This is a guide for freelancers who want to be top-rated on Upwork.
The author of the article is a freelancer who has been top-rated on Upwork since 2019, and she has an A+ rating from Procore (a company that makes project management software). She also teaches other freelancers how to get more clients on Upwork and other freelance websites, so you should take what she says seriously.
In the following paragraphs, we’ll talk about why it’s important to be top-rated while working as a Freelancer in 2019; then we’ll go into some tips and tactics that will help you become one of these elite performers on this platform.
| Takeaway |
|---|
| Utilize Upwork’s Top Rated program to stand out in the freelance marketplace and boost your freelancing career. |
| Focus on delivering high-quality work consistently to gain positive client feedback and improve your chances of becoming a top-rated freelancer. |
| Maintain excellent communication with clients to build trust and foster long-term relationships, leading to more opportunities and repeat business. |
| Optimize your Upwork portfolio to showcase your skills and expertise effectively, making it easier for clients to discover your talents. |
| Stay committed to meeting project requirements and delivering exceptional results to increase your project success rate and overall reputation on Upwork. |
What Is Top Rated?
Top rated is a status awarded to freelancers who have a high job success score. To be eligible for top-rated, you must have a 90% job success score or higher.
The Top-Rated program recognizes the best-of-the-best people working on Upwork. The program awards members with special perks, such as:
- A badge in your profile and at the top of every job you post that reads “Top-Rated” next to your name
- Increased visibility for all jobs you post (members without the badge won’t be able to see those jobs)
- Special access to exclusive projects posted by top companies
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How Do You Become Top Rated?
To be eligible for the Upwork Top Rated program, you must have 10 or more jobs on Upwork and have earned at least $1,000 on the platform. You also need to maintain a 90% job success score and be Proven Success with Clients which means your clients love working with you. Finally, there is one last step: You must complete 13 (or more) out of 16 eligible weeks in the program.
What Are The Benefits Of Being Top Rated?
Becoming a Top Rated Freelancer has a lot of perks. For example, you’ll get access to more jobs and better-paying work.
- You’ll have access to new job categories like theming or design. You won’t see these types of gigs in your regular search results unless you’re Top Rated!
- If you specialize in a specific type of work like logo design, for example, you’ll have the opportunity to bid on more jobs related to that area of expertise.
- Your clients will be able to see that you’re an experienced freelancer with great reviews from previous clients. That means they’ll trust you more and be more likely to hire you!
All this leads up to one final benefit: getting rewarded for doing good work! Being awarded Top Rated status means that Upwork recognizes what an excellent job working on its platform does for both freelancers and employers alike (and maybe even gives out free swag).
How Do You Maintain Your Top-Rated Status?
First of all, it’s important to note that maintaining your Top Rated status is a two-way street. You and Upwork need to work together. And in order to do that, you’ll need to maintain a 90% success rate with the jobs you bid on.
If you’re new to Upwork and haven’t worked as a freelancer on any platform before, this may seem like an unreasonably high bar for entry but don’t worry! We’ve got some tips for breaking into this exclusive club right here in our guide: How do I get started with my first job?
If you’re already an experienced freelancer who’s been around the block more than once, though, chances are good that there’s something else holding back your success rate: bad clients!
Clients who cancel their projects after accepting bids from multiple freelancers can really mess up your numbers if they aren’t careful about how they handle themselves throughout the hiring process. To avoid these situations altogether (and make sure that yours stays at 90% or higher), follow these simple steps:
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1. Do More Jobs
The more jobs you do, the more feedback you’ll get. And the higher your average feedback score, the higher your chances of getting to the top.
You can also do more jobs by increasing your hourly rate and/or lowering your fixed price in order to qualify for more opportunities. This means that if someone wants to hire someone with an average rating of 4.8 or higher (and a lot of people will), then they’re going to want them for less money than someone with a lower rating and fewer qualifications.
And that’s exactly what Upwork does: it matches freelancers who have a lot of experience and are good at their job with clients who need those skills right away but don’t want to pay too much for them!
