Hello, All Freelancers at UpWork Community!
Over two years working at the UpWork platform, I have learned a few things I would like to share with you.
- Start Slow and Do not Get Frustrated (New Freelancers) :
Starting a new freelance account could be frustrating at times, and you may doubt that it works in the first place, but trust me, it does work. You should also trust yourself and your skills that you are ready to work on developing as a freelancer. - Build a good relationship with clients that they come back to you:
Even for one-time projects, I think it is essential to leave a good impact on the tasks you deliver. #Actions speak louder than words. #People you work with, always remember the impact you leave. - Compete with the best values and specialities that only you can offer:
Choose your best values, whether translation, proofreading, or any other skill you have. Highlight it and work on developing it constantly so that you become a professional freelancer in that domain. Do not limit yourself, do take on challenges.
Be Aware of these Three Type of Clients:
- Be Aware of clients who try to rip you off or pay you less for the task:
Those are very few cases, but they still happen occasionally. Knowing your market value and hourly rates can save you much time in the future. Do not waste your time with useless negotiations if it is not fair enough. - Be Aware of toxic clients (they have increased in 2022):
While this is also rare sometimes, I see that it has increased recently. Try to get your safe road around those people. Negative thinking people (clients in particular) would leave a terrible influence on the excellent work you have been doing for years. They might try to threaten you or give you a low rating just because they cannot communicate accurately with you on the project. Nevertheless, remember your values and do not let such toxicity get you down. You are a fantastic freelancer, after all! - Be Aware of fake accounts and scams (Telegrams/referrals):
Scammers all over the internet do exist. Recently they found their ways to join UpWork and target innocent freelancers. They would send you invitations to join a group chat, Telegrams or WhatsApp contact. They may ask you to pay in advance fees, deposits or bank transactions. Be careful and refuse immediately. Those are the worst types of clients you ever want to encounter (and I hope you never do). Again be aware of such misleading accounts, and do say NO when you do not feel comfortable. The best advice I can give you is to avoid outsourcing contact or payment all at once.
Hope that will be helpful and wish you a blissful journey as freelancers.
All the Best,
