As the VP of Community at Braintrust, I look at hundreds of Talent profiles each week so that I can better match top Talent with enterprises. And while your actual project proposal is crucial to the application process, your talent profile is in many cases the most important differentiator in your application experience on Braintrust.
To get the most out of the Braintrust platform, it’s important that you take the time to make your profile as comprehensive and compelling as possible. The more compelling it is–the easier it will be for you to stand out and for hiring managers to see why you’re a good fit for their project.
Here are 21 profile tips to help you create an outstanding profile. Some of these are easy wins and others might take a little bit of effort–but all of them are worthwhile.
Tell Your Story.
- Your profile should feel human. Use it as an opportunity to tell your story. You can start by telling potential clients how you got to where you are now.
- Invest in a great profile picture. Choosing a picture of you with a smile will make you come across as someone who is amicable and great to work with.
- Use the Bio section of your profile to highlight what you’re passionate about and also what makes you unique as an individual.
Here is a great profile bio:
The first paragraph is a one-liner summary of who he is as a person (using humanizing words like “love” and “value”)
The second paragraph is an immediate career highlight and achievement as the Editor-in-Chief of Engadget.
This is a great formula for a captivating bio: first tell people who you are in a short sentence then tell people one of your greatest achievements in your field.
Keep it Short and Sweet.
- To keep your profile focused and to the point, try not to include more than 20 Primary Skills in your profile. If you’re looking for the sweet spot, try to keep it between 10-15.
- If you have any peripheral or nonessential skills (e.g. Trello, Asana, etc.), list those in the Secondary Skills section so that they don’t distract from your Primary Skills.
- Use the Focus Areas section to highlight various dimensions of your work. Just make sure to not list skills that might be redundant. (i.e. If you’re a full-stack developer, don’t list frontend and back; just list full-stack.)
Prioritize and Organize.
- The first project you list is the first one your potential client will see so make sure it’s your most important and the most relevant to the job you’re applying for. First impressions are everything.
- Describing your projects can be difficult to do. To help you, we created a helpful framework for you to follow:
- Product: Briefly describe the product that you were working on.
- Role: What were your tasks and responsibilities?
- Contribution: What outcomes/results did you produce in this role? What was the business impact of your work? Hint: Numbers are great here!
- Team: What did you learn? How did you develop as a professional in the context of a larger team? This is a great place to include soft skills.
- Organize different skill types together within your Primary Skills list. This helps save time and ensures the talent team along with your potential client don’t miss anything. (e.g. Group together coding languages, frameworks, design tools, soft skills, etc.)
Sell Yourself.
- You’ve worked hard to get to this point in your career–don’t sell yourself short! When you talk about your skills, instead of saying “I’m comfortable with…” say “I’m great at...” or “I’m passionate about…”.
- Make sure the timeline of your job history clearly illustrates how many years of experience you have with the specific job requirements your potential client is looking for.
- When listing your years of experience, if you have less than six years, it’s a good practice to say “several years of experience”. Once you hit six and up, don’t hesitate to give the actual number.
- Don’t forget to add awards, recognitions, and certifications to your profile under the Education section. You can also include these in your Bio, if appropriate.
Show and Tell.
- Don’t make potential clients ask for examples of your work. Be proactive and include several links in your Bio. (e.g. portfolio, LinkedIn, GitHub, etc.)
- If you’re a developer, your Work History section is a great place to list the stack you have the most experience with.
- Always include a thumbnail image in the project showcase to give a visual depiction of your work or the product/company you worked with. Do this even if you’re a developer!
- If you’re a designer, potential clients don’t just want to see end results. They want to hear about your actual design and thought process. This helps them understand how you go about solving problems.
- Include relevant industries to the job you’re applying for in your Bio and Work History. (e.g. e-commerce, human resources, etc.)
Maximize Your Chances.
- Go ahead and tell potential clients what kind of industries, projects, and opportunities you’re looking for by including them at the end of your bio.
- Keep your Bio section updated based on what job you’re applying for. You can also use it to highlight key job requirements that you have experience with.
- Before we match you with potential clients, our talent team members will dig deep into your projects and profile. To help them advocate for you, be sure to include as much information as possible. (e.g. external links to projects, etc.)
Creating a winning Braintrust profile doesn’t have to take up hours of your time. Use this blog as a checklist and you’ll find that in just a few minutes, you can make some meaningful upgrades to your profile. Once your profile is complete, you’ll be amazed at the difference it can make for getting hired.
And here are a few great profile examples: Designer Profile, Engineer Profile, Product Manager Profile.
Interested in joining the Braintrust Talent Network?
Braintrust connects top tech talent with job opportunities at world-leading enterprises like Nike, Porsche, and NASA. Click here to learn more and apply to join our growing talent network today!