How to create the perfect Profile?

How to create the perfect Profile? 

Profile Image

Make sure your Profile image is clear and inviting. We suggest using a picture of yourself to build the trust between you and the viewer but using a portfolio image is perfectly acceptable. The Profile image can adapt to any dimension but a square image tends to work best. Keep the image to under 1mb in size and in .jpg format.

Your Details

The more precise information you provide, the more likely you are to get the job. Why? Because employers will have many applicants to choose from and they don't want to scramble around for your contact details. Remember, most freelance jobs are posted quickly and get filled quickly so if your website link and phone number are freely accessible then it's easy to contact you. Make sure you include your social media links too so others can connect and keep in touch. Another tip is to add in your skill set as this will make you more 'searchable'. Keep the Mini Bio short, sweet and precise. This is an opportunity to tell the world about your experience, so name drop and BIG UP YOURSELF! 

Your Portfolio

Say it with us "Quality over quantity". Particularly when you're starting out as a freelancer there is a temptation to include every image you've ever worked on - DONT!. Employers much prefer to see quality images over repetitious shots. Diversity in you portfolio can show your range and increase the chances of landing different types of jobs whilst showing your identity has many advantages. Keep an eye on the quality of the image files too. Low res images will pixelate and look cheap so try to upload images that are at least 500kb. 

How do I apply for jobs? 

Applying for jobs couldn't be easier. Once you're happy with your Profile, visit SEARCH JOBS under the JOBS menu and search for positions that you'd like to apply for. Use the search filter to choose location, job type and any key words you'd like to include e.g.: Photoshop Tutor. When you've found a job that you'd like to apply for click on the DETAILS of the job and click APPLY. That's it! The employer will receive a notification to say that you've applied and will decide if you're there right freelancer for the job. 

How do I know if I landed the job?

When an employer receives an application to a job, they can choose to reject your application, shortlist you or give you the job. When the employer chooses one of these options, you'll be notified via email. If you get the job, the employer will be prompted to message you with the details. 

How do I promote my Profile?

One of the best features on The Freelancer Club is the ability to promote your Profile. When an employer or another freelancer is looking for a freelancer they will typically use our Find a Freelancer feature. This allows the viewer to search for freelancers by location, skill or discipline. When they run a search, the list of applicable Profiles will appear in a certain order. The order of the Profiles is calculated by a number of factors based on whether the Profile is a Pro or Free Member, if the Profile has been award a TFC APPROVED badge, how active the Profile is and how many likes the Profile has received. Here's the order from top to bottom:

1. A Pro Member with a TFC APPROVED badge with the most LIKES 
2. A Pro Member with the most LIKES 
3. A Free Member with the most LIKES

To promote your Profile and get to the top of the rankings, you must have a hot portfolio, promote your images to others to gain more LIKES (use the social media share buttons) and be award the TFC APPROVED badge. 

What is the TFC APPROVED badge and how to I get one? 

The TFC APPROVED badge is not something you can buy or beg for - you've got to earn it. We award the TFC APPROVED badge to freelancers who we feel are doing the the freelancer name proud. We look for freelancers who are very active on the site, who apply for jobs regularly, keep their Portfolio up to date, who produce strong work within their field and who show us the true meaning of freelancing. Only Pro members are applicable for the TFC APPROVED badge. 

How do I check my Messages? 

To check your messages, click on the envelope icon at the top of the site. If you have new messages, the icon will show a number. Once you've clicked into your messages, you will see your inbox on the left hand side. Simply click on the message you wish to read and you will see the whole message. You can reply here too. 

To delete a message, check the box beside the message on the left and choose the LIST icon above the inbox then click DELETE. 

To send a group message, choose COMPOSE (a new message) then type the name of the person you'd like to message and click their name when it appears on the list. You can add up to 8 people in a group message and they will all be able to see the conversion and reply to the group (a great way to collaborate). 

How do I promote my Work?

Aside from using the Social Media share buttons on each image page, to promote your Portfolio you must allow your work to appear on the Image Wall when you first upload it. The Image Wall is a shop window for freelancers to promote their work. We actively promote the Image Wall to the best publications, brands and advertisers around the world to help you gain exposure and potentially get published or sell your work. By agreeing to add your work to the Image Wall, you are allowing others (magazines, employers, brands) to view your image and potentially use it for their project. Fear not - it's not a free for all and it's against regulations (and copyright law) for them to simply take the image. They must first contact you to discuss where they plan on using it and whether they are willing to pay you for the image. 

