5 ways to make your Workaway profile stand out

Let’s face it, these days it seems like we’re filling out online profiles for everything. From dating apps to career networks, it can be a bit overwhelming to find one more way to describe yourself. But we promise, filling out your Workaway profile can be fun and totally worth it! 

Imagine Workaway as a portal into not just one, but entire worlds where everything was new and different. Tastes, smells, sounds, landscapes…all with their own enchanting story to tell. Creating a Workaway profile is your first step to accepting an invitation to discover and explore the limitless opportunities that await. We know it can be challenging (and also a little bit scary!) to know where to start. Here are some of our best Workaway profile tips for how to make YOUR profile stand out. With a little bit of effort you’ll be well on your way to a life-changing adventure!

1. Tell your story

How did you decide to use Workaway? What motivates you to learn about other countries and cultures? Why are you someone a host would want to invite into their home? More than what you can do, or what skills you have (also important to share), tell your story and help a prospective host connect the dots.

Are you in the middle of a career change? Taking a gap year before beginning your studies? Is it your first time around the world or twentieth? Fill in the facts with some flourish to help hosts understand where you’re coming from, where you hope to go next, and why they should be a stop along your journey!

2. Show some personality

While it’s important to cover the basics, (age, nationality, dietary constraints, etc), your Workaway profile is the place to really showcase what makes you unique. What are your favorite quotes? Quirky habits or hobbies?

Upload some photos or a video message to your profile to show hosts just how fun and weird and hardworking you are! Selfies are great, but photos from previous Workaways or ones where you’re doing an activity you really love will give hosts a more well-rounded perspective.

If there’s a project (whether completed with Workaway or at home) that you’re proud of, this is the place to showcase it. Don’t forget to link to your blog, portfolio, or social media profiles too!

3. Be specific

Are you allergic to pine nuts? Are you only available for a week at a time? Do you have a fear of heights?  Are your organizational skills super human? These are all good things to mention now!

Sharing living space with local hosts and other volunteers is a wonderful experience but has its challenges too. The more you anticipate those challenges and are up front about them, the easier it will be to match with the perfect host for you! Don’t be afraid to be honest about the kind of experience you’re looking for and exactly what you have to offer. Fill out the skills section of your profile as thoroughly as possible and don’t forget to add in extra details if needed.

4. Send a personalized message

This goes without saying, but do your research before requesting to stay with a specific host. Tailor your message to them and ask questions that are relevant to their profile. Tell them why you want to be hosted by them in particular, and avoid sending repetitive messages to multiple hosts.

It takes more time, but showing that you actually read their profile and are interested in them goes a long way! People can tell when a message has been copied and pasted over and over and when a host receives many similar requests, they’re less likely to respond. It’s also important to read the feedback other Workawayers have left as well as what the host has said about the Workawayers for more information. That leads us to…

5. Leave feedback

Honest and detailed feedback is what makes Workaway a safe and reliable community. It builds trust between hosts and Workawayers and is a way to show gratitude for a shared experience. It can also raise a red flag if something wasn’t quite right with a host or guest.
Whether you had the experience of a lifetime or something was less than you expected, it’s important to let others in the Workaway community know! This enables the Workaway team to address any issues that may come up and also reward hosts and Workawayers with fun badges for their positive contributions!

If you need more help filling out your profile for the first time, or making it really stand out, don’t forget to check out our “Workawayer of the Month” blogs for some great examples! You can also reach out to the Workaway Team for answers to any of your questions here. So what are you waiting for??