Your freelance profile plays a key role in your client acquisition strategy. More often than not, it’s the first thing potential clients and recruiters will see, so it needs to make an impression.
What should you write in your freelancer profile and how can it help you set yourself apart from other freelancers?
Continue reading to find out!
- What is a freelancer profile?
- What should I write in my freelancer profile?
- How to create a profile for freelance work: Tips to shine
- What do recruiters check first?
- Good freelance profile examples
What is a freelance profile?
Your freelancer profile is your introduction to potential clients on freelancing platforms and social media networks such as LinkedIn.
On freelance websites especially, having a complete and professional profile is essential to the success you might experience on them. You need clients to notice your freelancer profile in order to win work with them.
Potential clients search for different freelance profiles on these platforms by typing the skills they need, the hourly rates they can afford, their location or the past clients those freelancers have worked with.
Once clients discover these freelancers, they will contact them and present the project they need help with.
Having a detailed profile that includes all relevant information will give clients the information they need to find you, and they will get in touch with you proactively instead of you having to search for projects yourself.
What should I include in my freelance profile?
Having a freelancer profile means talking about yourself and what you’ve accomplished. We know this is not always easy!
For many, it’s hard to sell themselves but as you probably know by now, doing so is an essential skill for freelancers.
Having a good freelance profile will ensure that your profile gets more views, and will give potential clients a reason to trust you.
To attract high-quality clients, you need to convince them that you deliver high-quality work.
For that reason, it’s key that you make the most of every part of your freelancer profile:
#1 Freelance headline: Your freelancer title
The basis of any good freelancer profile is up-to-date information that is quick to gather – and this is what your freelance headline needs to be.
Your freelancer title should summarise your skills and tell clients what your skills and experience are.
Since first impressions are often decisive in a professional context, you should already stand out from the crowd here.
A client should immediately know what you can do and what you offer.
An optimal profile title briefly summarises your expertise, for example:
- IT Consultant | Senior Software Developer (C++, Java, PHP)
- Web developer – Expert in learning systems (e-learning) – since 1998
- Expert in Web, API & Mobile App Development ( Native & Hybrid ) [ 100% Remote ]
- Agile Coach · Agile Project manager · Change Consultant
- IT-Consultant | Software Engineer | Data Specialist | Python, C++
- Business Intelligence / Azure / AWS / DevOps / CICD / SQL / Databases / Python / Java / Angular
- Fullstack Software Developer (.NET C# Python NodeJS) – AI, Medical Software Development
- Web Developer (PHP / Python) – WordPress Developer (WooCommerce / Plugins / Themes) – UX – SEO
🌟 Get more tips for your freelancer headline and examples
#2 Freelance profile photo
The next thing your freelance profile needs is a good professional headshot photo. A freelance photo shows potential clients exactly who they are dealing with.
Remember, your face is a part of your brand online.
It is one of the first impressions clients will have, so presenting yourself as professional, capable, and friendly all through an image is definitely something of which you need to be aware.
#3 Education and languages
Since degrees and language skills are also displayed in the short preview, your highest educational qualification and important language skills should be included in your profile.
💡 Only enter languages here that you are business fluent in and can use in your daily work.
You can easily set your data at freelancermap under “Edit profile”. Under “Personal data”, you can set your title, degree and languages.
#4 Freelance rates
Since clients often have a limited budget for a project, they pay close attention to your freelance rate.
An appropriate hourly or daily rate is primarily based on the monthly costs to be covered and should be based on factors such as accumulated experience, industry and field of expertise.
Keep in mind that once you’ve communicated with a client, you should let them know if you’re open to negotiating your price. Your hourly rate doesn’t have to be the same choice for every engagement.
We also recommend that you update and raise your rates regularly as you gain experience.
Read more: How to ask for a raise as a freelancer ⬆️💰
#5 Availability
Companies need freelancers during specific time periods in which a project is to be completed.
Accordingly, recruiters pay attention to the availability of freelancers in order to weed out candidates who are not ready to work during those time periods.
This is why it’s important to update your availability on a constant basis if you want project acquisition via portals and platforms to be successful.
6# Keywords
The correct use of keywords enables recruiters and clients to more specifically target sought-after freelancers.
For example, if you’re a developer, it is advisable to list the programming languages you’ve mastered.
