freelance tips – Page 2 – The Freelance Blueprint

The Freelance Blueprint

How to create a portfolio in less than 5 minutes
Creating a good portfolio takes time and effort. And today, I’m going to ask you to create one in only 5 minutes – yes, it’s possible 🤫

Depending on the service you offer, having a portfolio is crucial. And you probably know, a 5-minute portfolio isn’t going to replace a proper one.

But having a 5-minute portfolio is better than having none. And what I noticed from many people who want to go freelance is either:

1️⃣ They have the skills but no time to create a portfolio

or

2️⃣ They have signed NDAs and can’t showcase the work they’ve done

or

3️⃣ They have private projects but no “real” projects so they don’t know what to put in their portfolio.

Today, I’ll give you a simple solution for each of those cases.

Create a mini-case study

A portfolio is – along with your CV – the most important part to convince potential clients to work with you.

Follow the steps below 👇

How to create a quick portfolio

Alright, as you know, good things take time. But we all have to start somewhere. And one thing I noticed is that people don’t do things unless it’s easy. So I’m trying to make this task as easy as possible for you.

So the outcome of this is to have at least one mini-case study on your Linkedin profile. You can see how I’ve done mine here:

Screenshot of Elisabeth Mayr’s Linkedin profile, the featured work section

How to create a mini-case study

Step 1 – Brainstorm

Take a piece of paper and write down all the projects you’ve worked on in this last year. It doesn’t matter if it’s a “real” project or old or if it’s still in progress.

The projects I have on Linkedin are almost 3 years old 😅 and I still get messages from recruiters.

Step 2 – Find a visual

Look at the projects you wrote down. Do you have a screenshot for any of those? If you’re a UX Designer, this can be some wireframes you’ve sketched on paper, some flows you created in Miro or even final UI in Figma.

If you’re a developer, is there a snippet of code you can screenshot? Or a screenshot of the live website?

If you’re a translator, use the logo of the brand you’ve worked for.

👉 You only need one image

Step 3 – Describe the project

Include these things in your description:
- Quick intro about the brand/client/project
- What was the problem?
- How did you fix it?
- Why was this the right solution?
If you struggle, use ChatGPT to help you write a 100 word paragraph. Make this task easy. You can use the Hemingway app to simplify it if you’re not happy with the robotic sound of ChatGPT.

Step 4 – Put things together

Now go to your Linkedin profile and add a featured article. Upload the image you picked in step 2 and paste the copy you’ve done in step 3.

Step 5 – Publish it 🚀

Make sure you’re not infringing any copyright if it’s a “student” project. Make sure you got permission from your client/employer to post this.

Congratulations 🥳

You just created a mini case study! Yes, it’s not a full portfolio and yes, it can be better. But it’s done. And done is better than perfect!

It’s enough to let potential clients know of your skills. And a brief introduction to your work can be just what they need to press that ‘Message’ button on Linkedin and contact you to discuss a future project.

Why does it matter?

If you don’t have a big network or a direct contact to your ideal client, you need to show them proof why you are the right person to hire to solve their problem.

A portfolio shows proof that you’re capable of what you’re doing. But a portfolio is one of the most daunting tasks. I strongly suggest that you continue working on your portfolio. But having a mini-case study on your Linkedin will also show you which one attracts the most clients. So play around with it and keep improving 💪

Good things need time

Having one image and some text on your Linkedin is the first step. Continue improving your portfolio from here. You can have a pdf portfolio, or a quick portfolio that sits online.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them through freelancing.

Get the guide for free.
January 3, 2026
This is the Platform that got me most of my Freelance Gigs
The platform that got me most of my gigs is 🥁 drumroll…Linkedin 👈 feel free to check out my profile and follow me.

It doesn’t have to be perfect

My Linkedin profile is far from perfect. It’s got an outdated image, I’ve not added any client projects in 2 years and some job experiences aren’t relevant for what I’m looking for. So don’t use my profile as a ‘best case’ example because there’s tons to improve. BUT it proofs that you don’t need a perfect profile to get clients.

I can’t guarantee that you show up on Linkedin’s search result. But one thing I can help you with is to increase the conversion of those who do land on your profile to consider working with you.

