Unresponsive Client

[kelly_faye]

I am working on my second job on Upwork. It is due in two days. The client promised open communication and help with things required for the job that are new to me. I have sent one contact an email asking for help four days ago and contacted that contact again today, and also today, contacted the one who hired me.

I get no response from either contact.

What do I do if the deadline arrives and the project is unfinished because no one has responded to my requests for help?

[robin_hyman]

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What do I do if the deadline arrives and the project is unfinished because no one has responded to my requests for help?

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I'm sorry you are in this situation.  It is very frustrating.  It sounds like this is a fixed-price job.  Don't worry about the deadline.  It doesn't mean anything especially if the client is unresponsive.  

Are you able to do some of the work or do you need the client to proceed?  In the future, make sure you have everything you need to get started BEFORE you accept the contract.  

[kelly_faye]

I have completed as much of the project as I can without the client's
input. You say in the future I should make sure to have everything I need
BEFORE accepting the contract. So, does that mean I shouldn't accept
contracts that require me to learn a new skill set? How will I grow my
skill set to allow me to apply for a wider range of jobs without accepting
contracts with clients who say they are willing to "teach" me?

[robin_hyman]

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Kelly B wrote:
I have completed as much of the project as I can without the client's
input. You say in the future I should make sure to have everything I need
BEFORE accepting the contract. So, does that mean I shouldn't accept
contracts that require me to learn a new skill set? How will I grow my
skill set to allow me to apply for a wider range of jobs without accepting
contracts with clients who say they are willing to "teach" me?

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Upwork is not the place to learn on the job.  It is simply a platform to help clients find freelancers to complete their projects.  If you want to grow your skillset, educate yourself off the platform on your own time.  Client doesn't sound legit if they were willing to pay you to learn a new skill.  Major red flag. 

[kelly_faye]

But how do I learn new skills to expand my skill set in order to apply for a wider variety of jobs, if I can't trust clients who say they are willing to "teach" me something I'm unfamiliar or have a limited knowlege of?

[robin_hyman]

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Kelly B wrote:

But how do I learn new skills to expand my skill set in order to apply for a wider variety of jobs, if I can't trust clients who say they are willing to "teach" me something I'm unfamiliar or have a limited knowlege of?

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Take online classes.  I wouldn't trust a client who is wants to pay me to learn on the job.  Freelancing is not the same as working full-time for an employer who subsidizes classes that may benefit the company in the long run. 

[AveryO · Accepted solution]

Hi Kelly, 

Are you referring to Contract ID 23260889? I would like to note that the deadline set on a milestone/contract is a placeholder. A lot of clients and freelancers have adjusted their deadlines accordingly (because they didn't anticipate the amount of work, etc.). Not meeting the deadline noted on the contract will not affect the milestone. 

I can see that you have also sent them a draft through the Upwork messages. To be payment protected on Upwork, it is recommended that you submit work through the milestone-submission/contract page. This automatically notifies them that payment was requested on a milestone. 

In the past, I've encountered a lot of freelancers who said that they only notified their clients once, and if they don't come back, they don't follow through with the project. As a freelancer who owns your business, you have the say on how you want to move forward with this project. 

[kelly_faye]

Avery,

I don't know the Contract ID#. I can't find it anywhere, but I'm sure you are talking about the same project. Thank you so much for your help and advice. It is valuable to me.