Some example keywords you could include as a developer would be:
Java | React | Angular | Spring | Spring Boot | MySQL | Kafka | Docker
If you work in marketing, on the other hand, you can list keywords like “WordPress”, “SEO” or “Google Analytics” on your profile.
💡 The more keywords you select that match your profile, the more targeted you will land in the filtered searches of recruiters and potential clients!
💡 freelancermap offers registered users the possibility of setting an automated project alert based on those keywords. New jobs that contain your specified keywords will be sent to you daily per e-mail. > Test freelancermap free of charge
#7 CV & Portfolio (Attachments)
In addition to your project history, in which you can list past projects and jobs completed, you also have the option of uploading a current resume and a portfolio.
A resume gives clients a brief overview of your skills and references.
Now, if you’ve been freelancing alongside a full-time job, you may be tempted to leave your freelance work out of your resume altogether. You should only do this if you have not gained additional skills and experience in your role as a freelancer (unlikely).
If you have widened your skill set by freelancing, you may be shutting the door to potential opportunities by not letting employers know that via your CV!
On the other hand, if you have only been working as a freelancer for years, you should definitely be listing this work on your freelancer resume.
💡 Be sure to upload your resume in an appropriate file format (PDF or Word) and provide it in English if you’re open to work with international clients.
As for your freelance portfolio, it provides real proof that you can do what you say you can do. To be able to win the projects you really want, you must provide relevant examples and showcase your expertise.
A portfolio is especially important for creative professionals such as designers and writers. It really shows potential clients your tone and style so that they can really see if those match their corporate style, too.
At freelancermap, you’ll be able to upload additional documents, too. These can be certifications, CVs in different languages, past project summaries in different fields, etc.
You can use this section to your advantage, and show whatever you feel it’ll convince potential clients to hire you!
#8 Bio and summary
A freelancer is defined by their know-how and stands out from other candidates through specific expertise. This know-how can be expressed with a detailed bio and a complete summary of your expertise and skills.
In order to catch clients’ attention, you’ll want a professional bio that’s relatively short, concise and contains comprehensive information about you and what you do as a freelancer.
You’ll want to include all your skills in this section. These can range from focal points and activities to character traits and working methods.
In case you need it, we’ve gathered some freelance bio examples for you to get inspired.
💡 When browsing projects that interest you, make a note of what keywords potential clients are using. Are clients using keywords that are more focused on tools (GitHub) rather than service (Web developer)? Tailoring your bio accordingly will help you create a profile that attracts all the right people.
#9 Professional experience
Professional experience proves the above-mentioned skills and is another indicator of a freelancer’s know-how.
In this section, you’ll list the projects completed and it’s important that you include the respective project duration, the client and the activities performed.
The project history in your freelancer profile quickly shows potential clients what kind of projects and clients you’ve worked with and as in a resume, should be as complete as it is possible.
#10 Certifications
Adding certifications to your freelance profile shows clients that you possess the knowledge and know-how to get the job done.
Getting certified by different institutions throughout your career shows that you care about what you do, and you will do your best to always deliver the best work to the latest standards.
However, don’t fret if you don’t have a certification to showcase.
When asked about the importance of certifications, only 17% of freelancers stated that being certified is what leads to success.
With that said, there are certain fields that require you to stay up-to-date through continuous learning and certifications and other courses are what hiring companies will expect you to have.
For example, in a study amongst SAP freelance consultants in Spain, a third of them acquire at least one additional competency per year or renew it. 15% of them go a step further with at least two a year.
Getting a certification could also help you build a more personal connection with clients who may have the same certification as you or are aware of it.
Join our IT freelancer community today! Create your freelance profile in just 2 minutes.
#11 Travel availability
Travel may have been easy for freelancers back in the day but ever since Covid, people are a lot more hesitant now.
In fact, when asked about their ideal workplace, data from our survey suggested that the majority of freelancers (63%) are happier working from home.
If you are amongst the 63%, you should mention on your profile your desire to work remotely and that travel is not something you’re open to.
However, if you’re open to travelling for a project, you should mention what your travel availability is. Whatever the case, be honest and open about your preferences.
If you’re based in Europe and only willing to travel within Europe, say that. If you’d only accept to relocate temporarily to work for a US client, say that. Try to be as detailed as possible.