How to improve your Linkedin profile

There’s many ways you can improve your Linkedin page. Disclaimer: I’m not a Linkedin expert, but I’ve attended some webinars and coaching calls with Linkedin experts who hosted them. This is some advice I took from them:
1. Add your freelance services
2. Add a clear description
3. Update your banner image
Simple improvements for your Linkedin profile

Again, don’t try to make it perfect. But if you do one of the following tasks, that should help convince more potential clients to turn into actual clients.

Add your services

Linkedin allows you to add your services. You can even add pricing if you want to. If you don’t know yet how to price yourself, we’ll cover that in this blog post.

There are several services you can choose from on Linkedin. Make it clear to potential clients that you do have the skills and offer the services they’re after.

Add a description

When someone sees your profile, you need to make clear what you offer, who you’re doing it for and how you do it. You might have seen this example sentence before. Feel free to be more creative, but if you don’t have a description (or a very bland one like mine) try something like this:

{Your job title} | I help {target audience} get {result} by {your services}

👉 For example:

Freelance UX Designer | I help start ups get more sales by designing delightful user experiences.

Freelance Translator | I help marketing agencies reach a broader audience by translating their social media content into German

Add a banner

An image says more than 1000s words. So use the space to make it clear to your audience what it is you offer or what you want them to do.

In the examples below, you see clear call to actions: “Check the link under my banner” or “Ring my bell”

Creating an image can be tricky if you’re not a designer. Keep in mind the space that is used for the profile image and how it might display on a mobile device.

You can also use the space to make it clear what you’re doing. On my profile, you see some UI work I’ve done, so people know instantly I offer UI as well, not just UX. That project is 4+ years old, and I’ve used Pablo Stanley’s Humaaans illustrations which improve the UI massively. Looking at it now, I should probably update it with some of my more recent UX work where I didn’t use open source graphics 😅

Anyway, use that space to get a clearer message to potential clients about what you’re doing.

Why does it matter?

Linkedin is one of the biggest platforms when it comes to job search. And not just for permanent jobs but also for freelance gigs.

Many recruiters spent most of their time on Linkedin. So make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to convert those profile visitors into freelance clients.

If you liked those Linkedin profile examples, just click on the image to get to their profiles to do more research. Also, you can listen to Angelica’s podcast episode on the Freelance Blueprint here. And Kati Harris offers a free training for Linkedin on her profile.

Done is better than perfect

Don’t worry about having the perfect Linkedin profile. Just do something small. Improve your summary. Add some skills to your profile. Connect with people you know or follow industry leaders in your niche.

You can edit anything on your profile so if it’s not great, you can always come back and change it later.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one step of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them through freelancing.

Get the guide for free.
October 27, 2025
What’s ATS and why should every Freelancer know about it?
How many times did you receive an automated email after you applied for a job? And how many times did you feel like you met all the criteria in the job spec but then still didn’t get that interview? Here’s why 👇

If you’ve followed me for a while, you might have heard me talk about ATS. If you don’t know what ATS are, it’s the reason why you get rejected for a job interview, even though you fit all the criteria.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

What is ATS?

ATS stands for ‘Applicant Tracking system’ and companies use this type of software to filter through the tons of CVs they receive. They’re scanning your CV for specific keywords to see how well it matches the job. You can check out this instagram post for more details.

So today, we’re looking into getting your CV ATS-ready, so it doesn’t get filtered out but instead, highlights your CV as worth looking into for recruiters and potential clients and puts it on top of the pile 💪

Get your CV ATS-ready

If you don’t have a CV already, check out this blog post on how to create a CV in 5 minutes.

Now all you need to do is use one of the free ATS tools listed below and follow their suggestions to improve your CV. You don’t have to run your CV through each of those, just pick whichever you like.

Run your CV through ATS checkers

Yes, they all function slightly differently. I’ve put my same CV through different trackers and got different results. But all of those trackers helped to make improvements.
- Jobscan – Check against specific job specifications
- enhancv – Insightful tips on how to improve CV
- resumeworded – Uses AI to help you reword your CV
- The Ladders – Send you tips on improvement via email
- Skillsyncer – Check against specific job descriptions
Here’s some of the results I got with the different ATS checkers 👇

Why does it matter?

