Tips for Getting Started on Upwork

[#1]

Getting started on Upwork can be challenging. Here are some top tips that can help you succeed.

Complete Your Profile

First, it can be very helpful to complete your profile 100%. It’s important to understand that there are certain sections that must be completed in order to reach 100%. You can even technically exceed 100% completion. The more fields you complete on your profile, the better your chances of winning work. Also, your profile must be 100% complete in order to qualify for badges such as Rising Talent and Top Rated. Check out this help article for more information on the numerous ways you can reach 100% or more completion. I also recommend this article about why a great title and overview can make a difference.

Set Your Profile Visibility

Second, we recommend updating your profile visibility. Once you’ve crafted the perfect profile, you’ll want clients to be able to see it. When setting your profile visibility, you have three options: Public, Only Upwork Users, or Private.  If you set your profile to private, it will be excluded from the Upwork marketplace and search engines. This means clients won’t see you when they search for freelancers. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to set your profile visibility to Public or Only Upwork Users.

Submit Proposals

Third, submit proposals! This may seem like an obvious step, but it’s one that often doesn’t receive enough attention from new freelancers. By regularly submitting proposals for projects that fit your skills, you not only increase your chances of winning work, but you also prevent your profile from being automatically set to private, which can happen if you are inactive from the platform. As you submit more proposals, you will also learn what does and doesn’t get the attention of clients. Also, remember, that you may have to submit more than 5 proposals before you win your first project. Persistence is key. To help improve the quality of your proposals, I invite you to read about how to create a proposal that wins jobs and take in this proven advice from freelancers on Upwork. Also, check out this great article about How To Get More Jobs on Upwork in 2022!

[#2]

Hi Gail,

The general (default profile) will be labeled "All Work" and will be a general introduction to the services you offer. Then you have your specialized profiles that focus on specific skills. So, yes, I would suggest creating a second specialized profile for admin support work. Also, don't forget to click "Publish" on your specialized profile once you have it how you want it (though it can be edited at any time).

While you certainly can create a client account and hire someone to assist you, the Community has a wealth of information. If you don't find the answers you're looking for when searching, don't hesitate to make a post asking for help or suggestions. We have a dedicated team as well as numerous freelancers who are ready and excited to help!

[#3]

Hi Mike,

As a new user of Upwork, I often post articles on the forum and thank you that for new members they are very helpful.

The theme treated here is interesting.

I also have a profile with different skills, Architecture & Brand Design Identity.
I am a professional who has been doing both for years but here I doubt that perhaps it is one of the reasons why I still do not have any "interview" for about 30 proposals I made in a month. All proposals are written seriously on the work offered, and prices in the lower part.

By now I have also made an offer for the first three jobs that I will do, but I wonder if, in the long run, it is better to keep two profiles that do not belong to the same main supply chain.

Thanks

[#4]

Hi Elis,

Thank you for your message. It's ultimately up to you if you want to continue to offer both services on Upwork, but you're using the Specialized Profiles correctly. I do have a couple of suggestions for improvement of your profile

The beginning of your profile overview displays in prospective client search results and it’s your first 200-character pitch. So, your first sentence should include clear, relevant information about your primary skill sets and expertise. To give a clear impression you’re the person the client wants to talk to, here are some additional tips for writing a great Overview.

I'd also suggest you check out these articles:

• 9 Tips to Help You Create a Freelancer Profile That Stands Out
• How to Create a Proposal That Wins Jobs
• How to Write Proposals: Proven Advice From Freelancers on Upwork

I hope this helps!

[#5]

Thank you for your time and advice!

[#6]

Hi Mike,

Can you please check my profile? My profile hasnt been discovered for a single time.  

Where I have to be more accurate?

Requesting your kind feedback.

Regards,

Imad

[#7]

Hi Imad,

Thank you for your message! I reviewed your profile and have some suggestions:

• Consider adding details about the types of projects you've completed to your profile Overview. You don't provide any real concrete examples of your experience.
• In the same vein, I suggest adding samples of your work to the portfolio. Ensure you have the client's permission.

• Your written English skills are strong and you are easy to understand. However, I did see a few minor errors. If you'd like to add extra polish, you might want to consider using Grammarly (from Grammarly.com). I use this myself and really like it because it's free and it offers a Chrome add-on so it works in webmail, messages, proposals, and more.

I also suggest you check out this short list of articles I curated just for you:

• Enhance Your Profile
• 4 Ways to Create a More Successful Freelancer Portfolio
• Tips from Freelancers: Best Practices for Success

I hope this helps!

[#8]

Thanks a lot Mike.

[#9]

Hello,

I am new to this platform. Although I have joined upwork 4 years before but started working on it now. Could you please review my profile? I have no idea how to get an order. I am reading all tips. Hopefully i can get soon.

Thank you.

[#10]

Hi Fouzia,

Your profile is off to a great start. You did a good job outlining your services in the beginning of the Overview. This is important as this is the text that shows in search results. I provided a couple of suggestions below:

• Consider updating your Title to be descriptive about the services you offer rather than trying to list every skill you have.

• Your written English skills are strong and you are easy to understand. However, I did see a few minor errors. If you'd like to add extra polish, you might want to consider using Grammarly (from Grammarly.com). I use this myself and really like it because it's free and it offers a Chrome add-on so it works in webmail, messages, proposals, and more.

Here are some articles that I think might be of interest to you:

• Upwork Profiles: Why a Great Title and Overview Can Make a Difference
• 9 Tips to Help You Create a Freelancer Profile That Stands Out
• 4 Ways to Create a More Successful Freelancer Portfolio

I hope this helps!

