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One of the most frustrating things as a Freelancer is waiting around with no project to work on. Even more irritating is that while you aren’t working and getting paid, other people are getting all the jobs and it seems as if everyone loves them. How come you aren’t getting hired? The following list lists 5 common reasons that may, or may not be why you aren’t getting hired and what you can do to improve your chances.

5. You’re charging way too much

There have been countless times that I’ve seen the work an individual has done and wondered how on Earth they were able to charge thousands and thousands of dollars for it. I’ve been left scratching my head and thinking “what the heck did the client see in them?” However, just because someone else can charge that kind of price for half-assed work doesn’t mean that you can.

If you aren’t being hired, chances are your prices may be too high. Now, I don’t mean go crazy and lower your rates really low, but instead, play around with your rates until you find an equilibrium. Start high, then work your way down. If you get to the point where you’re at your absolute minimum, then you probably aren’t being rejected strictly based on price.

4. Insufficient Portfolio

A common mistake I see from Freelancers is that they have an insufficient portfolio. A good rule of thumb is that a portfolio should ideally have at least five pieces of work. Diversity is great, but it’s also good to show similar pieces that really have a feel for the style of work that you do. If you haven’t already, you need at least a temporary portfolio. Don’t work out of the folder/ftp view online. It’s tacky, unprofessional, and really looks like you don’t care enough to take the time to create a professional portfolio. Paying someone $100 bucks or so to code a 1 page portfolio will take you a long way.

Clients also love live work. They can gauge the amount of success you have with your projects if you have live URLs with your work on it. If you don’t have anything but screen shots, at least set up a mock html site so that your viewers can see it in full live preview. It’s all about how you present your work. A client is not stupid. They will notice how much work and effort you’ve put into your portfolio.

3. Your self image or reputation sucks

Remember, in this business first impressions mean everything. Sometimes Freelancers won’t get hired simply because clients don’t like the person. This can be because a number of things, but the most common reasons I see are:

• The Freelancer seems too young or inexperienced
• The Freelancer seems unprofessional
• The Freelancer hasn’t built a reputation
• The Freelancer looks like they are trying TOO hard

If your prices are right, and your portfolio is ready, and you still aren’t being hired, it may be because of the image you give off. Remember, it isn’t just your posted Ad that clients will look at. A lot of clients will do their research and will check your previous posts and your user name at other forum boards. They want to know what they are getting into. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to become a solid member at a community. By doing so, you will be able to gain the trust and loyalty of people around you. Networking is very important for you to get your name out there.

If you aren’t a member of any forums, I suggest you take a look at Talkfreelance. It’s a fairly friendly design community that I’m a part of, and there are some really great designers there who know their stuff. It’s got an active marketplace where you can post ads as well as selling some of your old work.

2. You aren’t being pro-active

Just because you’ve got your portfolio online doesn’t mean that people will start coming to you. This isn’t like fishing where you can have a piece of bait and hope you get a bite. You need to be proactive. Sometimes it may seem that some designers don’t have to do ANY work and STILL get plenty of projects. However, the opposite is quite true. Freelancers who are at that level continuously post ads, complete projects, update their portfolio, and write a blog (if they have one). All of this contributes to being proactive.

If you don’t update your portfolio consistently, people will stop visiting it, and you’ll stop being noticed. If you don’t post any ads, how do you expect to get found? You need to go ahead and look around forums and bid for jobs. There are plenty of programmers or entrepreneurs who are just dieing to find the right designer with the best prices. Don’t be afraid to answer an ad … writing a Private Message can take you about 5-10 minutes, but could mean hundreds of dollars in the end.

1. Your ad sucks

You may not get hired simply because your ad sucks. I’ve seen ads where it was simply:

“Hi, My name is John Smith and I design websites. My rate is $50/page and my portfolio is here. Please don’t PM me because I hardly check this forum. Instead, please email me!”

Don’t make it hard on your clients. They like to do less work. Point out the obvious. Make sure that your ad is neatly formatted and you provide all the necessary information. A link to your portfolio is great, but take it a step further and give direct links of your work as well. List your rates, but make sure you give them options. Be specific. One of the best methods that have worked for me is naming popular or trendy fads that are in effect, along with its respective pricing (i.e. Wordpress Blogs: $XXX (includes WP Integration!). Sometimes, by doing this, you can even get away with charging more for it then you usually would.

List some testimonials of previous clients. If you have none, now is the time to get some. If you can’t get any, then try to get recommendations from your fellow colleagues. Any sort of evidence that people support your work is best. If you’ve been featured on a CSS gallery, make sure you say it!

If you’re completely new at this, don’t be afraid to say so! Turn your weaknesses into a strength. Don’t be ashamed of saying you’re new, but experienced. Here’s an example of an ad where the Freelancer is new to the industry, but flips that weakness into a strength:

“…although I am new to the industry, I have the experience and skills necessary to complete a project that will surpass your expectations. Rather then working with the same people that everyone else works with and getting the same style as others, set yourself a part by tapping into a designer that has yet to be taken advantage of…”

It simply takes 30 seconds to re-read your ad and make sure it’s exactly how you want it to be. Don’t try to sound overly professional, and instead, try to connect to the reader. The truth will set you free. If you have no partners, don’t say “We” and pretend as if you were a design studio. If you offer any guarantees, say it! Your ad is your first impression, and first impressions are critical…it means the difference of being hired, and being ignored.

Although there are countless reasons why someone may not hire you, these are a few common ones that I see every day. See if you fall into any of these categories and try to fix it! If you haven’t already, you may want to read up on our list of essential tools for the freelancer, as well as simple and free ways to get leads.

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