Client location for engineering work

mmccai1 · ‎01-20-2021

Upwork should require the client to post what state they are in for engineering work. Professional engineers can only provide services in states which we are licensed (based on the client's location). Is there any way to ask for more information (like specific location) without submitting a proposal?

mwiggenhorn · ‎01-20-2021

You can ask in your proposal. You can also re-word your profile to make it clear that you are only licensed to work in Louisiana at this time. Take a look at other engineers' profiles and see what they say.

martina_plaschka · ‎01-21-2021

Matthew M wrote:
Upwork should require the client to post what state they are in for engineering work. Professional engineers can only provide services in states which we are licensed (based on the client's location). Is there any way to ask for more information (like specific location) without submitting a proposal?

I'd say it depends what kind of services you will want to offer (you need to be more specific). Probably nobody will hire a freelancer on upwork to design a nuclear power plant (if that is what you are planning to offer). But if you plan on writing blog posts about nuclear power plants, it probably does not matter where you are located, and you don't need a license for it. Your clients could come from all over the world.

(I used nuclear power plant as an example. I have no idea what services you offer or plan to offer.)

feed_my_eyes · ‎01-21-2021

The client's location (both city and state) is to the right of every job post (under "About the client").

petra_r · ‎01-21-2021

Christine A wrote:
The client's location (both city and state) is to the right of every job post (under "About the client").

Not all of them 😉

Unverified ones usually just show the country

feed_my_eyes · ‎01-21-2021

Petra R wrote:
Christine A wrote:
The client's location (both city and state) is to the right of every job post (under "About the client").
Not all of them 😉
Unverified ones usually just show the country

Thanks for pointing that out - I honestly can't recall ever seeing a project posting where just the country was listed.

mmccai1 · ‎01-21-2021

Thanks for all the replies.

In response to asking for location in the proposal, I'm not going to waste time submitting a proposal for an engineering project in a state that would be unethical and illegal for me to do.
The majority of engineering jobs posted that I have looked at only have the country. And I'm not talking about writing blog post I'm referring to actual engineering work that people want. Usually when a client does have a location in the job description they are asking for illegal stamping of plans that they already have.
I wish there was a way to ask the client for more clarifying information before submitting a proposal.