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.

[655be748]

Dear Ali:

First of all you should work on your profile, make it public becasue it is private.  So that people can look your capabilities,  if some one want to provide you help in getting job can provide you help.

Regards

[the-right-writer]

Beware freelancer "experts" bearing how-to advice. I have viewed a number of pages, sites, and videos from freelancers or former freelancers claiming they have the key to getting rich on Upwork or other platforms. Here is the process.

1. A) make an account
2. B) Click yes on terms of service
3. C) make a profile
4. D) pick a category
5. E) apply for jobs
6. F) terrible advice on how to get jobs, annoy clients...

These supposed experts literally tell people to just click on the terms. Then pick skills or categories for what you want or like to do. If new freelances see this stuff, no wonder they believe Upwork is a paradise.

If you are looking for expert advice, start with the Upwork Academy and resources. It doesn't matter if the person made 100 million dollars, there are no easy ways to get started, and times have changed.

[alexandernovikov]

Why do you think that times have changed? I've heard it from my first days on Upwork, then oDesk. In my opinion, sure there's always more and more competition, but more clients, too. Freelancing has gone mainstream in these years. It is just as easy to begin today as it was 10 or 20 years ago, maybe with local differences (some countries have become a lot richer so $ made in America is not as attractive for people living there, devaluating the whole freelancing thing, but this isn't Upwork's fault).

Getting started is as easy as being able to do something which is in high demand and not much competition/where you can protect your niche preventing much competition.

[the-right-writer]

"Why do you think that times have changed?"

Because times have changed, both in terms of Upwork's policies and freelancing in general.

In my opinion, sure there's always more and more competition, but more clients, too.

I see no evidence there are just as many clients based on my observations and other long time freelancers. There are 18 Million or so freelancers. Do you really believe there are that many clients? The numbers are way down, with the fees going down as well.

It is just as easy to begin today as it was 10 or 20 years ago,

No, it is not. Even top-rated excellent freelancers with long histories on Upwork are struggling to find decent projects. Some are doing great, but not the majority. For the new freelancers, they have a tough time trying to break in to a platform flooded with garbage profiles and proposals.

Getting started is as easy as being able to do something which is in high demand and not much competition/where you can protect your niche preventing much competition.

Many people who want to be freelancers have no skills or not to the level they need. These freelancers are wasting their time, money, and effort, because they have no chance at a career, or even making money. No online platform is the place to learn skills. You are talking about a person who is already highly skilled and is looking for a niche. The majority of freelancers do not have marketable skills and will only be scammed.

[5fd3c6f8]

thank you

[noorulainkhaan]

geat post

[veraokojie]

Thank you for this post.

[268f1efb]

Hey 

i am zakaria, i'am new here,fist question is,how is look like my profile please? and the second,why my Gigs are still on pending?

i'm Glad for any response

[b2c0eed5]

Hi can you check my profile also? I am looking for a job related to accounting or bookkeeping.

[the-right-writer]

Read the post at the top and follow all the links if you haven't before. I would add a bit to your profile on what you can do for the client. Also, you need to have examples of your work in your portfolio. If you don't have previous work with permission to use it, create something of your own to showcase your best work. Have multiple portfolio items. Write great proposals with engaging opening sentences.

[the-right-writer]

Please use the post at the top. There are many links to Upwork resources. If you hover over the link, you will see where it leads. The Academy has many useful courses and there are people to give you feedback on your profile.

You need to rewrite your introduction. Decide what real skills you have. I don't know anyone who is a translator and is not a native or bilingual speaker in any language. In addition, a client will not hire you to write and edit with all the errors in your profile. Also, you have no portfolio. If you want to be a freelancer, you have a lot of work to do.

[5fd3c6f8]

Right

[lindsayshayne]

And spend hundreds of dollars a month on boosted connects to even get your profile seen.

[colettelewis]

Lindsay, I'm not sure who you are replying to  (not your fault;  this is due to the weird way the forums have been reconstructed), but actually, this thread is not about the number of connects one is prepared to chuck at a job or at how much they cost. 

However, I have to say, that I wouldn't dream of buying "hundreds of dollars" worth of connects for a gig/gigs just to get an interview with a client who hasn't the budget to cover the cost of the investment.  Just sayin' ... 