It can be very frustrating when you apply for freelance gigs and you don’t get invited to an interview or even a phone call. Getting your CV ready to be scanned through ATS increases your chances of getting your CV seen by an actual human and therefore increases your chances of getting an interview, which increases your chances of getting a freelance gig 🚀

Good CVs need time

There’s always another way to improve your CV, so don’t worry if you don’t achieve a 100% score on any of those ATS trackers. My CV has gotten me plenty of jobs and some ATS showed a 90+% fit while others measured just over 40%. Take it as guidance.

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one step of my free guide for people who want to create a work life that works for them through freelancing.

Get the guide for free.
October 26, 2025
What You need to include in Your CV to land Freelance Gigs
Let’s create a CV – in only 5 minutes 🙌

No matter if you apply for freelance gigs or permanent jobs: your CV will be important to land a gig (outside of your network and previous client testimonials)

Hopefully, you already have a CV. Maybe it’s not the most up to date. Maybe it’s not very nicely designed. But you will have one where you added some work experience, skills and ideally a short summary.

If you haven’t, don’t fret.

We’re the lucky one’s living in a time where there’s ChatGPT and free software. So let’s work on a CV.

How to create a CV from scratch

When trying to find a way to do a CV in 5 minutes for my advent calendar challenge last year, I came across Zety. No, this isn’t sponsored, it’s just a tool i came across that impressed me on how quickly it is to create a decent looking CV. But for transparency: after i found it I did check for an affiliate link 🤫

Of course, a tool that saves you hours on trying to make your CV pixel perfect isn’t free. But I was surprised how cheap it is. You can get access to the full tool to create unlimited CVs and cover letters for 14 days for USD 2.70 🤯 – make sure to cancel after those 14 days if you don’t want a surprise subscription

☝️Hard truth

If you’re not willing to spend the money you’d spend on a take away coffee for a tool that will safe you hours of your own time, you probably don’t have the right mindset to become a freelancer.

BUT if you already have a CV you’re happy with, just use the time to improve it by 10%. Check for spelling mistakes. Is there some information you can cut out or add that’s more beneficial for freelancing?

How to get Brownie points

Make sure your CV makes it clear that you’re a freelancer. And if you have your business structure defined, make sure that’s visible too. You can see on my CV below that I list my Ltd, which will help recruiters know that I’m ready and set up for future gigs.

If you don’t know what a business structure is, check out this article.

Here’s the CV that I’ve created on Zety

Create your CV with Zety

Why does it matter?

This one is quite obvious: If you don’t have an existing client base, people want to know why you’re able to do what you claim to offer for them. Why should they hire you? What’s the proof that you can get the job done? Well, your CV is one way to give them proof and reassurance. The other one is your portfolio, which we’ll get to in this blog article (yes, there’s also an easy way to create a portfolio – and that one is for free 🤫 )

Good things need time

Of course, spending 5 minutes on a CV will not guarantee you work. But it’s better than having no CV. So if you already have a CV, set aside some time to improve it.

Create a free CV in 5 minutes

What should your CV include?
1. Your CV should make it clear wether you’re a freelancer or are looking for a permanent job. If you are a freelancer: What company structure do you work under?
2. Testimonials: Add a testimonial from a previous client. This will add additional proof
3. Work history: Show the type of work you’ve done already
4. Summary: What makes you stand out from all the other people who are applying for the same job?
👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

The exercise described in this blog article is one of the steps of my free guide for future freelancers.

Get the guide for free.
October 25, 2025
How to Define Your Freelance Services
As a freelancer, it’s important to define what service you offer. Are you a copywriter? Are you a UX Designer? A Web Developer? Or are you a jack of all trades and offer a full package, like a fully developed website with the copy and graphics provided by you?

The clearer you are with the services you offer, the easier it will be for your client to figure out if you’re the right freelancer for them.

Note: The great thing about freelancing is that you’re in control of your tasks. Don’t just pick a service or offer because there’s demand. But ask yourself if you enjoy doing those tasks. Can you see yourself writing copy or developing websites for the next few years?

You can always change your mind, but you might lose out on the reputation you build for yourself, so the longer you stick with a craft the better.

But most importantly: Try to find something that you genuinely enjoy. In the end, it’s your business. And the reason we go freelance is so we can do things our way 😉

What problem are you solving for your client?

Think of the pain points your future clients have. Why do they need to hire someone to do this? Be clear on what you offer, but also what you don’t offer.

