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Andrea's avatar
Andrea G Community Manager

Tips for finding that first job

Hi all,

 

Welcome to the Upwork Community! We know landing that first contract can be challenging, so we built Upwork Academy and threads like this to help you get started. With a lot of resources and so little time, we wanted to put together some recommendations for you to check out first:

 

 

Do you have a specific question or maybe a tip to offer? Reply to this post and share your question, advice, or words of inspiration!

 

~Andrea
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Andrea's avatar
Andrea G Community Manager

Hi all,

This thread has been closed from further replies due to its size. We appreciate your participation in the Community and welcome you to continue the conversation on this new thread.

Thank you!

~Andrea

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1,767 REPLIES 1,767
Mesbahur's avatar
Mesbahur R Community Member

hi, i am new in upwork i want to work with upwork entry level , thanks
Mary Margaret's avatar
Mary Margaret G Community Member

Try finding short projects to work on.

Gain positve feedback

Ofelia's avatar
Ofelia P Community Member

Hi! I am new to Upwork, I am exploring this and seeing how it helps to showcase my talent that is related to teaching, and writing and I am also interested in knowing the idea of how this works.

Mary Margaret's avatar
Mary Margaret G Community Member

In your proposal show client how you will deliver quality work
Match your skills with the project in short polite explanation manner.
Add new projects ‘You’ create projects similar to what client is looking for. This shows the client you understand what they want you to do. (scope of project)
Find the specific needs and goals of the client.
Make sure your skills and expertise align with their requirements.

Kenny's avatar
Kenny R Community Member

I am relatively new to the Upwork platorm.  So far I have responded to nearly 60 proposals and NOT ONE response! What am I doing wrong? Before I engaged Upwork I was a very successful partner in a graphic design firm, winning my share of design awards. Not sure what is the best strategy going forward. I have spent a significant amont on "connects" and that seems to be pointless a well. Any ideas from those of you that are "working"? Thanks

David's avatar
David S Community Member

You 'responded' to 60 proposals, or - you 'sent' 60 propoals without a response?

It's a bit unclear in that first sentence.

Mary Margaret's avatar
Mary Margaret G Community Member

The world of receiving a job (project) changes rapidly overnight.

So, even if you have either been working in a specific line of work or just starting as a freelancer…

It is advisable to go all the way back to basics.

(Upwork’s videos and training to show you how to create great cover letters and profiles.)

Since my current project of 5 months just ended, I plan on going over to Upwork’s video section to see if there are ‘New’ ones to see if I can acquire a nugget or two of new knowledge.

Best of all you receive a ‘Badge’ for completing a section of training that appeals to your clients on your profile a lot!!

n your proposal show client how you will deliver quality work

Match your skills with project in short polite explanation manner.

Add new projects ‘You’ create similar to what client is looking for.

Find the specific needs and goals of the client.

Make sure your skills and expertise align with their requirements.

Naeem's avatar
Naeem U Community Member

Agree!

Aisha's avatar
Aisha M Community Member

Hi, Greetings. 

Sir you said that you were sussessful partner with a firm and you win awards. So sir i want to suggest you to make portfolio video of your previous work {designs}, awards, your years being work as graphics designer, along with your beautiful self. And post it on upwork. This gonna help the client to see you as a experienced and perfect freelancer for thier needs. Also portfolio makes your profile stronger and tansparent what you write about your self, your work, and your experties in the Upowork's Description.

Thank You Sir :]

 

Aisha's avatar
Aisha M Community Member

Hi, 

Sir you said that you were sussessful partner with a firm and you win awards. So sir i want to suggest you to make portfolio video of your previous work {designs}, awards, your years being work as graphics designer, along with your beautiful self. And post it on upwork. This gonna help the client to see you as a experienced and perfect freelancer for thier needs. Also portfolio makes your profile stronger and tansparent what you write about your self, your work, and your experties in the Upwork's Description.

Thank You Sir :]

 

Naeem's avatar
Naeem U Community Member

One thing to keep in mind is that competition on Upwork can be tough, especially for jobs in popular categories like graphic design or web development first of all you should narrow down your niche in graphics design and show an attractive portfolio in your profile fully optimized.

