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hermanng
Community Member

What is going on with clients?

I just checked into messages and the UpWork page came up saying" it takes on average 3 days for a client to hire a freelancer"  you should really change that to 6 weeks to never. I just got and finished a 35 hour job and it took the client 6 weeks to decide because as he said, he was going through some 60 proposals he received. 

I have 14 active candidacies  and 35 submitted proposals 

out there in the ether and all are not hiring anyone, but most have 50+ proposals 

Those proposals would have been 6 connects each based on the new system. = 210 x $0.15 = $31.15 and not a job in sight - as I said, the other small job I had send a proposal 6 weeks ago so I have no idea at the moment of what is going on.

I get an email once a week with 10 jobs from UpWork, but they are all 3-4 days old and have 50+ proposals already - there were jobs offered where the client had send out 40 invitations - this whole thing is a nightmare and if UpWork does not get this situation under controll the future looks dismal 

52 REPLIES 52
versailles
Community Member


Hermann M wrote:

if UpWork does not get this situation under controll the future looks dismal 


They are taking measures. They just dropped the free connects, now freelancers have to pay to bid, moving the spamming of job posts from free to not free anymore.

 

The feeling,or at least the hope, some have is that Upwork is somehow tiering it's marketplace. rest assured that the most successful freelancers, those who actually bring money to Upwork have no problems getting hired and earning well. Low earners on the other hand may have reasons to be concerned.

 

 

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"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

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It doesn't seem that Hermann is a low earner! He also has a Top Rated Badge with 100% JSS. Then why he has this concerned! I also want to know this! 


Rafsun S wrote:

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It doesn't seem that Hermann is a low earner! He also has a Top Rated Badge with 100% JSS. Then why he has this concerned! I also want to know this! 


I can only speak for myself, but of course it's frustrating when you spend time - and now, money - applying for jobs and get no response. I make pretty good money on Upwork and I hugely appreciate the clients that I've acquired here, but that doesn't mean that I think everything is perfect. Sometimes people just like to vent.

My feeling is that something has changed about 2 months ago. It was much easier getting jobs before that. I get the feeling that UW has started keeping a lot of US jobs for US freelancers by promoting to US companies to offer jobs to US based Freelancers and the crumbs are left for the rest.... I have seen a thread where this was in a way confirmed.

lysis10
Community Member


Hermann M wrote:

My feeling is that something has changed about 2 months ago. It was much easier getting jobs before that. I get the feeling that UW has started keeping a lot of US jobs for US freelancers by promoting to US companies to offer jobs to US based Freelancers and the crumbs are left for the rest.... I have seen a thread where this was in a way confirmed.


Every summer someone says things have changed and things have happened and something is going on. The best thing to do is find things outside of Upwork to fill in Upwork gaps. A couple weeks ago, I made $300 on Upwork, which is extremely low compared to my average income on here. It happens. You gotta find other ways to make money to make up for those times. Maybe it's build up a savings account. Maybe it's work other places. Maybe it's go out and do a hobby or learn something. Whatever you do is up to you, but you have to accept that freelancing is never a guarantee and upwork is not a place where you will be making the same amount each week or month. You will have slow times.


Hermann M wrote:

My feeling is that something has changed about 2 months ago. It was much easier getting jobs before that. I get the feeling that UW has started keeping a lot of US jobs for US freelancers by promoting to US companies to offer jobs to US based Freelancers and the crumbs are left for the rest.... I have seen a thread where this was in a way confirmed.


Yes, I think you're right about that.

Hermann - Well, Upwork is a US company. Maybe they are tired of being flooded with job seekers from all over the world.


Joan S wrote:

Hermann - Well, Upwork is a US company. Maybe they are tired of being flooded with job seekers from all over the world.


Well, if they're tired of receiving 20% of the $78/hour that I'm charging, they should just let me know.

 

It seems like an easier way for them to make a profit would be to simply raise their hourly and project minimums. Plus, nearly all of the scams that are reported in the forum involve low-paying clients and low-charging freelancers - why not just get rid of them? I don't see how it's any benefit to get 20% of $3/hour.


Christine A wrote:

Joan S wrote:

Hermann - Well, Upwork is a US company. Maybe they are tired of being flooded with job seekers from all over the world.


It seems like an easier way for them to make a profit would be to simply raise their hourly and project minimums. Plus, nearly all of the scams that are reported in the forum involve low-paying clients and low-charging freelancers - why not just get rid of them? I don't see how it's any benefit to get 20% of $3/hour.


I wish we had some statistics to see if it really is helping or hurting them to let people sell their services for next to nothing. One thing is doing small favors and paid tests for a few dollars, but is there a benefit to be a site filled with mostly underpaid freelancers that are spending so much time to wade trough the sea of scamming clients?

joansands
Community Member

Lexidh - And I recently lost out on a job because the client picked a freelancer who offered to do the job for nothing. 

lexidh
Community Member


Joan S wrote:

Lexidh - And I recently lost out on a job because the client picked a freelancer who offered to do the job for nothing. 