2. Increase Your Hourly Rate
If you’re a top-rated freelancer, you can raise your hourly rate. The reason for this is simple: clients are willing to pay more for a freelancer that has a history of doing high-quality work and has received positive reviews from previous clients.
It’s also worth noting that if your rates are competitive, it will likely be easier for you to find work on Upwork compared with lower-rated freelancers who charge less than average.
For those looking to increase their hourly rate via the Top Rated program, here are some tips:
- Figure out how much money per hour you want to make in general.
- Then look at similar freelancers in your field and see what they’re charging per hour (e.g., $30-$45/hr).
If their average hourly rate is higher than yours by quite a bit ($20/$30), maybe consider raising your own rates so that it’ll be easier for people to find and hire you!
3. Go After Bigger Projects
You should go after bigger projects because they mean more money, experience, and connections.
In addition to making you more money, bigger projects will give you more experience and credibility. You can use this experience on your resume and in interviews when applying for future jobs.
A larger project also means you’re working with a company or individual that’s very busy, which could lead to interesting work and even bigger clients down the road!
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4. Push Yourself Outside Of Your Comfort Zone
Your comfort zone is that place where you feel at ease and relaxed. It’s where you know what to expect, how things will turn out, and what people will say or do. It’s a very safe place for us all to be but it can also be limiting.
The best way to get the most out of your time on Upwork is by stepping outside your comfort zone. By doing so, you’ll expand your skillset and open yourself up to new opportunities. Here are some ways in which you can push yourself:
Try a new task type (i.e., translation vs writing). If you’ve been working with writers exclusively, try translating content into another language! You may find that translation is more fun than writing because it gives you a break from writing in English all day long. The same goes for writers who have been focusing on translations; give them an opportunity next time around!
This change-up could result in more frequent updates for clients as well as higher rates due to more variety being offered by freelancers within each category.”
5. Nail The Interview Process
In this section, you’ll find tips for getting through the interview process with flying colors. This can be an important part of your success on Upwork your interview skills can be the deciding factor between landing that great gig and being passed over by other applicants. Here are some tips to help you nail your Upwork interviews:
Be Prepared
Prepare extensively before your interview by researching the company, and reading its mission statement and latest press releases. As they say in Hollywood: know thy audience.
Be Enthusiastic!
Show interest in what they do and how their company operates by asking questions (but don’t go overboard you’ll come across as overeager if you ask too many).
And don’t forget to mention any projects or clients that might have gotten your name out to them initially; it shows them that you’ve done research about them before applying for the job! It’s also worth mentioning if there is anything special about yourself or anything else relevant to this particular project (e.g., “I’m fluent in Spanish,” etc.).
Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About Yourself!
If there’s something specific that stands out as a strength or weakness when asked by an interviewer then feel free to show off those qualities during an interview it could make all the difference between getting hired versus not getting hired!
6. Always Send Proposals On Time
Always send proposals on time. The first rule of Upwork’s Top Rated Program is to always send your proposals on time, no matter how much you may hate your client or how tempting it might be to tell them to shove it.
If you don’t, your profile will be hidden for a week, and clients who see that will think that you’re unreliable and may not hire you again. On top of that, if they do give you another chance and they still don’t like working with you after two or three projects have been completed successfully, then yes: Your score could be affected by this negative review!
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7. Sign A Contract For Every Job
Your contract is the legal agreement between you and your client. It’s important to have a contract because it protects both parties in the case that something goes wrong. A good contract should be detailed, but not so much that it discourages people from using it.
The most important part of a contract is defining exactly what work you’ll do for how much money, as well as when and how payment will be made (e.g., after completion or after verification).
You can create contracts directly on Upwork by going to “Create new project” and selecting “Business Contract.” Alternatively, if you prefer to use your own template, download our sample business contract template here: https://www.upwork.com/hiring/business-contracts/.
8. Stay Active On Upwork
Upwork’s Top Rated program is designed to help you stand out from the pack. It can be a challenge, but there are things you can do to make the most of it.
