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maryann333
Community Member

I don't get hired after becoming Top Rated.

Hello!

I used to receive a lot of invitation to interviews, many job offers when I was not a top rated freelancer and my job score was between 88 and 92.Nearly all clients contacted me after reading my purposals. I thought that the number of offers will increase after getting this long awaited badge but to my surprise that didn't happen.

On the contrary-I receive no invitation to interviews,my proposals get ignored so I never get hired even for the jobs I totally qualify for.

It's not that my rate is too high either so what's the problem for the clients?
Maybe it's better to lose my badge but at least get hired.

So you have any thoughts or advice?

Thanks a lot!
19 REPLIES 19
bundie702
Community Member

I noticed a drop in invitations to interview as well after earning my Top Rated badge last week. I've been busy so haven't been doing much applying, but when I applied to an editing position yesterday the client did contact me. Unfortunately, he pulled a bait-and-switch, dropping the advertised budget from $100 down to $30, so I withdrew.

 

My advice would be to keep trying. It might be that the time of year is playing a role. I'm not seeing a lot of jobs that interest me. People might be putting work on hold.

mtngigi
Community Member

You've got 8 jobs in progress ... what's the problem?

gerrys
Community Member

"Top rated" does not mean you get to "work less" to get that next job; all it means is that you've done well in the "past".

 

I'm sure there are plenty of "noobs" around that can kick top *ss; just haven't "proven" it (yet).

 

So, keep those (good) applications going; there is no free lunch.

lizaskew
Community Member

No one was asking for a free lunch. The original poster's question seemed to concern getting fewer replies to his proposals, rather than kicking back and waiting for jobs to come to him.

 

That being said, I'm beginning to notice a lack of proposals coming my way after just two weeks as top rated. Sure, it's only been two weeks, but I was getting multiple proposals each day before, and suddenly, it's more like one per week.

 

But this thread was started in early December, right before Christmas. And as I'm noticing the same thing happening, school is letting out for summer and people are gearing up for vacations. So that does suggest a pattern of the season playing a roll in the volume of available jobs.

 

If anything, it seems the poster and I got our badges just in the nick of time to give us a seasonal advantage.

Oh God, I thought I was the only one. Its been a couple of months now since I got top-rated. I used to get a reply from at least one proposal out of ten when I was rising talent. But now I've spent too many connects, I even bought extra again. I can only get my past clients to order again but I never hear back from the proposals I submit now. Also, I used to get invites if I was ever inactive for a week or so, but now I haven't gotten any for months. 

I think Covid has changed who is working online And using Upwork a little
bit over the last few months. Don't worry, that status really is helpful!


Elizabeth S wrote:
I think Covid has changed who is working online And using Upwork a little
bit over the last few months. Don't worry, that status really is helpful!

I checked out your profile and I really like the first sentences but you should take out the word currently in the next paragraph.  You want to be definitive and the word currently makes it sound like you not really interested in that (even if true how does it help you to communicate it).

Can you please take a look into my profile and let me know is this ok or should I change some thing?

Hello sir!

Can you please check my profile and told me if there's anything to add or to change on it?

Thanks

davidd1008
Community Member

I had the opposite experience, so it's probably just a fluke. 

 

Also, the holidays are coming up and a lot of companies/clients slow down a bit. Just one of those things. Keep looking and applying. You'll get there. 

faraz046
Community Member

I am having the same issue, I've been top rated for more than a year and my hiring ratio has dropped below average. I write customized proposals for each of the jobs which take lots of time and effort but to no effect. 

I was doing pretty well on Elance before I was forced to join UpWork. Things haven't been the same since.

In my experience, Top Rated badge is not an improvement at all, It does not help in securing jobs in any way. If anything, it has been counter-effective for me. It resulted in fewer invitations from clients. I am utterly disappointed. 😞 

yitwail
Community Member

Everyone who thinks top rated badge causes fewer invitations or contracts needs a lesson in logic. If a rooster crows and then the sun rises, that does not mean the rooster causes the sunrise. In the case of the top rated badge and fewer invitations or hires, it’s probably coincidence.

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce
tlsanders
Community Member

Weirdly, a lot of freelancers have reported this experience. It doesn't seem to last, so you should probably just ignore it and keep moving.

sivavranagaro
Community Member

I have to admit, while I was hiring I was going with logic "Ok, they have 2000+ hours worked. Surely they get lots of opportunity. Let's try giving a chance to newbies instead."
I'm not saying this is a rule, but maybe others do like me. Which is no good anyway for me because I'm in those 2000+.
____________
Don't correct my grammar!
hermanng
Community Member

Join the club - got top rated a coupple of months ago and while I was getting jobs all the time before since I got top rated (am at 100%) I send out some 60 individual applications and just got one smallish job. Mind you, 98% of those jobs I applied for have not hired anyone and from 99% of those there is no reply what so ever, even on invitations and jobs from the Upwork talent scout No Joy

 

I have no idea what is going on all I see is that all jobs get spammed with 50+ applications which nay be the cause. If I was looking for a freelancer and had my email account spammed like that I would also go elsewhere 

 

When applying I avoid those "average hourly rate $3.99" and other rediculous offers

nirivola
Community Member

I realized once I qualified Top-rated then my invitation interview decreased hardly, I don't really know the reason however I would like to receive tips from you, what can I do front of this situation.

Sadly, just one month before being Top-rated, I received maybe 4 or 5 invitations per week, and now since one month qualified Top rated it was just 4 invitations. I ignore these algorithms.

Thank you for your help
Nirivola

a3d00e22
Community Member

How do you get notified when you have an offer, do you have to keep opening your upwork to check your proposals.

and also if you have like 3months hourly contract , would the payment come at the end of the three months or it can coming after each month? 

 

Hi Vera,

 

When you receive an offer from a client you will be notified based on the notification settings you've set on your account.

 

Regarding your second question, payment on your contracts is based on the type of contract you and your client agree upon. On Hourly Contracts, the client is billed every Monday for the hours you've completed the week prior, and funds get released to you after 10 days. On Fixed-Price contracts, your client is billed for milestones you complete on a project through the use of an escrow deposit, and funds get released to you after 5 days have passed from the approval of a milestone. 

 

Since you're fairly new to the platform, you may want to check out this thread Getting Started on Upwork as well as our Resource Center; where you’ll find some excellent articles and learn more about Upwork.

~ Luiggi
Upwork
gavin_mc_cabe
Community Member

I'm in the same situation. 100% job success. Top rated plus badge. Have not been hired in months and very rarely get any invites. When I do get an invite and I accept and reply I'll usually recieve no further messages from the client. I regularly apply for jobs, nearly ten in the last two weeks and only received one reply. Was not hired as the client said he usually works with clients from lower wage countries. I think he expected me to work for like 5 dollars an hour. I understand this is just the landscape we are in but it's getting to the point where it feels pointless applying to anything unless you chop your fees in half or quarter which ultimately is a bad idea for all of us. I can also see there is clearly some disgruntled clients on upwork that have been burned by hiring low cost workers who'se skills are just not up to par. 

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