5 top tips for writing a freelance profile

Highlight your strengths to potential clients

Unlike dating profiles, you're fully entitled to blow your own trumpet on a freelancing site.

Don't be afraid to namedrop the clients you've worked with previously, and include quotes

from their feedback in the introductory paragraph. Showing evidence of your extensive

experience will encourage clients to take you seriously.

Provide high-quality freelance work

Even if you write the world's best profile, no one will pay attention if you have a long history of one-star and two-star reviews – so don't take on too much work too soon, and do every job to perfection.

Once an assignment is complete, (politely!) prompt your client to write a testimonial. If you

manage to get lots of five-star feedback at the beginning of your freelancing career, it will

become easier and easier to pick up new work. The first few weeks are always the hardest.

Show your personality in freelance proposals

Just because you're working remotely, it's still really important to be personable.

Share info about your extracurricular interests as well as your work skills – if you're great at

playing the bassoon or you're a gold medallist archer, don't be afraid to say so and show yourfun side. Clients on freelancing sites are rarely stuffy, and love a good personality.

Get verified on freelance sites

It's highly unlikely that you'll meet most of your clients, making it difficult for them to verify your credentials.

Thankfully, many freelancing sites can do this on your behalf by checking your qualifications and geographical location. Once you've done this, you'll get a big, shiny tick next to your name.

Also consider taking aptitude tests in your chosen area of freelancing – short, 40-minute testson things like your Photoshop knowledge, coding skills, editing abilities and spelling prowess.The results then appear on your profile, and if you're lucky, you could be in the top 1%!

Keep your freelance profile brief

Bearing all of the above points in mind, make a concerted effort to keep your profile concise and to the point. If a client has shortlisted 10 possible providers, they don't want to read a 2,000-word profile every time.

Boil your page down to the most important points, and carefully cherry-pick the samples included in your portfolio.