Proposal - 4 connects for $100 or less jobs

rozellamarkee · ‎09-07-2020

Hi community!

It's been a very long time since I've used Upwork, and was more successful on other platforms, so I'm kind of new. I've seen job posts requiring 4 connects to submit a proposal for a $100 or less jobs, and thought more connects was for larger jobs, higher fee jobs.

Maybe I'm missing something, Upwork states that connects are based on "size and type of project". So the number of connects are not related to the project fees? Can anyone help me out so I can make the best use of the connects?

From upwork: "Connects are used to submit proposals for jobs. Submitting a proposal to a job requires up to 6 Connects, depending on factors such as the size and type of project."

Thanks in advance.

-Rose

jaybopp82 · ‎09-08-2020

Demand is also a factor in the calculation determining how many connects a job post requires. So if a lot of workers are applying, the amount required can go up. And the reverse as well.

smkiger · ‎09-08-2020

This is an issue that concerns me also. I have been on Upwork about six months. over 60 proposals and not even one interview. Have 30 years experience with website design and development. PHP, SQL etc. Five years WordPress.

I know there are teams on Upwork. From what I have seen here the problem *might* be that Upwork teams are flooding all the best clients with proposals before individuals freelancers can get to these steady hiring clients. I notice all the best clients with steady history and highest paying jobs have 20 or more proposals on every job post.

My question is are each team member allowed to submit a proposal to the same job other team members are submitting proposals for?

Easy to see this may be an unfair situation. Teams could flood these clients with proposals keeping clients reading mostly team members proposals and not leaving clients much time to consider individuals proposals.

Also do Teams have to pay more to be on Upwork?

rozellamarkee · ‎09-08-2020

Michael,

Don't give up.

I was on Elance for a long time before the switch to Upwork. I'd review "how to" videos and read posts about how to write proposals and I try different ways of doing things. So that's what I'm doing now in trying to understand the process. It's different for everyone I guess.

Hang in there.

-Rozella

yitwail · ‎09-08-2020

Michael K wrote:

I know there are teams on Upwork. From what I have seen here the problem *might* be that Upwork teams are flooding all the best clients with proposals before individuals freelancers can get to these steady hiring clients. I notice all the best clients with steady history and highest paying jobs have 20 or more proposals on every job post.

My question is are each team member allowed to submit a proposal to the same job other team members are submitting proposals for?

Easy to see this may be an unfair situation. Teams could flood these clients with proposals keeping clients reading mostly team members proposals and not leaving clients much time to consider individuals proposals.

Michael,

I'm guessing that by 'teams' you're actually referring to agencies. If so, that's an interesting question. I've never been associated with an agency, so I'm not as well-informed as I could be, but judging from this article -- https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009524274-Agency-Proposals-and-Offers -- it seems an agency can submit a proposal to a job, and each member of the agency can also submit proposals to the same job. How much of an advantage that may be, I really have no idea. On the other hand, it's widely believed, by freelancers not associated with an agency, that a substantial number of clients prefer individual freelancers. One reason for the preference is that the agency manager could choise which freelancer to work on the given job, and depending on factors such as availability, unless all the agency members have the same experience and skill, the quality of the work could vary depending on who's chosen to do the job. Clients may also be aware that the agency manager gets a percentage of the fee, so all things being equal they're paying a middle man.

Finally, FYI, agencies pay the exact same amount for connects, and spend the exact same number of connects for a proposal, as individual freelancers not associated with an agency. There's no volume discount of any kind.

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce

smkiger · ‎09-08-2020

Not intending to be mean or anything but how do you know this is the case when you have only been on Upwork seven months? Again no offense. Maybe I don't understand something. But how are you a community leader with such a large organization after being on Upwork only seven months?

Also I am not big on reading lots of 'white paper'. Is there some info on Upwork that you could point me to that might help me understand more why I haven't even had one interview after 60 proposals and like the other member was concerned about why we have to use 4 connects for a less than $100 job sometimes?

rozellamarkee · ‎09-08-2020

Jason,

Thanks for the followup. I'm just trying to understand so that the connects are being utilized in the best way.

Are you saying that's how the programming is done to determine how many connects?

Something like because what we see is the post of $5 but the clients can put a range or a maximum amount they could go to causing it (programming) to choose the higher connects?

I've attached an example of what I'm seeing - $5 jobs posted requiring 2 connects and less than 5 proposals.

Thanks and Happy Tuesday!