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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
mwiggenhorn
Community Member

Mike, I've said it over and over and will reiterate once more.  A part of profile approval should be passing a meaningful test, featuring the important terms of the TOS - contact with clients, how payment works, verification of ID and all those things that clog up the forums.  I cannot think of another way to suss out the auto-accepted, the fake ids, and the just generally unprepared FLs.  Several of us have actually offered our services to create a meaningful test.

exactly 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

Right!

I am agreed with Mr. Mary!

 

Many unsuccessful and new freelancers don't understand the importance of ToS because Upwork does not force it on them.

 

Every freelancer should know its importance because freelancing will be the carrier for many potential freelancers who join Upwork, and these new freelances can be extremely productive.

Please What is ToS ?

Hi Josaphat,

 

You are expected to abide by Upwork Terms of Service when using the platform. To learn more about the Terms of Service, please check this help article

~ Joanne
Upwork
delimu
Community Member

Hello,

am new and i would like anyone to assist me with preparing my proposal.

Thanks.

dgmutai
Community Member

After sending a proposals, after how long will one know if he or she secured the job? where will one get the notifications of the jobs secured?

term of services

Hi Josaphat, TOS means "Term of Services" which is very important to know.

Hello,

i need to have a refund. Please i need help !

**Edited for community guidelines**



The person ask me 286$ but didn't make a job and don't exist....

Chantale

Hi Chantale,

 

It looks like you have already sent our team a message on Facebook. They have replied to your message and will continue to assist you there. Thank you!

~ Joanne
Upwork

Terms of Service Smiley Happy

kaurai
Community Member

Terms of Service (TOS)

I've concurred with Mr. Mary!

 

Numerous fruitless and new specialists don't comprehend the significance of ToS in light of the fact that Upwork doesn't drive it on them.

Each specialist should know its significance in light of the fact that outsourcing will be the transporter for some potential consultants who join Upwork, and these new consultants can be amazingly gainful.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

One of the many basic reasons why I left Upwork a while back. I understand the point Mary is making and I speak for many other that it's not about having stringent guides and test registration condition but a little extra security to put both Freelancer and Client minds at peace.

Ditto Ayodeji O!

 

Upwork makes the service fee off the client but is failing to bring in more secure methods to prune out scams (clients going outside the system or getting around the payment system, getting enough work  in the project for them to use, then giving a bad review or failing to pay) and scammers (freelancers who have fake id, profile etc... to get those contracts) 

Ayodeji, you are right!

exactly

Right.

Good morning! I'm new here and I have also been wondering how to prove my skills and how do I get a good level of recognition without necessarily having spent years around.

Hello Roland,

 

You can read up on the freelancer resources for great tips and insights on how you can work successfully on the platform. For more information about working safely through Upwork, please read these tips for avoiding questionable jobs.

 

Thank you

Pradeep H.

Upwork

Hi Mary, I 100% agree with you, a thorough test along side ID Verification would be very very useful!

kwakeley
Community Member

Everything seemed to go very smoothly. I even got responses fairly quickly. But I keep getting permission denied messages when I click on the responses from the people who would like to submit a proposal. Therefore, I can't review or reply to the people who've sent me a message. There doesn't seem to be an obvious answer to this issue. As a newbie, I'd like to know that it can be easier to access the proposals. 

Hi Kitt,

 

See my reply to you here

~ Valeria
Upwork
colettelewis
Community Member


Mike J wrote:

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.


______________________________

If you trawl through the "New to Upwork" thread, it won't take you long to find the answer to your questions. 

 

When I read this thread, it seems that, apart from a lack of understanding the connects system and the 20% service fee,  many newcomers have problems actually setting up their accounts, uploading and arranging portfolios (not limited to newbies), religious issues where photos are concerned, and the verification process. 

 

As Mary said. The main problem that newcomers have is that they do not read the help pages and they do not read the ToS, before launching themselves into the deep end of freelancing, which inevitably leads to at best, misunderstanding, but usually tears, or even drowning. 