Examples

If you’re a UX Designer, you might offer wireframes, user research, audits of existing software but you might decide that you don’t want to create prototypes.

If you’re a Copywriter, you might offer copy for websites and emails, but you might not want to write copy for billboards.

Why does it matter?

You need to be clear on what you offer so you can easily explain it to someone. It also helps to niche down on something. It’s called “T-shaped skills” and can look like this:

Have you heard of Ikigai?

Maybe you’ve come across some of the posts about ikigai. It’s a Japanese concept that translates into “the reason to live”.

Even though there are many people saying that the way it’s being used now for business isn’t what it was intended for, it’s still a good framework. It’s to help you discover what truly matters to you. It combines 4 areas:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What the world needs
- What you can get paid for
You can find more about this on google. But ideally, your service will tick all the boxes. But don’t worry if not, even if you tick 2-3 of those, you’re winning.

Conclusion

Be clear on what you want to offer. Make it easy for your clients to decide if you’re the right freelancer for them.
October 23, 2025
Why every Freelancer needs a Professional Email Address

First impressions are important. Sometimes you meet potential clients in real life, sometimes they find you on Linkedin or your personal website. And other times you meet them because someone refers you (this is the best way to meet potential clients).

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com

But when someone refers you, they usually see your email address before they see your portfolio. So it’s important that it looks professional.

Let’s play a game

If you don’t think an email can make much of an impression, let’s do a quick test: Which email looks more professional to you?

agencyname@gmail.com or contact@agencyname.com

We all have a gmail account, we all know that gmail is free. Seeing an agency using a gmail address make them come across as cheap. If they don’t even invest in a proper email address, are they going to invest into their clients?

Alright, next test: Would you pay a receipt if it came from this email?

receipts.amazon@gmail.com

You might think it’s a spam email. What if you got the exact same email with the same content but from receipts@amazon.com? You’re more likely going to trust it, right?

You only get one first impression

First impressions count. So pick an email address that sounds professional. Setting up a proper email address makes your business more tangible as well.

How do I get a professional email address?

Getting a professional email address is normally quite cheap. Some providers even offer it for free if you buy a domain or hosting. For now, you can start with just an email. If you’re planning to have a full-fletched website, buying a package which includes a domain name AND email might be the best option.

The eMail provider I’m using

I’m using ionos for hosting my email address and personal website. So far, I’ve not had any issues. The customer service is also great (used them a few times when I couldn’t figure something out on my website, eg. how to set up my 404 error page)

If you’re looking for a reliable provider, you can sign up with ionos here.

Disclaimer: I’m not getting paid to promote them, I’ve just done some research on finding the best provider when I started freelancing 4 years ago and they were the cheapest option. I’ve been happy with the service ever since. But it’s been a few years since I’ve done my research, so there might be better options out there. For transparency: it’s an affiliate link 🤫

Benefits to a professional email

With a professional email address, you don’t just come across as a proper freelancer, you will also have a separate inbox. This will help you separate your work and life admin and allow you to manage your tasks better.

Which email did you choose?

If you’re torn between different email options (eg. info@designagency.com vs hi@yourname.com), I recommend using your name.

This way, even if you change your mind about the services you offer or if you outgrow your company, you don’t lose your personal brand.

This can be tricky if your name is John Smith, because chances are your name is taken. But it’s possible. My name in Austria is more or less like John Smith in the UK 🙈. I even went to school with another Elisabeth Mayr 😅 which must have been a pain for the teachers. But I still managed to get a domain with my name 💪

👩🏻‍💻 Free Guide

Want to learn more on how to become a lucrative freelancer? Get your free guide.

October 22, 2025
5 platforms to publish your design portfolio in 5 minutes

This article will show you 5 platforms where it takes less than 5 minutes to have an online portfolio in decent quality.*

*Excluding the time to write the case studies. If you manage to do that in 5 minutes, please tell me your secret.

One of the most important things as a freelancer is to find clients. And how do you best find a client? With a good portfolio.

Many designers spend a lot of time on their portfolio. Which is good, but sometimes it’s the perfectionism that kills the time, rather than actually improving the portfolio. And many designers end up never publishing their case studies because it doesn’t feel good enough.

