To all freelancers looking for help

[the-right-writer]

I have always had freelancers come to me for help. In the last year, the river has swelled into an enormous ocean.

You don't need me; Upwork provides an enormous amount of information that few ever use. If, after you have gone through all the information I provide, you still have questions, that is when you ask additional questions in the forum.

If you think you will make big bucks right away, you are mistaken. The majority of freelancers never land a job because they have no skills and aren't interested in educating themselves. Others believe online freelancing is a path to full-time employment. It can be, but highly unlikely on this platform.

Freelancing is not for everyone. It means you are self-employed and must adhere to all regulations and laws governing responsibilities, such as paying taxes. Freelancing means you are on your own. No one has your back, including Upwork. If you don't follow the rules, no one will or can help you.

If you are willing to work hard, follow the rules and prepared to spend a lot of connects and proposals, you can be successful, as many are on Upwork. While so many fail, it is almost always due to lack of skills and treating freelancing like employment  where the employer will make sure you do the job correctly.

If you want to succeed, start with the Terms of Service, then read this from Wes.

Then go here. Then here.  Next, check this site regularly for events such as webinars and other learning opportunities.

After that, go here for safety information, and then here. If you still need help, after you have gone through all the previous steps, you can find additional help here. This thread is dedicated to new freelancers. And here are announcements from Upwork that can help keep you up to date.

It will take some time to go through all the information. I'm not suggesting people should not post in the forum, I am suggesting before you ask questions and want help, you need to help yourself first.

From Prashant P: "And have relevant profile picture of your face.  Not some desks, or Mickey mouse, or full face covering." 

From Susan S: "And patience! Have patience! It takes a while to get started, even after going through all the information available."

From Martina P:  "Only one thing you forgot, namely telling people to use all 15 skills, if you have all 15 skills"

And with advice from Maria T, I will say, 

Refrain from personal messages, please read all the links I have added.

[the-right-writer]

I do not know what you mean by a job referral. All you need to do is go through the job feed.

The only time I recommend another freelancer for a project is when I personally know them very well as far as skills. And even then, the freelancer is on their own to apply.

[bundie702]

"The only time I recommend another freelancer for a project is when I personally know them very well as far as skills."

---------

That is precisely what I said to the requests made to me from strangers asking me to recommend them once Upwork implemented referrals...

[3e4df3cc]

hello my name is imran i am anew freelancer please chek my potforio and give feed back

[feed_my_eyes]

You need to write your overview in your own words and create your own portfolio pieces, or you won't get hired by anyone. I suggest taking some design courses and then returning to Upwork when you're ready.

[0312f996]

Hello ma'am

Good day I'm new to upwork and freelance in general, but i have been working as a graphic designer for 2 years now and still learning as well, ma pls could take a look at my profile and give me some feedback it will really really help me a lot.

Thanks 

[the-right-writer]

Go through the links in the post at the top. There are links to the various Academy courses which will help you learn what you need to do to stay safe and how to land jobs. Being new, you are at high risk of being scammed, so it's essential you know all the rules and what will happen if you don't follow them. Scammers target new and inexperienced freelancers.

Although you may have great skills, it usually takes time to transition to online freelancing. For many, it is like starting over. You will likely put in a lot of proposals and spend a lot of connects before landing your first job. That's the reality for anyone joining now.

[prodelacom]

Upwork has turned into a pay-to-get-hired platform now. Well... Except many freelancers don't get hired anymore, since the new platform updates. Connects to send a proposal have increased by +100%. It's very hard to continue working with upwork. Many freelancers are planning to leave the platform.

[the-right-writer]

Upwork has turned into a pay-to-get-hired platform now.

I disagree. There are issues, including allowing anyone to be a freelancer if they can buy connects. However, any platform has fees. Freelancing in the physical world has costs. If the return is poor or no jobs are available, it only makes sense to have other options. Everyone, no matter how good things are going, should always have a backup plan, or two, or three and other ways or places to make money.

[aerongraphics]

Hey! I have great experience with Local Market Clients Now just move to upwork and ready to start, is there anything you can suggest me how i can move my previous clients to upwork better ways?

[9d4eb9fb]

I will honestly say that if you're are new to your field and doing freelancing.it will make mess. First you have to get some real experience on other platforms or onsite jobs for at least one year then you will not get more headache 😨 in freelancing 

[ijazmuhammad77]

Hi Imran L, you need to learn some more skills like other freelancers in Upwork and add them also you have to make/add your attractive portfolio in your profile in this way, hopefully, you will be hired for projects.  

[williamtcooper]

Hey Jeanne, good reminders for everyone!

[martina_plaschka]

Thanks! Why don't you use all 15 skills, yet tell everyone to do it?

[aa6d8545]

Hey,

It's great to see these important links, I'm new here and felt lost, but I'll keep looking and stay informed

One of the admins should pin that post because it's very helpful for new freelancers.

[martina_plaschka]

Excellent post, Jeanne H! Only one thing you forgot, namely telling people to use all 15 skills. Thanks!

[3a761b81]

This flew over my head. Which 15 skills are we talking about?

