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juliette_emonts
Community Member

Why isn't Upwork working for me?

Hello all,

 

Not sure if this is a topic worth posting here, but I'm gonna try anyway.

I've been on Upwork for several months now, and I consider myself well qualified in my areas of expertise.  However, so far, I've blown through almost 80 Connects by sending proposals to jobs that interest me.  Not once, I repeat not once, have I gotten any kind of reaction from the job posters.  

And it's not even that the jobs were awarded to someone else, because I always click the option to be notified if that is the case.  It just seems that the jobs are fake or something.  Eventually I get a notification that a job that I have send a proposal to has expired, just like that.

I specialize in writing, ghost-writing and translations.  There are so many opportunities on this platform.  Yet not for me for whatever reason.  I won't sell myself for cheap and under the going rate, but propose a reasonable rate for the required work, but that can't surely be the reason?

By now, I don't qualify for a public profile anymore due to this, and of course, I don't have any credentials to show.

Has anyone else experienced this?  And what can one do in order to be more successful?

Greetings,

Juliette

11 REPLIES 11
creativedigit
Community Member

Hi Juliette,

There are many factors so one cannot pretend why is this the case, but I believe that you shouldn't give up on this platform.

Since you mentioned that most of the jobs nobody is hired for, then I would suggest that you apply to jobs posted by clients with previous paid contracts.

I understand that you don't wanna sell yourself cheap, but I also think it might help to lower your rates for the first couple of small gigs. You know just something to gige you a push and some review.

Lastly, you may need to revise the way you are writing while submitting for a job. Some people prefer to copy/paste for common jobs but Upwork doesn't like that and may filter out your application. Something else I personally noticed is that when I use specific terms I feel like my application is archived or buried somewhere the client can't see. This often happens when I mention money-related terms or when I use something like "I can give you a call to explain". There seem to be some filtering mechanism in my opinion, so you need to constantly experiment with different writing styles until you bypass that. Again, this is from personal observation and I am only mentioning it in the context of answering your questions, but this doesn't necessarily have to be very accurate.

Wish you the best of luck.
sergio-soria
Community Member

Well, I can't see your profile because it's not public. To recover the public status you can follow the steps in the e-mail they sent to you when it was turned private. I believe you can ask CS to switch it back. Sometimes it takes a couple of days.

 

To land jobs in a platform like this is not really easy, especially when you are a newcomer, because clients naturally tend to go with experienced freelancers. You can be a genius with 20 years of experience outside but here you are considered a newbie, until you cut your teeth. So if you don't have anything in your portfolio I suggest you create a piece and include it as a sample. It doesn't matter if it's a real job you did or a blog of yours. Once you land your first job and get the ball rolling things will be easier.

 

Besides you need to vet clients carefully before sending proposals. It's not only that you need to be perfectly qualified, it's that you have to check if those clients are reliable enough. How? Upwork give you some information about the client. Some people are prone to publish something and never hire, or hire people way below your rate, etc. Don't worry about your rate. You decide your rate according to what you think you deserves, your education/experience, etc. That's it. A very low rate may get you a first gig, but you know what? Then it will be hard as hell to get out of that box tagged "Cheap freelancers." Also you need to be careful with your writing both in profile and proposals, especially because you are a writer. Don't use canned templates to write a proposal, instead tailor it specifically for that client's needs, but also try to be brief.

 

And finally, have in count that some clients post here and also in other platforms so if they find what they need somewhere else they hardly ever come here to close their post.

Hey Sergio,

 

Ok so about the private and public portolio/profile....if we keep our portfolio private, the job we're submitting to, "Only" the client can see our profile right? Is that how it works?  I want my profile/portfolio kept private for only upwork potential client. (safety reasons)

 

- Brian S.


Brian S wrote:

Hey Sergio,

 

Ok so about the private and public portolio/profile....if we keep our portfolio private, the job we're submitting to, "Only" the client can see our profile right? Is that how it works?  I want my profile/portfolio kept private for only upwork potential client. (safety reasons)

 

- Brian S.


Right. If your profile is private only the client who receives a proposal from you will be able to see it. You will be hidden in searches and in the community as well.

jennifervh
Community Member

Hi Juliette, I can't answer your question really, but can share my experience.

 

As a caveat, I'm in a role (data visualization - Tableau developer) that probably has less competition than writing and seems to be hot at the moment (I tell my friends I have to enjoy my freelance lifestyle now, because with how quickly technology changes what I do may not be as in demand in a few years).

 

In my first 8-10 months on the platform, I sent many, many more than 80 connects worth of proposals, and nearly none of them were answered. I got a few projects during that time period, and I did charge less than what my goal was to eventually charge, because I wanted to get some reviews and establish some kind of reputation. I didn't charge ridiculously low, but low in comparison to my goal. I did also refuse a few offers during that time period because the rate offered was a bit insulting.

