Are you just starting on Upwork and don’t know where to start? If yes, this article is for you.
Upwork is one of the professional freelance platforms. More than 36% US workforce are freelancers on this platform. It is also fulfilling the financial needs of many people around the globe. Moreover, it has its own rules and policies for clients and freelancers.
Upwork is also the most prominent freelance platform, where freelancers worldwide are selling their services and helping businesses to sprout. Companies and organizations prefer Upwork for hiring freelancers to promote their business.
In this review of Upwork, we’ll focus on the nuances of this platform. It will include pros/cons, an in-depth overview, and many other things.
Without further ado, let’s leapfrog into it.
Upwork in a nutshell
As said, Upwork is a freelance platform where people and agencies work for different clients. The company was formerly known as Elance-oDesk, which later changed and rebranded to Upwork in 2015.
Upwork has been on a continuous rise since its beginning. There are more than 17 million active users on this platform, making their lifestyle better than before.
You can work in many categories, such as Writing and translation, Designing, Accounting, Mobile and app Development, and many other niches where you can earn a lot of money.
Moreover, Upwork is the primary source for most freelancers today. Upwork generated over $158 million in the third quarter of 2022, which is expected to cross $612-618 million.
Let’s check out this chart below.
Upwork generated over $300.56M in 2019, skyrocketing to $373.63M in 2020. At last, it recorded $502M in revenue made by Upwork in 2021.
Is Upwork worth it in 2022?
Upwork is overwhelmed with freelancers and working opportunities. Evan Fisher, an Upwork freelancer, recently made $1.5 Million writing business plans for clients. Indeed, you can, too!
As said, Upwork has a lot of categories to work on. You can learn any skill on sites such as Udemy, Coursera, and YouTube. Although, finding a job on Upwork isn’t a piece of cake for new freelancers.
Moreover, Upwork provides an opportunity to everyone. You can search for jobs according to your niche by filtering them. Furthermore, you can also find your desired client by entering the client location and time zones, which makes it easier for freelancers to find work.
The platform growth from the past years is significantly increasing, thus it worth a shot.
How safe and legit is Upwork?
Most freelancers choose Upwork for their payments because it’s one of the legitimate sites to work on. The payments are secured. Upwork has an Escrow system, which works as a middleman. It holds your payment when a client starts a milestone. It can also be refunded back to the client if you submit gawky or unacceptable work to clients.
Although, it gives you the satisfaction that the money isn’t going anywhere. Moreover, Upwork has strict policies and rules about it.
How to work on Upwork?
Working on Upwork isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as a beginner freelancer. You’ll need to approve your account first; then, you can start working as a solo freelancer on this marketplace.
Upwork has its currency, which is translated as “connects.” You get ten free connects every month when you are low on them, although Upwork also gives you connects when your profile gets approved. Moreover, you can use these connects to apply for jobs. Every connection will cost you $0.15.
- If the job budget exceeds $50, it will cost 2 connects ($0.30).
- If the job budget is between $50-599, it will cost four connects ($0.60).
- If the job budget exceeds $600, it will cost 6 connects ($0.90).
As for your safety, don’t work until the client starts the contract, s so that payment can be stored in Escrow. You can also buy a Freelancer Plus membership plan (costs $14.99), which will give you 80 free connections monthly plus additional features.
Upwork has badges such as Rising Talent, Top-Rated, Top-Rated Plus, and Expert Vetted. There are only 10% freelancers on Upwork, 3% Top rated plus, and 1% Expert Vetted.
As we have mentioned, getting a job on Upwork is hard to crack; however, focusing on these things might increase your chances in your first job on Upwork.
Profile Optimization
Optimize your profile according to your niche. It is indispensable for you to describe what you are offering, how can you help clients, etc. in your profile.
Find Suitable Jobs
Apply for jobs that match your profile and experience. Don’t submit proposals for those jobs, in which you don’t have any clue or experience.
Don’t forget samples
Attach samples when applying to jobs, it will acknowledge past work and experience.
Attractive Cover Letter
Write an attention-grabbing cover letter, read the job description thoroughly, and grab the pain points.
Look for Small jobs
If you are a beginner, apply for “Entry” level jobs, increasing your chances. In addition, you should set your hourly rates reasonably in the starting.
Boost your proposals
Upwork has also introduced a boost on your proposal, which can cost some extra connections, yet it can also skyrocket your cover letter on the top of the client screen, thus increasing chances.
Communication
Whenever a client responds to your proposal, communicate well on their projects, ask questions, and try to find the best solutions for them. It will make them trust you for long period of time, who knows they could hire for you long-term projects.
Hourly Rate vs. Fixed Payments
You can work on hourly rates or fix milestones on Upwork. Both terms have different meanings. If you choose to work on hourly rates, the clients will pay you for the time you have put into their project.
On the contrary, if you prefer to work on fixed rates, the clients will pay a full-time payment for one entire project or milestone.
On the other hand, an Upwork Desktop App can be used to track time. Also, the clients can check your work diary from it.
Upwork Pros and Cons
Let’s check the pros and cons of Upwork
Pros:
Potential Clients and Jobs
Upwork is a great place where many potential and high-paying clients are looking for freelancers. There are more than 10,000 jobs that are posted daily. You can search for the relevant job which suits your niche.
Moreover, you can make a boat load of money on the platform. Make sure to get testimonials on your profile; it will help you get your first job.
Security Assurance
Upwork gives you assurance about your money. When the client starts the milestone, the money is already in the Escrow; in this way, the client can’t scam you. If something still happens, the Upwork 24/7 community support is there to help you.
Fast Payouts
Upwork only takes five days to evaluate all your payments; after that, you can withdraw them with your Payoneer, direct bank accounts, and PayPal.
Job Filters
You can search for your desired job using the filter panel on the left side of your skin. You can find jobs with less than five proposals, search client location, project length, client info & time zones, and experience level (Entry, Intermediate, and Expert).
Cons:
Upwork Fee Charge
There is an Upwork tax for both freelancers and clients. Upwork will charge 20% for freelancers; it will be reduced to 10% when the earnings go up to $500 and 5% for 10,000+ earnings. Also, there is a 5% fee charge for every client.
Competition
Upwork has many hand-vetted freelancers, reducing beginner freelancers’ chances. Moreover, when you’re applying for a job, you’ll need to compete with hundreds of freelancers.
Connects
You can apply for jobs without connecting until a client invites you. Moreover, you’ll also be paying for the “Availability Badge,” six connects per week.
Conclusion
As a freelancer, you must find the best platform to work and earn a lot of money. In that case, Upwork is the ideal freelance place where you can find high-paying clients and make your financial life stable. In the above draft, we have discussed every nitty-gritty detail about the platform.
Although Upwork charges some fees, that is considered how they secure your payments and all other documentation. People from every corner of the world prefer to work on this platform without hesitation.
It has much faster payouts than other freelance websites; it checks your availability and lets you know about the webinars, which can help you secure more jobs on the platform.
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