What clients scan in 10 seconds
- Headline (stack + business value)
- Rate and availability
- Photo (professional, human)
- First line of bio
- Reviews and completed job count
Headline formula that works
Avoid: “Full-stack freelance developer”
Prefer: - “Python developer — APIs, automation & data pipelines” - “React / TypeScript — B2B SaaS products” - “AWS DevOps — CI/CD, Terraform, Kubernetes”
Rule: one primary stack + one business domain (fintech, e-commerce, SaaS…).
Bio structure (4 blocks)
- Hook (2 lines): who you help and which problem you solve.
- Stack & tools (short list, not 40 badges).
- Proof: 2–3 engagements with context (sector, team size, deliverable — no NDA breach).
- CTA: availability, remote/hybrid, languages spoken.
Rate and availability
- Update weekly when actively looking.
- Rate aligned with market (see day rates guide).
- Realistic start date — “immediate” only if true.
Replying to job posts
Template (customize every time):
Hi [Name],
Your [stack/role] need matches what I do for [client type].
Recently I [one concrete result sentence].
Available from [date], rate [range]. Open to a 15-min call?
Length: 80–120 words. No walls of text. No obvious copy-paste.
Reviews
Ask at project end while memory is fresh.
Three detailed reviews often beat a “perfect” profile with none.
Profile killers
- Incomplete profile (no photo, empty skills)
- Missing or zero rate
- Bio copied from PDF CV
- No activity for 6 months (algorithms favor active profiles)