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.

[the-right-writer]

Michael, you have to start at the beginning. The forum is not the place to look for jobs. Go up to the top of the page and read the post and follow every link. Everything you need to know is in the links, and all through Upwork channels.

If you don't educate yourself on Upwork rules and how scammers function, you will lose time, money, and effort. Because you are new, you are a target. Learn how to protect yourself, because no one, including Upwork, will do it for you.

[804e3a7c]

Hello,

Everyone  hope you are doing well I am a new freelancer. Could someone review my profile and support me to upgrade it with your knowledge and expertise? I would be very thankful to you. Have a nice day ! and please help me

thank you all my respected teachers

Mushtaq hussain.

[the-right-writer]

Go back to the top of the page and read it, and go through every link. Once you learn the rules, set up a profile, and how to write proposals, then you can learn through the links how to get jobs.  Your portfolio items have descriptions but no work. If you want to be a freelancer, you have a lot of work to do.

[154ba352]

Hello Dear Jeanne 

Thank you very much for your help.

[bc855eb6]

Hi Jeanne, 

I'm new to UpWork and finding it challenging and unresponsive for freelance scientific work. What's the best way to build a client base? 

Best, 
Saba

[020708e1]

Hi everyone I'm Joseph by name 

I've applied for a lot of proposal but none has contacted me 

Why? I need your help 

[759e32fa]

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for reaching out! I've pulled a few resources that may be helpful to you. Check out these articles to help you create a profile that stands out and improve your profile title and overview. For some great tips on writing proposals that win jobs, check out this article.

Don’t hesitate to visit the  Academy and sign up for upcoming events and webinars to learn more about how you can boost your success on Upwork.

Good luck!

[mana_07]

Now even connects are more deducted. Maximum 8 no. of connects. This is not good for old and new freelancers

[the-right-writer]

Joseph, please go through all the links in the first post. Pay special attention to the post from Wes. If you don’t protect yourself, you will be scammed.  Typing is a flooded category, and you have a lot of competition.

[sayyedyusuf1990]

how can i get new job.
i am new in upwork.

[elisa_b]

It is really discouraging to see people still asking the same question, over and over again, when all the things they need to know have been written so beautifully and clearly by Jeanne in her original post!

[sh_jyoti]

That shows their lack of attention. Hwo can they expect to be successful with this attitude?

[onuorah_sunday]

Thanks for sharing!

[ahamed-khalifa]

A direct message from clients has been stopped suddenly and I haven't got any direct message from the clients who want to reach me for a job, Is there a problem with my profile that prevent the direct messages or is it just new rules?

[mana_07]

No new rules. There are many new freelancers who are ready to do tasks in very cheap price. So clients prefer to opt them. But keep trying

[the-right-writer]

Do you know clients can’t reach you, or do you mean you haven’t been contacted? There are multiple reasons why you may not have received offers, but there aren’t any new rules about contact.

[ahamed-khalifa]

I have a freelancer profile with the Top-Rated badge.
For months ago I have been receiving a lot of direct messages daily from clients who want to reach me for jobs but suddenly and without no reason these direct messages stopped, I checked my account and there is no problem.

[the-right-writer]

There are multiple possibilities for why you haven’t been receiving messages from clients recently. Freelancers are rotated in the search engines, and sometimes contacts or invitations come in waves. You can check your account under my stats to see if your proposals are being viewed.

[fazal1947]

Wish you Best of Luck Ahmed Mohamed E

[aaf9362f]

I'm new on Upwork! How can I find network? I want to talk to people free lancers see their experience. I don't have any friends in real life that uses Upwork. I feel lost...

[the-right-writer]

Please read everything in the top post and follow every link. Because you are new, you're at high risk of being scammed. When you go through the links, you will discover ways to connect to others through groups and other forums.

The more you learn, the more confidence you will have.

[mana_07]

You will get good quality clients here. But now you need to get ready yourself to face major competition here. 

[3c0247bb]

Thanks for this

Really helpful

[fazal1947]

Hi Jeanne H,

I am 100% agreed with you but to the newbie, COMMUNITY can extend their support by going extra miles. Like you can guide him/ her step by step to rech to the desitnation. Of course, discpline is the key to sucess in every field of life.

