What if multiple clients accept bids?

dustinkingcodes · ‎08-21-2020

Hi, I'm new to Upwork and freelancing in general. I've bid on one job, but I don't know if they'll accept, so I'm sure I should bid on other jobs as well. However, if I bid on, say, two jobs, and they both accept the bids, am I then immediately on the hook for both jobs, even if they're too much to work on concurrently? Or would they then make an offer that I can accept or decline? (I remember hearing about there being an offer stage within Upwork, but I'm not too clear on it.)

Is there any penalty (reputation or otherwise) for declining an offer?

Is it usually possible to negotiate a delayed start date with one of the clients (and would there be a penalty within Upwork for that)?

Any tips on avoiding being overloaded when bidding on multiple jobs, or managing multiple offered/accepted jobs (should that situation arise) would be helpful. Thanks!

petra_r · ‎08-21-2020

Dustin K wrote:
I've bid on one job, but I don't know if they'll accept, so I'm sure I should bid on other jobs as well. However, if I bid on, say, two jobs, and they both accept

That would be most unusual. Most new members find that it takes a decent number of bids before they land their first contract. In fact, the vast majority of new freelancers on Upwork never land a job at all.

There is no penalty in any way for declining an offer, so bid on jobs you'd love to do and if you get more than one gig, juggle or negotiate deadlines.