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.

[n_pudikova]

Hi Nadia! 
You can always meet your fellows here at the forum and connect with them. Have a wonderful journey at Upwork. 

[e00ed12f]

Hello! I'm new here, i'm from Europe and don't know how the companies are going to pay and in wish way because here it's all dolars and i deal with euros daily so... i receive it in an account, i have to change it??! How it works?

[the-right-writer]

Before you worry about getting paid, you need to worry about being scammed. With your current profile, you will not be hired, but only scammed. Go back to the top and read everything. Upwork explains everything, including what is your responsibility for money and taxes. When you are in business for yourself, you need to learn how to get and keep your money safe. Never depend on a platform to tell you about market exchange rates.

[n_pudikova]

Hi there, Margarida,

I'm from Italy and have no problem in dealing with dollars on account. Yes, you just exchange them for euros - absolutely fine. Good luck!

[86eeb9ce]

Add a video to your profile talking about your professional experience. 

[9140645b]

Hello, I'm writing here because I don't know how to post in the forum about a new message. I woud like to warn you about a person who is called **Edited for Community Guidelines** and is working for **Edited for Community Guidelines**, I've made for them a 4-days job translation of images from English to Portuguese, and at the time of getting paid they're telling me that I have to pay a fee of 150 USD to clear out the currency for the payment. I'm trying to tell them that it doesn't work like this and they tell me that I have to pay a fee because the money are in the central bank of the country and if I don't pay the fee I can't get my salary, maybe is a scam, be careful!

[the-right-writer]

FYI, Your post will be edited to eliminate identifiers. Accusations such as this are not allowed in the forum, for obvious reasons. And it's not their real name.

Of course, it is a scam. If you had taken the steps, all freelancers must take, and learned the basic rules, you would not be out of money now. I don't know what story they gave you about the funds being in some bank, but it's not real.

So, you had no Upwork contract, you broke the rules, which can cost you your ability to ever use Upwork again, and now you will never get paid for busy work. It was your choice.

If you want to be a freelancer, you need marketable skills. Your profile is private, but I know what's there.

No one can or will help you, because you willingly broke the rules. You will continue to be scammed if you don't learn the rules, and abide by them.

If you want to work hard, and follow the rules, go back to the post you skipped over and read every word and follow every link to the end.

When you see a scam, flag it and move on. The type of scam you are speaking of is in the job feeds every day and quite common.

[9140645b]

Hello Jeanne,

I'm actually working hard, I would like to know what I have to do it to follow the rules, because I'm a professional translator and I've never found a serious job in Upwork, just a scam and another that was kind of prostitution.

Thank you

Andrea

[the-right-writer]

Your profile is private, But I'm pretty sure I know what I would see.

How much more help do you need?

What do you have to do? Be an adult in business and learn the rules. Everything a freelancer needs to know is readily available. After reading the information, if you have questions, you can search for answers or ask in the forum.

My responses may seem sharp, and you may feel I don't want to help you. If you go through the top post and learn the rules, you will probably never encounter a scam. I can't follow everyone and make sure they don't get scammed. Along with many other freelancers, I can point the way to the massive amount of help from Upwork. I'm not promoting Upwork, but the work has been done. Yes, scams are more common than jobs. Protect yourself from the scams because no one, including Upwork, will do it for you. Knowledge gives you the power to protect yourself.

[9140645b]

Hello Jeanne,

Thank you for your answer. Of course you can't follow everyone and I know that unfortunately there are a lot of scam (not only online), but I was thinking that a professional website like Upwork was checking all the people that they were giving jobs, from now on I'll pay more attention about these things. I'm not complaining if your answer are sharp, I've worked for long time in the kitchen and sometimes over there people answer very very sharply!😁 It's not a fact  of being an adult or not, it's just a question of trust, especially when they promise that they pay a lot of money in a very short time. Thank you for your help anyway, Andrea🙂

[5fd3c6f8]

great info thankss

[655be748]

Hello Jeanne,

I am interested in getting suggestions about my resume and continuing my up work journey. Any tips for me? I want to spend some extra time going beyond and learning new things in the freelancing industry.

