Getting your first job on UpWork can be really time-consuming, tiring, and sometimes with no result. I struggled a month and a half to get my first job. After wasting lots of time, I realized I’m doing something wrong. Today, I’m gonna share with you valuable tips that will help you get that job with a 5-star rating.
Do competitor research
You should understand how your competitors market themselves.
For that, click on the job search dropdown icon, click on Freelancers and agencies. Write down your profession.
Here’s what I want to know about my competitors:
- Their title — do I understand what they do? As a client, do I see what I’m looking for?
- Next, I’d look at the profile picture — is it professional enough?
- Then, the first several sentences of their profile description (because that’s what the clients see when they do this same search). Is it engaging? As a client, would I be interested in their experience and the profile in general?
- One very important thing to look at, is the portfolio. Sometimes UpWork shows an image from your portfolio in the search results. If you have a portfolio, it is another great way to grab attention and show the clients heey, I’m better than others, choose meee.
Analyze all of this information and think how you can outcompete them, what you can do to have a really outstanding profile.
Optimize your profile
After analyzing your competition, optimize your profile — especially because you don’t have any previous job experience on UpWork, it’s essential to have a 100% complete profile.
Pay attention to your profile description — how do you present your skills, your personality? Make sure to keep it engaging. Use the same keywords in the description as you used them in the title for example — graphic designer. This can improve your ranking in the search results. List all of your skills you would like to be hired for.
When you’re done, ask your friends to read your profile description and give you some feedback.
Now that you have optimized your profile, it’s time to look for a job.
Search for the right job
One thing I would love to highlight — Search for the right job. After an unsuccessful first month of job search, I was desperate and started looking for jobs that weren’t listed in my profile skills. It was — creating an English Grammar Quiz. In the end, the client was satisfied with the results, I got a 5-star feedback and was very happy.
But then, I learned that UpWork recommends freelancers who have completed similar jobs with the skills the client listed. If I want to apply to jobs as a digital marketing specialist, I am sure English Grammar Quiz won’t be listed in the client requirements.
This is why you have to be careful with the job you land. Take a look at the skills and the title in the job description. If you want UpWork to show your proposal on the first page, keep in mind that the first several jobs should be highly connected with your profession.
If you waste time and don’t find a job on UpWork, this might be because you just randomly check UpWork on the weekend. Instead, look for a job during the week and on different hours
None of my clients respond to my messages at the weekend. NOBODY. This is when I decided to do my own research and understand when is the best time to look for a job on UpWork. I looked for jobs during the week — early in the morning, before and after lunch hours, in the evening and also at the weekend.
Because of the time zone difference, the best time for the clients can differ. This is why it’s better to come back to UpWork on different hours. I found out that the least effective time is weekends. I spent several weekends in vain until I realized this. So my advice to you is — take a good rest at the weekend and roll up your sleeves during the week.
Apply to the most recent job posts
If you don’t want to waste your Connects, apply to the most recent job posts only. If a job is posted a day ago, for example, the client has probably received lots of proposals and is not even going to read your proposal. Reload your feed for the most recent job posts.
If you don’t get relevant jobs on your feed, use the advanced search and look for specific keywords. Narrow down your search terms. For example, look for words like “logo”, “photoshop” or other skills, not the name of your profession.
Filter your search results and choose your preferences. I would only change the Number of Proposals to Less than 5. I want to make sure the competition is not very high. If you are going to look for jobs with that keyword, save your search results. They will appear on your homepage, on the left.
One thing I’d like to highlight here — don’t ignore Paynemt Unverified jobs. As you are just getting started, this could be your chance to work with a client new to UpWork. It’s a little bit risky as you don’t see previous feedback or any client information but once the client responds to your job proposal, you will understand whether or not you want to work with them.
After that, read the job description carefully. Don’t submit a proposal only because the title seems the perfect fit for you. Remember that not all the clients are professionals and sometimes they don’t even understand what you do as a designer or a developer. This is why reading job descriptions are important.
Then check out the skills the client mentioned in the job description, Preferred qualifications to see if you meet the client’s needs. And Activity on this job section to understand if the competition is high and if the client is interviewing other freelancers.
Jump to the client information section and check out the client location, the average amount they paid to other freelancers and feedback they received and gave.
If you think that’s the right job for you, submit a proposal and write a great cover letter. Personalize each and every cover letter. Imagine you are talking to the client directly. They tell you their pain point and why they want to hire you.
If you want to be recommended by UpWork to other clients as a freelancer who has similar job experience, look for short-term jobs. In a short period of time, you will close contracts and will get good feedback, UpWork will make you a Rising Talent and as you have completed jobs with similar skills, you will improve your chances in the competition.
