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]

Hi Jeanne !
I hope you are healthy and doing good. 2 weeks ago I asked you about my Profile and JSS score system and asked you to review my Profile and you gave me really good advice about it. At that point, my profile was at 100% and top-rated and I got Feedback of 4.8 stars. I asked different experts about the JSS and my Badge because I am new and I don't have much information about it. Everyone said relax about it. In this journey, you will face such kind of things but its OK and Your JSS will not go down more than 90%. But in the Last Update of 12 Nov. my JSS downgraded from 100% to 75% and also my badge is removed. I am very depressed right now. I don't have any other Income source and How I can get new jobs with this repotation? I really need your help in this situation. How I can again grow my JSS? I really appreciate that. Here is the Link of my Upwork Profile If you wanna review: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/muhammadqaseem

[#3]

Let me take a look and see if I can see what's happening.

[#4]

My first question is why you took the Chat GPT job, when you are not  a writer? I noticed there was at least one other job like this. ChatGPT has a lot of isues, and if you don't check every single thing it "writes" you will make horrible mistakes. I do not understand why you would take those jobs when you are not a writer.

I can't see, just as you can't, who gave you bad feedback, but it was likely more than one client. You need to look at the jobs that have closed since your JSS drop, and see if you can figure out which jobs went wrong, and why.

I understand you are upset, but you still have a much higher JSS than many here, and you can recover. However, before you seek out any more clients, analyze your previous jobs. Were there jobs you really weren't qualified for, but needed the work? Did you oversell your skills? Did you not do any vetting of the client and the job? Did you work with clients you were uncomfortable with or didn't go well?

My best advice at this point is to take a hard look at everything that's happened since the drop. Do not, in desperation, jump on the first job you see. You have to understand what's happening. Look only at the jobs that have come in since the change. Once you have a better understanding, come back, and I will see if I have any ideas for you.

You still need to work on your profile. You need more information, in paragraphs. Furthermore, you're still wasting your top line. No greetings, names, etc. or your skills title, because they see that on your profile. You must use that top line to tell the client why you are better than everyone else. For example, "I will create a better purple widget, for less cost, than any other developer."  Use the post at the top to check for resources for your profile.

In proposals, it's only the top two lines clients see, so don't waste it with greetings or skills - tell the client why you can do it better than anyone else.

[#5]

I am a bigner, graphic designer, visual artist and sculp.

please guid me how can do entry in ipworld

[#6]

Prem, you need to start at the beginning. Go back to the top pinned post. Make sure to read it all and follow all the links. It will take you to all the Upwork resources and the important help from Wes on scams.

[#7]

The only thing we can do which I think is great is personal development. Not placing any weight on anybody. 

[#8]

Hello Jeanne. Guess what...am new !! and all the way from Mauritius 😉

Remember, it's important to take care of yourself amidst all this demand. Your expertise is valuable, but so is your well-being. Take care

hope we get in touch 😉

[#9]

very easy..ignore

[#10]

How will set my payment account

[#11]

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/To-all-freelancers-looking-for-help/m-p/1362403#M774641

[#12]

Setting up your payment account on Upwork is an essential step to ensure you receive your earnings as a freelancer. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you set up your payment account:

1. Log In: Log in to your Upwork account.

2. Go to Settings: Click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.

3. Financial Account: In the Settings menu, click on "Financial Account" in the left-hand navigation.

4. Add a Payment Method: Under the "Getting Paid" section, you'll find options to add a payment method. Click on "Add Method."

5. Choose Payment Method: Upwork offers various payment methods, including Direct to U.S. Bank, PayPal, Payoneer, and more. Choose the one that's most convenient for you.

6. Provide Required Information: Depending on the payment method you choose, you'll need to provide the required information. For example, if you choose PayPal, you'll need to enter your PayPal email address. If you choose Direct to U.S. Bank, you'll need to provide your bank details.

