The recent relaunch of oDesk-Elance as Upwork brought about several changes on the freelance marketplace’s site. My oDesk profile was automatically moved to Upwork just after the relaunch was announced, but many Elance members continue to work through the Elance platform.
The timeline for migrating from Elance to Upwork was recently released with the goal of completing the movement by early 2016.
Here are a few tips for freelancers still working on Elance.
Moving Your Profile
Active Elancers with good standing will have the ability to migrate their profiles and reputations to Upwork via a personalized invitation. The invitation should arrive before September 1, 2015 and will also be available on the “My Jobs” page on Elance’s site.
Elance will begin limiting new job postings beginning in September, but the Elance site will remain open for existing contracts through the beginning of 2016. Elance members are encouraged to move contracts over to Upwork whenever the opportunity arises.
Building Your Upwork Profile
Upwork gives you the opportunity to move your Elance profile to the new site. This is a great time to do some housekeeping. Does your profile reflect your current experience and interests? If you have some great examples of your work, add them to your profile to give potential clients a snapshot of how you can add value.
You can add up to ten skills to your Upwork profile. Several of the skills include the chance to take quick tests that confirm your expertise. A complete and well organized profile is key to the hiring experience.
If you’re new to Upwork, check out Matt’s revised Executive in Sweatpants (paperback version) for tips on optimizing your Upwork profile and winning more clients.
Get Notified Instantly
The new Upwork platform has a lot of cool features. For example, you can enable push notifications to your mobile device when an Upwork client invites you to interview or sends you a message. This allows you to be able to respond to clients quickly and easily. Simply download the Upwork mobile app to your device and set your “Work Status” so that clients can contact you on the go.
Adjusting to Upwork
After updating your profile, making the switch to Upwork shouldn’t really affect your work. You can continue working with your regular clients, and seeking new clients will be easier than ever before. Upwork’s focus is to improve the hiring process and facilitate the process of matching companies with quality freelancers. Be flexible with change, meet your deadlines, communicate with your clients, and continue to do your best work.
In the long run, consolidating your freelancer profile into a single platform will help you build a better reputation – and, hopefully, earn more money. Good luck!
