Submitting proposals with samples

[julesroni]

I'm new to upwork. When submitting proposals the box at the bottom of the page says: "Include work samples or other documents to support your application." Potential clients are supplying their own project files in their job descriptions with ASAP. Does this imply that the intention is to work on the files in order to provide a sample of your work with their material? Does this break any Upwork rules. Thanks......

[gilbert-phyllis · Accepted solution]

Use material provided by the client to determine the scope of work. Use samples of your own work to demonstrate your capabilities. Executing the work described in the job post without having a contract in place constitutes working for free. Doing it voluntarily does not violate UW's ToS (nor does it put you on a path to profitability). A client asking for free work is definitely a violation and should be flagged.

Sometimes it's necessary and appropriate to do a small portion, in order to accurately scope effort and time and/or demonstrate the FL's chops. In that case, set up a small contract to cover it. Smart FLs clients with large projects often hire several FLs to do little samples, then choose the best. Smart FLs never do sample work for free (except when an opportunity is too juicy not to audition for--even then, the client is technically not allowed to ask for it).

[julesroni]

Thank you, this is very well explained. I came to the same conlusions myelf but I needed to have some confirmation.

[yeasir_arafat_13]

Work samples means your past work samples, not "a sample of your work with the client's material"
Don't work for free. Work for clients when they pay you.
In case of test jobs, always do them when the client is ready to pay you, not for free!

[prestonhunter]

re: "When submitting proposals the box at the bottom of the page says: 'Include work samples or other documents to support your application.'"

I always ignore that box.

[asad6410]

Include the most appropriate and relevant work to demonstrate your skills specific to that job, I think you will be surely hired in no time.