-Faraz

[the-right-writer]

Nice profile! It's refreshing to see a freelancer who has done the work to create a complete profile. Very professional.

I would change your introduction slightly, telling the client what you can do for them with your skills. Also, add more items to your portfolio.

I would suggest joining any of the groups that are relevant. There are country groups and some for different types of freelancers. Go through the Academy links and look for anything that might give you some ideas.

Upwork has lots of information on how to use the platform, but not much on being a real freelancer, who is looking to expand their skills. You will need to look outside of Upwork for going beyond.

You can reach out to others in your field and ask what training or courses they recommend. While there are numerous paid courses, there is so much free information online, it's not necessary to pay to learn. As you improve your skills, there may be a time when paying makes sense to thoroughly learn a new skill.

It helps to have a specialty. Develop skills within your current skill set. You will separate yourself from the many freelancers who have basic skills, as well as earn more money. If you don't see a niche, perhaps you can make a new one or offer a skill in a different way.

In your journey, make sure to choose your resources wisely. While Upwork and other established sources have reliable information, there are "advisors" and "experts" all over the 'net and even this forum who do not. Often times, the "advisors" have monetized their advice.

Read and listen. Learn all you can about freelancing and your particular field. Subscribe to blogs, podcasts and other sources of information on trends and future projections. Don't limit yourself to new information, because most of the advice still holds true. Learn all you can about freelancing, your profession, marketing, online safety, and advances in your field.

[655be748]

Thanks a lot Jeanee H

[655be748]

Thanks

[37b96834]

I think unity is better than anything else.

[d31785c0]

Hello,

please am I the one creating the contract or my client? If am the one how do I go about it

[the-right-writer]

All the answers you need are in the top post and links to Upwork resources. Please read through all the information. You are a target for scammers because you don't know how the platform functions.

[ad877f22]

Thank you for this informative inputs. God bless 

[5fd3c6f8]

she is the best

[89a24890]

Hi Jean,

I wonder why there are many clients posted the job, but few of them viewed the proposal. I had sent more than 20 proposals recently, but only two of them were viewed by clients. I have to say all these 20 proposals are deemed to the right clients and right job.

[the-right-writer]

It takes a lot of proposals to get your first job, more like dozens. Go to the Academy and take every course. Your profile needs work because it is too long and yet doesn't address the client. Be prepared to send out more proposals than that to land your first job. No matter how experienced, going online is like starting over. Make sure you know and follow all the Upwork rules because there are scammers who will take advantage and scam you. The biggest mistake freelancers make is going outside of Upwork before a contract is in place.

Clients are posting across platforms looking for dirt cheap rates. They might be testing the water to see prices, and the ever present scammers. Most of the jobs in many categories have more scams than genuine jobs. It's difficult to break into freelancing these days with the market flooded with unskilled people annoying clients, but it can be done. None of us landed jobs immediately, no matter how much success before going online.

[5fd3c6f8]

thank you for thew sharing your experience with us

[mwalimumanu]

It takes much bidding, continuous bidding, and patience to win a job on Upwork. 

[5fd3c6f8]

very interesting

[65368c8e]

Hello Jeanne

I am very interested in continuing and continuing my Upwork journey. Do you have any tips or suggestions for me? I want to work full time. I want to spend a little more time learning new things and going beyond.

[the-right-writer]

Before you think about going "beyond", you need to do the basic work. You have no profile, no portfolio, and have done nothing to set up a profile and start your journey on Upwork. Like anyone with no profile, you are a target for scammers. You can't just post a photo and expect jobs to come to you. The only jobs you will get are scams.

Working full time is not often an option for Upwork. Most people that make any money at all, make only enough to pay a few bills. If you don't go back to the top and read the post you ignored, you will not be freelancing. Instead, you will be back here in the forum complaining that Upwork didn't save you from losing money.

If you don't want to put in the hard work, money and dozens and dozens of proposals, assuming you have skills, you won't find anything here but scams. It's your choice.

