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Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this - Business - Nairaland

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Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 12:02pm On May 29, 2021
I get a lot of complaints from individuals who find it hard to land their first gig on the freelance platform, Upwork.

If you are facing the same issues, no worries as I will be sharing with you in this thread, the three(3) Ps you are doing completely wrong and how to rectify them.

1. Proposals
A lot of Upworkers fail in this category. They do not know how to make up engaging and eye-catching proposals that would interest clients.

Most of them start their proposals with the default
"Hello, my name is ____
I am a _____
I have ____ yrs of experience in this field
I am a fast learner, very diligent in my work and I can do your work quickly.
Hire me to get your job properly"

Most of the proposals sent on Upwork is similar to the one above. When I started, I felt that this would catch the client's attention but I was wrong. When clients see this type of proposals, they ignore it because they are not interested in your "dedication and commitment to work"....that should be the qualities of every freelancer. They are only interested in finding out whether you can do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

A good proposal would always cater to the needs of the client and draw the client's attention. When drafting an engaging proposal, you should ensure that you don't just make it " I", "I", " I" like the proposal above... it's not about you, it's about the client. You should just go straight to the point, show the client works similar to his/her job description, tell the client how you plan on getting his work done and leave some suggestions. This will not only interest the client but also view you as a professional in that field.

I will be sharing some samples from a top-rated plus freelancer so that you can get a glimpse of what I am talking about. Make your proposals witty and interesting. If possible, apply storytelling....this would greatly distinguish your proposals from others.

On another note, make sure you don't do copy and paste when it comes to proposals. i.e you should not create a template to attend to all clients. Clients can quickly notice automated proposals... It better you take your time to read the job description and then carefully write the proposal. Believe me, it's worth it.

Let me know if this helped. I will be sharing the other two Ps soon enough.

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 6:57am On May 30, 2021
The next two Ps are your profiles and portfolios. Details coming up shortly.

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 5:44pm On May 30, 2021
Today, we will be talking about profiles on Upwork.

Your profile is a reflection of how good and skilled you are. Even if you have very good proposals, but as far as your profile is looking ugly, you will likely not get the gig. This should only tell you that your profile should be considered very important.

Let me tell you a secret, A well-optimized profile can attract clients without you sending them proposals. I have received several invites...Why? All because I had a good-looking and optimized profile.

Here is a list of things you need to watch out for when creating one:

1. Killer Headline - This is one mistake beginners make when starting in Upwork. They make up titles like "Copywriting, Editing, Graphic designing, Content writing e.t.c".... These titles appear normal but they are so wrong. These names I just mentioned now are *skills*, not titles. You have to make engaging titles that would draw clients attention. Titles like " Expert Copywriter and Editor", "Professional tech and science content writer", " Professional Graphic designer with more than 6 years of experience"...I hope you get what I am saying by now.

2. Detailed Bio - This is like a short biography regarding that title. You need to explain to potential clients why they should be interested in you and why you should be hired. They don't need that "dedication and consistency" formal story/letter.....just go straight to the point. If you can make the bio in a storytelling form, Perfect! Just make sure anyone who starts reading would love to finish reading it. I will be sharing my Bio for your perusal.

I will be sharing more on this later tomorrow. Remember that we are still on the second P (Profiles). Let me know if you have any questions, will try to answer them all.

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 8:41pm On May 30, 2021
Feel free share this with your other friends too. This is top-notch info. People pay thousands to get access to what I am telling you. What matters to me is that you can achieve success on that platform.

As it stands, I started using Upwork four months ago and I am already looking forward to becoming top-rated in a few months( if you know what I mean) so Upwork is not tough, just do things right and things will go well.

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by FunnyDude(m): 9:44pm On May 30, 2021
Johnne32:
Feel free share this with your other friends too. This is top-notch info. People pay thousands to get access to what I am telling you. What matters to me is that you can achieve success on that platform.

As it stands, I started using Upwork four months ago and I am already looking forward to becoming top-rated in a few months( if you know what I mean) so Upwork is not tough, just do things right and things will go well.

You've done well with this pure information. I've made thousands of dollars as an Upworker.

I hope people learn from this and change their narrative for good.

What's your niche bro?

