Profile Image

Make sure your Profile image is clear and inviting. We suggest using a picture of yourself or your logo 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 or .png format.

Your Details

The more 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 details. 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 and sweet. This is an opportunity to tell the world about your experience, so name drop and BIG UP YOURSELF!

Your Portfolio

"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.

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.

When you've found a job that you'd like to apply for click on the APPLY button and SEND QUOTE. Add a message, a quote and choose which portfolio you'd like to send them. That's it! The employer will receive a notification to say that you've applied and will decide if you're the right freelancer for the job.

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

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 Starter, Pro or Aspire Member, if the Profile has been award a TFC APPROVED badge, how active the Profile is, reviews, and how many likes the Profile has received. Here's the order from top to bottom:

• A Pro Member with a TFC APPROVED badge with the most LIKES

• A Pro Member with the most LIKES

• A Free Member with the most LIKES

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

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).

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 Latest Projects Page when you first upload it. The Latest Projects Page is a shop window for freelancers to promote their work. We actively promote the Latest Projects Page to the best publications, brands and advertisers around the world to help you gain exposure and potentially get published or sell your work.

Good question, glad you asked. Finding Freelancers is easy. Click on the Freelancers menu option and run a search. Click on the Profiles you like and send them a message (only Starter and Pro members can compose in-mail but all members can reply). 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!).

To find a specific Freelancer, you can post a job or collaboration 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 Find a Freelancer 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. 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.

Once you've posted a job or collaboration, next you must choose your favourite. Log in and, under the JOBS menu item, choose MY LISTINGS. In here, you can manage all your posts. Choose the post you'd like to manage. Here you'll see how many applicants have applied. To manage them click MANAGE (the green button on the right). Now, you'll see all the applicants who have applied for your role. You can look at their portfolio and bio then choose if you'd like to Shortlist them, mark them as Unsuccessful or award them the Role. Always follow up successful candidates with a message about the role 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 candidates, 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.

Legal Documents is an amazing resource for all your contracts, and agreements that you'll need. Choose the document you'd like and hit DOWNLOAD. It will automatically download to your computer and away you go! You can edit the templates using the tips we've provided.

The Discounts directory has tons of discounts for brands that freelancers use all the time. Discounts are found under the RESOURCES menu.

Choose the Category you'd like discounts on and you'll see a variety of businesses and brands at your disposal. Click on the button to reveal the discount and start saving.