Getting the most from your profile

Our aim is simple:

• To help employers find great freelancers that have the experience they're looking for.

• To get you contacts and work from being listed in the Eyefish People Finder.

Some core truths about crew databases:

If an employer already knows you, they've probably got your contact numbers and they'll get in touch anyway, with or without the help of a database. You probably don't need to be listed anywhere to get this sort of repeat business.

A searchable database is designed primarily to get you new business, so your profile has to showcase your experience and skills to people who probably don't know you and haven't worked with you before. That's why it's so important that your profile includes all the information they need to decide if they want to contact you.

People want a database to be quick and easy to use and above all, they want relevant, high quality results.

Tips for getting the most out of your Profile

1.    Make your profile as complete as possible

Employers want to find out quickly whether or not you suit their needs, so you must have all the key information about yourself easily accessible from within your profile pages.

If they like what they read here, they are much more likely to contact you or link through to your website / agent / diary service.

The People Finder is a searchable database so users will find you by entering search terms including ‘Primary Skill' , ‘Specialist Skills' and ‘Keywords'

For example, they may request a result including Lighting Cameraman (Primary Skill) who has Extreme Climate experience (Specialist Skill) and has worked in Uganda (Keyword). Or has worked on the programme ‘Operation Borneo' (Keyword)

So if you've worked in Uganda, it's important to include this in your ‘About Me' section and if your credits include ‘Operation Borneo' then make sure its listed in ‘My Credits'. This way, you'll turn up when these keywords are used in a search string.

2.    Don't just link to your own website / CV

You may well have a CV and a personal website which lists all your experience and credits and you can link to these from within your Eyefish profile, but these are not searchable within the People Finder and you could end up missing out even though your experience fits the searcher's needs perfectly. So make good use of the ‘About Me' and ‘My Credits' sections.

3.    Include a profile photo

People like to see you! Don't be shy! It's a fact that profiles with a photo are clicked on more times than those without.

4.    Update your profile regularly

Up to date profiles are better for you and better for the reader. Eyefish recognises this by promoting updated profiles to the top of the People Finder front page, so the most up to date profiles are listed first.

5.    Be honest about your credits and experience

It's in everyone's interest to make the People Finder reliable and this means that all the profiles need to be accurate and truthful. If you're ‘over creative' with your experience and credits, you will be found out and you're unlikely to benefit from it.

6.    Let people know about the People Finder

Tell your friends and colleagues and encourage them to create a profile and use the People Finder to find freelancers. The more people that know about it, the more it gets used and this increases your chances of finding work.

7.    Use your People Finder URL

Copy the URL for your profile and paste it into the foot of your emails so that people can find out about you. You can also include it in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

Your People Finder URL looks like this:  http://eyefish.tv/your-name

8.    Upgrade to Freelancer Pro

Freelancer Pro membership gives you a number of extra benefits all designed to help you get work. It's currently only £ 60 for 12 months so you would only need to gain 1 day's work in the next 3 years to more than repay your membership fees for the same period. That's extremely good value!