How to make your independent contractor profile stand out

Putting together an engaging online profile is essential if youre an independent contractor looking to advance your career. Your profile sums up everything about you, from your work history to your passions, making it an excellent tool for attracting clients.

If your Work for Impact profile isn't finished yet, now's a great time to tackle it and we're here to help. Lets walk through why having a complete profile matters and some straightforward tips on how to optimize yours.

We have built a powerful algorithm that matches clients with independent contractors. The algorithm pushes the most complete, up-to-date, and well-matched profiles to the top of search results, considering everything from your Impact Goals to your verification status. That means that, by completing your profile, youre way more likely to be found by clients!

Plus, there are a lot of jobs that are invite-only, meaning the only way to get found is through your profile.The ultimate independent contractor dream: a meaningful work opportunity that comes knocking on your doorstep.

Remember: If your profile is at a very early stage, clients wont be able to see it or receive your proposals until it has been reviewed and accepted by our team.

No matter what point you're at in your career as an independent contractor, youve probably realized the competition is fierce. Clients have the privilege of cherry-picking their talent from anywhere in the world and can sort through streams of experienced professionals in a matter of seconds.

To stand out, youll need a profile that quickly grabs attention. On Work for Impact, clients see the first few lines of your bio in the search results, so take the time to ensure your opening line succinctly articulates who you are and what you can offer. Clients will also see any badges you have in search results, making them an easy way to stand out:

• Diverse Talent Badge: Add a Diverse Talent Badge to your profile to attract purpose-driven clients looking for diverse perspectives.

• Verified Badge: Youll earn this once youve verified your identity (it takes minutes and is 100% secure!)

• Completed Profile Badge: Youll earn this once your profile is 100% complete.

Your personal bio should be honest, concise, and unique. Common mistakes when writing a bio include misrepresenting your skills, writing too much or not enough, and copy-and-pasting generic responses. This is the time to tap into some creativity.

Trust is an integral part of any remote work relationship. To stand out against the competition and prove that you have the experience to back up your value, get a verified skills badge on your profile.

To get your skills verified, simply submit proof of your skills. Because our expert team manually assesses each application, clients trust our skills verification process, meaning a verified skills badge is a meaningful reflection of your professional capability.

Repetition is the mother of learning and the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.

Zig Zaglar, Author & Motivational Speaker

This principle holds true when refining your profile. The process of consistently showcasing your skills across social media, cold emails, and personal portfolios might seem repetitive, but it's crucial for sharpening your professional narrative.

Through this focused effort of working on your profile, you learn how to articulate more effectively who you are and the value you can deliver. Then, you can come back to your profile periodically to assess if it still reflects your skills and what clients are interested in.

Opportunities can arise unexpectedly so readiness is key especially when clients are on a hiring timeline. You need to have a professional profile ready to go, highlighting your portfolio, skills, and experience. Your Work for Impact profile serves exactly that purpose!

Instead of rushing to polish your profile for that perfect job opportunity, get your profile up-to-date and complete in advance. Proper preparation prevents poor performance!

First off, build credibility and trust by earning a Verified badge with our secure, fast, and easy KYC process.

Then, start on your bio summary: a snapshot of who you are both personally and professionally. This may give a glimpse into your skills, work, and a taste of your personality. You can find some great examples here.

After youve got the bio summary complete, the rest is a breeze. Add:

• Education

• Experience

• Location

• Hourly rate

• Number of hours you have available weekly

• Work samples or a portfolio

• Skills: Get your skills verified to stand out.

• Impact & Personal Goals: Tell clients about your personal goals and the positive impact you want to make on the world.

• Diverse Talent Badge (if applicable)

Now youre ready to land new amazing work!

Head over to our Help Center to learn more about setting up your profile.