What Am I Doing Wrong?

[d39d3fa2]

I have submitted 18 proposals and only 2 have been read

Guys please help me, I must be doing something wrong. Why are people/businesses not even reading them to star with?

Thanks in advance

[800781ec]

What you have described is typical. Upon reading a variety of forum posts, you will see that many face this or have faced it in the past. the best you can do is follow the procedure recommended by Upwork--keep refining your profile, closely examine your listed skills, and submit proposals only to jobs that align with your profile and skillset. Look at it this way, the people doing the hiring are often very busy, just like you and I. So they may go with the highest bidders or the first person qualified.

It's not a cakewalk to find work here. I was reading one post yesterday by a fellow who has been around a while. He said that to land his first two contracts required 30 proposals each.

[alexandernovikov]

30 proposals to land a contract is completely OK even for someone who spent 15 years on the platform like me. It's not a reason to be upset, at all.

[2ef54d61]

Not having a photo of yourself on your account is a red flag. 

[800781ec]

Good point. It's not only a red flag but is also pointless. No picture, no payout. 

[bobafett999]

That is very true.  I have noticed that those who don't post their pictures don't make any money (specially the new ones)

[laubach-lisa]

I just posted about this the other day. One thing I did do is refined my resume which is what I did today on my profile- I'd previously listed EVERY SINGLE illustration gig I've done since 2017, but in doing some research I figured out how to condense it. I know I also have to refine my artwork which I am in the process of doing. I just cannot believe that its so difficult especially since I've been using UpWork as one of my platforms for as long as I've had my business..

[celgins]

I think the artwork in your portfolio is fine. You can view more here in response to your other post.

[f4dea826]

Hello, I have been struggling on the proposal part as well, I was misguided by someone that you go to Chat GPT and get a cover letter from there for each job. I have applied for multiple jobs but I couldn't land any. So I applied for a job with genuine letter & I focused on the part that what I can offer, my work experience, behance portfolio & how i have recently joined upwork as a side hustle and looking for my first job. You have to keep your client first & tell them why they should hire you?

The most important part is that you should always apply on the most recent jobs, verified payment, a job with less than 05 proposals, because more proposals means more competition. It also depends on the client, if he is online and actively looking to hire someone or he posts a job and open his upwork hours later. By then he would already have multiple proposals & bids aswell. So luck also plays a part here, keep trying. The first job is a little hard to find. Good luck with job hunting.

[laubach-lisa]

Thank you this is very helpful! I am currently evaluating my artwork and some previous reviews from published work. 

[ArjayM]

Hi Neil,

Thank you for reaching out, and I'm sorry to learn that you're having difficulties landing a job. Firstly, as a freelancer, your profile picture must accurately represent who you are; it shouldn't be a photo of a place, a design, an object, or someone or something else (also, misrepresenting who you are going against our Terms of Service.). Your current profile photo should be on your client profile instead.

You may want to check this help article to learn how to choose a good profile picture.

Please remember that submitting proposals doesn't always guarantee the chance to be interviewed, get hired, or have it even viewed by clients. But we always encourage our valued freelancers not to give up on sending proposals to potential clients. You may check our Resources and find some excellent topics there.

I've also 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. Check out this article for great tips on writing proposals that win jobs.

Best of luck!