How do I find and contact Freelancers? 

Good question, glad you asked. Finding Freelancers is easy. Click on Find a Freelancer menu option and run a search. Click on the Profiles you like and send them a message. If you're a bit shy, you can always LIKE their work by clicking on one of their images and pressing the LIKE button (the heart icon) below the pic. If you'd like to say something about the image, leave a COMMENT (try to be nice!). 

How do I post a job or arrange a test shoot? 

To find a specific Freelancer, you can post a job or test shoot and let them come to you! Posting a job is fast, free and effective. Go to the JOBS menu option and choose POST A JOB (or click POST A JOB on the top right hand button on any screen). Fill in the job specifics and be as detailed as possible (do not include an email address or telephone number as these will be excluded). The more information you include, the more likely you are to find the right candidate. Choose if it's a Test Shoot (collaborative), Unpaid (Internship or Work Experience) or a Paid Job. We always recommend including a budget, no matter how small, as it will improve your chances of finding the perfect candidate and increase the chances of them showing up! We DO NOT post jobs that are Unpaid for commercial gain - check our our Twitter campaign #NOFREEWORK. 

How do I manage applicants? 

Once you've posted a job, next you must choose your favourite. Log in and, under the JOBS menu item, choose MY LISTINGS. In here, you can manage all your job posts. Choose the job post you'd like to manage and click DETAILS. Here you'll see how many applicants have applied. To manage them click MANAGE JOB (the green button on the right). Now, you'll see all the applicants who have applied for your job. You can look at their portfolio and bio then choose if you'd like to Shortlist them, mark them as Unsuccessful or give the Job. Always follow up successful candidates with a message about the job and provide them with the details. A really cool feature is Separate Group Messaging (stay with me!) so if you have a Shortlist and you'd like more info from all your Shortlisted candidate, you can send the same message to the entire list. The beauty is that they will receive the information without seeing the others in the message and reply back as an individual message (like BCC in an email). You can also Group Message so everyone is involved, but we'll get to that later. 

How do I use the Business Directory? 

The Business Directory can be found under our RESOURCES menu and is a very simple but very useful tool. We've built up years of contacts within a number of fields for you to capitalise on. Choose the Category you'd like details on and/or the location (or search by keyword) and you'll see a variety of businesses and brands at your disposal. The Directory is great for finding a model agency, bookkeeper, wedding fair, creative agency or whatever it is you need at the time. Please note that only Pro Members can click through to the details of the Business Directory. 

I'm rubbish at business, can you help? 

But of course we can. The Freelancer Club specialises in supporting freelancers and getting your business off the ground. In addition to our Meet Ups and Virtual Networking Sessions, we have some of the finest Mentors available who specialise in a variety of key areas. We have recruited specialists in Social Media Marketing, Copywriting, Branding, Fashion, Business Development, Personal Development, General Business and loads of other areas so no matter which area of business you're struggling with, we'll guide you through it. To book a Mentor session, you simply have to drop us an email with a bit about you and where you'd like help. We'll get back to you with the details and you'll be the next Donald Trump in no time. Check out our Mentors here.  

How does the Download Centre work? 

The Download Centre is an amazing resource for all your business, industry and money based needs. Let's say you need an invoice template or a legal contract, visit the Download Centre. Choose the document you'd like and hit DOWNLOAD. It will automatically download to your computer and away you go! Please note that the Download Centre is for Pro Members only. 

How do I attend or add an Event? 

The Freelancer Club puts on Meet Ups all the time and we also post events that we feel benefit our community. At the bottom of each event description will be a way for you to attend. Normally, it's a link to a ticket site or guest list. 

To add an event, click ADD AN EVENT to send us the details. If we feel it's an event that our Members would like, we'll add it to the list. 

How do I remove my Profile? 

If you have a Free Membership that you wish to completely remove from the site, you can do so by emailing us with a request for your profile to be deleted. If you are a Pro Member, you must cancel your membership by clicking here and email us with a request to take down your Profile. 

Please be aware that by cancelling your Pro Membership, your Profile will resort back to Free Membership status and you will lose all messages, job post information and images that you have uploaded to the site. You will also lose all Pro Member privileges such as applying to jobs, downloading documents and accessing the Business Directory. 

How do I update my Credit Card details? 

To update your Credit Card details, drop us an email with your name, username and new details and we'll update your account. Click here to send us an email.