 

To stand out, it's important to make sure your proposals are well-written and tailored to each job posting. Keep consistent and provide full-time time on Upwork because this is not a part-time freelancing platform this is a professional business platform. 

Tetiana's avatar
Tetiana C Community Member

Hi, I can't get my first order, is there something wrong with my profile?

MD Ajijul Hakim's avatar
MD Ajijul Hakim I Community Member

I am new to Upwork. But I can't get my first job. Is there any problem with my profile?

Abdul's avatar
Abdul S Community Member

Hi,  I wanna ask all three questions which you have quoted 1. How to get my first work 2. Strategies to deal well with client either I could get the job  3. How to build the best proposal to accepted and i hot hired.       After these all .. I want to add one more question that, I have got my first order some days earlier which is related to therapy (Couple therapy) after completing my job I asked from client for the session and they replied with much appriciation but he did not closed the job and he left it pendin like a milestone completed. Usually it shows that it may he would ask me again for session but he is just disapppeared from upwork even therapy needs 3 or 4 sessions to be done for curing and I texted him too. Ask me some suggestions how he could close the job.?? 5. I have submitted more than 60 proposals but can find only a single one as i mentioned above even those proposals were my best written and I have a strong command on required position but about 2% of all that were viewed by clients. Suggest me some solutions for the sake please.

 

 

Koo's avatar
Koo K Community Member

 
David's avatar
David J Community Member

Hey I am new here. What does one do to get invites?

Christine's avatar
Christine A Community Member

You won't get legitimate invites until you have some experience here; most new freelancers need to buy connects and send a lot of proposals before they find work. But first, you need to learn how to use Upwork and improve your profile. Click on the Academy link at the top of this page and go through all of the materials.

Teneka's avatar
Teneka B Community Member

I have been a member since 2022, I have purchased so many connect and I am yet to receive an offer or proposal. I have spent so much money on connects and noting. I hope everyone else has have better outcomes. 

Lalita's avatar
Lalita P Community Member

I have been trying to generate leads from last 2 months on UpWork but didn't get any success so can anyone suggest me the tactics needed for getting leads. Please the things to done for making my profile more visible to clients on Upwork.

Kamrul Hasan's avatar
Kamrul Hasan N Community Member

Are there any tips on which job I will apply for and for which I will not, because there is a limitation of connects. So I need to calculative. 

Tetiana's avatar
Tetiana C Community Member

Hi all, I have sent over 120 job offers but have never been hired, my profile has been redone several times, and I have filled out everything I can but my profile is not even being reviewed or looking at my cover letter. Can you tell me if there is any strategy? I am regularly buying connects and plus accounts. But there are no results. I can pay for the profile for another 3 months, but if I don't find a job, there is no point in Upwork.

Aditya's avatar
Aditya A Community Member

Hi I'm Dane this is my first work from home job as English and Filipino translator, subtitle writer, and closed captioner. Though I don't have experience, I do have a knowledge to edit some of the mistranslated and misspelled words and synchronized it perfectly which is from my favorite shows, I do that as a hobby.

 

I'm new in upwork community and someone invited me to look at the job he posted. I've already sent a proposal but I'm little bit nervous about the interview. Any advice since this is my first interview from work from home job. Thanks

 

 

Please have a look at my profile and let me know if anyone is willing to give me the best feedback.

Thank you.

 

Here is my profile link.

https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01e387386c3996c338

Hassan's avatar
Hassan M Community Member

When I first joined, I was a first-year university student with limited money. I came from a humble background, so it was difficult for me to pay for my education. In my free time between computer lab classes, I searched the internet for online job opportunities. I found oDesk while searching. I made an account. It was difficult to figure out how to get jobs. It was very hard to get my first job. But I kept learning about SEO.

Hamza's avatar
Hamza S Community Member

I've spent alot of time optimizing my profile, spending time and bidding but still got no projects, what I'm missing can anyone help me.

Abaiz's avatar
Abaiz K Community Member

 

I cant apply for any job the button is grey, I dont know why. Can someone help me with this?