Process for landing contract

[cfa2476a]

Hello, I am new to upwork and am curious on the process of landing a job. This is my impression, but please let me know if I am off. 

1. Send client a proposal

2. Client reaches out via messages.

3. Both parties agree upon contract.

4. Freelancer does agreed upon work, employer confirms agreed upon work is done. 

5. Get paid. 

For my first job, I had a client message me about doing a project on a short timeline, I did it, sent the result (excel sheet) in messages, and have not heard anything back from them or gotten paid. I put a ticket in with support. Is there any way to resolve this? 

[sofia2008]

If you did not have a proper contract in place on Upwork, you won't be paid. Support won't be able to help you either.

Please look at the ressources of the Academy https://community.upwork.com/t5/Learning-Paths/ct-p/LearningPaths  to learn more about the platform.