Skip this section if you’re a beginner

If you’re reading this article, I assume you’re at the beginning of your design journey, simply because portfolios are something people work on to get a job. So here’s a list of common mistakes I noticed from reviewing a bunch of junior websites and how to fix them.

Tell people what you do

When you work on your portfolio, make sure people know what you offer. Is it clear for them as soon as they visit your website what you do? One mistake I see on many junior portfolios is that their hero title says something like “Hi, I’m Jane” but it doesn’t tell me: Are you a UX designer, product designer, UI designer, graphic designer? What do you do and who is your audience?

Starting with “Hi, I’m {name}” isn’t necessarily wrong. But adding a simple sentence can make a big difference. Try adding something like “{Job title} who helps {your target audience} create {solution to their problem}”. This could be something like “Hi, I’m Jane, a brand designer who helps business owners turn their first-time buyers into brand advocates.”

Tell people what each section is about

As I continue scrolling through a junior’s homepage, the 2nd module often shows a list of their case studies. It’s a common pattern, it’s what recruiters would expect. But often, there are just images, no information and no title.

Add a simple title like “My work” or “Most recent case studies”. Or play with the copy and based on your tonality, you can be a little more creative. How about “A list of my recent work to try and convince you to hire me”.

For each of those links, give people an overview of what that case study is about before they click on it. Is it a website, a mobile app? If you show case an app, let them know if you worked on the UX or the UI, did you do the user research, how did you contribute to the project? Let your users know.

To get booked as a freelancer it’s very important for people to learn instantly what service you offer and at what quality. The goal of your portfolio is to convince them that you can solve their design problems.

Tell people who you are

Your website is a way to show your personality. Many junior portfolios play it safe by having a very straight forward approach with their copy. There is nothing wrong with that. But it’s a missed opportunity.

You can let your personality shine through with the tonality of your website. People will consider hiring you for the problems you fix, but they’ll be convinced to hire you if they think you’d be a great cultural fit and easy to work with.

Alright, enough intro.

5 platforms to publish a portfolio in 5 minutes

Notion

Best portfolio page if you need something quick

Notion is google sheets on steroids. They have a template for almost anything, also a portfolio template. Just populate it with your work. It’s easy to navigate and will take you no time to have your portfolio up and running.

LinkedIn

Best portfolio page for being discovered easily by potential clients

When you think of a portfolio page, LinkedIn might not be the first that comes to mind. But in my opinion, this one is mandatory. I got so many of my clients through LinkedIn. When I started freelancing, I used their job filter to find contract work only. Now that I’ve been freelancing for a while, I get messages from companies and recruiters directly through my website, which makes my life so much easier.

LinkedIn is not a portfolio page per se, but you can use their blog feature to write up your case study. You can pin those to your profile so they show up on top and are easily found but potential clients. Those articles will also pop up on your network’s feed and might be just the reminder they need to hire you again.

Dribbble

Best portfolio page to showcase your UI design

If you specialise in UI design, this platform is for you. Dribbble is very visual and also a good source for UI inspiration. You can simply add a few screenshots of your work, add a little bit of blurb and just send potential customers a link to your Dribbble profile.

You also won’t need to add too much information below your images. Mention what your contribution to the project was and make sure there’s an option for potential clients to contact you.

UXfolio

Great page for junior UX designers

As the name suggests, this is a great tool for UX designers specifically. It’s free to use and you can start with one of their templates.

Downside: Many junior designers use this platform. So it’s possible that you’re being perceived as a junior rather than a more experience designer and that others are using the same template.

YunoJuno

Best portfolio if you’re ready to get started instantly

Alright, this one might not be quite as quick. The sign up process might take a while if you’re not already having a limited company or aren’t registered as a sole trader. You could also sign up with an Umbrella company.

The benefit of signing up with YunoJuno is similar to Linkedin, in the sense that you have a lot of clients on that platform, so it’s great for discoverability.

Sneaky affiliate link: I got a referral code, so if you find this article useful, just send me a message and I’ll send you the info for the referral.

Clients can reach out to you when you mark yourself as available. So even though this one is more effort at the beginning, it’ll be good for the long run.

☝️ One more thing

Make sure you add an ‘about me‘ part to your portfolio. People hire people, not just skills. Recruiters want to see if you’re a good fit for the existing team, so the more personalised you can make it, the better. Show people how great it is to work with you.

October 16, 2025