Congratulations! If you are here, reading this article, then you have already taken the courageous first step of your journey towards becoming a successful freelancer.
Therefore, I urge you to keep reading to know if Upwork is good for beginners and how to start earning money through Upwork.
Trying new things can be overwhelming but remember, “The greatest was once a beginner.” (Muhammad Ali).
Below, I’ve given you the tips and tricks you need to get started as a beginner freelancer on Upwork and make it a success.
Let’s start talking.
Who Can Work On Upwork?
The best thing about Upwork is that there is no strict rule about working for a certain number of hours. Working hours vary project-to-project and are to be determined while accepting an invite for a project.
Therefore, you can work on Upwork as a full-time professional or part-time after finishing your day job.
If you are a student, you can work after college as a side hustle during your study period.
Upwork also provides a great opportunity for housewives, mothers with babies, and other people who find it challenging to leave their homes, to work according to their convenience.
You’d be glad to know that you don’t need a degree to be a ridiculously successful freelancer on Upwork.
Heck, you can be richer than most CEOs out there, even without a single degree.
All you need is a skill that you are good at and is marketable.
Can You Work On Upwork With No Experience?
Word on the street is that Upwork is a place only for highly skilled and the clients are top companies and agencies, which is not true at all. The crowd on Upwork, let it be the freelancers or clients, is remarkably diverse.
You will find both the type of clients; the ones who want to hire experts with top ratings as well as the ones who are looking for entry-level freelancers for low-budget projects.
Additionally, if you are a newbie to Upwork but you hold a real-world experience then good news for you because all of your experience counts!
You can mention your prior experiences and past projects in your profile.
Even if you don’t have any experience, you can always talk about your other achievements which reflect your dedication and professionalism in your Upwork Portfolio.
Remember, the first impression is the last impression, so do not underestimate the value of a strong portfolio as it can make a great impact on your potential clients and even generate more traffic on your profile.
Learn how to promote a Fiverr gig on social media here.
How to Land Your First Client on Upwork?
One of the most challenging tasks in the process of becoming an Upwork freelancer is to get hired for the very first project. However, if you understand human psychology, it might change the game for you.
If you wear the shoes of a client who has posted a job, which freelancer will you be willing to send an invite to? The chances are you will be inclined more towards the one who has the most experience on Upwork with the best rating.
Therefore, in order to land your first job with a ZERO rating and experience, you MUST make yourself stand out from all those freelancers bidding for the same project.
– The first thing that a client notice is the bid range. Let’s agree, we all would want to get the work done at the most reasonable price. So, in the beginning, you might have to settle for a price lesser than the market to increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
– Remember that multiple other freelancers are in the same boat as you. An average job post receives around 50 bids, with all the proposals opening as “Hello There, I am ABC with XYZ experience and skills”. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE CRUSHED IN THESE PROPOSALS!
Begin your proposal with a question about the project or an eye-catching phrase that will catch the attention of the client and so they want to read more.
– Speaking of attention, a professional profile picture is also worth noticing.
You must also optimize your bio and include the keywords according to the services you are offering to provide and you complete your profile so the algorithm shows your profile to more clients.
– Last but not least is your portfolio. The clients always visit profiles of the short-listed freelancers to make sure that they find the best person to perform the job.
Therefore make sure that your portfolio is well-formed, creative, and reflects your best self so it captures the most interest of the client.
If you leverage these tactics, you will surely attract more clients and earn your first job in no time!
How Much Can a Beginner Make On Upwork?
For better or worse, there is no definite answer to this question. The internet is filled with complaining beginners who could not find a single job with decent pay in the first few months of their freelancing careers.
Nevertheless, some freelancers started earning hundreds and even thousands in the very beginning. According to Upwork research, the average hourly pay for freelancers in the United States of America is $20.
Several factors impact the amount a beginner makes on Upwork such as the type of project, the technicality of the skill set required, the experience of the freelancer, the number of hours to be put into the project, location of the freelancer, etc.
However, with continued determination and hard work, new freelancers can get their hourly pay increased to $100 as well.
What Makes Beginners On Upwork Fail At Freelancing?
Numerous factors have been observed causing freelancers to fail on Upwork, including but not limited to lack of discipline, over or underpricing the service, lack of commitment, and giving up too quickly.
Remember, freelancing is not a game for the faint of heart as every day it urges you to shut everything down and quit.
However, if you are ready to jump over all the hurdles in your way and stand up again and dust your hands when you fall, that is when it starts rewarding you.
As Dr. Henry Link said,
“We generate fears while we sit, we overcome them by action”, the world is yours to conquer so go out there and be the top freelancer on Upwork because, with willpower like yours, nobody can stop you!
Author
-
by
-