 

At any rate, once my Job Success rating kicked in (it takes awhile to get this) and I got client reviews, I began getting more job invitations. I've still had some spotty periods (over the winter) of not enough work, but I have been paying the bills based on freelancing alone.  I now (a little less than two years since I started) hardly ever send a proposal, because I have invitations to interview rolling in fairly steadily.  I'm so glad I stuck with it through the initial dry period. I give myself regular raises :), and am now charging even more than my initial target.

Hi Jennifer, 

 

I am trying to learn Tableau as well. Which version do you use for doing the projects ? And is there any free version? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Hi Merin, I have multiple versions of the software and use whichever version my client is using. Tableau does allow folks to download a free version of their product - just google Tableau Public. Have fun with it!

 

Best,

Jennifer


Jennifer V wrote:

Hi Juliette, I can't answer your question really, but can share my experience.

 

As a caveat, I'm in a role (data visualization - Tableau developer) that probably has less competition than writing and seems to be hot at the moment (I tell my friends I have to enjoy my freelance lifestyle now, because with how quickly technology changes what I do may not be as in demand in a few years).

 

In my first 8-10 months on the platform, I sent many, many more than 80 connects worth of proposals, and nearly none of them were answered. I got a few projects during that time period, and I did charge less than what my goal was to eventually charge, because I wanted to get some reviews and establish some kind of reputation. I didn't charge ridiculously low, but low in comparison to my goal. I did also refuse a few offers during that time period because the rate offered was a bit insulting.

 

At any rate, once my Job Success rating kicked in (it takes awhile to get this) and I got client reviews, I began getting more job invitations. I've still had some spotty periods (over the winter) of not enough work, but I have been paying the bills based on freelancing alone.  I now (a little less than two years since I started) hardly ever send a proposal, because I have invitations to interview rolling in fairly steadily.  I'm so glad I stuck with it through the initial dry period. I give myself regular raises :), and am now charging even more than my initial target.


I would say I'm pretty much in this same boat, with a few differences. I'm a graphic designer... a very competitive field. So I searched for either jobs outside the norm where I thought I had a good shot of being chosen, or jobs in my field of expertise... print book design. I went for fixed rate jobs so my "rate" didn't really play into things, but I sure made less than I had been making at my previous job.

 

I also took random jobs like hand writing letters because I have nice handwriting. Some of my proposals were *really* unique. I figured I had nothing to lose so I experimented to see what kind of letter might get a response.

 

I will say, when you DO land something, make sure you are attentive and responsive and do your absolute best, because building up your job success score will be really helpful in the beginning.

Jennifer, your response has inspired me.  Thanks.

florydev
Community Member


Juliette E wrote:

Hello all,

 

Not sure if this is a topic worth posting here, but I'm gonna try anyway.

I think this is the right place.

 

You can request that your profile be made public again by going here: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003975967

 


And it's not even that the jobs were awarded to someone else, because I always click the option to be notified if that is the case.  It just seems that the jobs are fake or something.  Eventually I get a notification that a job that I have send a proposal to has expired, just like that.

I don't think it helps to think of the jobs as fake.  Some of them  are surely but clearly some of them are not.  People have had success, so can you.  What you have to consider is, why did YOU not get the job and what can you do about it?

 

I can't see your profile, I am not sure if that is because it is private or a forum setting, but most people in their profile write it like it is a resume cover letter.  The same cover letters that nobody hardly reads.  This, in my opinion, is different.  Every thing you write there and in every proposal is a sales pitch.  You are selling yourself but it should not be about you but what you can do for your clients.

 

I think as an exercise you should try to imagine a client coming that needs someone to do exactly what you do best.  How would you convince that person that you are the one who does that best?  Write that down, then refine it, then have a friend read it and make sure it still sounds like you.

 

In the same light when you write a proposal you need to hook a client very quickly.  The first two lines on the cover letter are key to that because that is all they see on the cover letter.  People often start with:

Hi, I am Juliette and I have X numbers of years of experience doing this thing that everyone else is responding to you says as well.

 

Instead of...

The number one factor people fail to consider when hiring a ghostwriter is...

 

I don't know what you might say there but I bet you do.  I am going to guess the next client might wonder what ELSE you have to say.  That's what you want, you want them to wonder what else you know that they do not.

 

This is not a template either, you need to find a unique thing to say with every proposal.  Concise but with punch.

 


I won't sell myself for cheap and under the going rate, but propose a reasonable rate for the required work, but that can't surely be the reason?

I think this is a great attitude to have.  It is very common advice to lower your rate that I don't agree with.  

 

Finding the first work is the hardest.  There are people here that get to the point they don't even look any more.  I look all the time.

 

Another piece of common advice is to only apply for established clients.  If I had followed that advice I would not have gotten my first or my last client and perhaps my next one (had a phone call on Friday).

juliette_emonts
Community Member

Thank you to all of you who have replied to my post.  There was some very good advice given which I will follow, and take a new stand at finding freelance jobs on this platform.

 

Greetings,

Juliette

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