That is just crazy. Will they even get rated for that on this platform? 

joansands
Community Member

Lexidh - No, the freelancer won't get rated for the work she did for free - but she is new & had not gotten any jobs & I think she offered to do the work for free because she thought she would get a rating & a job to show that she had done. She won't get either. Live and learn.

lexidh
Community Member


Joan S wrote:

Lexidh - No, the freelancer won't get rated for the work she did for free - but she is new & had not gotten any jobs & I think she offered to do the work for free because she thought she would get a rating & a job to show that she had done. She won't get either. Live and learn.


Freelancers should really get a thorough walk-trough of these topics before being able to apply for jobs =/ There are SO many clients out there that want to take advantage! And it's not like UpWork earned any money on this either, it's not in their interest that we are paid nothing!

joansands
Community Member

Lexidh - It is against Upwork's Terms of Service to ask for free work but a freelancer can offer to do free work. I think it should be against Terms of Service for a freelancer to offer to do free work. No one benefits from that because even the client is probably going to get sub-par work done and Upwork gets nothing.

lexidh
Community Member


Joan S wrote:

Lexidh - It is against Upwork's Terms of Service to ask for free work but a freelancer can offer to do free work. I think it should be against Terms of Service for a freelancer to offer to do free work. No one benefits from that because even the client is probably going to get sub-par work done and Upwork gets nothing.


I totally agree. It's a no-win situation, even though the client might think it is great. If they only knew...

Anonymous-User
Not applicable

All the information is available on the website. The problem is the scammers don't read any of it until they trap themselves and then ask the "why me?" questions on the forum.


Joan S wrote:

Lexidh - And I recently lost out on a job because the client picked a freelancer who offered to do the job for nothing. 


Joan, I doubt that you lost out on anything. A "client" who would take a desperate stranger up on an offer to work for free out of desperation is not the kind of person you want to do business with.

I could have used the job, but you are right. The client is really cheap and not someone I would want to work for.


Lexidh S wrote:


I wish we had some statistics to see if it really is helping or hurting them to let people sell their services for next to nothing. One thing is doing small favors and paid tests for a few dollars, but is there a benefit to be a site filled with mostly underpaid freelancers that are spending so much time to wade trough the sea of scamming clients?


I can't imagine that raising the hourly minimum to at least $5 and raising the project minimum to at least $30 would deter anyone (and if it did, then wouldn't that be a good thing?).

 


Christine A wrote:

Lexidh S wrote:


I wish we had some statistics to see if it really is helping or hurting them to let people sell their services for next to nothing. One thing is doing small favors and paid tests for a few dollars, but is there a benefit to be a site filled with mostly underpaid freelancers that are spending so much time to wade trough the sea of scamming clients?


I can't imagine that raising the hourly minimum to at least $5 and raising the project minimum to at least $30 would deter anyone (and if it did, then wouldn't that be a good thing?).


I totally agree on the $5 hourly minimum, but smaller translating projects I'm more than happy to do for less than $30. Like a birth certificate where I've got a template, won't take me many minutes, wouldn't expect to be paid $30 for that. But raising it to $10 or $15 would definitely do good things for the freelancers and the quality of the job postings!

Anonymous-User
Not applicable

Well, it must be hurting them which is why they're thinning the herd. If that's the motivation at all.
hermanng
Community Member

Fact is, there are FL on UW  who sell their services for less than $5.00/hour or even take on 4 hours of work for $10.00 - the problem is, this might be OK for them living (locals) in a country where the average monthly income is $50.00 but it is terrible for others who live in a high cost environmennt. It also degrades the whole platform to a "cheap labour" place rather than a place for speciallists for hire with high skill & knowledge levels. 

From a marketing point of view, this is the most unfortunate branding for UW and will have severe downtrend effects over the long term. 

bevcam
Community Member

If UW isn't interested in me either they're welcome to let me know. The ignorance and arrogance of the entitled **nxa** Smiley Frustrated

tlsanders
Community Member


Bev C wrote:

If UW isn't interested in me either they're welcome to let me know. The ignorance and arrogance of the entitled **nxa** Smiley Frustrated


There seems to be a serious logical flaw here. You're suggesting that if Upwork isn't interested in you at all, it would make sense for the company to invest paid worker time in culling through millions of freelancers and reaching out to you and the hundreds of thousands of other freelancers it isn't interested in to update them?

bevcam
Community Member

I'm not suggesting UW do anything of the sort. I'm quite happy with what UW gives me re work and communication. It was an off the cuff replying to a comment made by Joan - 

"Well, Upwork is a US company. Maybe they are tired of being flooded with job seekers from all over the world."


Hermann M wrote:

My feeling is that something has changed about 2 months ago. It was much easier getting jobs before that. I get the feeling that UW has started keeping a lot of US jobs for US freelancers by promoting to US companies to offer jobs to US based Freelancers and the crumbs are left for the rest.... I have seen a thread where this was in a way confirmed.


