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.  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.

[#2]

I'm so glad you are on your way to success! Congratulations!

[#3]

this is a test message !

[#4]

thank you for this topics 
actually the point you speak about is challaenging for new freelancer, and i believe freelancer need to gain these soft and persoanal skills first than he start gainign good cash from freelance 

[#5]

What are the key Upwork Terms of Service that new freelancers often overlook but must adhere to?

[#6]

Anything outside of Upwork, before an Upwork contract is in place, is a violation of the Terms of Service. This is the most common cause of a Terms violation. Freelancers cannot talk, text, message, communicate in any way, or have any contact with a potential client until that contract is in place. There is no way to be paid outside of Upwork.

Yet, even knowing the rules, freelancers will still go off toTelegram or other services because they they think they will make a ridiculous amount of money for the job, and that they have somehow been chosen beacuse they are special. The result is no money, wasted time and effort, and possibly permanently losing their Upwork account.

[#7]

 "I am suggesting before you ask questions and want help, you need to help yourself first".

Good point.

[#8]

Hello William and Jeanne,

Can you please review my profile and provide constructive feedback about how I can improve my profile? 

Thanks.

[#9]

You need to go back to the top pinned post and use all of the links. The Upwork resources will guide you to making a professional profile. Make sure to read the Red Flags on Scams from Wes.

The first sentence is all clients see in a search and you are wasting yours with ":1st_place_medal: UpWork Certified Brand Identity Designer." The client can see your skills, and you should remove all of the emojis and little graphics. Instead, use the sentence to tell the client what you can do with your education, experience, and skills.

":trophy: Worked with Over 200 Companies, including SAAS, Real Estate, Construction, Luxury, AI, Marketing Agencies, Finance, Aviation, etc. 💎 Worked with Fortune 500 Clients"

Move this down in the text, or remove it. Tie it in to the projects in the portfolio or it doesn't carry weight, because there is no evidence. Take the long lists and form them into 4 or so paragraphs. Remove all of the emojis. It is unprofessional and as a graphics person, it is not a good look. Instead of talking about experience outside Upwork, tell the client what you can do for them that is unique or better than anyone else, backed up by hard skills. A solid, professional profile is the best way to attract clients and deter scammers.

[#10]

Hello Jeanne. How are you doing today? Thank you for helping many freelancers here.

Please could you review my profile and share tips on how it can be better?

https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/akanbitomjoe

Thank you

[#11]

First, rewrite the beginning of the profile. The first sentence is all clients see in a search, so make it a powerful statement on how your education, skills, and experience will combine to offer stellar services. Remove any all caps - it makes it look like you are yelling. It's good to talk about your qualifications, but you need more about what you can do for the client with your skills. I would also remove the part about discussing the project in detail. Too many clients see that as an invitation to get the job done without paying, or without paying the full price. I would remove the "in detail." Also, consider raising your rates. With your qualifications, I believe you can draw more than $4.00 an hour, and should.

[#12]

Thank you very much Jeanne, this made my day. I am very grateful

Please could you check again, I made the changes already. I just want to be sure I did not miss out something.

Thank you once again!

[#13]

I would make the first line a statement instead of a question, telling them what you can do for them instead of phrasing it as a question. Also, I would form the items into a paragraph. Regarding the fee, you will have to see if it impacts your jobs. I encourage everyone to charge for their skills because this is a global jobs platform, unless you are working locally and being constrained by local pricing. 

While I can tell you what I know has helped others, and industry and Upwork standards, it's your profile and you should create it as you want. If you look at enough profiles, you will find horrible ones from years ago and yet, the freelancer has made significant money. However, you won't find many.

[#14]

Thank you very much, Jeanne. I have made the changes yet again, and I am happy you helped me. I hope you have a beautiful day, everyday!

[#15]

It's very difficult to get your first project I applied too many projects but I don't get yet.

I have skills in data analytics, cleaning data, excel related work , Microsoft word,html and css

[#16]

Yes, it is difficult to get your first project. 

To get your first and future jobs, you need a professional profile. You need to go back to the top pinned post, read it, and follow every link. You are at high risk of being scammed because the scammers can tell, just like I can, that you hvaen't read and aren't following the rules.

Your profile is the best way to get clients instead of scammers. Your profile is an invitation to the scammers. Create a professional profile before you even look at jobs.

You're wasting the first sentence, which is all clients see in a search. Don't use names or greetings. Use it to tell the clients why your education and skills will give them specific results like a higher return, more book sales, increased sales, a better website, etc. 

Rewrite the introduction. It needs to be longer, and needs to tell the client more about what you will do for them. Use the resources to build an excellent profile before doing anything. Learn before you are scammed.

[#17]

Hi,

thanks for the great links and explanations. I'm pretty new here and did not yet buy any connects to apply for jobs, bc I think it is better to understand the platform better. One question I have is regarding the job history outside of upwork, would you also mention non related jobs? The last years I did not work in IT for many reasons and now want to dive back in again on my own. Any tips on how to frame that?

Best regards,

Filip

[#18]

You are wise to learn about the platform and how contracts should be established before applying to jobs.

I would frame it as additional skills that increase and expand on what you can offer clients. It will partially depend on the job history and how closely you can tie it to your current work. Clients like to see people who have been in the field for some time. If the jobs are completely unrelated, it could give clients pause. I'm sure if you give it some thought, there is a way to connect all of the jobs and phrase it as a benefit to the clients.

[#19]

The problem is, that they are completely unrelated. I worked in IT and have worked 4 years all kinds of stuff, from farming to construction work. But leaving out is usually very strange, it opens the question what someone did all this time...

[#20]

 It may make it a bit more challenging, but certainly not impossible. Include the unrelated work, and perhaps a brief explanation, but make sure you have plenty of portfolio items, and I didn't see any.

After looking at your profile, I think it's fine as it is and you don't need to offer an explanation. If you put in portfolio items, that will show your expertese. I noticed you have none, so I would focus on having those items to demonstrate your skills. If you don't have work, and permission from the owner, create some to show the client that although you may have taken a break, your skills are excellent.

[#21]

It seems to be a great idea to me

[#22]

I appreciate you taking the time to post this. Great resources. Thanks again!

[#23]

Thanks for the post; really informative

[#24]

This post is very useful for most of the freelancers. Thanks for your time and effort.

[#25]

This was a great post thank you Jeanne!

[#26]

Thanks a lot, Miss Jeanne,  I hope this information positively impacts my career.