Unless you are fortunate enough to have a steady stream of clients, if you are a freelancer, you are probably right now looking for your next project. Making a good first impression is crucial to Freelancers and to anyone. This applies to whether you are looking for part-time, full time, flexible or contract work, how you present yourself online can often be the deciding factor on whether or not you will be handed an opportunity. So how do you get your career profile noticed? Putting yourself out there by creating online profiles is a great way to be found by recruiters. Making yourself as visible as possible and posting your career profile on many different work related sites is a great strategy. By building your online presence you make it easier for employers to find you.
What is the difference between a freelancer’s resume and a freelancer’s online career profile?
An online career profile differs from your resume. A resume is a more specific document with precise details of your work experience, numbers of years, dates of education and other particular interests. It may be between 1 to 2 pages long. The resume may be tailored to emphasize the expectations to a specific position or company that you are applying for. Your online career profile, on the other hand, is your business card. It is broader and is designed to attract attention on to you. On many of today’s career websites, the profile is what a recruiter sees first, it is the first impression, if they like what they see, they will open your attached CV. This makes the profile an important and effective tool in hunting for a job.
Freelancer’s strategy to find your next project: Create great online career profiles!
How do I create a great career profile?
1) The photo: Many people are uncomfortable to post their photo. However, since the emergence of Linkedin, the profile picture is becoming an important tool and is often expected. If your profile is missing a photo while other profiles have them, recruiters may wonder why; They may think you are either not thorough, you are unfamiliar with how to upload, you have something to hide or perhaps you are not very presentable. So be sure to have a photo ready when creating your profile. Choose a current picture, a close up of your face, one that is sharp and clear and where you look professional. You should be dressed professionally in your picture and remember to smile and look friendly. Do not wear distracting jewellery or sunglasses and pay attention that the background of the photo is not overwhelming.
2) COMPLETE the profile: It is important to complete the profile and answer ALL the questions. The more details you provide, the better you increase your chances of being the right match to the recruiter. Show your passion for your work! That one detail may be the trigger that lands you an interview.
3) Keywords: On line searching for candidates is becoming increasingly important to recruiters and often the only way they can find you is through their keyword searches. Make sure to think about the keywords especially in areas such as the job title and the open description and skills questions. Use as many keywords and details as possible. When recruiters are looking for you, KEYWORDS are the BEST way for them to find you!! Use relevant short precise lines and bullets so that recruiters can quickly grasp who you are and what your experience is.
4) Be Consistent: The more profiles you post, the more visible you are. But, remember to be consistent between all your profiles and your CV. The dates should all match.
5) Have Links: The great thing about creating on line profiles is that you can provide links to examples of your work or projects. You can even Hyperlink to organizations you have volunteered for.
6) Market yourself: Job searching is like a business. By having a great picture, properly written, powerful statements and error free spelling you are on your way to finding work that suits you. Be sure to update your profiles on a regular basis to keep those jobs coming.
So get started today and create your profile. If you’re a freelancer looking for contract work, a university student, a stay at home mom, semi-retired, a moonlighter or anyone looking for flexible work…post your profile on www.workhoppers.com where savvy companies go to find talented people for all their outsourcing needs.
