Today, we are going to be looking at how to up your game on Upwork. If you’re a new freelancer, or just looking for some tips and tricks to get ahead in the game, then this article is for you!
I’ll take you through the process of building up your profile, finding good clients, and getting paid what you deserve. There are many different strategies out there that work for different people.
So I’ll try not to give anyone’s strategy too much weight over another instead I hope that by sharing our own experiences as Upworkers (as well as those of our readers), we can all learn from each other and come closer towards success together.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Create a compelling Upwork profile to attract potential clients. |
| 2. Tailor your proposals to showcase a strong understanding of project requirements. |
| 3. Strike a balance between competitive rates and the value you offer. |
| 4. Stay proactive in seeking new projects and maintaining client relationships. |
| 5. Avoid common beginner mistakes, such as underbidding and using generic templates. |
Complete Your Profile
Before you start searching for work, there are a few things you need to do on Upwork. The first thing is to add your profile and make sure that it’s complete.
This is extremely important because this will show other freelancers who you are and what kind of skills and experience you possess. So when someone is looking for someone with those particular skills, they can find your profile easily by searching through the app or website.
To get started with adding your profile, click ‘Build Your Profile’ at the top left of any page on Upwork (assuming that you have signed up).
This will take you through a series of steps where you can upload an image (a picture), and add some details about yourself such as where did your education come from or what job have you done before?
Once done with all this information make sure that everything looks good before submitting it into their system so they can approve it quickly!
If you’re new to freelancing and want to know how to make the most of Upwork, check out our comprehensive guide on How Upwork Works for Freelancers. It’s packed with tips and insights to help you navigate the platform and land your first gigs.
Provide Only Genuine Information
All of this information is the gatekeeper between you and your clients. If you are not a native English speaker, use an online translator to check for any mistakes in your profile.
Provide only genuine information. Don’t lie about anything on your profile because it can come back to haunt you. Don’t lie about qualifications, past experience, or skill level. Similarly, don’t lie about availability as it might affect future projects with clients who want regular work from freelancers like yourself at a certain time of day/daylight saving time/year, etc
Choose The Right Category And Subcategory
Before you start your search for a job, it’s vital that you choose the right category and subcategory. You can find out which categories are available on Upwork by clicking here.
If you’re a writer or designer and want to find jobs in these areas, make sure to stick with them as much as possible. However, if you’re looking for something completely different from writing or design (like marketing or customer service), then go ahead and browse through other categories too!
Each job posting specifies what category it belongs to so this will help narrow down your search if needed.
There are also over 100 subcategories within each primary category listed on Upwork; however, keep in mind that just because one business needs a copywriter doesn’t mean they need someone with an extensive background in writing ads!
Curious about the best and worst aspects of Upwork? We’ve compiled a list of the Top 21 Best and Worst Things about Upwork to give you a clear picture of what to expect as a freelancer on the platform. Make informed decisions and succeed in your freelancing journey!
Add Skills Relevant To The Job
Upwork has a list of skills that you can add to your profile. You can also add your own skills that are relevant to the job. While adding all the skills that you have is not necessary, more is always better than less.
However, don’t just add a bunch of random skills and expect it to boost your chances of getting hired for jobs. If you are applying for a project management job on Upwork, don’t just list “project management” as one of your skills add specific tools like Jira or Basecamp as well as soft skills like leadership and communication abilities.
You want to impress potential clients by showing them how experienced and knowledgeable you are in certain areas while still keeping your profile short and sweet by only listing relevant information related to what they might be looking for.
Don’t Place All Your Eggs In One Basket
Keep in mind that Upwork is not the only way to find freelance jobs. There are other freelance websites out there, so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t just work with one client and wait for them to keep hiring you until they stop instead, diversify your portfolio by taking on different projects and clients as well.
By working with multiple clients at once, you can make sure that no matter how long it takes for one project or client to come through (or if it doesn’t), you still have another source of income coming in from elsewhere.
Don’t Carry A Huge Workload
The second biggest mistake that freelancers make is taking on too much work. It’s tempting to be the go-to person for everyone, but the fact of the matter is that you need time to rest and regroup before taking on another client project. If you are working a 90-hour week, your quality of work will suffer, which could mean no or bad reviews for your profile on Upwork!
The goal should be to find work at a pace where you can deliver high-quality work without burning out. This means taking enough jobs at one time so that they don’t feel overwhelmed but not too many so as to avoid stress and exhaustion.
For example: If it takes two days per week working full-time hours just to keep up with all the projects in front of them (which would be 20 hours), then no more than 10 projects at once should be considered reasonable for this person anything more would likely cause burnout over time due to frequent interruptions caused by new assignments coming in constantly through Upwork
Looking to attract more clients on Upwork without compromising your integrity? Our article on How to Get More Clients on Upwork Without Lying, Cheating, or Stealing offers ethical strategies to boost your profile and win the trust of potential clients.
Learn How To Bid On Projects
When bidding for a project, it’s important to write a proposal that is tailored to the job description. If you’re not sure what qualifications are required for any given job, read the job description carefully and do some research on your own. You might find out that you already have all the skills and experience necessary to bid on this type of project.
If not, consider taking an online course specifically focused on this area or working with a tutor who can help you gain those skills. It may take longer than if you had been certified as an expert in this field right off the bat but ultimately it’ll be worth it!
If your bid doesn’t get accepted (or even hired), don’t give up! It’s possible there were other factors involved besides your proposal itself: maybe someone else bid lower than you did; maybe their profile had better reviews than yours did;
Maybe they just happened to know someone whose cousin knew someone who was looking for freelancers at that very moment and so forth! Don’t let one rejection mean that everything is over; simply start over again until eventually, something sticks!
