If you’re searching for information on how to succeed on Upwork, you may be finding the process to be a challenge. Luckily for you, I’ve figured out how to get Upwork to work for me and I can teach you, too. With the right tools and knowledge, you too can become a top-rated freelancer.
What is Upwork?
If you’re not familiar with Upwork and want to be a freelancer, you should definitely start a profile today. Upwork is the largest freelance job board in the world. It serves to connect freelancers and clients in need with profiles, portfolios, messaging, and even a payment system. It’s a great way for freelancers to find new clients, as beginners, intermediates, and experts.
How Does Upwork Work?
Upwork works similar to any other job board. The difference is that Upwork gets a cut of the freelancer’s pay for connecting them to their clients. Although it used to be free to apply to jobs, Upwork started charging for credits. Credits are used to apply to each job. The better the pay, the more credits you need to apply to a job.
While some might see this as a rip off, I’ve found that charging for credits limits people that aren’t qualified or don’t really want the job from applying to every available position. Since a credit only costs 0.15 cents, it really isn’t a big deal to make the purchase.
Upwork’s fees depend on how much freelancers make from a client. For example, if you work with a client for the first time, Upwork will take 20% of your pay. While that seems like a big chunk, that number decreases as you earn more money from the same client. When you’ve earned $500, the fee drops to 10%. This is inspiring to get good clients and keep good clients!
1. Determine your skill and market it on your profile.
If you want to freelance on Upwork, you have to know your skill. Not only do you have to know it, you have to market it to others with a complete and convincing profile. This means writing a good bio, including some of your previous work, and providing your work history. Many freelancers benefit from sharing their own website. My blog started as a way to build a portfolio for blog writing.
2. Utilize job filters and don’t be afraid to apply.
You must start by narrowing down your potential client base. There are so many potential clients on Upwork, but it does nothing but waste your time if you aren’t seeing the jobs you want or qualify for. Specify your skill in your search and keep your applications to recent job postings.
A job that was posted yesterday likely has too many applicants to compete with. If you try to apply only to recent posts, however, you will find that many of the clients are looking for someone fast. They won’t wait a few days to find the perfect match. If you apply quickly and they are impressed enough to move forward, you have a good chance.
To get the first job on Upwork can be a real hardship. Once you’ve got one successful job under your belt, they will start coming in more easily. So, apply, apply, apply in the beginning. Don’t be too picky, less you miss out on that first job. An open mind is crucial to start getting replies.
3. Utilize specialized profiles.
Specialized profiles are also a newer feature. When I first started with Upwork, you got one profile to win over a client. Now, however, you can create specialized profiles to get different clients. You might have one for Pinterest Pin design and another for logo design. A client wants a freelancer that specializes in what they’re looking for, not someone that throws a mediocre blanket over it all.
4. Customize your proposals, even with an amazing template.
I use a template for my own proposals. In fact, you can get my freelance proposal template here for free. However, even with a template, I personalize the pitch. Use the client’s name if you have it. Slip in little facts about their requests and job. Use a personalized compliment on their website. Make sure the client knows for certain that you didn’t send this proposal to someone else.
5. Be prepared for your interview.
Just because the work is all online doesn’t mean you won’t have to interview for the position. For some clients, this means a phone interview. Others are okay with simply sending a few messages back and forth. Be prepared for either type of interview. Treat it as though you were in-person interviewing for a job you really wanted. A good interview and a good final product can result in a repeat client.
6. Communication is crucial!
From early on to job completion, always make sure you communicate with your client. If you have any questions, ask. Never assume. You have to be sure you understand what your client is expecting to get in the end. If your client asks about your progress halfway through, be sure to reply promptly. I try to respond within 12 hours on weekdays and 24 hours on the weekends.
7. Deliver what you promised. Your reputation is important.
A poor review from a client can result in no further jobs from potential clients that see that review. With Upwork, those reviews are front and center on your profile. It isn’t just the current client that you won’t work with in the future, it could result in many.
8. You need long-term clients. Develop them.
For real success on this platform, you truly need long-term and repeat clients. Although one-off jobs can help you to get by, there’s nothing like a steady and recurring client. You know what they want and how they expect it to be in the end. You also know that when the current job ends, you’ll get another one soon. It helps you to know if you need to look for additional work.
9. Know your worth and charge it.
Underselling yourself won’t get you the great jobs. Sure, you can get a repeat client that pays less than minimum wage and end up making decent money over time, but you will likely be stuck in that mindset. If you take a low-paying job to get your first job on the board, that’s sensible. But don’t keep working at that rate. You will end up doing a lot of work for not so much money.
10. Don’t do anything for free – not even a“trial run.”
Many people can be convincing when it comes to getting freelancers to do something for free. They’ll suggest a small amount of work for free as a trial run. If you do well, you get the big bucks for the next job. This is usually a scam and goes against Upwork’s rules. Don’t ever do something for free.
11. Work hard.
If you put in the work and do it well, you can expect to find success. Learning how to succeed with Upwork requires following the guidelines provided to you and sticking to them. Don’t make promises you can’t keep and follow through on the ones you do make. You can make good money on Upwork with a skill and hard work.
So, Is Upwork Legit?
Yes! Although I use it less these days because of how much I’m working on this blog, I have earned a good income for doing just part-time work. You can absolutely learn how to succeed on Upwork if you follow the tips provided to you. It’s not a scam at all and Upwork has good rules in place to protect freelancers and clients from scam artists that make their way onto the platform. If you want to work as a freelancer, I’d highly suggest checking out Upwork as a place to get started.