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gwennicole
Community Member

Unresponsive clients.

I'm only a week into Upwork, however, I have submitted numerous proposals and people are either not logging into their account and some are just ignoring me. I have one person interviewing right now but she is not replying to my messages and still hasn't hired anyone she is interviewing. I thought it would be easy to get hired but I'm feeling very discouraged from people not getting back to me..

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huzaifa_zafar
Community Member

Hi

Keep trying until you get one. As far as the client is not responding is concerned. It happens even with the expert. However, Upwork has the system to achieve proposals. The main thing is there are good clients exist as well as bad(those who don't hire someone). Getting first work is not an easy job. Because there is very strong competition in the market right now. What you can do is keep trying.

with the passage of time, you will have very good links for clients. They will send you direct invites to jobs. it will be easy for you to find work based on good profile and job success score.

It took me a year to get first work. 

Don't worry it happens to all of us.

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7 REPLIES 7
tlbp
Community Member

It is very difficult to get a job. There are many experienced freelancers applying for the good jobs (and even some of the bad ones).

 

 

A job poster isn't a client until they have offered you a contract, you have accepted. What you are experiencing is a lack of response to your proposals. Unresponsive clients are a completely different problem that you should learn about. 

 

That you made it to the interview level for one job is a positive sign.  However, you should read the top posts in the New to Upwork section and learn to recognize scammers.  Some "clients" aren't really clients at all. 

 

 

mtngigi
Community Member


@Sara H wrote:

I'm only a week into Upwork, however, I have submitted numerous proposals and people are either not logging into their account and some are just ignoring me. I have one person interviewing right now but she is not replying to my messages and still hasn't hired anyone she is interviewing. I thought it would be easy to get hired but I'm feeling very discouraged from people not getting back to me..


 

I'm not sure why you thought it would be easy. It's not easy - especially on a website with mass amounts of freelancers and not nearly as many clients. Some freelancers get work right away, with others it may take some time, and many never find work here. Clients are not "ignoring" you ... they're just either choosing someone else or no one at all. Learn to leave your bids and move on.

 

By the way, it is against TOS to have a link to your website on your profile page ... that's a big no-no. Make it easy on potential clients and include some portfolio pieces in the portfolio section of your profile.

I don't know why I thought it would be easy either. Also thanks for telling me I'll take the link down right away. Ah I hate being new to things haha.

huzaifa_zafar
Community Member

Hi

Keep trying until you get one. As far as the client is not responding is concerned. It happens even with the expert. However, Upwork has the system to achieve proposals. The main thing is there are good clients exist as well as bad(those who don't hire someone). Getting first work is not an easy job. Because there is very strong competition in the market right now. What you can do is keep trying.

with the passage of time, you will have very good links for clients. They will send you direct invites to jobs. it will be easy for you to find work based on good profile and job success score.

It took me a year to get first work. 

Don't worry it happens to all of us.

Thank you for the help and for being so kind, glad I'm not alone.

zaairhussain
Community Member


I feel you, "ghosting" is one of the most frustrating thing in both relationships and sales. Of course, people can't be expected to reply to every proposal they get but I've recently had a lot of clients just stop talking mid-interview rather than tell me that the rates are too high or they've found a better option. (And in a couple cases, they came back after a couple weeks)

It comes down to: people would rather you be driven nuts than have to experience the tiniest bit of awkwardness in telling you they don't want to work with you. I'd love it if Upwork had a "close interview" button that they could just click so you get the message loud and clear, and don't wonder where they went. And mildly penalize (even just by sending reminders) clients who consistently don't close interviews, choosing to just let them linger indefinitely. 

That said! If you're running your own freelancing business, you are your own sales department. This is a tough job, and it makes the people who do it tougher. You need to learn (as do I) not to take ghosting or other forms of rejection personally. Keep working on your sales process, keep sending follow ups till it's literally easier for them to tell you to go away than not respond, analyze if there's any particular point at which you lose them. Keep asking for feedback. 

This is a rough journey, but the endpoint is financial independence. For every frustration you power through and improve from, there'll be someone who quit. Near the end, there'll only be a few people who made it - I hope you're one of them. 

louisaj
Community Member

Hi Sara,

 

It took me a few months to get my first client, hang on in there. 🙂

 

On another note, and this may help, small typo in your work experience section. Illustrator not Illustartor. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Louisa 

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