Knowledge Base

Creating a Standout Profile

Your OneSpace profile has a single, very important purpose: to help you find work. It allows OneSpace team members and clients to gain a better understanding of your work experience and preferences, so you can be matched with assignments that fit your unique skillset. To increase your chances of finding work that interests you, make sure your profile is as complete and professional as possible.

The top of your profile contains the “About Me” section, which should be optimized to capture the attention of potential clients.

• Your photo is the first thing that grabs someone’s attention, so it should give the right first impression. A photo in your pajama pants doesn’t convey professionalism, and a blurry photo could imply inattention to detail. Select a photo that represents your personality in a clean, crisp and professional way.
  
  
• Your job title is important because it influences how you appear in client search results. Use a concise title that makes your specialty clear.
  
  You may think the best way to keep your options open is to use a general title like “Freelancer Extraordinaire,” but a title like that doesn’t tell clients anything about you or the work that you do.
  
  “Freelance Writer and Editor” is a better title, as it calls out two types of work that you’re interested in. However, a more specific title like “Writer Specializing in Business, Finance and Marketing” is best, as it indicates the type of work you are interested in and your areas of expertise.
  
  
• After you nail down your title, add your name and location. If you don’t want your name attached to your profile or your work, you can choose an alias that will display instead. If you use an alias instead of your name, make sure it is professional and easy to remember.
  
  Your location doesn’t have much of an impact when it comes to finding work. However, certain clients may look for freelancers in their area or time zone to make communication easier.
  
  
• Your biography is your chance to showcase your personality and expand on your title. Mention the types of work you’re looking for and anything potential clients in your industry would deem important. Before you finish, make sure your biography is free of spelling and grammar errors. A typo here or there represents a small percentage of your profile, but it can make a big impact on potential clients.

In addition to your title, the Skills section plays an important role when clients search for new talent. To make the most of this section, include all of the skills that you’d like to use when working on the OneSpace platform. For example, “Financial Writing” and “Project Management” are excellent skills to list. Avoid adding skills that you don’t have or that you wouldn’t use on the OneSpace platform.

Use the Professional History section to make yourself stand out from the crowd. First, consider which of your past roles are relevant to the work that interests you. For example, your time working as a mechanic is useful if you’re looking to write on automotive topics, but you might want to exclude your time stocking shelves at Target if you are looking for graphic design gigs.

For each position you enter, give specific details about the responsibilities you had and the achievements you earned. For example, when listing your job as a mechanic, give potential clients as much information about your role as possible. Rather than limiting your description to “Full-time mechanic,” give details such as the approximate number of cars you worked on and the models you worked on the most. That extra bit of information can be the deciding factor for clients when they’re determining whether or not they should add you to one of their projects.