Searching for Providers
Once you have completed the registration process, you may browse current providers or search for providers based on specific search criteria. Please note that providers have the option to adjust their profile privacy so that they do not appear in the list. More about provider profiles.
To look at provider profiles:
1. Log in using your oDesk user ID and password.
2. Click on the Find Providers tab.
3.Browse by clicking on a category, subcategory, or skill. Press the 'View all Providers' link to see all providers who have viewable profiles.
Or Enter your criteria the 'Search Providers' box. Press the Search button to view the results.
- Keywords - Find Provider profiles that contain the word you enter. Select 'Search titles only' to limit the search to that area of the profile only.
- Category - Defaults to All. Change this to find providers listed in a single category. Option to specify a subcategory as well.
- Feedback Score - Defaults to Any. Limits search to providers with at least 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, or any stars. To have earned feedback, they must have at least 1 job that has ended.
- Hourly Rate - Set the minimum and/or maximum profile rate. Note that the provider may request more and less than their published profile rate to do your job.
- Location - Defaults to Anywhere. Change this to find providers located only in East Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Misc, North America, South Asia, or Western Europe.
- Provider Type - Defaults to Individuals and Affiliates. Change this to find only Individual (independent contractors) or Affiliates (affiliated contractors who work for a provider company).
- Last Activity - Defaults to Whenever. Change this to only find providers who have had activity on oDesk within the last 15, 30, or 60 days.
- Tests Passed - Defaults to Don't display. Change this to only find providers who have passed the specified tests. Allows you to sort results by test score as well. You may only specify one test at a times.
- Has Portfolio - Check this box to only find providers who have items in their portfolio.
- English Level - Defaults to Any level. Change this to 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 out of 5. Note that this is a self-assessed measure. You may check their provider's English Test (Sentence Structure) score on the tests tab of their profile for an objective assessment.
- Hours Billed on oDesk - Defaults to Any amount. Change this to 1, 100, 500, or 1000. Note that providers who have only worked on fixed price jobs in the past will be left out of the search results.
5. Select a criterion to use to sort the results. Choose either highest or lowest first. Click on any provider title to see the full profile.
6. Check the box next to the title of the providers you would like to interview, and press the Invite Selected to Interview. More about inviting providers to interview for your job.