[#11]

Hello, Thank you for your tips. I will definitely work on it.

[#12]

Hi Mike! 

Thank you for the valuable insight! I'm a new member to Upwork and i'm currently trying to do my research before i start submitting proposals. 

Would you be available to assist further in anyway? if so, feel free to contact me privately. 

Thank you. 

[#13]

Hi Tia,

I will send you a private message.

[#14]

Mike you made my life easy I am newbie and I need to know all the things, thanks man

[#15]

Hi Mike,

I've been on upwork for a little while now, and have gone through the steps you have outlined in your post.  I'm sure that my concerns are not new, but I am a little confused as to how to get traction.  I routinely submit proposals (almost daily) and have updated my terms to remain competitive.  Yet I fail to get invites, my profile is never viewed, and my proposals go unanswered.  While I don't expect that every thing I submit would be accepted, I do find it interesting that my success ratte for some time has been a big zero.  I'm wondering if there is something I'm doing wrong?

[#16]

Hi Grant,

I responded to your private message with some feedback on your profile. It's important to understand that competition is fierce on Upwork. It is common to submit a great number of proposals. The average varies widely based upon a number of factors and tends to decrease as a freelancer earns experience (both because the experience is showcased and because you learn over time which projects to pick and which approaches work best). You are currently doing better than the average!

I did review your proposals and have some suggestions.

• Your cover letters are very short. Considering expanding them to include information on your background and related experiences.
• Add a salutation or greeting to the client and thank the client for taking the time to review your proposal. This demonstrates professionalism and courtesy.

I also noticed you have a large number of contracts where feedback was not given. I would suggest asking your clients to close contracts, rather than closing them yourself, so that they are required to leave feedback. This will give prospective clients more confidence in your abilities.

I hope this helps!

[#17]

Hello sir, I need your support. Could you please assist me?

[#18]

Greetings Bijaya,

How are you doing?

Yes sure, feel free.

What can I do to assist?

KInd Regards

Rufaro

[#19]

Please feel free to reach me via private message.

[#20]

Hi Bijaya,

Thank you for your message. How may I assist you?

[#21]

could you tell me how i can upload my illustrations onto my computer 

thank you

[#22]

Hi Bobbie,

Could you elaborate a little on what you are trying to do?

[#23]

Thank you for such a great info.

[#24]

How do I browse other freelancers in my field to see how they structure their fees?  Trying to decide how much to charge by the hour, by the word or page?

[#25]

I believe there are a number of ways. This is the way that I do it:

1. In the Upwork App, click Find Work.
2. At the very top of the screen is the "Upwork" sign. Just to the right of the sign is a box with the search logo. Faded in the background are the words "Find work".
3. You will see an arrow pointing down in this box.
4. Select this arrow and then click "Freelancers & Agencies".
5. Press the Enter key.
6. A new search box will appear below the top of the page that has the Upwork logo.
7. In the search box, enter the job description that you wish to compare such as "Multifamily Financial Analyst", "Social Media Marketing", etc.
8. You will then see the profiles and hourly rates of freelancers that match your specialty.

Regards,
John " Jack " Feehan

[#26]

Thanks for this helpful intro, Mike. I am actually not new to Upwork. I started with both oDesk and Elance in 2014, so I pre-date the merge! 

I have had a great deal of success finding work on another site, but I check back here once in a while. My freelance editing business has been full time for the past two years, and I earn about $30K a year. So even though I haven't been on Upwork recently, I do know the ropes. 

I do have an issue with the way the job success score is calculated, though. As a seasoned freelance editor, I do have a respectable amount of repeat business, but if I had secured all my jobs here on Upwork, the percentage of ongoing and repeat clients would appear small. Why? Most of my work is on manuscripts and dissertations; most of those authors and doctoral candidates do not turn right around and write another book or another dissertation! I could give other reasons why my particular line of work does not lend itself to ongoing or repeat business. So I feel it is unfair to have this factor figure so prominently in the way the success score is calculated. 

Also, as I have seen from other posts, not everyone leaves feedback. It's been my experience that my most significant clients are often the ones who are the least likely to follow through with feedback! I know they have been very happy with our partnership, but for some reason, this is a hurdle for them. So again, allowing this factor to figure so prominently in the way the score is calculated seems somewhat unfair. 

Once when I had had just come back to the site, my score apparently jumped higher as soon as I came back. But this time, when in the process of writing bids, I only see on the bid page that I don't 'qualify' because my score is less than 90. But try as I might (go to my profile, ask questions, open a chat, etc.) I can't even find what my score is or where it is posted. Why is it so hard to find? 

The jobs that show up here in my history are from the earliest days of my business, when I was willing to work for pennies, just to get started. I am in a very different place now, after having a lot of success and more than 2500 hours of service to clients in the last two years. But anyone who goes to my profile sees '34 hours' and all those penny jobs. The few reviews that have been left have been positive, but when you post that no review has been left after a job, that makes us look bad! Why not just list the review that have been written? 

I'd also like to know how our score is 'calculated' (in quotes) after we have been inactive for a significant period of time. 

I'm in the process of rebuilding my portfolio here - another factor that has changed significantly since I was last active here on Upwork. But I'm in the process of securing permissions, and it will take time. 

Please tell me where I can find my score and how it is calculated after a period of inactivity. Any other tips you could offer re ways I could configure my profile to more accurately reflect my value and level of experience would be helpful. 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and reply. 

Pat