[25005175]

Add Skills. They are located just below your portfolio section. They look like this (taken from my profile):

[martina_plaschka]

Jonathan, I noticed you only used 14. Please add one. Thank you. 

[25005175]

Yeah, that's because I struggle to find a 15th that is a skill that I actually want to advertise. I definitely have other skills, but they are either wholly unrelated to my main services or are a service that I don't want to provide.

[researchediting]

Jonathan, I believe your leg has been successfully pulled.

[martina_plaschka]

Should I go for the other one too?

[yofazza]

Martina, I've been seeing the "15 skills" talks lately and I'm actually wondering...

Do I need to reduce my skills to, let's say, only 3 skills that I think has the most probability of getting matched?  Thanks!

[researchediting]

Interjecting, if I may:
I choose skills based on the likelihood of their attracting my target clientele. I may have as many as a dozen. I resist Upwork's repeated blandishments to add more; their suggestions are typically either for skills below outside my target market, or verifiable spam magnets— or, laughably, ones that I have already listed. I would suggest our skills, whatever their number, should exclusively reflect the peak value we can offer our target clients.

[yofazza]

Thanks Douglas,

I thought including 15 skills will simply maximize the probability of being matched, but I'm now thinking the algo is not that simple.

[the-right-writer]

Upwork keeps telling us it is crucial to have 15 skills, but I, too, wonder if that messes with the program. I may drop some of my skills and see if I detect any changes.

[allpurposewriter]

I haven't a clue how many skills I have listed ... and I'm not very interested, either.

This is a nice discussion, too.  Thanks, Jeanne and others.

[adbd68c1]

Hello, Anthony! I'm a big fan of yours, I read a lot of your recommendations for freelancers, and a lot of what you said I applied to my profile. But I can't get my first order. Anthony, could you please take a look and evaluate my profile and give me a recommendation? Thank you very much.

[2d5c6d6b]

I don't think you have to downsize those things of what you are capable of

[25005175]

---

Martina P wrote:

Should I go for the other one too?

---

I'll be walking funny until you do

[inssect]

I tried to edit my skills but it says only 10 skills maximum. ...and before I clicked edit I had 15?

[mohsin013]

can you please tell me how did you use dark mode in upwork ?

[the-right-writer]

Upwork will not provide a dark mode, so you have to use programs from outside. I use Dark Reader.

Unfortunately, with Upwork messing with the jobs page, now you can't see the job titles with Dark Mode. Freelancers have been begging for a dark mode, for at least a decade, but Upwork refuses. So now, you can't use Dark Reader, unless you want to guess what the job title is.

There are other programs out there, and maybe Upwork will allow one of them to work. I have never understood why they insist on violating the accessible standards for all websites, and insist on temporarily blinding people. It's one thing to not offer a basic dark mode, and quite another to intentionally make the programs unusuable.

[m_terrazas]

Perfect Jeanne. Applause.
I've flagged your post to see if we can get it pinned along with Wes's in the top positions on both Freelancers and New to Upwork.
I feel sorry for you, but you are going to be inundated with messages.
I think you should add a phrase like "refrain from personal messages, please read all the links I have added".

[sh_jyoti]

@Jeanne H

Every single word you have written, is true.

Most importantly, some of the new freelancers think that freelancing is a "get rich quick" scheme. They should remember, freelancing is a business, just like any other.

You need to learn the necessary skills. 

You need to invest money and efforts to succeed in this business.

Go through the material Upwork has provided. Learn some skills, or better still, check the job categories and see if you have some of those skills, then start applying for jobs.

Establishing any business needs skill, time, and investments.

If you don't have these, spend some time and money in learning the skills of some specific category. Then prepare some samples, and then open a "shop" on Upwork.

Just becasue you are shouting the loudest (spenidng 30-50 connects on a single job), doesn't mean that people will buy from you.

Freelancing needs hard work. If you are not ready to put in that hard work, you'll not succed. Here or anywhere else.

[d0903988]

Kindly review my profile and give me suggestions:

https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01c40339962b2ea14c

[williamtcooper]

Raja,

Please use two Skills in the Title, rewrite the Summary into four compelling paragraphs minus the emoticons with a focus on the first sentence, and use all 15 Skills.

[m_terrazas]

Thanks to whoever made the decision to pin the post at the beginning. I think it should also be in New to Upwork, but this at least helps.
I thought Wes's post was also pinned. He should still be there. Scammers are still up with their tricks and there are too many new freelancers as potential victims.
And we already know that they don't read anything, so if they see it on the first line when entering the forums, they might be curious.

[the-right-writer]

I don't think excellent advice from Wes is pinned. It seemed like I always had to search before I bookmarked it.

[m_terrazas]

---

Jeanne H wrote:

I don't think excellent advice from Wes is pinned. It seemed like I always had to search before I bookmarked it.

---

It was pinned and then they moved it to the links on the side and now as far as I can see it's lost on the Community Blog.

Right in the place where anyone would go looking for it 🙄

I don't know why they insist on losing sight of it.

[d_samuel_udokpok]

This is enormous info at a glance, especially highlighting the fact that you're on your own when you join the platform, and treating freelancing as a business rather than employment is pretty cool. 

Freelancers spent crazy connects on proposals.