This is the first time I am reading about ProFinder. I have heard of LinkedIn premium though and I use LinkedIn almost daily, more than Facebook or Twitter anyway yet I wasn’t aware of this service. I guess this is something worth checking out as I apply for writing jobs on Freelancer and Upwork and nothing happens there.

Thanks for sharing!

Understandable. However, this service has paid off more me in a big way.

I would agree completely. LinkedIn Pro Finder offers much more vetted job offers, and most are well worth the time to write proposals for. Thanks Lori!

And you know what I think of job boards in general, so my thumbs up for this one doesn’t come lightly. I’ve found it to be more of a situation in which the clients have filtered who sees the postings. That means on some level, my resume has appealed to them. That feels much more legitimate and worth my time than cruising those gawd-awful job boards and begging for crumbs from cheapskates.

Hi Anne,

Regional is tough, and a blessing at times. I too have worked all over the world, but so far, in my case, I have had good luck with ProFinder.

As to collecting? I always ask for a 50% retainer up front with any new client. Then I never get stiffed for the whole amount, and the company or individual has skin in the game. I’d highly recommend getting some money before you start work.

And if they have not paid you? Leave them a poor recommendation on LinkedIn and contact the ProFinder site. Don’t be afraid to publically shame the person who won’t pay you. Bad yelp, Google, and LinkedIn reviews always get their attention.

Troy

I’m in socal so regional competition is fierce – and I don’t like regional. I can, and have, written not only in the US, but India, Canada, and Australia, oh, and Singapore. I don’t think Linkedin really gets the freelancer – or at least not one like me.

Hi Cathy,

That is an upside and downside to the service. It is only regional, so there are only so many jobs. However, I have a niche and then I have a philosophy that writing is my niche, and SEO and content strategy are part of my skill set no matter what the topic.

I also work as an editor, and many of the jobs are in that niche. I have been contacted about dozens of them, and have landed a handful, but all of those more than pay for any subscription costs.

My BIGGEST complaint (as you see in my post) is the offers are only regional. Because of my niche, most of the clients I’m looking to attract would be in the East. California is big, too, but so far, all I ever receive are gigs from Idaho, Utah, Oregon & Washington. And most do not really match my specialty. I have no local clients (as I don’t market here because I go where my niche is).

I’d hate to pay that kind of money and have just a hit and miss on a match. Could I have gone outside my specialty and replied to some of those gigs? Sure. I chose not to. So, I would say it really depends on what you’re looking for.

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation, Troy.