Share your onboarding experience

[Sarwat N]

Right.

[Roland Well O]

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.

[Pradeep H]

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.

[Chima K]

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

[Kitt W]

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. 

[Valeria K]

Hi Kitt,

See my reply to you here. 

[Nichola L]

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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.

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______________________________

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. 

[Amanda L]

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Nichola L wrote:

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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. 

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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. 

[Diane B]

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.

[Andrea G]

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!