 


Nichola L wrote:

As Mary said. The main problem that newcomers have is that they do not read the help pages and they do not read the ToS, before launching themselves into the deep end of freelancing, which inevitably leads to at best, misunderstanding, but usually tears, or even drowning. 

 


I 100% agree with this. When I was new, even though I did read the TOS, the most important points didn't really register - no circumvention, no communicating outside Upwork pre-contract, no accepting checks for "expenses", etc. 

And even if the TOS are read, there are some things that we still might have questions about.  For example, I am having some issues knowing how and what to showcase in my portfolio.  My previous editing work has been with books and journal articles that went on to publication and many documents that are confidential.  I'm just not sure about the best way to put that out there.

Hi Diane,

 

In your portfolio, you can showcase any projects related to your skills as long as you personally have worked on every item you add and the content doesn't violate the Terms of Service. If you've completed those projects for a client, make sure the client is okay with you posting the work on your Upwork profile. You can check with them directly on that.

 

Thanks!

~Andrea
Upwork

I just joined, and I can't seem to FIND the help pages and ToS? I'm looking for just a simple overview... like when I signed up, it would have been nice to recieve a quick welcome and 'how to' email, showing where I can find all these things. I have no idea how to use 'connects', or what that means. Guess I'll just dig around.

Hi Faith,

 

 You can find more useful information and advice on the freelancer resources we have compiled here. With submitting proposals, you may benefit from reading this Frequently Asked Questions on TOS changes regarding information sharing and interviews. For more information about the Upwork TOS, please check here

~ Joanne
Upwork
a165fb25
Community Member

I signed up for a Freelancer account but I didn’t get any emails other than some password change mail etc (after I changed it).I am waiting for approval for my profile and I have put lots of information so that I’d get a response but unfortunately I’m still waiting.It would be great to hear from someone who could help, I can only talk to chatbot 😞

Hi Cigdem,

 

I checked and it looks like your profile is still Under Review. Please know we typically take between 24 to 48 hours to review your application and we will notify you via email if your application is approved or declined.

 

Thanks!

~Andrea
Upwork

I agree.

I am brand new.  Honestly, I was thinking there would be an obvious page where I could read the rules and see information on how everything works.  Some kind of manual/guide should be easily located on the site.  I uploaded a readiness test but had no idea where to get the information on which the test was developed.  

 

I see mention of apps etc.  I made a profile and submitted a few proposals.  I am hopeful that if and when one is accepted that I will be able to figure out how to go through the process.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

I'm quite new too and it isn't that easy to navigate, and frustrating at times when there is no human to help, we are just kinda flailing about out here... but all part of the adventure I guess. The whole thing really does take time and effort. But I have had a couple of contracts now and I am persevering. I wouldn't rely solely on Upwork, but it is a tool for us. My experience has literally been tial & error ans investing some time finding my way around. Over time it starts to unfold and its a good one for patience testing too.

 

There is a manual, hopefully this link will work:

 

https://content-static.upwork.com/blog/uploads/sites/3/19-0405_r1_Update_FL_Guide_for_Connects_Leyla...

 

Wishing you luck!

CB x

Oh wow thanks so much
martina_plaschka
Community Member

Why not move the readiness test (which is too easy anyway) into the approval process and make approval dependent on the score? I know the results would be available on the internet in a matter of seconds, but still... it would at least force newbies to familiarize themselves with the platform a little and not be so wide-eyed and clueless. (With a special section for US based people that says: NO CHECKS!)

Regarding my personal experience: I found it easy and intuitive to register and create a profile, and luckily a real nice client responded to a proposal in a matter of days, so everything went quite smoothly. I have to admit that I was puzzled a lot by JSS calculation and other things, but after a few whacks on the knuckles by Petra I finally got it, as far as it is meant to be understood, that is.  

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