7. Verify Details: Once you've entered the required information, Upwork might ask you to verify the details. This could involve receiving a small test deposit that you need to confirm.

8. Set Default Payment Method: If you have multiple payment methods, you can set one as your default method. This is the method Upwork will use to pay you if you don't specify otherwise for a specific contract.

9. Withdrawal Schedule: You can choose your preferred withdrawal schedule, which is how often you'd like to receive your funds. Options typically include weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly.

10. Save Changes: After you've entered and verified your payment information, make sure to save your changes.

11. Tax Information: Depending on your location and tax requirements, you might need to provide tax information. Upwork will guide you through this process if necessary.

12. Check Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Upwork requires that you comply with legal and regulatory requirements related to payments in your country. Ensure that you understand and meet these requirements.

That's it! Once you've set up your payment account, you're ready to start receiving payments for your freelance work on Upwork. Keep in mind that payment methods and processes can vary based on your location, so make sure to follow the instructions specific to your situation.

[#13]

Agreed with each word and terminology, patience etc etc. But, my experince is that it's just a matter of chance and luck. Once you get into it, then you have to play very carefully m

Good luck all 

[#14]

Upwork is not luck nor chance for freelancers with marketable skills, money to work with, and time and patience.

[#15]

I am working for you

[#16]

If you want to freelance on Upwork, go back to the top post, read it, and follow every link.

[#17]

hi my name is fayzulla . i am best pro HACKER

[#18]

Bobur, you need to go back to the top post, read it and follow every link.

This is not the place to look for work, and it tells me you have not learned how to use the platform. You are at high risk of being scammed because you haven't learned the rules. It's up to you if you are safe and successful or scammed.

[#19]

I admire your patiency to deal with these halfwi...

[#20]

LOL

[#21]

This is a good post. I am not a new freelancer as I have been with Upwork for over a decade, but I would appreciate if someone would take a look at my profile and let me know what I can do to improve it.
Thank you.

[#22]

Hi Eddie,

Please use two Skills in the Title, add a Project Catalog, and write four compelling paragraphs for the Summary with a focus on the first sentence since it appears in search.

[#23]

You have a lot of excellent information there, but you need to shorten your title. Your profile needs some adjustments. It is way too long, and I doubt a client is ever going to read it all.

You only have the first line to grab the client's attention. In searches, that's all a client sees Instead of saying "In 2004..." tell the client what you can do that is better than anyone else. Instead of just listing, add or perhaps include what you do with specific skills i.e. I will build a better widget with my widget skills that will increase your return on investment and eliminate the former widget issue.

Everyone needs to define their brand. Cookie cutter profiles do not impress clients. Try to give the client an image of what you will do for them with your skills. With just a few adjustments, your profile will shine.

[#24]

Thank you Jeanne.  Your feedback was very helpful.  I have updated my profile, but I wonder if I have too little info now. Mind checking? Thank you.

[#25]

I would probably add back in part of your list. There is nothing wrong with having a list, as long as it is not taking up a major part of the profile.

Some people use only two skills in the title. However, I know highly successful people who have additional words, along with the title skills, who have clients contacting them.

The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

I would suggest trying what you find comfortable and giving it some time to see if the results change. While there are excellent reasons to have a complete profile, there are those with poor profiles who still earn a lot of money. Although there are Upwork recommendations, profiles need to be unique. I don't mean weirdly so, but if everyone makes their profile identical, it will look like the chatbots have taken over completely.

I like the way you speak to the client and tell them what you can do. You have put so much thought and effort into your profile, I sincerely commend you.

[#26]

Thank you Jeanne. I think I will add back some (not all) of my skills to my profile that I want to be my primary focus.

Also, thank you for your compliment.  I avoid the use of Chat GPT or other similar tools to write my profile as my  proposals. On rare occasions, I would use MS Word to check my grammar.  I prefer a real person's response rather than a well polished, perfectly written proposals done by a tool like Chat GPT. I want mine to have that personal touch.

Again, thank you.