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 9:52pm On May 30, 2021
FunnyDude:


You've done well with this pure information. I've made thousands of dollars as an Upwork.

I hope people learn from this and change their narrative for good.

What's your niche bro?

Thanks a lot, bro. Seems like you are another guru on Upwork cool..lol

Regarding my niche, I just write on tech and chess. I prefer specialising in those fields, rather than just writing any random contents.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by FunnyDude(m): 10:06pm On May 30, 2021
Johnne32:


Thanks a lot, bro. Seems like you are another guru on Upwork cool..lol

Regarding my niche, I just write on tech and chess. I prefer specialising in those fields, rather than just writing any random contents.

Yes. Upwork has been a blessing

Good to hear from you. There's no shortcut to success, delivering quality jobs back to back is the only way to succeed on Upwork.

2 Likes

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 9:50am On May 31, 2021
This is 2021.

A lot of things are undergoing digital transformation.

This pandemic has shown that remote work is highly possible and the truth is that we are going to be seeing a huge increase in freelance work in the next few years.

Skills like copywriting, data science & analytics, digital/affliate marketing, coding, graphic designing would all be in high demand.

The question is "which one have you learnt?"

Or are you still depending on his country for a good job?

Learning and mastering a high paying skill is enough. Freelancing can guarantee that "soft life" and financial freedom you have been seeking.

6 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 4:22pm On May 31, 2021
Help here, I joined upwork weeks ago, i did the readiness test, build a strong profile, 95% completed, I have sent a couple proposals, no messages, I am a web designer...what can I do to land my first job
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 4:23pm On May 31, 2021
Johnne32:
This is 2021.

A lot of things are undergoing digital transformation.

This pandemic has shown that remote work is highly possible and the truth is that we are going to be seeing a huge increase in freelance work in the next few years.

Skills like copywriting, data science & analytics, digital/affliate marketing, coding, graphic designing would all be in high demand.

The question is "which one have you learnt?"

Or are you still depending on his country for a good job?

Learning and mastering a high paying skill is enough. Freelancing can guarantee that "soft life" and financial freedom you have been seeking.

Can we chat on wapps or tlgrams
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 4:26pm On May 31, 2021
middlemedia:
Help here, I joined upwork weeks ago, i did the readiness test, build a strong profile, 95% completed, I have sent a couple proposals, no messages, I am a web designer...what can I do to land my first job

90% of the time, the issue is with your proposals or the way you presented yourself. How did you write your proposals? Check what I wrote on proposals in previous posts and check if you are guilty of those common errors.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 4:26pm On May 31, 2021
middlemedia:
Help here, I joined upwork weeks ago, i did the readiness test, build a strong profile, 95% completed, I have sent a couple proposals, no messages, I am a web designer...what can I do to land my first job

90% of the time, the issue is with your proposals or the way you presented yourself. How did you write your proposals? Check what I wrote on proposals in previous posts and see if you are guilty of those common errors.

2 Likes

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 8:33pm On May 31, 2021
Johnne32:


90% of the time, the issue is with your proposals or the way you presented yourself. How did you write your proposals? Check what I wrote on proposals in previous posts and see if you are guilty of those common errors.
You are right about the proposal, yours is detailed and mesmerizing, how can i get to write like that? Since my account is new, wont that be taken into consideration even though my proposal is crisp and effective enough? My profile is well built, did you use nigeria as your location?
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by ojjp: 8:59pm On May 31, 2021
A very good thread here. I have just learnt a big thing now.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 9:37pm On May 31, 2021
middlemedia:

You are right about the proposal, yours is detailed and mesmerizing, how can i get to write like that? Since my account is new, wont that be taken into consideration even though my proposal is crisp and effective enough? My profile is well built, did you use Nigeria as your location?

When you properly understand the client job description, writing a proposal won't be difficult. You just need to make sure the proposal is friendly and engaging...it should be written in a way that if the client reads the first line, he would like to read the second, and the third and so on.

It doesn't matter if your account is new. Good proposals with a strong profile would always catch the client's attention.

By the way, I used Nigeria as my location. You may be tempted to change your Ip address to U.S or U.K....don't ever do this. Besides the fact that Upwork may ban your account if they find out, it is really bad to pretend you are in another country so as to get gigs.

