To all freelancers looking for help

[#1]

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. 

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.

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.

[#2]

I have no idea what you think having 15 skills listed is going to do for someone in this situation.

No one should just use 15 skills, as you advise.

People, only use the skills you really have. Adding 15 skills just to have them there does no one any good. If you manage to get a job with those fake skills, the clients are not happy when the product does not match the alleged 15 skills.

[#3]

Read the initial post by Jeanne. Do not skip any of the links provided. From your profile, it seems like you haven't dedicated a single minute to learning how to optimise it - hence, you spent your connects in vain. 

Take the Academy courses. And do not use all the 15 skills allowed. Only the ones you actually have.

[#4]

A little be harsh Elisa, don't you think to be sure I didnt dedicate a single minute or to judge if I have or don't have the skills? 
Either way, thank you also for your comment 🙂 

[#5]

I did not mean to be harsh, but there is an "etc." in your title and there are only 4 rows of vague description. You should really read Jeanne's post and take the Academy courses, before losing additional money... believe it or not, I am saying this to help.

Regarding the skills, I was mostly replying to another community member insisting that people have to use ALL 15 skills.

[#6]

She was not being harsh, she was being helpful. Do you want people to tell you nice stories or give you honest feedback?

[#7]

You need to do as Elisa said, and use the post I wrote at the top. You are at high risk of being scammed because your profile is a big beacon saying you have not followed the rules.

"Specialist at management - design, photoshop, excel and etc.

$20.00/hr"

"As a company owner i'm aware of each activity involved in the management of a company working in the area of sales. I'am a quick learner and good researcher. Looking to add more incomes in the free time."

Your profile is not going to get you a job, but it will get you scammed. That's why you aren't getting jobs. What do you do? Your title is a mishmash, with no real skills listed. Freelancing requires real, marketable skills. If you don't have them, you will lose everything. It also requires money to do business, determination, patience, and hard work. What do you think a client would hire you to do?

You may not like my words, but I am telling you the truth. Learn from the top post, and use every single link. Freelancing is not for everyone. Without hard, marketable skills, it will be incredibly difficult for you to get a legitimate job.

The tools you need are all contained in the article. It's up to you if you use them.

[#8]

Hi Jeanne,

Thank you for this information, I was dealing with a customer that was trying to achieve something illegal, so I decided not to offer the final income and ended up in a 4 stars, this affect my profile, do you know if I can do something from the Upwork community to remove that bad score that reduce my jss to 64% ?

[#9]

If a client is doing something illegal, stop immediately and report to Upwork. Why did you complete the job if you knew it was illegal?

Stop working with clients who are breaking the law. You, too, can be held responsible.

You can't have it removed because you are not top rated. The 4 stars have nothing to do with your JSS; it was likely terrible private feedback. Without knowing more about what you and the client did, I don't think there is anything Upwork will do, because you didn't report it. I would still report it now - except that it sounds like you participated.

Write amazing proposals and do whatever you can to stand out and deliver great services. It's not easy to get to 100%, but others have done it. I have seen freelancers hired at your JSS.

[#10]

Please help me check my profile as well and see if there's anything that needs modification.

https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01bc80fc4b16878b01

[#11]

Allen,

Please use three Skills in the Title and reformat the Summary into four compelling paragraphs with a focus on the first sentence because it appears in Client search. In most countries, Allen is a mans name. Please use the proper female name in English.

[#12]

🤣🤣

[#13]

Thank you for the reply. I have already updated my profile

[#14]

Sorry for the laugh in the other post. 

IMO your profile is fine. My suggestion is to keep reading the forums to familiarize yourself with the current situation (and the people) here. Getting job is generally hard right now, but we see evidence that it's probably not for new freelancers. Upwork also confirms that they're rotating the 'chance to get work'.

You don't need to change your name if that's the one you use in real life. It could potentially lead to ID verification and bank withdrawal problems.

[#15]

Thank you for the response. In reality, my name is in Chinese characters, so I'm afraid it may not be displayed here

[#16]

I can see you have worked on your profile. Good for you. However, it can still be improved. You have to find a way to grab the client's attention with the first two sentences. Instead of telling the client about your skills, tell them what amazing things you can do with those skills.

If you don't know the Terms of Service and understand them, read again until you do or ask questions here. Please use the post at the top. It contains all the information you need to be safe and successful. Pay special attention to the Red Flags on scams from Wes.

[#17]

thanks

[#18]

Yahya,

Please set your Profile to Public so we can view and Review it.

[#19]

This thread is not about reviewing profiles. There is a thread for that. Unfortunately, no one seems to use it, except for a couple of dedicated freelancers who respond.

[#20]

How can I get money as freelancer

[#21]

First, you need skills. Go back to the top article you skipped over, and read it and follow every link. You can start your profile with a real picture. Pay special attention to the Terms of Service and the Red Flags from Wes.

[#22]

Yeah!

[#23]

Dear Brhance:

You can work on your profile, keep it updated.

Regards.

[#24]

I appreciate your honest reply. Let's go ahead.

[#25]

Muktar,

Please set your Profile to public so we can vew.

[#26]

thanks