Treat Your Clients Respectfully
When you’re working with a client, it’s important to treat them with respect and use the same tone of voice that you would use when speaking with someone in person. You don’t need to be stiff or overly formal; just speak as if they were sitting right next to you.
If they have any questions or concerns, answer them promptly and politely and if there is anything unclear about their instructions, do not hesitate to ask for clarification!
Be polite, professional, and helpful. Clients expect freelancers who will offer friendly service and help them out whenever possible so be sure that this is the kind of freelancer that you are!
Do everything in your power (within reason) to make yourself available for questions from both employers and fellow workers alike, even if it means going above and beyond what’s required of you by Upwork itself.*
Create A Strong Portfolio On Upwork
If you haven’t already, create a strong portfolio on Upwork. This is where your skills, experience, and achievements are showcased in the form of links to previous work. If you are new to freelancing and don’t have any projects yet, then share what you’ve done in school or in previous jobs that relate to your expertise.
Be honest about your experience level when creating a profile on Upwork (or any other freelance platform). You might think it’ll help if you add irrelevant skills or try to pretend that you know more than what’s actually true but this will only make clients think that:
You aren’t confident with your abilities which could put them off working with someone who isn’t comfortable with their own abilities or doesn’t believe in themselves enough;
They won’t be able to trust your judgment because they’ll feel like there’s something else going on behind their back;
The client will end up paying more money for something they don’t need because they thought upon hiring someone else there would be certain things included but these were actually not included (because they didn’t exist).
Upwork’s permanent ban might sound daunting, but it’s not the end of the road. Find out why you shouldn’t be afraid of Upwork’s permanent ban and discover how you can learn from the experience to improve your freelancing career.
Use Correct Grammar, Spelling, And Punctuation While Writing Proposals And Communicating With Your Clients
A big part of your reputation as a freelancer is all about the communication you have with your clients. This includes everything from proposals to communications to project updates. Having perfect grammar, spelling, and punctuation is essential in order to show that you are professional and serious about your work.
If you happen to be new in this area and need some help with it or simply want to learn more about it then we have prepared a few tips for you:
Grammar
Using proper grammar demonstrates that you are knowledgeable about written language. You can use correct punctuation (commas, periods) and avoid using run-on sentences by breaking up long ones into shorter ones or adding commas when needed so that readers will understand what you’re saying easier.
Spelling
Mistakes are easily made when writing fast so take time out before sending anything off so that everything can be checked for mistakes such as typos in words or missing letters (for example if typing “the man I saw yesterday” instead of “the man I saw today).
It might seem like a lot of work but it’s worth doing since having good spelling shows professionalism on behalf of yourself which can reflect positively upon both parties involved – especially when dealing with clients who may not know much English themselves!
Punctuation
Correctly using apostrophes while writing dialogue gives context clues to what people mean without having them say it outright (for example: “Where’s my pen?” vs “Where’s my pen?”). This shows confidence in what one says because if there were any errors then everyone would know instantly.”
Want to succeed as a freelancer? The most important thing you need to know about freelancing is that it requires dedication, persistence, and continuous learning. Learn more about the keys to freelance success and stay ahead in the competitive market.
The above-mentioned tips will help you get started as a freelancer at Upwork
Complete Your Profile
Upwork has a lot of information about you, so it is important to fill out the profile completely. There are no shortcuts here, but rather than filling in everything at once and making it seem like you’re trying too hard, take some time and only update what you need to.
Provide Only Genuine Information
This means don’t make up qualifications or superficially modify letters or names in order to appear more capable than you really are.
Remember that Upwork has a system in place that allows freelancers who are dishonest with their profiles to be discovered pretty quickly and if they find out that someone has been deceiving them by misrepresenting themselves or their credentials/experience/skillset etc., they won’t hesitate to ban them from using their platform ever again!
Further Reading
Upwork Tips for Beginners: A helpful guide with practical tips to get started on Upwork and build a successful freelancing career.
Mastering Upwork: Tips for Beginners: Learn essential strategies to excel on Upwork and secure high-paying projects as a beginner freelancer.
7 Amazing Upwork Tips for Beginners: Discover seven powerful tips to maximize your chances of success on Upwork and stand out in the competitive marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need To Pay To Get Started?
No! You can create an account for free and start browsing jobs.
Will I Be Able To Find A Job?
Upwork is the largest remote work marketplace in the world, with over 10 million freelancers across every major industry and skill set. There are hundreds of thousands of available jobs at any given time, so there’s a good chance you can find something you’re qualified for here.
Don’t worry if it takes some time the more experience you have under your belt, the better your chances of landing a gig on Upwork (and getting paid what you’re worth).
How Do I Get Paid?
The majority of users receive payment through PayPal or bank transfer; however, there are other options as well: direct deposit into your bank account (if available), cash pickup in person, or even check delivery in certain cases!
You don’t have any control over how much or when exactly your client will send funds; however, as long as they adhere to their contract terms (including delivering positive reviews), most clients honor these agreements and pay on time after hiring their chosen freelancer(s).
Below are some questions some newbies have asked us. We hope they help you!
What Should I Do After Reaching The Top Of My Gig?
You can try to promote yourself by writing-related articles and reviews on the Freelancers Union website or start another gig. The more gigs you have, the better chance of being seen by potential clients in Upwork!
How Do I Become An Expert In A Certain Field?
Just keep doing what you love! Post at least one article every week and make sure your portfolio is complete before posting it. It will also help if you can get positive feedback from other experts in their field as well as any job experience (even volunteer work) can help boost your reputation on Upwork’s platform.”
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.