Fernando is our first contestant on the game we call “oDesk Profile Reviews.” Take a moment to glance over his oDesk profile to get the context for the rest of this review.

At the time of this writing, Fernando’s profile headline reads “Linux Administrator, PHP/Java Developer, MySQL/Networking Servers”. While it clearly sums up his many skills, I think that the title doesn’t do his skills justice.

In the world of business marketing, there is a focus on something called the Unique Selling Proposition; that is, the thing you offer that makes you different from your competition (you can read more about the Unique Selling Proposition on Wikipedia if you like). Freelancers need to adopt the same mindset.

In Fernando’s case, there are many other providers advertising the same or similar lists of skills. Most of them are listing them in the same manner. Somehow he needs to set himself apart from the crowd.

Here’s what I’d recommend: pick just one or two skills to focus on, and think like a journalist to write a compelling headline.

Which skills to pick? Well, there are a couple of different approaches that might work well:

1. Be a big fish in a small pond. Look for an area with less competition where you can really stand out. For Fernando, this might be Linux Server Administration; there are significantly fewer providers in that area than, say, PHP or Java programming.
2. Consider your preferences. Undoubtedly there are some types of work you find more enjoyable than others. Focus on the one or two you like best, and let other providers do the work you don’t like as well. In Fernando’s case, it sounds like he likes the server work best (based on his Objective).
3. Look at what has worked for you in the past. Are there areas where you’ve been more successful getting work? It may or may not be on oDesk, so consider your previous work, too. Looking at Fernando’s work history and feedback, he’s found success in several areas, so I’d fall back to the other methods to pick a specialization.

Once you know which area you want to focus on, you want to write a compelling, benefits-driven headline. Remember that the buyer is looking for someone to solve a problem, so use your headline to present a solution.

If Fernando decided to focus on Linux Server Administration, his headline might be something like “End server nightmares: Linux Server Administrator with 10 year of experience” or “Expert Linux Server Administrator: I’ll help you grow your business”.

Then use your Objective section to expand on the promise of your headline.

Obviously I’ve spent a lot of space talking about the headline, because that’s my primary recommendation for Fernando. I’ll focus more on other areas of the profile in future reviews, so to wrap this one up, let me just provide a quick list of the stronger and weaker parts of the rest of Fernando’s profile.

Stronger:

• Profile portrait is friendly and encourages trust
• Accurate assessment of English skills (for non-writing assignments, I’ll gladly hire someone with 3 or 4 out of 5, as long as they’re honest about it)
• Several assignments and good feedback are very encouraging for a buyer
• Most sections of the profile are filled out, which suggests that Fernando is serious about getting work

Weaker:

• The portfolio section is empty; it could be used to describe and link to previous work
• In the resume section, there are many web addresses listed but most of them aren’t actual links; this is inconvenient for the buyer
• Test scores could be better (and low test scores can be hidden); it might be time to re-take some of the tests or hide low scores
• It might be worth hiring a native-English-speaking editor (on oDesk!) to help polish the headline, objective, and resume sections

I hope you’ve found this profile review helpful! I welcome your feedback in the comments, and if you’re an oDesk provider, I encourage you to submit your profile for review.

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