Hi All folllowing this post
I am probably the most unlikely and underqualified of all here, but I will share some of my journey and some lessons learnt along the way.
I studied teaching, hated it, and spent all my free time practicing the piano. I majored in Art and Music Education but was never really the 'right' personality for class teaching, and since music teachers were not as sought after as Math and Afrikaans majors, I can actually write a book about how not to get hired and do an inauthentic interview for a job you hate - and be detected. Anyway, I went volunteering to help informal settlement youths write poetry and get started as a band. After this success one would think I were a star teacher but remember my roots were relatively rotten, so it was really tough. After a year and a half and two teaching contracts I realized I needed to do something to get free from a job I deemed a ratrace. I hated the politics. I struggled leading teenagers under stress and make them excel. I did not have the support to help me make them make a success. It was a bad fit.
Enter my online search for work. Scribie and Odesk(before UpWork), even Freelancer.
Transcription tests I could not pass for the life of me. (No matter that I always had 100% for Unisa's aural tests -even at 8th grade music level.) Freelancer's jobs and proposals seemed fake. I applied for so many jobs in that first season, UpWork either video called me to ensure I was not a bot, or blocked my account because my connects were done. Not sure what, but I was so thankful when they reinstated me after every bad season, I dug into the tests(in that season you could still write qualification tests) and blog to see how I had erred. I was desperate.
Then, enter my first job, about 4 months after joining. $5 typing job. The people I stayed with even tried dissuading me. I still made my warmest, most confident and persuasive attempt at a proposal. The real estate company took a liking to me and every few months they returned with a few more pieces of work. Unfortunately my lack of skills in CRM and inability to upskill fast enough(I committed to knowing software I had zero aptitude and zilch skill for) prevented them from successfully promoting me. I diversified my profile to add Translation (before this time I had started volunteer-translating for Coursera's GTQ(?) Effort that showed next to no support for my mother tongue, Afrikaans, and somehow confused it with Arabic (no offence intended, but as an intense lover of Afrikaans, my mother tongue, I was horrified to say the least.)
I got a transcription job of $45(I think) and - no shocker here - was penalized for poor quality of work ...I still remember the sting but committed to submit in order to get a better job in the future.
I chose to rather decline jobs I was not well suited for, and started applying for tutoring positions. You see, I had segmented all of my possible experience and was attacking any opportunities head-on.
From 2018 onwards, I had gotten the hang of it, were submitting credible proposals with more honest performance, and less fluff. More of a track record and the self-confidence to admit to myself whether I had it in me to go for a job or not. The grit to keep on applying, and the foresight to start when I saw my budget was nearing insolvency.
Today most of all my clients came to me via Upwork. Really good, honest people. We make a difference in education. I even vet invited for jobs that fit my niche, or are close to it. I try to not be too expensive. I consider well what they are demanding. I try to write my best and mosy honest proposal. I just keep on going.
I wish you hope, long-term clients and the tenacity to keep on studying job posts, your competition's qualifications and what UpWork has to offer. And most of all, shaping yourself. Diversify a bit, but find your quality niche. There is probably no roadmap, but as we look into the abyss this one sure starts making sense! Peace!
