Upwork is the world’s largest worldwide freelancing website. It connects freelancers with companies that want expertise, whether for a one-time job or a long-term partnership requiring customized services.
Freelancing platforms like Upwork have become a popular method for freelancers to locate work as more individuals start working on a freelance or contract basis, and remote working becomes increasingly prevalent. You may discover assignments in more than 70 categories on Upwork, ranging from web development to writing, legal services to logo designers.
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How does it work?
To get started on Upwork, establish a profile that highlights your talents and expertise, as well as the sort of work you’re searching for. Then, the platform will begin to match you with projects that may be of interest to you, and you may also explore the site for tasks you are interested in.
When you locate a project you like, you write a job proposal and submit it to the employer. They’ll look at your profile and proposal, and they’ll be able to examine your prior Upwork work history, including the number of projects you’ve completed and the evaluations you’ve received from employers.
If you’re hired to finish a project, you’ll use the platform’s shared workspace to send and receive documents, manage expenditures, monitor time, and communicate with your boss. Once the task is completed, you may use the platform to construct and submit an invoice for payment.
Since 2018, I’ve been finding customers on Upwork, and it’s been a terrific source of consistent work for me. Because I’ve been a high performer for a long time, so I’m often requested to apply for new positions.
however, Upwork has evolved since I first joined more than three years ago. Back in the day, you could register, create a profile, and begin searching for jobs. However, these days, Upwork requires you first to get your profile approved.
Why is Upwork rejecting my profile?
Upwork claims that the site receives 10,000 new signups every day. Many individuals want to be on Upwork because it gives them access to more customers than any job board or freelancing site.
However, the marketplace becomes overburdened with freelancers. And many of these people either lack the necessary expertise or aren’t serious about freelancing.
Because Upwork couldn’t manually accept or decline 10,000 candidates every day, they devised an algorithm to do the task. I believe the approval procedure is a beautiful idea, and I’m delighted Upwork is implementing it.
Clients will instantly take you more seriously now that you’ve been approved to seek employment on the site. When it comes to finding a job, you’ll also have a lot less competition.
And if your application is turned down, it isn’t the end of the journey. You may take a few brilliant actions to boost your chances of acceptance the next time around.
How to get your profile approved on Upwork
Please don’t give up if your profile has been rejected in the past. It doesn’t mean you should quit or that you aren’t qualified to work as a freelancer.
All you need to know is what Upwork is searching for in freelancers. Here are seven things you can do to have your Upwork profile approved:
- When you join up, use a corporate email address.
You’ll sign up for an Upwork account using your email address. Upwork likes a business email address, which is one of the first things you’ll notice.
Why is it essential to have a work email address? It does, however, important since Upwork is searching for experienced freelancers. In addition, setting up a business email address is a beautiful approach to demonstrate to Upwork that you’re serious about freelancing.
Fortunately, setting up a business email account is simple. I propose setting up your own Gmail account in five minutes.
- Choose as many subcategories as you can.
Upwork will offer you the chance to pick which categories and subcategories you’ll be seeking for work in once you join up. You have the option of adding up to ten subcategories, so choose as many as you can.
A wide range of subcategories demonstrates to Upwork that you’re competent to apply for a wide range of tasks. In addition, it proves to them that you’re a more versatile freelancer who will be a good fit for a range of customers.
Don’t know what to put in your subcategories? Here’s a sample of mine:
- List all your relevant skills
After that, you’ll input all of your abilities. You have the option of selecting up to ten skills, and you should choose each one that you believe is relevant.
I would advise against overthinking the skills portion. Upwork will suggest potential talents, so choose ten that you think are a good match and go on.
- Complete the overview section.
The overview part is similar to your Upwork “about me” page. It’s where you introduce yourself, your history, your abilities, and what you can offer.
It’s also the first thing consumers see when they visit your website, so it must be excellent. So, don’t scrimp on this portion, in my opinion.
Please give it some consideration and make sure it’s at least a few paragraphs long. Format it such that it’s not simply one giant block of text and is simple to read and skim through. Take a look at my summary:
- Come up with a specific title
It’s now up to you to come up with a title. Your title is a short word that sums up your complete professional experience as well as the services you want to provide to customers.
But there’s no need to feel rushed, right?
I understand how difficult it may be to develop a solid title when you’re not sure what you want to accomplish. So I’d attempt to focus on the sort of job you believe you’d like doing and begin there.
“Personal Finance Writer/Blogger,” for example, is my headline. If you don’t have a specialty yet, something like “Freelance Blogger for Small Businesses” may work.
- List all of your previous career and educational experiences.
I had difficulty filling up my job and educational background when I initially began on Upwork, mostly because I hadn’t finished high school and had minimal work experience before it.
Because of these factors, I was inclined to skim through specific passages. But I knew that it would seem much worse if I didn’t add anything, so I gave it my all.
I included some of my volunteer experiences as one of the ways I bolstered this section. For example, I was a member of my Church’s Board of Directors and volunteered for a few other groups in Kansas City. As a result, I included all of those experiences on my resume.
In addition, I completed my college education experience. I just said where I went to school and what my major was, which was the end. And to this day, no one has ever inquired about it.
No one has ever inquired about it!
No one has ever inquired about it!
- Choose a professional rate
Depending on your skill level, Upwork will suggest a rate for you.
Depending on your skill level, Upwork will suggest a rate for you.
I set my hourly fee on Upwork at $5 per hour when I originally joined up. That’s what I used to make at Starbucks, so I assumed it’d be a good starting point for a freelancer as well.
Here’s what it says to Upwork and prospective customers if you set your fee at $10 an hour or less:
First, you have almost no prior experience.
- You don’t have many abilities.
- You’re not sure whether you’ll be able to meet your customers’ expectations.
- You will not be able to generate high-quality work.
- Take yourself seriously, since I think that’s not the image you want to give prospective customers. Don’t exaggerate your talents, but neither should you minimize them.
- The absolute lowest hourly rate I would propose is $30. As you get more experience, your speed should rise in tandem.
Final thoughts
Many freelancers choose Upwork because of the large number of assignments accessible. You could get fortunate and meet an excellent customer looking for a long-term connection with a freelancer for recurring projects. Still, you’ll need to hustle a little at first to establish a reputation on the site and make yourself desirable to the top employers out there.
Hopefully, this post has shown that your Upwork profile can be approved with a few minor adjustments. But, as a last reminder, don’t overthink this approach.
Don’t waste time figuring out how to write the most excellent profile summary or develop the ideal headline. Instead, do your best and keep moving forward.
You may always return later to enhance your profile. Likewise, you may always change your profile and try again if it isn’t approved the first time.
