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MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Share your onboarding experience

Hi Community!

 

We’re always looking for ways to improve the experience of creating an account and getting started on Upwork. Who better to help us find opportunities than freelancers and clients who are new to Upwork? We would really appreciate your feedback on any challenges you faced while getting started on Upwork. This includes the signup process, creating your profile, submitting proposals, searching for jobs etc. We’re open to all feedback, but you can use these questions to guide your thinking:

  • What wasn't clear?
  • What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
  • What would have helped you in the beginning?
  • What have you learned that has made it easier for you to find work?

We look forward to your responses and helping to improve the experience of new users.


Cheers,
Mike
194 REPLIES 194

Also adding information about chargebacks and how they can affect a freelancer's account. While we can find information on the forums here that chargebacks do occur, freelancers should definitely be made more aware, with this information more prominently displayed, that a client can issue a chargeback and that money will be deducted from the freelancer's account - even if they have done the work - and that the freelancer will have to pursue it on their own. Upwork needs to make it much clearer exactly how far payment protection extends, not to scare freelancers away, but so we can understand that information in the course of conducting business. It would likely greatly impact our choices when we accept offers from different clients, etc. 

 

I know Upwork covers the chargeback on hourly contracts with proper time tracker usage, but there are instances where Upwork decides not to cover certain hours and, of course, chargebacks on fixed price are automatically pushed to the freelancer. I get the policy, and I'm not complaining about it. I'm just suggesting that the information and education about this process needs to be more front and center, along with scam job awareness, the most prevalent TOS violations, and proper time tracker logging. 

I agree with the test as a rule of acceptance. 

torikaer
Community Member

I'm disappointed because I can't finish my profile. I've been writing for almost ten years now and I want to share what I've learned and to help others with their writing. I can't do this because Upwork seems to believe you can only be a professional if you have a degree. Not everyone had the opportunity to go to college and that doesn't make you stupid or unable to do a job. Yet you cannot complete your profile unless you add education, there's no way I've found to bypass it. I'm sad that the site is discriminating against people simply because you didn't have the opportunities others had to attend college. 


Victoria K wrote:

I'm disappointed because I can't finish my profile. I've been writing for almost ten years now and I want to share what I've learned and to help others with their writing. I can't do this because Upwork seems to believe you can only be a professional if you have a degree. Not everyone had the opportunity to go to college and that doesn't make you stupid or unable to do a job. Yet you cannot complete your profile unless you add education, there's no way I've found to bypass it. I'm sad that the site is discriminating against people simply because you didn't have the opportunities others had to attend college. 


They don't and you don't. Plenty of people here do not have degrees. I have, in fact, hired a college student on here, who obviously does not have a degree, since they are still in school. You need to reach out to CS to find out why your profile is not complete. FYI, I can see your profile. 

 

60% completion is all that is needed for approval, which requires these things: 

 

Profile Photo

Profile Title 

Profile Overview

Employment History

At Least 1 Skill Tag

 

If you're in school you can note that and it will allow you to complete your profile. I have a friend on here who is in school and because she's going for a degree she put that in. But if you haven't attended college or are not attending you cannot complete the profile. I've tried, many times in different ways putting different things in to get past it. There is no possible way to complete it without some kind of college in the profile. They discriminate against you plain and simple if you cannot attend college. 

MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Victoria,

 

There are many ways to complete your profile. The website may suggest you add a degree, but this is not required.

 

I hope this helps!


Cheers,
Mike

Well, this is my second day here on this platform. So far, everything is okay, except for the fact that I'm yet to get any jobs😔 despite my numerous enticing 😁😋 proposals. If someone can help, I'd gladly accept it. Thanks a bunch!

Hi Mamudu, 

 

Thank you for reaching out to us. You may want to consider checking out this Community board as it has many great articles to help you boost your career on Upwork and this thread to help you get started.

 

Additionally, feel free to check these great topics in our Resource Corner to help you create proposals that win jobs:

 

 

Let us know if you have further questions.

 

Thank you,

~ Nikola
Upwork


Mike J wrote:

Hi Victoria,

 

There are many ways to complete your profile. The website may suggest you add a degree, but this is not required.

 

I hope this helps!


Well if there's a way someone needs to tell people how to do it because I've tried and tried, I even emailed them for help and got zero response. I cannot get past the part where it asks you to put in college stuff. Sorry, but it doesn't work. Everyone can keep saying it does, but it doesn't. 

MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Victoria,

 

Are you experiencing a technical problem when trying to complete your profile? In the profile completion article, it defines many different options for reaching 100% completion. Education is not required.

 

Screen Shot 2021-02-18 at 7.18.34 AM.png


Cheers,
Mike

But you are a writer, I woild hope you could come up with something.

School of hard knocks? university of real life experience? the womb institute?

or perhaps just pit your high school experience?

If you have a portfolio showcasing your work and you write compelling proposals it shouldnt be a huge hurdle to get past.

Alternately, make something modest up. No one is asking for transcripts.

This is so true. it seems as if you don't have a degree, you are not treated with respect. ive been on other Freelancing platforms and this one is, by far, the most difficult and complex of them all.  

mohsin-khann
Community Member

Hello, Mike

First you need to be logged into your client account as well as a freelancer account. In order to be able to view proposals that are sent to your job by freelancers. It doesn't look like the account you're currently logged into and used to publish this post is the correct one.

Hi Mohsin,

 

You do not need a freelancer account in order to post jobs or view the proposals. This is all done from the client context. Are you able to elaborate on the issue you faced?


Cheers,
Mike
fdff97aa
Community Member

I had issues with my name. I used my nickname when setting up my profile and now I am having problems with my bank details not mismatching with my profile name. I hope there is a prompt or a reminder at the start to use real name instead of any nickname? Not sure if I missed it. Hope this helps.
MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Yvette,

 

It is listed in the Terms of Service that you must use your real, legal name.


Cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike, 

I am new to upwork and have two questions

1. My profile does not have the blue tick yet and I cannot find any option to verify my identity on the account. Can you help?

2. I have maintained a 100% complete profile and have passed the readiness test but still haven't recieved the rising talent badge. Any leads? 

Hi Zainab,

 

1. At this time, only earning freelancers are eligible/required to earn the “Identity Verified” badge. If you become eligible/required, we will notify you when you log into your Upwork account.

 

2. The Rising Talent status is assigned automatically when a freelancer meets the requirements listed here. This process is working as designed and we can't specify a reason why a freelancer isn't eligible for receiving the Rising Talent badge. Once you qualify, you should receive a notification letting you know.

 

Thank you.

~ Aleksandar
Upwork
fabienneb
Community Member

Hello,

 

I'm new at upwork. I would like to get paid on my fiance's bank account. Is there a way to do that please?

 

Thank you.

Hi Fabienne,

 

You can use someone else's bank account to withdraw your funds as long as you are an account holder or authorized signer on that account. You can read more about available withdrawal methods that might work for you here.

 

~Andrea
Upwork
c6794e7b
Community Member

I have used countless programs and have sold construction software. I do not see an ituitive or clear process for a new subscriber how to apply and respond to opportunities. What have I missed?

MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Ron,

 

Thank you for your feedback. Here are some articles that I think will help you get started:

I hope this helps!


Cheers,
Mike
blandyantonette
Community Member

Hi Goodmorning I am newbie here, I lost my job maybe you can help me to do some bussiness proposals.

Hi Blandy,

 

Thank you for your message. I suggest you check out these two posts for great tips for getting started:

I hope this helps!


Cheers,
Mike


Blandy Antonette B wrote:
Hi Goodmorning I am newbie here, I lost my job maybe you can help me to do some bussiness proposals.

Your profile is too short, expand on your experience and skills, and add examples of prior work in your portfolio, and worry about proposals only when your profile looks presentable. 

brijesh555
Community Member

Upwork is fantastic!! Onboarding went really smooth. The format is quite good.

Just one feedback: The text editors where we type our content have very small font size. Maybe it's 14px? It will be great if it's a little bigger. 16px maybe?

Hi Brijesh,

 

We are glad to hear about your experience with onboarding. Thank you for your feedback I will share this with our team. 

 

Thank you, 

~ Nikola
Upwork

You're welcome Nikola! Have an amazing day ahead..!!

ef1de5dc
Community Member

Nothing. I can't even figure out how to contact a freelancer.

Hi Cindy,

 

I'm sorry that you are having trouble contacting a freelancer. To hire a freelancer, you will need to first post a job and select among the freelancers who will submit a proposal to your job post. Please check out this help article about sending an offer to learn more. Please let us know if you need further assistance. We are always here to help. 

~ Joanne
Upwork
bb01dece
Community Member

I Have Submitted 3 Proposals But None Of Them Have Responded.Waiting For People To Respond .It Could Become Better
MichaelJ
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Murali,


Thank you for your message. It can take as many as 20 proposals to win a project. Keep working at it!


Cheers,
Mike
d96658d7
Community Member

Hello, I'm new:)

 I'm a client and the sign up process was easy. The interface straight forward so far. My concern right now is... I just hired my 1st freelancer, I'm in US he's in another country. It's for a facebook ad I need to run. He wants me to install "anydesk". I'm nervous about this. Is this a typical request from a freelancer to do a Facebook ad campaign?

 I want to have a good experience here, I'm just nervous. This freelancer has had 1 other job completed on Upwork. It wasn't for what I need completed though. His credentials and proposal seemed promising. 

Thanks for reading and look forward to your response. 

Amy

Hi Amy,

 

Thanks for sharing your feedback. Each project is different and it's up to the client and the freelancer to discuss and agree on what tools and permissions are necessary to get the task accomplished. I did a quick search and it sounds like the type of task you need could be done by adding another person to the ad account and giving them the needed permissions. Here is an article from Facebook Help Center about it. Possibly this is something you and the freelancer you hired could look into. 

~ Valeria
Upwork
ashiqcodex
Community Member

Hello Mike,

Everything seems to be very smooth. I would say fast and great user experience. I opened my account few months back and finally i got my first contract 3 days back.

 

I am really loving it. It was a direct client invitation and i was really suprised. Hope to have more success in near future and hopefully i will complete my first contract very soon with my client.

 

While setting up my profile, everything was well organized and i could easily set up my profile to 100%. Do pray for me everyone whoever would see my post here at community. Hope to get some more amazing clients. Cheers

 

Freelance Web Developer

Ashiqur Rahman

Hi Ashiqur,

 

Thank you for your feedback! I wish you continued success.


Cheers,
Mike

Hi Ashiqur Rehman,

Welcome to this forum and Congrats on your first order here.

Wish you never-ending success.

Cheers,

 

Naheedmir

https://www.coupongot.com/
41323361
Community Member

I signed up on Upwork using Gmail and I didn't get to manually input my legal name only for me to figure out that the name used as my profile was the name on the Gmail. I have been trying to update it but I can't seem to get access to that information. How can I change my profile name to my legal name?

Hi Prodket,

 

To request a name change, please go to Settings  Contact Info. Please let us know if you need further assistance. 

~ Joanne
Upwork

Hi Prodket,

No issue, if you have not put your legal name while making your profile.

You could change it afterward. It's so simple.

To change your name, go to Settings and then Contact Info.

Best,

 

Naheedmir

 

https://www.coupongot.com/
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