Referring Someone to Join Upwork.

tkgnewseed · ‎10-10-2018

Hi.

I have been a member here for several years now and I wanted to get my wife to join up. However, when she tried to join they denied her. She's a copywriter / SEO person and they said that copywriting is staturated with too many already.

Is there any way to around this? I am an outstanding member for Upwork with great ratings and I know my wife will offer the same type of customer services in her field.

Thank you.

colettelewis · ‎10-10-2018

@Eddie K wrote:
Hi.
I have been a member here for several years now and I wanted to get my wife to join up. However, when she tried to join they denied her. She's a copywriter / SEO person and they said that copywriting is staturated with too many already.

Is there any way to around this? I am an outstanding member for Upwork with great ratings and I know my wife will offer the same type of customer services in her fie

Thank you.

________________________

She could try another writing niche and leave SEO out of the equation. Also she should do some Upwork tests (particularly the readiness test) with "above average" ratings and add a good portfolio - but leave out those keywords.

tkgnewseed · ‎10-10-2018

Thank you for responding. She pretty much did the whole process (profile set up, portfolio, etc) but was rejected. I will have to ask her what all keywords she used but it would be nice to know if there is a list of fields in demand vs fields that are currently not open to new prospecting freelancers.

I also like to ask if she did do away with those keywords and used something else and get accepted, can she change those keywords to something else like the ones she wanted in the first place?

colettelewis · ‎10-10-2018

Mine was only a suggestion. I don't know if it will work or not. Sometimes I think it is a bit luck of the draw. There are still people whose profiles are being accepted, but who should not be on the site at all, let alone call themselves freelancers.

😞

tkgnewseed · ‎10-10-2018

I concur. Thank you for your feedback.

petra_r · ‎10-10-2018

@Eddie K wrote:
Thank you for responding. She pretty much did the whole process (profile set up, portfolio, etc) but was rejected. I will have to ask her what all keywords she used but it would be nice to know if there is a list of fields in demand vs fields that are currently not open to new prospecting freelancers.

I also like to ask if she did do away with those keywords and used something else and get accepted, can she change those keywords to something else like the ones she wanted in the first place?

According toUpwork's CEO 98% of all new profiles are rejected.

From what we can observe, the majority of the few that are accepted never make a single Dollar.

The 2 most overcrowded categories (along with the dreaded data entry and logo design) are writing and SEO.

colettelewis · ‎10-10-2018

What is galling though, is to see people offering computer applications (with higher degrees) whose profiles seem to have been accepted, but who are clearly lying: about their location, their education, their skillset and the number of years experience they have.

iacob_irina · ‎10-10-2018

And those people cause issues for the rest of us who worked on the site since it was named oDesk, never had a client complaining about us and so on. And the issues i refer to are the ones related to identity checking.

Maybe the wife of the original poster could offer translation services instead? editing? proofreading? I don't know her skills, but she could try that niche. I haven't used those keywords in a long time, so I can't be sure how to change them.

Good luck to the wife!

jmlaidlaw · ‎10-11-2018

@ Irina --

Quote: "Maybe the wife of the original poster could offer translation services instead? editing? proofreading? I don't know her skills, but she could try that niche."

I understand that you mean well, so please take this as re-direction, and not as outright pique:

It is indeed pointless to suggest that anyone whose skills are unknown list him or herself as an editor, proofreader, and/or translator. Each one of these skills is NOT one that can be offered simply by someone who kinda speaks a language -- or even by someone who is a native speaker of a specific language. In fact, it makes those of us who are professionals (genuine, bona fide, trained/experienced) proofreaders, editors, and/or translators a bit crazy when we see random people (many of whom do not even speak English at a native level) claiming that they can offer such skills (in English or, in the case of translation, INTO English) at a professional, marketable level.

tkgnewseed · ‎10-11-2018

Thank you Petra.

That's too bad. She was on Elance years ago but never kept up with Upwork when it was migrated over because worked outside the home for a few years. I can only assume that particular account has since been removed by Upwork which is why she is trying to establish a new one.

colettelewis · ‎10-11-2018

@Eddie K wrote:
Thank you Petra.
That's too bad. She was on Elance years ago but never kept up with Upwork when it was migrated over because worked outside the home for a few years. I can only assume that particular account has since been removed by Upwork which is why she is trying to establish a new one.

____________________________

The cut-off point for merging was some time ago, so your wife's Elance account would no longer be viable and she would have to set up a new Upwork account.

Despite what the CEO has said about not accepting new profiles in a saturated market, there seem to be a good many "freelancers" who are still finding ways of having their profiles accepted (as writers).

What is more, Upwork does not appear to be doing anything about those thousands of profiles that have 0 earnings, or those who do, but have been inactive for over two years and are still top rated. Something weird about that too.

melaniekhenson · ‎10-11-2018

I think the "oversaturation" thing is just a catch-all, TBH. There may be some other reason, or reasons, that UW doesn't want to get into with the rejected party. Just a thought.

leeannmerrill · ‎10-11-2018

Nichola, when you say "those" keywords you mean "SEO" and "copywriter/copywriting"?

leeannmerrill · ‎10-11-2018

Oh, forgot - who is the Upwork readiness test aimed at pleasing (if you do well)?

barada00 · ‎10-11-2018

@Lee Ann M wrote:
Oh, forgot - who is the Upwork readiness test aimed at pleasing (if you do well)?

It's to make sure you're ready...

...not to be scammed

...not to get suspended

...not to feel frustration

...not to write here complaining about things a million people complained before you...