Hi everyone! I’m new to THS, and I’ve been getting a lot of rejections because I don’t have many reviews. I asked my friends to write a few, so now I have 4 references. It’s funny—how can I get reviews from THS if people always choose those with a lot of them? 
It’s kind of strange.
Fortunately, we have one invitation. I thought the others would be easy to get too. But alas.
@anastasias
Here are some ways to get that first sit and review
This is a great time of year for new sitters to get their first sit as there are hundreds of sits listed for the holiday period and not enough sitters to do them .
Great advice from Silversitters. That is how we started. Short sits as they have fewer applicants and local sits as we could offer to meet ahead of confirmation/ sitting.
As a host can have 5 applicants at a time, it is simple mathematics that most applications will be declined. Apply for multiple sits that you want. This is a mutual exchange, so make sure that you too assess the host to get a good match- that means that sometimes one should consider declining an invitation to sit. Follow your gut feeling.
Honestly, I don’t think that a lack of reviews is the key reason for rejections. When I first started doing Trusted Housesitters in January, I literally just had 1 external reference and no references from sits as I hadn’t done any through THS. I did, however, land the first sit I applied for (I applied for 2 or 3, two rejected me but the first-ever application I sent out led to a video call and then an invite for a sit). The sit I applied for did include travel to a different country and it was for people who had had quite a few sitters before and in quite an in-demand location, too. When I chatted to them after the sit in person, I expressed my gratitude for them picking me despite the lack of reviews and what they said was that they truly felt my personality come across in the application letter and that’s what really stood out to them.
So I guess my main advice would be – don’t sound generic and cookie cutter in your applications. The more genuine and authentic you are, the higher the likelihood of landing a sit. Also, be proactive and friendly – suggest doing a video call and try to think of ways how they can evaluate your trustworthiness (I, for example, offered them to get in touch with a person who lived in the same country as they do for a reference since I’d been a live-in au-pair years ago).
Another thing you can do is maybe record like a 30 second video introducing yourself and attach a link to the application letter – anything that can help them get a sense of “there’s a real and normal person on the other side” should help increase your chances even if you don’t have lots of reviews 
Put yourself in the place of hosts and produce a profile and applications that show, rather than tell, why you’re trustworthy and a good match. (Showing means pointing to examples of how responsible you’ve been, rather than saying you’re responsible, for instance.) They usually want to know why you’re interested in their location as well.
It ultimately depends on matching with hosts who think you’d take good care of their pets and home.
All sitters started without reviews. Personally, I didn’t bother with references, because I expected to figure out how to write a compelling profile and applications. But I didn’t assume that sits would be easy to get — it requires significant trust to leave a stranger with your beloved pets and home.
It only took 3 reviews for us to get almost any sit we applied for. So make it your whole focus to get a few reviews. We started with zero references, and we got sits straight away, focus on local sits and last minute ones, and more importantly make sure your profile leaves the HO’s with no questions in their head as to who you are as a person, because in my opinion, that’s the reason why most don’t get given opportunities.
@Silversitters gave very good advice on how to quickly get your first reviews. One review will already help a lot.
What also may help in the beginning is adding your LinkedIn and/or AirBnb profiles to your THS profile (if there is anything substantial there).
Yup, I did that when I started out. That’s part of showing, rather than telling. Like if you’d had a solid career, that’s one way to show responsibility. And if your Airbnb reviews are strong, that shows you’ve taken good care of someone else’s home. Like I have only two Airbnb reviews, but both mention how clean I left the homes.
There’s already great advice here. I’d just like to add that even if you don’t have reviews, it’s important to mention your experience looking after pets and homes and focus your application on the aspects which are more relevant to that particular sit like type of pets or breed, if there’s a garden if you have some gardening experience. If it’s a rural sit, show that you are comfortable living in an isolated area, etc.
Thank you. I will try to correct the information about me in my profile, and I think recording a short video is a great idea 
Thank you. Yes, there are more than 10 reviews on my airnbnb profile and all are great. I hope they pay attention to them too.
Yes, I agree with you, it’s probably quite difficult to entrust a house and a pet to a stranger. Well, I’m being patient 