Getting back into IT freelancing after an UNrewarding career change

[a5b6700c]

Hi All, 

I had a long career in IT, front-end web development, and eCommerce in corporate and as a freelancer.

I have been away from IT work for about 6 years. 

In 2016 I had the chance to start a new e-commerce company that sells baby products by subscription in Brazil with a partner of mine. We ran the company for 3 years until closing it in 2019. In the 3rd year, the company broke even but we moved back to the US. So we closed it.

We used Shopify to build the website.

• I have set up and custom-built the website.
• I learned how to use .liquid in the Shopify templates.
• I Integrated 3rd party apps into the site.
• I used Shopify API calls to display custom data on the website.
• I taught myself SEO,  spent 6 months focusing on tweaking the site,  and worked with SEO tools. It was amazing to see the number of organic visitors we started getting to the site. Approx. 5 times more organic visitors per month just from tweaking the site with SEO.  

I miss the industry and I am ready to freelance again after I tried doing real estate in NYC for a year and a half!

I am taking online classes to refresh my skills and look at what's new in SEO and Shopify

I want to focus on assisting small to medium businesses that use Shopify with SEO.

I am starting from 0 on Upwork - How should I update my profile, so that it is clear what I can offer the client without confusing them? what steps I can take to get back in the game?

Thank you,

[gilbert-phyllis · Accepted solution]

I know zip about your profession but my advice to re-orient yourself and get a feel for your competitive landscape on UW is this. Pretend you're a client and search for FLs on teh platform who are doing the kind of work you want to do, earning what you want to earn. What are their credentials and qualifications? How are they positioning themselves? What kinds of projects are they doing, for what kinds of clients? Then figure out your strategy for getting your toe in the door. 

Also, it will be tedious and might seem unnecessary but do spend time reviewing UW's material for newbies, esp to recognize the scams that proliferate on teh platform nowadays.

Good luck to you!

[a5b6700c]

Thank you Phyllis!