Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how Upwork calculates its Job Success Score (JSS) and Client Relationship metrics, and I wanted to share my experience to see if others have encountered similar situations.
My Experience
In the past 90 days, I’ve worked on four projects:
- One long-term project of about 2 months.
- Two short-term contracts, both completed successfully.
- One ongoing project that has been running for over 4 months.
All completed projects have received excellent feedback, and I’m confident the ongoing one will also conclude positively. Despite this, while I have a 100% JSS, my Client Relationship percentage is only at 25%. This has left me puzzled, given the positive outcomes of my recent projects.
What I Discovered
After researching, I learned that Upwork’s Client Relationship metric focuses heavily on long-term contracts:
- Only contracts lasting 90 days or more are considered long-term.
- Ongoing relationships are deemed successful unless they end with negative feedback.
- If negative feedback is left, only the most recent “job” within that contract is counted as unsuccessful.
Given this, I realized my confusion stemmed from:
- Two of my jobs were short-term and did not contribute to the Client Relationship percentage.
- The project that lasted about two months didn’t meet the 90-day requirement for a long-term relationship.
Rising Talent Badge Concerns
I also haven’t received the Rising Talent badge, even though I feel my profile and work meet the criteria. Could my low Client Relationship percentage be affecting my eligibility?
Questions for Fellow Freelancers
1. Have you experienced a similar situation where your Client Relationship percentage didn’t reflect your actual work history and client feedback?
2. How have you managed your Upwork profile and contracts to better align with Upwork’s metrics for long-term relationships?
3. Does anyone have insights on the specific criteria Upwork uses for the Rising Talent badge? Could a low Client Relationship percentage be a factor?
4. What strategies have you found effective in balancing short-term and long-term contracts to optimize both your JSS and Client Relationship metrics?
I’m eager to hear your thoughts and experiences. Understanding these metrics is crucial for all of us to thrive on Upwork, and I believe sharing our insights can help us navigate these complexities better. Looking forward to your feedback!
