New Freelancer's Disappointment

[acostafabi]

Hello, I'm new to upwork and I got a rising talent badge. I applied to every job I had connections available during my first active month (due to the rising talent it was more than usual), only got two messages but was never hired. I'm a talented and multi-skilled professional, yet it seems like nobody takes me seriously. I have worked independently as a freelancer for years, but my few clients have not required my services for a while. I thought that perhaps Upwork could help me to stay constantly working. However I'm feeling disappointed and I'm starting to stop believing in this. I've done the Upwork tutorials, webinars, followed advice on how to write cover letters and properly do proposals. 

What am I doing wrong?

[cylver1z]

Hello Fabiana,

I'm sorry to hear that. Have you checked these links already?

Enhance your profile

Submitting a winning proposal

[holymell]

Read the forums. Seriously. Read all of them. I'm telling you, I would have crashed and burned if I hadn't read all of the forum posts dating back to when the Upwork merge happened. I actually read all the way back to the inception of the forums.

It's time consuming, but the information is invaluable.

Also, use your connects sparingly. Don't apply to any job you think you can do. Apply only to the ones you know for certain you can knock out of the park. Clients can smell desperation.

Then first two lines of both your profile and your proposals are all the clients initially see, so that's valuable real estate. Make sure you use it to hook the client.

Again, read the forums. I've got like ten jobs right now. I wouldn't have those had I not learned all about the platform. Read the freelancers forums, the clients forums, but start with the New to Upwork forums. If you read them and internalize the information, it will be hard to fail here.

I don't know what your rate is, but raise it. Don't take just any job that comes along out of desperation. That will only lead you to trouble. Screen your clients and make sure you'll make a good team.

Good luck!

-Mel

[reinierb]

+10 000 to what Melissa said. 

However, I might add that you should condense the wall of text that is your profile overview into at most, three short paragraphs. Clients generally don't bother to read long, boring overviews. 

Also, focus on, and highlight your core skills. Looking at your overview, I could not figure out what it is you do best. Clients are quick to translate "multi-skilled professional" into "jack-of-all-trades, master-of none", so remove everything from your profile that does not relate to your core skills. 

Once you have done that, briefly explain to potential clients how you can use your core skills to solve their problems. The thing to do is to convince clients that you are the best thing since sliced bread. Keep it short and to the point and follow the KISS principle; KEEP IT SIMPLE, ******. 

Good luck! 

[holymell]

Reinier, you have amused and informed me for the better part of a year without knowing it. Thank you.

I agree with you.

OP, pick the skill you're best at and sell yourself. Clients come here looking for specialists in a single area so of course your profile will be off putting. The client wants to know that you can deliver what they need specifically, not what many others may need.

You do have a lot of skills. Which is your favorite? Pick that one and do a profile overhaul focusing on just that skill. This will put potential clients' minds at ease when they see that you can do the ONE thing they need done.

I like to think of a Jack of all trades as a lack of all trades. I'm sure you're great at your skills, but you need to market yourself specifically according to a single skill set. You'll see a huge improvement.

[jmeyn]

The others have already provided some feedback on your profile. My 2 cents:

• Add your second language and your level of expertise in this to the profile
• Focus is key. Focus on the one skill you are best at and get the first jobs done. You can expand your skill set later
• It took me several months to acquire my first job so be patient
• Your rate is too low. Bear in mind, it is extremely difficult to raise the rate later