What am I doing wrong?! I've got the experience and education - please hire me!

[#1]

Hi Everyone,

I have over 15 years of customer service experience and I have a Master's Degree, yet I can't get a single person to bite on my proposals. I don't know what I'm doing or saying wrong. Can someone please check out my profiles and give me some pointers, please? The tutorials aren't much help.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

As a paralegal, I get many invitations for immigration work (about which I know absolutely nothing).  I would concentrate on that as the customer service field is grossly oversubscribed.

BTW- unless you took a national certification exam, you are not a certified paralegal.  You are a paralegal with a certificate.  Not the same thing at all.

[#3]

I appreciate the feedback. I’m trying to get into the Paralegal world so it seems impossible to get an experience if I don’t have any to begin with - it’s a vicious cycle.

[#4]

I'm not sure what to tell you, Gretchen....

You are offeing "customer service" and "data entry" services.

Couldn't I simply hire someone in the Philippines or another country for a much lower rate to do those types of tasks? It's not clear why I would want to hire you.

[#5]

So I should lower my rate even more and get paid hardly nothing due to the service fee because someone in China does the same job for less?
I simply want a part time job and I have the qualifications.

[#6]

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Gretchen B wrote:
So I should lower my rate even more and get paid hardly nothing due to the service fee because someone in China does the same job for less?
I simply want a part time job and I have the qualifications.

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This is the problem, you are positioning yourself as someone who wants a "job" and has experience holding other jobs. Your profile reads like a resume and cover letter. That's not what clients come here looking for. You need to create a profile that advertises the business services you offer as a freelancer (aka small business owner) and explain how you'll solve the client's problem. 

Read some of the profiles to top earners here on the platform and look at how freelancers position themselves on LinkedIn and their business websites to get a feel for the difference. 

Also, you are exactly right that in the new world economy, you are competing with others who can offer a much lower price point.  That is a reality that is not going to change. So, you must come up with a way to differentiate yourself. 

[#7]

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Gretchen B wrote:
So I should lower my rate even more and get paid hardly nothing due to the service fee because someone in China does the same job for less?
I simply want a part time job and I have the qualifications.

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I feel like the point was that you should find a way to entice clients.

Before you send any proposal, ask yourself that question - '(if I were a client) Couldn't I simply hire someone else?' (modified original question by Preston as I might have got HIS point wrongly).

Why are you better than?
You know you are, yet you still have to have that answer for yourself before sending a proposal/expecting to be hired.

To be clear - DON'T write in your proposal this: 'I'm better because...'.
Those proposals don't work.

[#8]

Good points - this is all new to me so I appreciate it.

[#9]

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Antun M wrote:

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Before you send any proposal, ask yourself that question - '(if I were a client) Couldn't I simply hire someone else?' (modified original question by Preston as I might have got HIS point wrongly).

This is exactly the key. If I think there are plenty of other freelancers who could do the job just as well as I can, I don't bid on that job--just the ones where there's a clear reason in my mind that I'm a better choice than all or the vast majority of other freelancers who might bid.

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[#10]

Hello Gretchen.

I think Preston is right, but that is not the end of the world.

The services you offer can be purchased a lot cheaper somewhere else.

So why don´t you try to change your summary? I change it almost every week and see what works best.

Why don´t you try to tell more things about you instead of transcribing your CV?

For example, why are you on Upwork.

Not sure if my profile serves as an example, but you can have a look at it...

Are you also sending personal cover letters?

Best,

Leyre

[#11]

Thank you! I’ll take a look at yours to get some ideas.
I do send personal cover letters and I try to make them short but
interesting.
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Thanks,
Gretchen

[#12]

Unfortunately your profile isn’t public 😔

[#13]

I occassionally pick up the odd data entry job but with all my work recently, I've only focussed on those clients that are in the same country I am, and I give them the benefits - knowing the market, writing in a conversational language the audience understands, being in the same time zone so easily contactable etc. I content write and there are a ton of people who offer that at a lower pay, but since changing my focus on who and what I target, I'm getting a lot of better paying jobs and a ton of invitations.

Could you try something like that? Give the benefits of choosing you over choosing someone in say the Philippines or China etc

[#14]

This intrigues me but I’m not quite sure I understand? Are you seeking the lower paying jobs on purpose or....? Can you give me an example?

[#15]

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Gretchen B wrote:
This intrigues me but I’m not quite sure I understand? Are you seeking the lower paying jobs on purpose or....? Can you give me an example?

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I don't seek lower paid jobs - I look at those jobs that would pay a minimum of what I would accept (and when I transfer USD to AUD I end up with a better pay rate anyway). Clients are always going to look for someone who will do a job for $5/hr instead of $25/hr so its a matter of showing them why they should pay more. As an Australian freelancer, what can I offer an Australian client that they won't find in other countries?

- I know how our suburbs are spelt and I know if something doesn't look right (data entry)

- I know how to order addresses correctly for our country (data entry for example)

- I am available in Aust. business hours - this means the client client doesn't need to be online at random hours to speak to me (although I work both day and night)

- When I am doing a content writing job, I know the Australian market - I use the correct spelling, correct grammar, I can use Australian based examples and research and I know how to write for an Australian audience

They may not seem like big things, but when you consider that a company is using that data entry for say lead generation, or to update their database, it's pretty important that the spelling is correct and the like. 

So if you're based in the US, what can you offer a US based client that someone from another country can't? 

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