Use your profile to show off your skills. Make sure that your Upwork profile has all of your relevant experience and skills listed.
If you’re working on a project and need something done right away, or if someone needs support with something specific, then this is where they will look first when they search for freelancers who fit their needs so make sure that it shows off exactly what they want!
Complete your profile completely: There are many ways in which Upwork users can interact with each other; however, one thing remains consistent the more information provided within a person’s profile (for example: whether or not they have completed their education), the better chance there is for someone else finding them interesting enough without having met them in person yet.
9. Use Upwork To Onboard New Clients When You Have Them Come To You
Of course, Upwork will screen and approve your application to the Top Rated program. But once you’re in, you can continue to build up your profile by getting referrals from current clients.
Clients who’ve hired you on Upwork are likely impressed with your work and maybe willing to refer other job opportunities in their network. If this is something that interests them, ask for it!
Your referral leads can be valuable not just because they might lead to more jobs but also because they let Upwork know how much value they see in working with you as well as how much value they see in having an account with them (and vice versa).
A positive relationship between client and platform leads both parties down a path toward a mutually beneficial arrangement one where everyone involved gets what they want out of the relationship.
10. Do Everything You Say You’re Going To Do Quickly And Efficiently
The best way to earn the trust of your client is to do what you say you’re going to do and do it quickly. Whether that means finishing a task or getting started on your next one, make sure they know exactly where they stand at all times.
If you don’t already use Trello or another project management tool, this is a great time to start! It’ll help keep you organized and on track with your client’s needs as well as maintain an efficient workflow for yourself.
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11. Talk With Clients About The Next Steps In Each Project
- Talk with clients about the next steps in each project and ask if they have any other work for you.
- Ask for feedback from your client, especially if the project was a success. This could lead to future collaborations or even additional jobs.
- If your client is happy with the work you’ve done, ask them if they know anyone else who might need your services!
12. The Top-Rated Program Is Worth Your Time
The Top-Rated program is worth your time, but there’s a lot of competition for spots on top-rated lists so make sure to use every advantage. To get the most out of this feature, try these tips:
Use the rating system as an opportunity to improve your performance as a freelancer. If you’re consistently getting great feedback from clients, you can start thinking about how to market yourself as one of the best in your area of expertise.
Engage with clients who are paying close attention to their rating scores. They typically have more experience than others and maybe looking for someone with whom they can build a long-term relationship. This could be an ideal client for you!
Further Reading
Millo – Upwork Top Rated: Discover the key attributes and benefits of being a top-rated freelancer on Upwork, and learn how to achieve this status to boost your freelancing career.
Morgan Overholt – Top Rated Upwork: Get insights from a successful freelancer on how to reach top-rated status on Upwork and stand out in the competitive freelance marketplace.
Self Made Web Designer – How to Become a Top Rated Freelancer on Upwork: Learn the step-by-step process of becoming a top-rated freelancer on Upwork, and gain valuable tips to improve your freelancing reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Top Rated Badge?
The Top-Rated program recognizes freelancers who have earned consistently positive reviews from their employers. We invite only the best of the best, so it’s no easy feat to stay at the top of the ranking. But if you’re looking for an edge in your career as a remote worker, this could be for you!
What Is Top Rated?
Top Rated freelancers are verified by Upwork and have passed our rigorous verification process based on standards set by our community of clients. The status signifies a high level of performance and ensures that your profile remains visible to potential clients at all times even when there might not be any new jobs posted (which doesn’t happen often).
What Are The Benefits Of Being Top Rated?
Being Top Rated gives you access to exclusive benefits and features that can help you grow your business. You’ll find everything from a badge on your profile to exclusive offers for clients and more.
How Do You Maintain Your Top-Rated Status?
You’ll need to keep providing great feedback to your clients and having them leave positive reviews for you in return. The more positive reviews your profile receives, the higher it will rank on search results pages and newsletters, so make sure to ask for feedback from every single client!
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!