Not getting any response after more than 10 submitted proposals.

[joelluis]

Hi, 

I'm kind of new to Upwork but I had Odesk before. 

When I started Odesk, I received 3 invites from clients which I had no idea that Odesk was actually working. It's only last week of August that I get to reactivate my account only to find out, it changed its name to Upwork already. And to my surprise, I have to pay to actually submit a proposal through connects. So I bought some connects and started submitting proposals. I even lowered my rate per hour for clients to be attracted to it which I am not sure if that's a good idea. Since then, I have been purchasing connects and submitting proposals here and there but to no avail. I don't know if clients are getting my proposals, or my account is visible to them. This is just frustrating on my part as I have been doing this for almost a week now.

PS: I know my profile is not that enticing to the eyes of a client as I haven't landed on any job yet on Upwork. 

[fizzah_n]

Hi,
It takes time to get hired and start earning but having said that you should search for tips on youtube and watch the videos on how you should be approaching the jobs posted. It actually helped me and I start getting responding after 5 months of trying.

[joelluis]

Hi, 

Thank for you responding and will take note on this. . 

[sjbercot]

Most freelancers here never make money, and those that do usually have to submit dozens of proposals to land their first job. So after only a week, it's pretty normal that you don't have any responses. You really want to  make sure your profile is well-written (including correct grammar and spelling) and engaging, that you're writing excellent cover letters, and that you're applying to jobs you're perfect for. There's a lot of competition  now, especially for freelancers that work at bottom rates, so you may have to invest a lot of time and more connects before you start getting leads. I'm not in your field, but often very low rates can have the opposite effect and cause serious clients to pass on you. You may reconsider charging very low rates.

[joelluis]

Hi, 

Yes, I am aware of the competition here. Most specially in this difficult time. People opt to work as a freelancer and from home.With regard to the rates, not sure if you meant "changing very low rates" or "charging very low rates" I am currently offering my service for as low as $3.00/hour. But thanks for responding, means a lot to me. 

[sjbercot]

Sorry, let me clarify! I meant your low hourly rate may be causing clients to avoid you. A very low rate can suggest that you are not professional. (I'm not saying you are not professional, just that low rates can sometimes make clients think that).

So you may think about raising your rate to more than $3/hour and see if you get more responses. 

Again, I am not in your industry, so look at successful freelancer profiles and see how your rate compares.