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]

You have to buy them or join freelancer plus for $19.99

[#3]

I have been trying to upgrade my upwork membership to plus account but whenever I try to do so, I am getting this message.

We are in process of subscription renewals and upgrades are not possible during that period. Please come back later.

 https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01869e5eb2e628de29

Please help me out here.

[#4]

You will have to check back at different times. I have not heard that there was an issue. If it continues, post again.

[#5]

Hello All,

I am continuously getting this notification after submitting "Consultation"

We're sorry, your project "Video & Audio Consultation" was not approved yet. Please review your feedback and submit again. primaryButtonLabel

Can anyone tell me how to fix ?

[#6]

The "Consultation Not Approved" notification is common on Upwork if certain guidelines are not met when setting up a consultation project. Here are steps to help troubleshoot and improve your project listing for approval:

1. Review Feedback Carefully: Upwork usually provides specific feedback for why a consultation was not approved. Check the “Feedback” section closely for tips on required adjustments, such as category accuracy, missing details, or pricing issues.

2. Choose the Right Category and Title: Ensure your project title and selected category align with Upwork’s consultation guidelines. For instance, if it’s a video and audio consultation, be specific in the title about what you’re offering and double-check that the category accurately reflects your expertise.

3. Optimize Project Details: Your project description should be concise yet thorough, outlining what clients can expect from the consultation, the topics covered, and how it will benefit them. Be clear and professional in the language, and avoid any vague or overly broad descriptions.

4. Pricing Consistency: Ensure your pricing is consistent with similar consultations on Upwork, as overly high or low prices can sometimes cause issues. Check competitor pricing for similar consultations to make sure your offer is competitive and realistic.

5. Contact Upwork Support: If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, reach out to Upwork’s support team. They can provide specific guidance and may pinpoint details you’ve overlooked.

These adjustments should help improve the likelihood of approval. If you have more details on the feedback Upwork provided, I can help address specific aspects of it!

[#7]

You have to follow Upwork's guidelines. You might have a friend or colleague take a look and see if they spot an issue.

[#8]

Jeanne,

I really hope UW is compensating you, esp now that they refuse to reply to freelancer inquiries in this forum.

Great work - kudos.

Mark

[#9]

Just for the record, Upwork has not and is not paying me for my posts, although you might be surprised to learn how many think so.

Thanks!

[#10]

Hello

I hope you're doing well. You've always been there to help everyone. Could you please visit my profile and let me know what might be wrong with it? Lately, my proposals aren't getting many views, and I'm not receiving any new projects.

[#11]

Since you have had success on Upwork, and your profile could be a bit better, many people on Upwork are having the same issue. I would use a neutral color for the background of your photo, because your face is lost with two colors. Do you not have a JSS? Or is this a bug? You have to have a JSS with the number of jobs, but I do not see it.

The first sentence is ll clients see in a search, so I would change the sentence to a powerful one about what you can do for the client. I'm not seeing any serious problems. I think, like many of us, the clients are not serious or not genuine.

[#12]

She have not enough feedbacks for jss. Just one from 4 more.

[#13]

She's had 41 jobs.

[#14]

2017 year.

Only past 2 years mean for JSS.

[#15]

Thanks for review & reply.  Still i m not getting replies on bids 😞

[#16]

This Upwork community post by a seasoned freelancer is an empowering call to action for newcomers to invest in themselves before seeking help. The message emphasizes that Upwork offers a wealth of resources to help freelancers succeed, from Terms of Service, webinars, and safety guidelines, to the importance of skill-building. It’s a candid reminder that freelancing requires self-discipline, an entrepreneurial spirit, and adherence to platform rules.

Here’s a quick summary of the advice:

1. Leverage Upwork's Resources: Instead of looking for shortcuts, use the forums, webinars, and community resources available on Upwork.

2. Skill and Self-Education: Freelancing demands not just talent but a willingness to grow your skills and understand the business side of freelance work.

3. Persistence is Key: Many freelancers don’t land jobs immediately; those who succeed invest time, effort, and patience.

4. Profile Presentation: Having a professional profile picture, listing all relevant skills, and filling out your profile to the max (all 15 skill slots) makes a difference.

For a successful freelancing journey, take advantage of all the learning tools Upwork offers. It’s a realistic guide for freelancers to first help themselves before expecting assistance, as true success on the platform is rooted in knowledge, skill, and self-reliance.

[#17]

Hi! I have one open contract. The employer has not responded to messages for several months. If I close this contract on my own, will this action negatively affect my statistics?

[#18]

Closing a job with no feedback in itself won't change your score. However, it will still be subject to the regular two week and 6, 12, and 24 months updates calculations.

[#19]

Thanks. New here. I am going to read all the links you provided. 

[#20]

Hello Jeanne,

I have been trying to purchase connects or subscibe to freelance plus for past 2 to 4 days with no luck with my bank cards. My cards are enabled for international transactions. End of the day, I created my Paypal account, and that is also active now for transactions. I linked it to my upwork account and tried paying for connects or freelance plus. Again the same error "Recent Charge Failed."

There is no way out possible to get connected with any real person behind the chat support, and I am getting frustrated with the purchase process. 

Please help or guide me so that I can purchase connects and start my work on upwork.

Thank you!

[#21]

I can't help you with connects, but I will see if I can get a moderator to help you.

[#22]

Thank you Jeanne!

[#23]

Hi Mohammed,

I've created a support ticket for you. You can find it here.

[#24]

Up work prom cod

[#25]

There are no promo codes.

[#26]

I truly admire your insights, Jeanne, straight to the point and informative. I will make the necessary adjustments to my profile and stick to one single niche / skill and develop it as much as I can. The issue I'm finding is the opportunity cost of not being able to perform the other things that I also love doing. Does it make sense? For instance, I am a strategic person and relish working on business plans, organizational development structures, and analyzing business process graphs. On the other hand, I also love creating audiovisual content and writing copy. So it becomes tough for me to decide which thing I want to stick with the most. Do you have any advice on this?

Furthermore, I am now in the process of building my reputation and brand whether on Upwork or outside. Looking forward to expanding my freelancing network and getting to know other amazing individuals who share my vision of becoming "the boss of myself"! I genuinely cherish this in a person, in general.

Anyways, best of luck to all fellow freelancers in this fun journey. I hope we all achieve our objectives.