[6e982c0c]

hello i'm new to this app i need help if you can help me let me know

[the-right-writer]

I understand better why Upwork has such a hard time getting new freelancers to read the rules. No matter where you put the rules and all they need to know (kinda like the top post!) people who want money for nuthin' just ignore it.

You are an invitation to be scammed. There is nothing in your portfolio. And you are not a translator, as evidenced by your profile. If I can see this, don't you think the scammers can?

If you want to be a freelancer, you need to understand no one is giving you a job. You can't even have a real photo. If this is all the skills and commitment you have, I suggest you table freelancing until you have marketable talent and the desire to do the hard work the rest of us have with no help.

[36915f9a]

Hi there,

Am new here I need a job 

[the-right-writer]

Loveth, your post tells me everything I need to know, and worse, it tells the scammers all they need to know. You also go right by all the help you need to ask for individual help. You haven't bothered to do anything to help yourself. No profile, portfolio, no anything. Yet, here you are in the forum, asking for a job.

If you want to be a freelancer, work hard, spend money, and put in dozens and dozens of proposals, then you will be a freelancer - if you have skills. Everyone leaves that part out. All the help you need is in the first article, which you avoided. I choose to spend my time helping those who help themselves.

[ad91ae8e]

Hi, I am new to this l. Can you offer any advice please?

[e5cf79eb]

Hey Michelle, welcome to freelancing may this journey be very successful for you. I wanted to advice you about keeping hope. It gets very tough when there is so much of competition and you don't have agood profile so be hopeful and be patient because it takes time. Spend connects on projects that you think you can do it. This is all from myside. I wish you luck!

[the-right-writer]

Before you are scammed, go back up to the top of the page and read. Then go through every single link, paying special attention to the Terms and the Red Flags from Wes. If you want to be a freelancer, you need to put in the work, which you have not done. Your profile is a red flag for scammers - this person hasn't bothered to read or do anything.

Freelancing isn't for everyone. If you aren't prepared to work hard, spend, money and send in a lot of proposals, likely 100?, before you have a legitimate job. If you don't do the work, you will never get a genuine job. It's up to you, and every freelancer.

[yakshsingla]

Hello Jeanne,

I started my journey, and in the last few months, I have submitted so many proposals but did not get any job can you please guide what can i do to getting job related to SEO and Google ads on Upwork. 

Thanks,

[the-right-writer]

Read the top post and follow every link. I can tell from your profile you haven't used any of the Upwork resources, and I doubt you know the Terms of Service, just from your lack of preparedness. Stop applying for jobs until you go through the Academy and all the other resources from Upwork and experienced, knowledgeable freelancers.

It takes dozens of proposals, real marketable skills, and money to work online.  Protect yourself from scammers, because no one, including Upwork, will do it for you.

[365b0c38]

Hi Jeanne,

My name is Amer, and I am a professional translator proficient in English to Arabic and vice versa. I have a passion for translating a diverse range of content, and I have 8 years of experience in the field. I would love to hear your opinion about my profile.

[the-right-writer]

Your profile needs work. Go back to the top post, read and use every link. Your profile introduction needs work, it doesn't speak to the client, and your portfolio has one item.

"As a professional translator with 8 years of experience, I am dedicated to delivering high-quality translations from English into Arabic or French, and vice versa"

Languages

• English: Fluent
• Arabic: Fluent
• French: Conversational

Please tell me how you can be a translator when you are not proficient in any language? Do you think a client will want to hire someone to translate when they don't have command of the language? No. Only scammers will find you.

Honestly assess your skills. The translators who have good reputations are native or bilingual, or they have excellent command of both languages.

Not only will you be scammed, but there is tremendous competition. When you are up against people who know the languages, your proposal will go to the bottom of the pile.

[elisa_b]

Please let me also add that a conscientious and professional translator is supposed to translate only into their native language.

[yakshsingla]

Hello Jeanne,

Can you please help me review my profile and let me know how can i improve my profile? I will be very thankful for this.

Best Regards