Hello Elancers!
I am not necessarily "new here" any more-have been on for six months. Throughout my six months I have read post after post on the water cooler about projects not being awarded, frustration about not getting projects, vetting buyers, vetting providers, etc. and so on. I thought I would post my own thread with my advice to the "newbies." Other "oldies" jump in!
For new Providers:
--Make your profile page as interesting, specific and well-written that you can. List your previous employment. Write an exciting and accurate description of yourself. If you are in the graphics or web area, build your portfolio. Use a picture or a logo on your screen.
--Choose one or two categories to subscribe to and pay for. Buy some extra connects. Then, bid your heart out. Write a unique proposal for each project that shows that you have read and understand the project description. Attach some samples of previous work.
--Be patient and stick with it. You might have to bid on 30 projects before you get one. Put as much time into bidding for each project as the other. Treat each project bid with care.
--Realize that, yes, you are paying for a service when you sign up with Elance. You are paying for Elance to deliver leads, provide a functioning interface, provide you with a place to market yourself. All of that is not free for Elance to provide. They are, in my opinion, one of the best freelance sites available. If you were to set up this interface and find your own leads, it would cost you much, much more than the fees you pay to Elance to subscribe and to bid.
--Just like in the word outside of Elance, sometimes projects will not be awarded. Sometimes giant jobs with bid submission processes in the "real word" are not awarded. Chances are, the companies submitting bids to those projects spent much more money and time submitting their, sometimes 100 page, bid. Just as anyone walking into a bookstore, grocery store or clothing store has no obligation to buy when they walk in the store, neither do the Elance buyers. There is a 1:5 project award ratio for buyers, and it is enforced.
--If Elance charged all buyers a fee to post, there would be MANY fewer jobs on Elance. I would rather shell out $20 a month for lots of good jobs to browse, than spend hundreds of dollars on marketing for potentially not-so-good jobs.
--It is partially up to the Provider to bid on jobs they want, they can do, and they have a chance of getting. If you do not like the way the Buyer posts, do not bid on that project. If you do not like the buyer's award ratio, do not bid. If it is not something you can do, don't bid on that project. If you think the budget is unreasonable, don't bid on that project. As a provider, you do have control over your actions on Elance. Exercise it!
So, that was sort of a rant 
but, I think that many people new to Elance ask, write and gripe about all of those topics. Elance is not a free lunch. However, it is a WONDERFUL forum through which to expand your horizons, meet people from around the world, etc.
Best regards,
Katie
Someone was telling me that Elance offered 3 free credits at sign up. Is that included in the 20 I received or is that separate? If separate, how do I get those added into my account? On the other hand, is that accurate info?
