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Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member

Poll: Do you get more jobs from invites or bidding?

Reading here on the forums got me curious, so I looked into my own stats a bit and noticed that, while it's great to get invites, all of my jobs (I think) have been from bidding outright, versus being invited to apply. I also noted, disappointingly, that most of the jobs I had been invited to apply to had also had no activity since almost the day they were created, or within a few days of being created, and no hires (according to the post). Obviously that's neither here nor there, as we know clients may hire elsewhere, or change their minds, etc. 

 

But since I can probably only get out 1-2 proposals a week (if I'm lucky), including responding to invites, I am trying to determine where to best commit the resource of my time. So in that, I'm curious if others find that most of their jobs come from invites or if most of their jobs come from outright bidding? There may be no rhyme or reason in it at all, and that's okay. I also acknowledge that I only take a limited amount of work on UpWork because I also have my business offline and clients I found through traditional networking.

 

So, do you find that more of your contracts on UpWork are from invited proposals or uninvited proposals/bids? 

 

Thanks!

9 REPLIES 9
Jennifer's avatar
Jennifer M Community Member

I really don't think I've won an open marketplace bid in years. I don't track this stuff, but I can't remember the last time I did. It's my rates mainly but also I don't bid too much in that heap of smooth-brained basement dwellers. 

Amanda's avatar
Amanda L Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:

in that heap of smooth-brained basement dwellers. 


Lol. 

 

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to it. It's probably a very individualized experience. But I am curious as to what others have seen. 

 

I think for me the reason invites (other than from past clients) don't really pan out is because they just don't even know what they are looking for in the first place or what it even costs. I had a recent invite that was for a $1000 fixed-price job. Except that I know that job takes at least 80 hours of work. Which would be $12.50 an hour to me. I did submit a proposal with an appropriate bid, well above their budget, and maybe I'll be able to converse with them and provide them some education, but it's okay if not. I just think, especially in my field, they really have no idea what kind of work it takes to get a government grant submitted AND to win it. I'm sure they can pay some "basement dweller" $12.50 an hour to submit it. I doubt they'll win it though. Then it's a waste of $1,000. 

 

I am feeling the answers will be highly subjective to field, experience level, and rate, as you were hinting. 

Richard's avatar
Richard S Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:

I really don't think I've won an open marketplace bid in years. I don't track this stuff, but I can't remember the last time I did. It's my rates mainly but also I don't bid too much in that heap of smooth-brained basement dwellers. 

 

Lol


 

Joan's avatar
Joan S Community Member

Hi Amanda - I have only been a member of Upwork since late January but most of my jobs in copy editing, mostly, have come from proposals I made.

Petra's avatar
Petra R Community Member

Neither - most of mine is from repeat or ongoing clients, who I love and nurture and look after and treat like treasured pets.

Sergio's avatar
Sergio S Community Member

Same as Petra. Most of what I have been doing this year comes from recurring clients. And I won those clients through bidding some time ago. I also have clients outside. I am not sure but I think the invites I have received in Upwork never converted into a formal contract, since they hardly ever match my skills. I did have interviews but most of the time they realized what they needed was not as simple or as cheap as they had thought.

Melanie's avatar
Melanie H Community Member

Waaaay more on bidding, when I used to bid. UW is only supplemental for me and I work regularly from ongoing projects and repeat clients nowadays, but I know that usually invites weren't (aren't) a match for my skills. In fact, I just had to decline one - they were asking for someone to build a website. So, often the invites were and are a terrible match.

When I would bid, I'd often get the project. I vetted the clients (hire rate? Lots of feedback? Closes projects out or leaves them hanging for years with $20 posted as earned?), made sure it was all a match (including my rate being at least vaguely within throwing range of the listed offer), and submitted a non-cookie-cutter proposal and I would regularly win jobs that way.

This wasn't a zillion years ago or anything - I was actively combing jobs and bidding until probably 6 months ago (started back here at the end of 2017) - so hopefully it's relevant to a more recent Upwork. I don't know about bidding since the most recent changes, though. I do know that my total number of invites has gone down.
Anastasiia's avatar
Anastasiia S Community Member

I used to get a lot of invitations before. Most of the course were just a mailing list. But some of my best clients invited me themselves. It is a pity that now the number of invitations is limited. Now only mailing come.

Martina's avatar
Martina P Community Member


Amanda L wrote:

Reading here on the forums got me curious, so I looked into my own stats a bit and noticed that, while it's great to get invites, all of my jobs (I think) have been from bidding outright, versus being invited to apply. I also noted, disappointingly, that most of the jobs I had been invited to apply to had also had no activity since almost the day they were created, or within a few days of being created, and no hires (according to the post). Obviously that's neither here nor there, as we know clients may hire elsewhere, or change their minds, etc. 

 

But since I can probably only get out 1-2 proposals a week (if I'm lucky), including responding to invites, I am trying to determine where to best commit the resource of my time. So in that, I'm curious if others find that most of their jobs come from invites or if most of their jobs come from outright bidding? There may be no rhyme or reason in it at all, and that's okay. I also acknowledge that I only take a limited amount of work on UpWork because I also have my business offline and clients I found through traditional networking.

 

So, do you find that more of your contracts on UpWork are from invited proposals or uninvited proposals/bids? 

 

Thanks!


2% invites, 98% applying to jobs. I believe most freelancers have a similar ratio, that's why the incessant whining on the forum "why don't I get any invites" aggravates me to no end. Getting invites is not a birthright, rather the icing on the cake, even if that icing usually does not lead to a job.