And always remember to update your availability. What may have worked for you a year before may not work for you currently due to any number of reasons.
#12 Other information
This section is for any other information that you can think of that a client would want to know. You could maybe talk a bit more personally about yourself or include any information that will help build your case in the eyes of prospective clients.
Things you could list here could be:
- Hobbies
- Online courses
- Calendly link to set up an intro call
#13 Visibility
The visibility settings on your freelance profile let you decide who can view your information and who can’t.
A public profile will allow everyone on the platform and the internet to find you and reach you whereas a private profile will limit your profile and reduce your reach.
On freelancermap, you have the option to go anonymous, too.
This is a particularly useful option for full-time employees who freelance on the side. With such a profile, you are found by potential clients by skills rather than your name. Your employer won’t see your profile on freelancing platforms if they go search by your name.
#14 Recommendations
Recommendations, or testimonials, are powerful stories from past clients that can be used by freelancers to explain how successful the business relationship with the client was.
Freelancers can use these stories to promote their services and sell them to new clients more easily.
When you’re trying to sell your product, people are naturally bound to see your personal bias. This means they trust the things you say less. But a good testimonial, coming from a real person who has used your service doesn’t have that problem.
To include recommendations on your profile though, you’ll need to first ask your clients to write you a great review. There are a couple of ways you can do this:
- Email template ready to send – Put together an easy-to-use template for your clients to quickly fill out.
- Send in a recommendation draft (written by yourself) – Give them a ready-to-use draft that they can use as a starting point.
- Use past emails as testimonials (but always ask for permission first!)
- Social media reviews – Have clients leave recommendations on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, then use them in other channels
- Create a customer feedback form – Include basic questions that encourage clients to talk about the time spent working with you as a freelancer. You can use Google Forms for this.
Recommendations examples:
How to Create a Profile for Freelance Work: XY Tips
- Keep it up-to-date: Refresh your freelance profile with your latest jobs
- Consistency: Showcase your skills throughout the profile. Each section should talk about your skills and the kind of projects you’ve worked on.
- Short, sweet and to the point: Make it easy for prospects to get to know you and your story – keep it simple yet detailed!
- It’s all about the client: You should focus on how you can help them rather than making it all about you.
- Highlight the work you are most proud of: Was it a particular client or an assignment? Make sure your freelance profile and selected work reflect your specialisation and expertise.
- Professional experience: You can describe both freelance projects and full-time employment. In any case, list your responsibilities, tasks and accomplishments.
- Certifications: Especially in some niches, particular certifications will be key to getting hired over another candidate (PMP or Scrum Master certification). Do not forget to mention those certificates and when you got certified.
- Update your availability: Mention how you won’t be available until XY and let clients know when you’ll have the time to take on more projects again.
- Courses and continuous learning: You can list interesting courses that you continue doing to brush up on your skills. Maybe the person hiring you did the same course in the past and you can make a personal connection there.
- Social proof: Add recommendations from previous clients, colleagues or employers.
- Keep it real: Try your best to make it clear to potential clients that it’s you behind the account. Add a friendly profile photo, links to other accounts, or verify your profile – all of these will help.
- Proofread: Keep your profile professional and free from errors and re-check it every time you update it.
What do recruiters look for first?
The team at freelancermap.de asked German recruiters what was the first thing they look for in a freelance profile.
Their survey suggested that know-how (54%) and availability (37%) were at the top of the list of things that were relevant to recruiters.
In addition, the study participants stated that they initially paid less attention to details such as the specified location, completed training, certificates or a professional profile picture. Nevertheless, this information rounds out the freelancer profile and creates trust with the potential client.
Small businesses and solopreneurs are more likely to seek that personal connection with the freelancer.
Freelance profile examples
If you don’t know how to get started with your freelancer profile, we recommend that you search our freelancer directory for other professionals with a similar profile to yours (narrow your search by entering your skills) and see how they are presenting themselves.
Pay attention to what you like and what you don’t like:
What keywords do they include? Do they use a direct tone or introduce themselves in a very formal way? What is their freelance rate?
Find your perfect combination and use it in your freelance profile.
Below, we’ve selected some profile examples in the different categories available on freelancermap:
Need help creating an optimal freelance profile?
Get in touch with us and our team will be happy to assist you! Present yourself professionally and land clients easily with the help of freelancermap.
