Upwork Desktop App

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi there.

I must say im disheartened at this point with Upwork. I find myself now watching Youtube videos, to get clarification on how an Hourly contract vs a Fixed Contract actually works, the process of a client putting money in Escrow, and how that works. This has kept me from applying for jobs because I need to know how you get started on Upwork. 

I also cannot load the Desktop App, is that something I have to pay for in order to dowload, and is there some kind of walkthrough videos?

As new Freelancers, I feel like most of us are all over the place, prone to be scammed, and dont actually know how to properly start our journey. Is it really worth it being here, would like to hear any suggestions.

Thaks 😞

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Lebo,

Our Desktop app is free and once you're hired on an hourly contract, the contract will be shown there and you will be able to start tracking your time. To download the app, follow the instructions here. 
To learn more about how to log your time, check out the details here. If you would like to learn more about getting started on Upwork, you can check out our resources here. Thank you.

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi Goran.

Thank you. I did manage to upload the Desktop App. 

Enjoy your day 🙂

[wlyonsatl · Accepted solution]

Lebo R.,

There's a lot to learn in order to efficiently and safely work on jobs via Upwork, but everyone here had to start where you are in their understanding of how Upwork works.

If you read anything in Upwork's documentation and instructions that you don't understand, search for a post on this board that addressed the same issue. If you don't find such a post, ask any question you have here on this board. Ignore any smarmy or condescending posts; someone will be happy to actually help you.

If you get a request or other communication from any potential client that seems out of line or odd, ask about it here, too. 

But also know that you can only really learn by doing. You will make some mistakes along the way. Try to keep them small.

1) Don't work on any project unless there is an Upwork contract in place.

2) Don't use manual time tracking on hourly projects for any client you have not worked for previously and trust completely. Upwork's hourly project payment payment protection is excellent, but there is no payment protection for manually-entered work time.

3) Don't begin work on any milestone for any fixed price project until that milestone has been funded and you have been paid for all previous milestones. Be aware there is no payment protection on fixed price projects, but having funds in escrow for each milestone before you start working on it should give you some comfort you'll be paid for your work.

4) For each client you are considering working for, review the feedback they've received from their previous freelancers and avoid clients with bad feedback. And make sure you and each new client clearly understand the final product you are expected to provide. Don't work for free on additional work a fixed price client tries to get you to do for them once a contract is in place. Remember: Avoiding bad clients is as important as finding good clients for your success working on Upwork.

Good luck!

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi Will.

Hope you well. Thank you so much for the clarification and taking your time to respond, I really appreciate it. I just screen grabbed this.

Have a great day 🙂