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Wondering how to get your first job on Upwork? You’ve come to the right place.
Like most freelancers, I struggled to get my first job on
Upwork. No matter how many prospects I would reach out to, I would always get
passed over. Eventually, after doing some testing, I managed to get my first
job. The strategy I used to get that first job went on to get me hundreds more.
Read on and learn everything you need to know about getting
your first job on Upwork.
How to Get Your First Upwork Job
Upwork features a lot of high-quality clients with big
budgets. Since this is the case, there are plenty of opportunities for
freelancers to find good clients. However, clients expect freelancers to be
just as professional as they are. So, freelancers must correctly present
themselves.
Here’s how to get your first Upwork job:
- Create
an attractive profile
- Search
for relevant jobs
- Submit
personalized proposals
- Be
fast
- Prioritize
professionalism
Let’s go over this process in more detail.
1. Create an Attractive Profile
When you’re a new freelancer on Upwork, you have no reviews
or testimonials. Meaning, you do not have an existing job success score (JSS),
which is one of the metrics clients look at to determine the quality of a
freelancer.
Since you do not have an existing JSS, you must do
everything you can to attract the attention of clients in other areas. One of
the best ways to do this is to create an attractive profile page, as most
freelancers speed through this process and have low-quality profiles.
Here are the steps you must follow to create an attractive
profile.
1. Use a Good Photo
Having a good photo featured on your profile will allow you
to make a good first impression with clients. Low-quality photos can scare
clients away, as they can be a sign of a low-quality freelancer.
Since photos on Upwork are small, you should ensure your
head, neck, and shoulders are the only body parts showing in your photo.
Clients want to see your face- not your legs. Ensure your profile photo is
close-cropped so the main areas of focus can be seen easily.
2. Write an Optimized Job Title and Description
No matter who you are, you should always do your best to
make it easy for clients to find your profile. The easiest way to do this is to
write an optimized job title and description that contains keywords and
relevant information.
Think about what your target clients would search for if
they wanted your services. Then, place these phrases in your job title and
description. One of the best ways to do this is to use Upwork’s search
suggestions.
Your job title should be relevant but also
attention-grabbing. You aren’t just a provider of Facebook advertising
services, you’re a provider of “Facebook Advertising Services That Increase ROI
and Low Ad Costs.”
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that the first few
lines of your profile description are visible. So, you should use these lines
to reinforce your job title. Again, the information you include must be
relevant to your target clients.
3. Add an Introductory Video
Since most of the jobs on Upwork are done remotely, working
relationships tend to lack the personal touch in-person relationships have. One
of the ways that this issue can be lessened, however, is through the use of an
introductory video.
In your introductory video, you should introduce yourself to
potential clients. Tell them who you are, what you do, and how you can help
them. Keep things short and sweet- clients don’t want to watch a webinar to
learn about you and the services you provide.
4. Display Relevant “Skills” on Your Profile
On your Upwork profile, you’re able to display up to 10
“skills” that describe your abilities. The skills you decide to display should
be relevant to the service you want to provide. It doesn’t matter if you have
graphic design skills if you offer SEO services.
Skills you list on your profile will make it easier for
potential clients to find you. So, focus on displaying the most relevant skills
available. The selectable skills are predefined, so select the skills closest
to the services you provide, even if they aren’t a perfect match.
Think of the qualities and attributes that your potential
clients will value. Remember, they’re the ones who will be paying you. You
might want to feature certain skills, but if they aren’t relevant to potential
clients, listing them won’t benefit you.
5. Upload Work Samples
One of the best ways to show clients what you can do is to
show them samples of the work you’ve done in the past. The portfolio section on
your profile page is one of the most important sections, so don’t ignore it.
If you don’t have any work samples, create some for
imaginary projects. The goal of a portfolio is to show what you can do. For
example, if you want to edit videos, show some videos you’ve edited in the
past.
With this said, it’s a good idea to tell clients when a work
sample is just a sample. You don’t want clients to ask for a link to a project
that was never published, after all. This transparency will save you a lot of
headaches and awkward conversations.
6. Add Past Work Experiences and Education
Similar to a job application for a traditional job, clients
like to be made aware of past work experiences and education. This helps you
further legitimize yourself as a professional and someone who can be trusted.
Remember, you aren’t applying to traditional jobs on Upwork.
So, feel free to list an online course as part of your education. Clients don’t
care about the name of the school you went to, they care about your applicable
skills.
7. Add a Project
In recent years, Upwork gave freelancers the ability to add
projects to their profile pages. Projects are essentially fixed-price jobs with
pre-defined parameters. Meaning, they’re less personalized but easily
purchased.
Featuring projects on your profile can help give clients a
rough idea of your prices and the work you can provide per project. Sometimes,
this can help convince clients to work with you, as fixed-price projects can be
easier to budget for.
2. Search for Relevant Jobs
A big mistake new freelancers make on Upwork is applying for
every job they see that is semi-relevant to the services they provide. They do
this to gain some job experience, but this is the wrong way to do things.
Even as a new freelancer, you should still be selective when
it comes to applying for jobs. There’s no reason to have a scarcity mindset-
new jobs are posted every single day. Burning through your “connects” won’t
result in getting work if you apply to irrelevant jobs.
