Building Your Professional Profile with the Immigration Evaluation Directory

If you haven’t already heard the good news – here it is – the Immigration Evaluation Directory has launched!

It’s been so exciting seeing people sign up and develop their profiles, and I’m confident this will be a gamechanger for our work.

For today’s blog, I wanted to write a bit about the directory as an introduction and offer some guidance on getting the most out of your profile.

What is the Immigration Evaluation Directory?

As an immigration evaluation therapist who’s supported hundreds of other therapists get started with delivering these services as part of their professional practice, there’s one question I’m always asked: How do I find attorneys to partner with?

It’s funny because attorneys are also asking me how to find therapists to partner with! So, over the past year, I’ve been thinking: HOW do we make this easier? And that’s how the directory came about.

Here’s how it works:

1. You register your professional practice, locations, services, and specialist skills (including the languages you speak).
2. You tailor your profile to your liking – you can upload a profile photo, business details, and even a short video to introduce yourself and let others get to know you a bit more.
3. An immigration attorney uses the dynamic search functions to find specialists in their area with the right services and skills for their particular client.
4. Attorney’s are presented with your professional profile, where they can get to know you a little before deciding to get in touch.
5. From there, they can call or message you to set up a meeting, and everyone can decide if this is the right partnership for them!

The directory allows you to effortlessly market your practice to immigration attorneys, 24/7 – meaning attorneys can find you directly and hire you when they need you most.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Profile

The directory has been specifically designed to optimize your profile across the site when potential attorneys search for offerings in their area.

There are several sections you can fill and to help, here’s a little guidance on doing that:

A Professional Photo

We all know how great it is to put a face to a name; that’s why your profile photo is an important place to start!

Choose one that features just you, preferably a portrait shoot in a neutral-enough environment. Make sure there’s plenty of light, and you’re smiling and looking directly at the camera. If you can, try to avoid using a selfie and make sure your photo represents you in the right ways.

Your Contact Information

This includes a professional email address and website, as well as your best contact number(s). You should also add your state and location as many attorneys and such professionals will filter the directory based on who is licensed in their state.

About Your Services

There are a couple of sections where you can add in more details about your services, including:

• Whether you offer online or/and in-person services.
• The languages you speak.
• The types of clients you work with.
• Your fees and policies.
• Your office amenities.

I recommend that you offer as much detail as possible in these sections. It will help potential clients and partners better understand your setup, offerings, and areas of expertise. This enables them to make a confident decision when reaching out to you that you’re the right person to help them.

More detail also means you can save time when having these important conversations as they already know what they need!

About You

The profile gives you the option to write out a bit more about yourself and add a little video introduction. I know many people find the idea of doing a video introduction daunting, but it can be a fantastic way to allow clients to get to know you!

The same rules apply when creating a video as your profile photo – remember to smile, have a neutral enough background, and wear comfortable and relaxed clothes. I highly recommend writing a little script and practicing saying it out loud several times so you can add some natural inflection to it. Give it go! I guarantee it’ll elevate your profile.

You can also write out a little introduction about who you are; don’t be afraid to throw in some character and talk about how long you’ve been doing this work for and what drew you towards offering these services. Aim for a good balance of professional acknowledges and personal.

Availability & Other Information

You can detail your availability and whether you’re accepting new clients – with the option to change this depending on how busy you get.

There’s also the option to add your preferred pronouns, your gender, license details, and where you studied.

Again, all these details help potential attorneys and professionals gain deeper insights into who you are as a professional, so they can make a confident and informed decision about working with you!

Your Next Step?

So many of you have already signed up to the directory, and I’ve loved viewing all your profiles and seeing such a fantastic commitment to growing as a professional providing these services.

I know it’s not always easy to put yourself out there, but the directory has been developed to be a safe, positive community – an extension of the Immigration Institute communities – where we can continue to grow and support each other with this important work.

If you haven’t already, head on over to the Immigration Evaluation Directory and see if creating a profile is right for you today!