Freelancing journey Fast start

algorithm-cpa · ‎01-15-2019

Hi.

Am new to Upwork, I have made several bids but am yet to land a contract. I have attended the getting started webinar earlier today and it had great insights on how to set up a great profile. Would you be kind enough to check out my profile and advise on improvements? My main concern is that I have placed 10+ bids with no success.

In the meantime, am open to joining an agency under a non-exclusive contract, which is the best way to get this going? am really intent on starting off my freelancing journey.

thanks

Francis

gilbert-phyllis · ‎01-15-2019

Francis, welcome to UW! I know next to nothing about your profession and have never needed to hire a CPA, so I'll leave it to more knowledgeable folks to comment on your profile, beyond saying it comes across as professional and competent.

As for getting a fast start here, you'd be wise to adjust your expectations. It's not unusual to send out dozens of strong, well-crafted proposals before landing your first project. Go ahead and spend far more time than you think should be necessary, to scour job postings and filter out the ones that seem to offer the best opportunities for you. When I first started, I used to cast a wide net by saving not only the 'definite' ones but also the 'maybes'. Then I'd re-examine and submit proposals to the short list. Only bid on projects you feel confident of succeeding 110% because it will be important to establish a track record of successful outcomes as soon as you can. It may be worthwhile to start out accepting somewhat lower compensation than you are really seeking, but just a bit lower--don't sell yourself too cheaply because you'll wind up dealing with inferior clients (price-driven, impossible to please, more likely to lack scruples) and it will be difficult to raise your rate later.

Submit your proposals like putting messages in bottles on the outgoing tide--don't look back, you'll go nuts trying to understand why this one or that one didn't convert. Just keep looking forward. If you use up all your connects two months in a row without landing anything, then something needs adjusting. But don't get too impatient yet, you are playing a long game here.

j_worth · ‎01-15-2019

Nice to find this thread here Francis and Phyllis! I had pretty much the same question as Francis. I have 6 open proposals just sitting there, 2 are 6 days old and 4 are 3 days old. I came to help wondering if there is someone in the background here at Upworks that can look over my proposals and profile to give me an audit, so to speak. Maybe I have something tacky. Also, I'm not paying, so I can't see bit ranges. This is the first time I have actually tried the process. Hopefully, it can be done without paying. It will be different after there are some earnings. Thanks for your comment Phyllis about lowering compensation. At this point, I have 0% in the trending department.

gilbert-phyllis · ‎01-15-2019

I have only ever used the free basic membership here and can't imagine doing anything else. Looking at bid ranges means you are chasing jobs/clients that you think represent your target market. And where does that get you? If you quote a fee of 500 beans for a project and can see 12 other proposals that range from 25-75 beans for it, does it make sense for you to start bidding 75 beans for similar work? Only if you want to set up shop among the bottom feeders. Believe me, you don't.

If you are unsure about your worth in UW-world, spend some time searching FLs (as if you were a client) to find those with experience & credentials similar to yours, who are succeeding at the kinds of projects you want to do, and examine what they are charging as well as how they are positioning themselves. Emulate them.

For me, it has always worked better to figure out, as best I can, what I'm worth to the kinds of clients I want to work with, and then try to make myself visible and available to them. That part is about (1) profile, (2) proposals, and (3) learning to suss out those clients from their job posts (and recognize the ones you should run away from). This stuff is part of Freelance 101, meaning (1) it's not UW-specific, and (2) developing a minimal level of competency is price of entry. If you haven't freelanced before, then highly recommend doing some reading about that and if possible, finding a mentor. You can get some good advice and guidance here, but you need to dig in and do homework, too.

Best of luck!

prestonhunter · ‎01-15-2019

re: " I came to help wondering if there is someone in the background here at Upworks that can look over my proposals and profile to give me an audit"

Nobody who works for Upwork is going to do that.

But there's a ton of information in the Community Forum and in Upwork's help documents that discuss how to write good proposals and create good profiles.

martina_plaschka · ‎01-16-2019

John H wrote:
Nice to find this thread here Francis and Phyllis! I had pretty much the same question as Francis. I have 6 open proposals just sitting there, 2 are 6 days old and 4 are 3 days old. I came to help wondering if there is someone in the background here at Upworks that can look over my proposals and profile to give me an audit, so to speak. Maybe I have something tacky. Also, I'm not paying, so I can't see bit ranges. This is the first time I have actually tried the process. Hopefully, it can be done without paying. It will be different after there are some earnings. Thanks for your comment Phyllis about lowering compensation. At this point, I have 0% in the trending department.

John, your profile is a list of skills (I think, have no clue about IT stuff), but there is no human spark. It does not make a connection. It does not speak to me.

If I were a client, and was going to pay money for a service to a person I don't know and will never physically meet, I would look for someone I can trust, and who comes across as a real person.

You can be a hundred times better as all the maybe 200K other freelancers offering the exact same skill-set, if you don't make a human connection, it's a waste of time and effort.

BTW, nobody can see your proposals except the clients you sent them to via their job posting, so they might be really good and personal, I don't know.

j_worth · ‎01-16-2019

Thanks Martina,

I do bridge that gap with the cover letter but it's still great advice and I'll take a look at improving the profile too!

John

martina_plaschka · ‎01-15-2019

Francis M wrote:
Hi.
Am new to Upwork, I have made several bids but am yet to land a contract. I have attended the getting started webinar earlier today and it had great insights on how to set up a great profile. Would you be kind enough to check out my profile and advise on improvements? My main concern is that I have placed 10+ bids with no success.
In the meantime, am open to joining an agency under a non-exclusive contract, which is the best way to get this going? am really intent on starting off my freelancing journey.

thanks
Francis

Your profile sounds too much like a resume for my taste, too many empty buzzwords and speaking in third person.

A profile is not a resume or a CV. It is about making a personal connection with a potential client.

Focus on that, and leave out all the completely irrelevant stuff (team leader) and what should be utterly self-evident (reliant, trustworthy, hard-working, ...) and present as a competent, but real, person.