90% Success Rate / Rising Talent

[christinorfleet]

I signed on to Upworks in 2017 and immediately got some good traction. I received good feedback and then secured a client outside Upworks that provided full time work until recently. 
I have gotten back on to try and drum up new business, but have had little to no traction whatsoever. I see that most if not all the posts I look at require that 90% success rate and rising talent. My profile has neither and I feel like I'm stuck in a vicious circle.
Any suggestions or can I get some help with this?
Thanks!

[yitwail · Accepted solution]

Christi,

The 90%/Rising Talent requirement is a source of confusion. They are actually preferences, not requirements, so you can apply and clients will see your proposal. That's not to say a client won't hold that against you, but it's unlikely in your case since they can see in your profile that you completed 2 jobs with 5 star feedback. You don't have to take my word for it -- moderator Nina confirmed this in a recent post here: https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/The-90-quot-job-success-score-quot/td-p/247589/page/3

I do have a couple of suggestions for your profile. Consider adding an item or 2 to your portfolio, to give a sample of your work, as well as taking an additional test or 2, because one above average test result isn't too impressive; also, you need to take & pass Upwork Readiness Test to become a Rising Talent or Top Rated.