For New Freelancers: Addressing the Most Common Complaints on Why You Are Not Landing Jobs

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I see many newcomers to the freelancing business issue a wide range of complaints regarding their newly selected platforms, whether that is Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Truelancer, or any other 'lancer. After seeing the most common complaints, I decided these must be addressed by someone in the grind. (“Hello, that’s me!”) So why don’t we go through some of the most common grievances people like to quote for not landing jobs and how you can address them? Lastly, we’ll cover the mindset shift you require.

Some common examples:

• “It’s too competitive!”

Answer: Right, because no one else thought earning from home without having a boss or strictly regulated hours would be a good idea. My dear reader, it’s meant to be competitive. No monetary endeavor is going to be without competition. It all comes down to having pure dedication and resolve at making this work. Sure, some overnight success stories exist, but you shouldn’t aspire for the quick route. It’s going to be hard, some nights you’ll wish you gave up, but you just gotta keep going. Eventually, the interviews start rolling in!

• “There are too many categories!”

Answer: There are meant to be too many categories to cater to different client needs and talent skillsets. Play to your strengths. Are you good with literature? Try Creative Writing. No artistic taste but excellent at programming? Coding and Software for you then. Perfect at secretarial work? Work as a VA (Virtual Assistant).

You see, you don’t need to apply to every single category, although if you are skilled in different professions, you can dabble. Choose one or two that are your strongest and stick to them.

• “I don’t want to waste money on Connects…”

Answer: Think of Connects as your Upwork currency. They symbolize an exchange, a transaction. What is that transaction you ask? The opportunity to hunt down work, of course. In the long run, spending a few dollars on Connects will seem insignificant to you. Monitor your expenses and keep some spare changes aside for Connects, it’s for your best.

• “I’ve been trying for months and still no jobs.”

Answer: The fault is in your cover letter and profile description. This is the most common complaint I see. When I open the freelancer’s profile, I understand why they have no jobs. My advice would be to open the talent board on Upwork and imitate their profile description. (Don’t plagiarize, just see how they have presented themselves). You will have to be your harshest critic in this regard. Understand where you’re going wrong and change that. For cover letters, you can try watching YouTube videos, they are a charm.

I’d like to conclude by saying that the freelancing game is a mindset game. Be in it for the long run. You will not start earning millions of dollars on your first day. Take scalable steps to achieve that. One change at a time. When you start climbing the ladder, and you will, then you’ll see that these complaints are unjustified and that the system works. You just need to know how to play the game.

I hope this article was helpful. 

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.