Instead of applying for every job under the sun, apply to
jobs you know you have the skills to complete. Also, ensure that the jobs
you’re applying to match your hourly or project rate. Don’t devalue your work
by taking on low-paying jobs to get experience.
One other thing to keep in mind is the client’s rating. A
big mistake new freelancers make is working with poor clients to get reviews.
The last thing you want to do is get a negative review from a client that
displayed red flags before you started working with them.
3. Submit Personalized Proposals
One of the easiest ways to “wow” clients is to submit
personalized proposals. Submitting personalized proposals immediately makes
your proposals stand out from the various template-style responses clients
receive to their job postings.
Here’s how to you craft personalized proposals.
1. Address the Job Description
You’d be amazed at how many freelancers submit proposals to
jobs without looking at job descriptions. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of
these proposals get ignored by clients. To help your proposals stand out, you
must do the opposite.
A quick and easy way to grab the attention of a potential
client is to comment on something they wrote in the job description. For
example, you could write something along the lines of, “I see you’re looking
for someone to design a Shopify store for your fitness brand.”
You want to look for details that are specific to the job
posting. Don’t just offer to design a Shopify store, offer to do it for their
brand specifically, for example. Doing this will show the client that you’re
detail-oriented.
2. Tell Them How You Can Help Them
Similarly, you need to tell clients exactly how you can help
them achieve their desired results. The more specific you can be, the better.
You don’t need to give them a step-by-step guide, but walk them through the
process you’ll be performing and how it will help them.
For example, if you’re providing SEO services, tell the
client that the first thing you will do is search for specifically
low-competition keywords. Why? Well, their website is brand new and lacks
authority, so targeting competitive keywords will give them poor results.
The more transparent you can be with clients, the better.
Remember, they’re spending their money and trusting that you know what you’re
doing. Being transparent with regards to the work you’ll be doing and how it
will impact their project will help them trust you better.
3. Provide Examples of Related Projects
Clients don’t hire freelancers to be nice- they do it
because they need a job done. Since this is the case, you must be able to prove
you can get the job done if you’re hired. A great way to show this is to
provide examples of related projects you worked on in the past in proposals.
Yes, clients can view your portfolio on your Upwork profile.
But, many clients will not think to go to your profile to look at your past
projects. Also, showing clients published work legitimizes it more than a text
document or file does.
If you can, provide examples of projects similar to the
project the client needs work done on. Meaning, if the client needs a fitness
website designed, show them a fitness website you designed in the past- not
just a generic website.
4. Suggest the Best Way to Proceed
At the end of every proposal you submit, you should include
a call to action. Specifically, you should suggest the best way to move forward
with the project. Taking the initiative to suggest the next steps to take will
help you get hired faster.
Along the same lines, consider asking a relevant question to
a client in your proposal if you need more information from them. Often,
clients will be inclined to respond to a comment that is relevant to their
project.
4. Be Fast
While new job postings are published every single day on
Upwork, it’s still important to respond to them promptly. The faster you can
respond to postings, the better, as many clients forget about their postings if
they don’t receive responses quickly.
Consider making it a routine to check for new job postings
multiple times throughout the day. Check in the morning, in the afternoon, and
the evening for new postings.
Also, ensure that you respond to messages from potential
clients fast. Often, clients will ask if you can go on a voice or video call with
them at a certain time. You don’t want to see their message late and miss the
chance to go on a call with them.
Something to keep in mind is that many clients go to Upwork
to get help on their projects fast. If they were willing to be more patient, they’d
hire traditional, in-person workers. Don’t leave a client you want to work with
in the dark, or they’ll move on to another freelancer.
5. Prioritize Professionalism
Put simply, if you appear to be a low-quality freelancer,
high-quality clients will not work with you. For this reason, you must
prioritize professionalism when you design your profile page, write proposals,
and communicate with clients.
Before you write anything, for example, make sure it doesn’t
contain any spelling or grammar issues. Taking the time to ensure that things
are written perfectly will help clients view you as a freelancer who is serious
about what they do.
Your professionalism (or lack thereof) will have a direct
impact on your ability to attract and retain clients. Let’s face it- many
freelancers join Upwork lazily. Don’t be like these freelancers- take a
proactive approach to your career.
How Long Does It Take To Get Your First Job on Upwork?
At this point, you might be wondering- how long does it take
to get your first job on Upwork? After all, there are plenty of freelancing
platforms available online, and some may allow you to get work faster.
For some freelancers, it takes less than a day to get their
first job on Upwork. For others, it takes them a month or longer. Every
industry is different. Freelancers should not compare their results with
others, as many factors contribute to the speed of success.
If you have applied to jobs and have yet to be successful,
don’t give up. Getting your first job on Upwork is the most difficult. Do
things the right way and eventually, you will get hired by a client.
Don’t allow yourself to lower your standards out of
desperation. Mistakes you make as a beginner can come back to haunt you down
the road. Have an abundance mentality, be consistent, and be patient.
Conclusion
You now know how to get your first job on Upwork. By creating an attractive profile, applying to the right jobs, submitting personalized proposals, executing actions with speed, and being professional, you can set yourself up for success.