwork.
- Personal contact information (like your email address or phone number). It opens you up to fraud and unwanted contact, plus it's against our TOS. There's more on this in our 'Contact information sharing' article.