[25005175]

I believe she replied to the original post. Her reply is a semi-sarcastic addendum.

[lindsayshayne]

I wasn't being sarcastic.

[25005175]

You spend actual hundreds of dollars on Connects each month? That's where I thought the sarcasm part of the semi-sarcasm lived.

[lindsayshayne]

I wasn't writing about myself, I was speaking in general terms.

[lindsayshayne]

I was replying to the original post. The advice is great, but doesn't do freelancers much good if they aren't willing to spend good money on boosted connects. The system for freelancers may now be irreparably broken.

[the-right-writer]

It's your choice to boost or not. There is no requirement, and plenty of people choose not to use the program. You need to find what works for you. I do not boost, and see no difference in views, invitations, or hiring. Most recently, I applied for four jobs, one was viewed, and I was hired. No boosting involved. It's your choice, it's not mandatory.

[2bc8df9c]

Thank you Jeanne. The article from Wes was extremely helpful; I almost got scammed! I Definitely understand the need for patience, but how do you sort out legitimate opportunities from scams? I want to establish my reputation on this platform, but every time I think I find a good job they want me to go off platform. Trying to do the research but not waste time as well...

Thank you!

[the-right-writer]

Because you are new, you are a target for the scammers. I would remove the part about being a marketing strategist, since your profile is about music. Also, add content to your portfolio. You need some way to demonstrate your skills. Also, any testimonials from previous students or clients would help. The more your profile is professional, the fewer scammers will bother you.

The best way to avoid scams is through knowledge. The more you know about how they operate, the better you are to guard against them. Re-read the advice from Wes and memorize it. I insist on a chat or video meeting through Upwork with all new clients. There are multiple reasons. It allows me to understand the client's needs: this is what the client wants, and this is what I will do. Often clients post bare minimum requirements for a job, but have very different ideas in reality. Also, by spending a little time with a client, you can get a much better idea of their intentions. There are other safeguards some use such as checking the time the client states with real time to see if they match. You will find additional helpful items by reading through the threads on scams. The biggest mistake freelancers make is going outside Upwork to talk, text, email or exchange monies without an Upwork contract. And finally, if you have any concerns or questions, bring them to the forum.

[25005175]

Education and experience. Those are the only two methods. If you don't have enough of either to decide, then post your questions in the forums to leverage the experience of the community members.

And remember, sometimes scammy clients don't reveal themselves until you've delivered the goods, when they run off and file a chargeback.

[5fd3c6f8]

helpful information

[98223720]

Thank you, Jeanne. Your post is very helpful, especially for newcomers like me. 

[603fce04]

Thanks Jeanne H its realy help

[anmol0721]

Thanks for the information that was really helpful

[e20c9ed7]

Thank you for sharing. This provided a lot of value!

[8426b976]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[e344a75d]

You are right.

Thanks for sharing 

[f92d9b34]

Hello, Mam 

I applied for project on 14 feb 2023 as a data entry operator and still got no reply from upwork. What should I have to do? 

[the-right-writer]

It's the client who would be contacting you with a job offer. It's a mistake to apply for a job and wait to be hired. You will need to apply for multiple jobs. Sometimes the jobs close with no hiring and no contact from the client. Apply and move on.

[5fd3c6f8]

thanks

[pujadhunna]

Thanks for sharing 

[d37836d9]

Hi,

I'm so new and I really wanna be educated well enough to stand right. I have actually sent 1 or 2 proposals today. I don't wanna mess up if I'm privilege to land a job. Pls, I need tips for a started. I'm skilled with good potentials. But being skilled without proper knowledge and how to apply my skilled would be a bad thing. Thank you.

[the-right-writer]

If you have not, read everything in the top post and follow every link. You need to start at the beginning, and before you send out any more proposals. There are numerous help sections from Upwork through the links to the Academy and other information. Because you are new, you are at risk of being scammed. You must learn the red flags from Wes.

You need to make changes to your profile and portfolio. All of this and more information is at your fingertips. If you don't protect yourself by following the rules, you will be scammed. It's not easy to break into freelancing, and you will likely send a lot of proposals and spend a lot of connects before you land a job.

[5fd3c6f8]

thanks a lot

[5fd3c6f8]

You can learn from Upwork academy

[0fe9536b]

Very realistic but too hard stance

[d1ee247e]

Super