14 May 2008 | Freelancing Tips | Guest Blogger

Gemma Baltazar is a freelance provider on oDesk and writes her own blog at the Lady Programmer. We’ve invited her to write this guest post.

When I first got into oDesk, I did not have an oDesk work history and a feedback to complete my profile. I started out with a poorly written profile because I was in a rush to apply to jobs, hoping that there might be some buyer who might be willing to take chances on my skills.

As days and weeks went on, no buyer came in and took the time to interview me. Soon, I realized that these buyers are not willing to invest on a provider who seemed to be less serious in taking a job. With so many providers applying for a particular job in oDesk it seemed to me that I was left out to providers with proven track record in oDesk.

I was wrong.

How did able to get my first interview? After much thought I decided to take a day off from applying jobs to polish my profile. I made it as complete as possible to make it stand out among the rest. Here are the things that I did to make my profile speak:

1. Create an attractive one-line title. Having an attractive title is a must because this is the first thing that a buyer sees in his or her candidate list. Buyers tend to click on more intriguing titles and check out what is in store.

2. Have a clear objective. The objective is the next big thing that buyers read. A good objective for me is the one that puts the buyer’s need in mind. Customer satisfaction, quality work and timely delivery are some powerful words that put a buyer at full attention.

3. Show yourself. If you are an independent freelancer, then it is best to show up a picture of yourself – not those types that look good in social networking sites – but the ones that seem to project professionalism. If you are convinced that you do not look good, then go for “symbolic images”. If you are a programmer, then a stock image of a computer screen filled with code can be a suitable avatar. A writer can choose to represent himself with a stock image of a pen and a paper. I have yet to see a funny or interesting caricature of a provider who plans to “sell” his services in the graphics or design category. I think logos are best suited for provider teams.

4. Take tests. Prove to the buyer by measuring your skills. oDesk offers plenty of these for free. Brainbench can also be another good option to go for specialized skills, or if you want to take one step further.

5. Write down relevant skills and experience. Actually, I gained experience from three fields – I was an engineer, an IT specialist and an active blog writer. I decided to “sell” my skills as an IT specialist by doing programming jobs, so I downplayed (but mentioned) my experience as an engineer and a blog writer. I believed in putting the focus into one particular area that I wanted to pursue in oDesk.

6. Complete your portfolio. This is the biggest mistake that I had made at the beginning. In my excitement to hitch a job, I lost precious time in applying to jobs and I got one rejection after another. Completing the portfolio is time consuming, but the effort paid well. If you think you cannot be able to put in something to the portfolio, then coming up with some sample work can be a good option.

7. Preview your profile. Even with a very complete profile, it is best to work with the design of the profile. I made sure that my profile looks good at a glance especially those ones that involve writing some detailed description, such as narrating the details of my past employment experience.

8. Don’t forget to ask for some feedback. The oDesk community is the place to go to ask for some constructive criticism. Do not forget to post your profile permalink so that everyone can take a good look.

The profile is indeed a very valuable tool in showing the buyers what you are made of. With so many providers, I always had in mind that buyers will simply skim through my profile.

I think it would be a lot easier if you think of your profile as a product brochure that needs to be done. If you are to sell a product to a customer through that brochure what are the things that must be included to entice the customer to buy that product?