How does anybody actually get any work on this thing?!

[lucyreid]

I registered for Upwork a couple of years ago, but abandoned it because I got fed up - despite spending time on several proposals, I never got any work or even received any repsonses to my proposals.

I am an experienced and skilled graphic designer, but trying to use Upwork has demoralised me 😞

Any tips?

Thanks!

Lucy

[AndreaG]

Hi Lucy,

I'm sorry to hear you feel this way. Submitting proposals doesn't always guarantee that you will get hired or get a chance to be interviewed, but you shouldn't give up on sending proposals to potential clients. You may check our Resource Corner and find some excellent topics there:

Submitting a Winning Proposal on Upwork

Make Your Freelancer Profile More Visible & Appealing

Enhance Your Freelancer Profile for Greater Success

When you apply for jobs, make sure your proposal is well written and that you're absolutely qualified and certain of your ability to complete the job you're applying for. Also be sure to check out our Events & Webinars for information on how you can build a strong profile, win high-quality jobs, and start getting paid.

[lucyreid]

Thank you Andrea. I know that I am more than qualified for the jobs I am applying for, but perhaps I need to look at how I'm presenting my proposals, and also whether my profile is as good as it can be.

[gilbert-phyllis]

A marketable skill set is only one thing required to succeed here. You also need to understand freelancing (I can't see your profile so can't tell whether or not you have experience as an independent contractor) and you need to understand freelancing via a global platform (which is not the same as doing it in the b&m world). The ROI simply isn't here for everyone but for me and other FLs I know across several categories, one key is to realize it's a long game. I arrived with 20+ years of freelancing experience and still took a month (and 60 connects) to land my first contract and another month (and nearly 60 more connects to land the second. Then, a good six more months (of bidding on every project I found that was a very good fit for me) before I began to get real traction. 

I recommend you search out FLs who are doing the kinds of work you want to do, earning what you want to charge, and study their profiles. 

Make sure your profile is solid, with engaging portfolio items. Remember UW proposals are short attention span theater -- use the first two lines to grab their attention or they'll never click it open and see the rest of it. 

Good luck!

[lucyreid]

Thank you Phyllis! That was really helpful. I have over 25 years experience in the field, and 12 years experience as a freelancer - most of my work comes through my website, word of mouth and regular clients, so I haven't really been in the position of having to 'bid' for work.

It helps to know it took a while for you to gain any traction on UW, and some perseverance - so I will try and do the same! And I think I also need to look at how I am presenting my proposals.

Thanks again,

Lucy

[kinector]

Yeah Lucy, freelance sites are fundamentally different from IRL freelancing especially in the beginning.

The only quick way for getting started is picking a niche that has little if any competition. Yet, it just about exists, i.e. there are a couple of jobs available but few others are qualified to make a good bid.

Then you write a profile and a perfectly matching proposal to nail those couple of first gigs. The rest will come once you breach the $0 earnings void with good reviews. And consequently, a bad review early on kills your business out here completely.

The mistake that most seem to be doing is they go head to head competing with everyone and start lowballing first to breach that $0 state, because they think that's the only way. That approach usually leads to more lowballing, because now your work history verifies that you do lowballing. Then they come to this forum complaining bad client don't pay them properly. Self-inflicted damage, 100%.

Your experience will come in handy once someone talks to you, but not before. It's all about the profile (I cannot see yours) and proposals and how well you target a specific niche. It's a kind of time investment that totally pays off once you get to the good part Upwork offers at its best (e.g. invitations).

It would be good to have something extra, like additional benefits the client gets when working with you, rather than talking about an excellent delivery. Value-added stuff can make a difference.