Submitting a second proposal

[unsprung]

I received my first inviation to submit a proposal and screwed it up. The client posted an invitation to propose and in it he mentioned an "outline" that he can provide. Natually I would like to see that before I propose. I tried to send a request to the clinet but my request appears to be a proposal. I withdrew my "proposal" because it was only a messge hoping to resubmit an actual proposal but I cannot do that. How can I start all over?

[65dab6ce]

Hi Peter,

Do you still see the client in your messages? If not I'm afraid you may not be able to resubmit as your proposal has been withdrawn. Chalk it up to a lesson learned. Next time you can use the proposal to ask any clarifying questions while also letting the client know what you can do.

Accepting a proposal does not mean accepting a contract.

All the best as you move forward!

[unsprung]

So having withdrawn my proposal which was only a message I cannot resubmit my actual proposal? Did I inadvetaly take myself out of the running and cannot get back in? I just spent two days writting a 10 page proposal that the client will never see? There's got to be another way!!

[yitwail]

Peter, there’s no way to un-withdraw a proposal so you’ll have to send another one and hope the client will interview you.

[unsprung]

But HOW do you send in another one? Hitting "submit a proposal" simply takes me back to the withdrawn proposal.

[kat303]

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Peter B wrote:

So having withdrawn my proposal which was only a message I cannot resubmit my actual proposal? Did I inadvetaly take myself out of the running and cannot get back in? I just spent two days writting a 10 page proposal that the client will never see? There's got to be another way!!

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2 DAYS and a 10 page proposal, Are you serious??????

You probably did most of the work in that PROPOSAL then in the actual job itself. Don't be surprised if the client now takes that 10 page proposal and gets the job done real cheap since he has all the information he needs. If you are doing that with all your proposals, then you don't know how to use this site correctly.

What you did should have been the requirements of the 1st milestone of the job, NOT in a proposal. And you should have been paid for that. 

[unsprung]

I spent a lot of time writing the proposal because 1) it was for 250 hours of work and 2) most of the proposal was boilerplate that I can use on any future proposal. Unfortunately, the client will never see my proposal if I cannot find a way to submit it!

[joywriter]

You should probably still see a message option in your messages to message the client if the chat room is open. Even after  withdrawing the proposal, the chat room would still be open since he invited you. 

[unsprung]

I can see that I can attempt to converse. I send a message indicating that my proposal is submitted and attached it BUT will the client even see it if I inadvertantly indicated I want to withdraw? I have unfortunately sent a confusing message.

[AveryO]

Hi Peter, 

I would like to confirm that once you have withdrawn a proposal from a job invite, you will not be able to submit a proposal for the job again, unless the client creates a new job post, and invites you again. 

[prestonhunter]

Lots of mistakes here.

They are the freelancer's mistakes, and nobody else's.

There is no such thing as sending a request separately from the proposal.

The biggest mistake was the extreme amount of time spent on the proposal. That is not a proposal. That is working for free on the project.

[unsprung]

Spending so much time writing a 10-page proposal was not a mistake. I had reasons doing so:

1) The client estimated about 250 hours of work, so spending a day writing a proposal is worth it.

2) This is my first job with Upwork. I want to win to get the experience.

3) This proposal was mostly boilerplate. So I can now write the next proposal in less than an hour using this proposal as a template. It was an investment.

4) Having written much LARGER proposals as a professional contract researcher for 20 years AND having reviewed proposals as a government employee, I know what clients want to see.

What I do not know, evidently, is how to use Upwork!

[purplepony]

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Peter B wrote:

Spending so much time writing a 10-page proposal was not a mistake. I had reasons doing so:

1) The client estimated about 250 hours of work, so spending a day writing a proposal is worth it.

2) This is my first job with Upwork. I want to win to get the experience.

3) This proposal was mostly boilerplate. So I can now write the next proposal in less than an hour using this proposal as a template. It was an investment.

4) Having written much LARGER proposals as a professional contract researcher for 20 years AND having reviewed proposals as a government employee, I know what clients want to see.

What I do not know, evidently, is how to use Upwork!

__________________________________________________

Peter, admission is the first step. However, you can certainly learn as many of the rest of us have.

There sincerely is a wealth of information within the "Help and Support" and "Community" areas. All one needs to do is search for what they're needing/wanting to learn, read/view/listen to the information, absorb it, and put it into play.

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[unsprung]

Yours is a good idea. Unfortunately, one often does not know what questions or problems will occur before they happen - as I just found out. Then it is hard to backtrack. But I will follow your advice and read up. Maybe I will avoid a future mistake. Thanks.

[unsprung]

Thanks Avery. I know you cannot submit a second proposal, but, having been invited, I found out I can submit my proposal in the chart room.

I have not gotten an answer to my latest question. Let me restate it. Having inadvertently withdrawn my non-proposal proposal, I subsequently attached my actual proposal in the chat room of my withdrawn proposal which the client saw and said he would review. Can he now hire me or is he prevented from doing do by me previously having called my proposal withdrawn?

[AveryO]

Hi Peter, 

The client will need to setup a new job post to be able to hire you since you withdrew your proposal on his (first/other) job post. 

[65045135]

Hello Avery,

I would like to know if the client can re-invite me from the same job post?

Thankyou

[AndreaG]

Hi Nawfal,

Yes, they will still have the ability to invite you even if you have withdrawn a proposal to their job post.

[65045135]

Thank You Andrea,

One more question though.

I will be able to change the cover letter?

Meaning it will be considered as new proposal?

 Thanks

[ArjayM]

Hi Nawfal,

Once you received an invitation to Interview, you may decide to update your proposal before creating a final contract. However, you can’t change your cover letter, but you can update your terms. 

[unsprung]

You were correct. Although I had mistakenly withdrawn, the chat room WAS still open. Was that because I was invited? I submitted my proposal (the real one) and got confirmation from the client that he received it. Success.

But ... if the client were to select me to do the work, what happens then? Does Upwork allow clients to select proposals that were "withdrawn"?

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Peter,

I'd just like to clarify a few things. When a freelancer accepts an invite and submits their proposal, an interview room is created. That interview room is still available if the freelancers withdraws the proposal, unless the client and/or the freelancer block each other. 

Additionally, the client can always go to the freelancer's profile and either invite them or to send them an offer by clicking "Hire Now." 

[unsprung]

Thank you Valerie. That the chat room is still open even after a proposal is withdrawn is clear to me now.

Despite having inadvertently withdrawn my proposal, the client has since received my actual proposal and says he will review it. Is the client still able to hire me given that the offical status of my proposal is "withdrawn"?

[martina_plaschka]

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Peter B wrote:

Thank you Valerie. That the chat room is still open even after a proposal is withdrawn is clear to me now.

Despite having inadvertently withdrawn my proposal, the client has since received my actual proposal and says he will review it. Is the client still able to hire me given that the offical status of my proposal is "withdrawn"?

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Yes he can. 

[f5e9bcef]

just want to say here its really quite idiotic theres no option to edit a proposal, I understand being professional and all, but its only human to make a mistake or change your mind in the hours after you submit a proposal, it makes no sense why you cannot edit one, so withdrawing the proposal is seemingly the only option and the website basically tricks you out of a job and you just learn by trial and error. its whatever but feels kind of barbaric and something that could pretty easily be fixed just by making a little change to the site.