That started at least a year ago.

feed_my_eyes
Community Member


Hermann M wrote:

I just got and finished a 35 hour job and it took the client 6 weeks to decide because as he said, he was going through some 60 proposals he received. 


Surely it doesn't take 6 WEEKS to go through 60 proposals? What happened - he could only read 1.43 bids per day, and then he was too fatigued to continue? It sounds more likely that your client was in no real hurry to get his work done, which is his prerogative. 

Christine,

old marketing rule, if you want a client to make a fast decission do not offer too many choices, In case of UW it is understandable that clients get confused if lets say I offer my service for $35.00/hour and another for $5.00/hour for the same job 

lexidh
Community Member


Hermann M wrote:

I just checked into messages and the UpWork page came up saying" it takes on average 3 days for a client to hire a freelancer"  you should really change that to 6 weeks to never.

 

My experience is either same day, 3-4 days, or never. Most jobs I have applied to has been closed without anyone being hired. 

joansands
Community Member

Lexidh S - That is also my experience.

lysis10
Community Member

idk man I think this is just stuff you can't obsess over. I bid on stuff that I know I won't win but think I'm a good fit. Whatever man. Gotta just focus on stuff that will make you money. You can't control when a client responds to you (if ever), so I think it's better to focus on ways to make money even outside of Upwork. Or take the time to relax or do something that interests you.

nosvan
Community Member

Well, I am a low earner and I feel somewhat impacted by this.

 

However, I know very well this time of the year is really slow. Sadly, there no opportunities for "outside work". Unless you don't mind taking 7$ a month for a full 8hr a day job.

lysis10
Community Member


Jose Daniel M wrote:

Well, I am a low earner and I feel somewhat impacted by this.

 

However, I know very well this time of the year is really slow. Sadly, there no opportunities for "outside work". Unless you don't mind taking 7$ a month for a full 8hr a day job.


So, there is no other opportunity on the Internet for you to make money? Sad.

Jose Daniel lives in Venezuela.

 

He is well aware that the problems in his country were not caused by Upwork, and will not be solved by Upwork.

 

I think we all feel for him and other people living there.

 

It is sad that such a resource-rich country, with a proud history and people, is suffering due to what is going on there. Hopefully things will be resolved soon. But yeah... it's been dragging on way too long and the people are really suffering for it.


Preston H wrote:

Jose Daniel lives in Venezuela.

 

He is well aware that the problems in his country were not caused by Upwork, and will not be solved by Upwork.

 

I think we all feel for him and other people living there.

 

It is sad that such a resource-rich country, with a proud history and people, is suffering due to what is going on there. Hopefully things will be resolved soon. But yeah... it's been dragging on way too long and the people are really suffering for it.


Yes, that's all true, but I don't think that Jennifer was suggesting he confine his job search to his own country - the Internet has opportunities world-wide. Upwork isn't the only way to make money.

Of course I won't let myself lie on the ground and complain during hard times okay, maybe once in a while. Outside work and online work are two different things. Even during the crisis, I had already succeeded in several regular projects like selling a variety of food and sweets, crafting backpacks, etc. Online, I tried every "trusty" PTC under the sun (with generally positive effects), then I bought a gpu and tried my luck in a couple of games (people laughed at me and nowadays Venezuela's so important for certain game's economy that several items skyrocketed during the first days of March's national blackouts). And finally I got here in Upwork and had the most success out of every other initiative of mine. 

 

A few things to clear:

- I don't know your personal opinions regarding trading virtual currencies since that technically violates many games' policies, but I want you to take in mind that this is keeping alive dozens of thousands of people. 

- I am lucky that I picked a profession that happened to be door-opening and I struggled with family, friends and even my wife for months until I managed to convince them all I was doing something profitable. 

- The only other option many (including me at times) have left is leaving the country. I mean, by 2015-2017 you could live relatively well with $30-40 a month and now 2 pounds of meat costs $6 while the official salary is $7.

nosvan
Community Member

If they send me money, I will shut up inmediately. I mean, I've been waiting that CIA paycheck for years now. 

 

Also, they are most welcome to come to my house. I will gladly treat them the best way and give them the opportunity to fact check for themselves.

Hi All,

 

We appreciate everybody's sharing their experiences freelancing in different categories, times of the year and locations. We would like to ask you to refrain from discussing politics or posting any other content contrary to the purpose of this forum. 

A few posts have been removed from this thread.

 

Thank you.

~ Valeria
Upwork


Preston H wrote:

Jose Daniel lives in Venezuela.

 

He is well aware that the problems in his country were not caused by Upwork, and will not be solved by Upwork.

 

I think we all feel for him and other people living there.

 

It is sad that such a resource-rich country, with a proud history and people, is suffering due to what is going on there. Hopefully things will be resolved soon. But yeah... it's been dragging on way too long and the people are really suffering for it.


I hear they have the internets in Venezuela now.

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