Take Care

Fazal Ahmed

[elisa_b]

Jeanne has already provided lots of support and insights for free to countless people. The resources she linked and the Academy contain all the information needed. There are no excuses for lazy freelancers looking for an easy shortcut to avoid reading and studying. No one will take them by the hand.  Every freelancer has to row their own boat.

[fazal1947]

Greetings Elisa B

Great to have your kind response, as you said [Jeanne has already provided lots of support and insights for free to countless people] that's what I want from her to continue her positive role to the newbie. You have collected part from her love and its time for others to collect their part.

Take Care

[elisa_b]

You have collected part from her love and its time for others to collect their part.

I don't know what you mean. I consider her one of the best contributors to this forum and a great freelancer, but I never "collected" her "love" in the sense I personally asked her to take me by the hand and show me how to use Upwork. Nor I am stealing her precious time to the disadvantage of other people. 

Everything she does or writes here is on a voluntary base, so you cannot "want from her" anything.

[d0d87065]

Hi can you help me I'm newly freelancer

[the-right-writer]

Read the top post

[ab79f3a9]

I am new here and i need some help , How can i get client to work for them ?? 

[the-right-writer]

Read the first post

[lucioric]

I have gotten short jobs, and ojbs lasting months, but for being hired for a 'role' is where problems come for me. I get booked an interview, I wait some days for the interview, I have it, and finally not. I WANT TO remove the 'not hired' issue from me.

[benjamin_blue]

Hi Jeanne! I appreciate your words of advice, I hope the people who need to hear it take the advice! 

I've been here for 5+ years, and have proudly achieved 100% JSS and Top-Rated badge, and only from years of hard work, plus any number of the attributes you have mentioned. I can tell you also know about that "years of hard work" part. 

About this thread, I can image some of the newbies reading the first message, the sticky one, the one with all the best free resources one could gather to help new freelancers be successful, and thinking, "Ok, cool, so, great, but, how do i get jobs?".

I hope it's not the case but judging by some messages here, it is. If only we could create an app that literally opens all of those links in new tabs, and somehow forces their eyes to read them, then replies can be made here, what a different world that may be...
Jokes aside, I hope you reading this will take the time to look at those. It's free mentorship, in a sense, for you. You can do it!

[71e7aefe]

This is timely reminder for me.

Thank you very much for your help 

[khabbab]

Hi. Can someone look at my profile please? I am currently doing part time work on upwork and full time employed as senior technical PM at a company. Most of my upwork jobs have been around technical documentation, solution architecture, and only a few jobs related to PM. I want to transition to full time technical PM role on upwork but hesitant because of my 30-days notice period at my current company, would that be a problem? If yes, how to solve it?

[85ec2d19]

Hello,

 Based on your current situation, transitioning to a full-time technical PM role on Upwork can be possible, but it would be best to plan and prepare for it carefully.

Firstly, regarding your 30-days notice period at your current company, this may be a concern for some clients, especially those looking for a full-time commitment. However, you can still work around this by being transparent with your potential clients and discussing your availability and schedule upfront. This way, you can establish clear expectations and find clients who are flexible and willing to work with your timeline.

To make the transition smoother, you can also consider building up your portfolio and expertise in technical project management by taking on more PM-related projects on Upwork. This will allow you to showcase your skills and experience and attract more clients looking for technical PMs. Additionally, you can update your Upwork profile and highlight your experience in technical project management to attract the right clients.

Lastly, you can also explore other options such as negotiating your notice period with your current company or looking for part-time opportunities on Upwork while you transition to a full-time role. This will allow you to build up your client base, establish your reputation, and gain the necessary experience to transition to a full-time technical PM role on Upwork.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your transition, and feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.

Best regards,

Mahmoud Elsayed

[williamtcooper]

Hi Muhammad,

Please close completed projects, use two Skills in the Title, and write four compelling paragraphs for the Summary minus the emoticons, and a add a project catalog.

[topnotchdesignz]

I am wondering how some freelancers have so many skills showing on their profile. How do they do such? I thought there is limit to what you can add.

[fazal1947]

agreed but they are doing this to get job. 

[655be748]

Agreed. Mostly do it as they have and show case their skills.