Been here for a long while - have some ideas which may help new Freelancers:
1. Worldwide client postings are generally always searching for the lowest price. If you don't compete on price in this manner, avoid bidding on these jobs.
- I dont have advice for bottom-feeders - you have your strategy already.
2. Never bid where 20 or more bids have been made - your proposal likely will not be noticed. If the job is Worldwide, the proposals will zoom to 50 in a matter of hours, even minutes.
3. For Quality Freelancers (those who dont bid on price): set your price at a rate which matches your quality, never at a rate which you think will land a quick project. You will ruin your reputation by playing in the mud, and open yourself to junk invites - hard to recover from this. Applies 'only' if you are genuinely quality-based (and service oriented).
4. Avoid, generally, bidding on projects where payment is not verified, eps if the client has been on the network for 1+ weeks: they likely arent authentic, are a flake, or they are hiring off network. Black holes.
5. Avoid bidding if the hire rate is below 75% (see #4 as to why).
6. Avoid bidding if client's historical avg hourly rate is, say $7.61 but they are posting a job with a rate range much higher. They are trying to lure quality talent to work for junk rates.
7. Similarly, if client posts an hourly range of $20 to $75 for their project, always assume that they really want to pay less than $20.hour...and verify this by looking at their history. Same tactic, junk pay clients seeking quality talent. It's unethical!
8. If a client has a history of hiring Worldwide - at low rates - and posts a job seeking US Only, please understand that they likely do this with all of their job posts in an effort to lure in talent at their junk rates: but always default to the Worldwide. Their history reveals much - observe it.
9. If a client invites more than 15 or 20 freelancers, they are not searching for quality, but price. Do not respond.
10. At some point in your working for cheap clients, your JSS will take a hit from one who doesnt play honest - you will get dirty when playing in the mud!
11. Never ignore a bad client rating - assume its genuine.
12. Dont work for clients who refuse to address you by name - these are in-and-out clients who rarely remember you when the job is done.
13. Also dont work with clients who fail to respect your time: ask to meet with you now, miss scheduled meetings, etc. If they dont respect your time, they will walk all over you - and if you object, they will burn your JSS.
14. Avoid clients who refuse to provide freelander feedback - it's just rude and should be prohibited on UW.
15. Finally: never boost - its a strategy to generate token revenue and has a very very low return. When I hire on here, I always skip right past the boosters - why: because they are desperate!