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 9:38pm On May 31, 2021
ojjp:
A very good thread here. I have just learnt a big thing now.

That's nice to hear.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 10:23pm On May 31, 2021
Johnne32:


That's nice to hear.
Thanks, I will give you feedback soon.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by vickybby(m): 10:31pm On May 31, 2021
Bravo brother man, felt that I just attended a professional master class this evening. Really got value for no cost,don't really know how to say a big thank you for a kind heart. You are really wonderful, will always come back until I perfect this gracious professional class.
Remained Blessed

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 6:59am On Jun 01, 2021
vickybby:
Bravo brother man, felt that I just attended a professional master class this evening. Really got value for no cost,don't really know how to say a big thank you for a kind heart. You are really wonderful, will always come back until I perfect this gracious professional class.
Remained Blessed

You are welcome smiley smiley

1 Like

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Skiloloplc(m): 8:32am On Jun 01, 2021
Johnne32:


Thanks a lot, bro. Seems like you are another guru on Upwork cool..lol

Regarding my niche, I just write on tech and chess. I prefer specialising in those fields, rather than just writing any random contents.

What do you mean by writing on chess?
Chess is a game, so is it how to play it or what?
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 8:44am On Jun 01, 2021
Skiloloplc:


What do you mean by writing on chess?
Chess is a game, so is it how to play it or what?

Yeah. I write ebooks on the rules of the game, how to play it, strategies and tactics e.t.c

For example, this is my Amazon ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WPJ5BV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_9A70GHY5RQCMYY5T7QQT on chess.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Chixco95(m): 10:37am On Jun 01, 2021
Johnne32:


Thanks a lot, bro. Seems like you are another guru on Upwork cool..lol

Regarding my niche, I just write on tech and chess. I prefer specialising in those fields, rather than just writing any random contents.
Sir, can you please help me on how to become a better writer?

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 10:51am On Jun 01, 2021
Chixco95:

Sir, can you please help me on how to become a better writer?

Yes, I can but it comes at a cost. Message me on WhatsApp for more details.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Mummydjc: 3:24pm On Jun 03, 2021
Pls someone should guide me how to copy write and how to open upwork and make money. I'm tired of 25k salary after graduating for 10yrs now. Help pls���

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 3:32pm On Jun 03, 2021
Mummydjc:
Pls someone should guide me how to copy write and how to open upwork and make money. I'm tired of 25k salary after graduating for 10yrs now. Help pls���
You can learn any skills on youtube

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Johnne32(m): 9:11pm On Jun 03, 2021
Mummydjc:
Pls someone should guide me how to copy write and how to open upwork and make money. I'm tired of 25k salary after graduating for 10yrs now. Help pls���

Take a breath and calm down. The fact that you are a freelancer does not automatically mean you will be getting huge amounts of money daily. You need to work hard for it.

That being said, you have to take courses (whether paid or free) to learn copywriting, after learning, you can then open an Upwork account, study Upwork strategies and then start earning. Everything is gradual and it takes time.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 12:42am On Jun 04, 2021
Johnne32:


Take a breath and calm down. The fact that you are a freelancer does not automatically mean you will be getting huge amounts of money daily. You need to work hard for it.

That being said, you have to take courses (whether paid or free) to learn copywriting, after learning, you can then open an Upwork account, study Upwork strategies and then start earning. Everything is gradual and it takes time.
No need to pay for courses, waste of money, you will get everything you need on youtube for free

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Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by Brandconsultany: 2:09pm On Jun 08, 2021
Great insights , hope this thread isn't just stopping here but growing consistently like that of Fiverr
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by middlemedia: 3:48pm On Jun 08, 2021
Fivver or upwork, none seems to work. Still no client.
Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by FunnyDude(m): 3:52pm On Jun 08, 2021
middlemedia:

No need to pay for courses, waste of money, you will get everything you need on youtube for free

Nope. There are some courses in your niche that you'll still need to pay for to stand out.

I mean foreign courses.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by FunnyDude(m): 3:54pm On Jun 08, 2021
middlemedia:
Fivver or upwork, none seems to work. Still no client.

I was once like you. My advice is to focus on one platform. Lower your price or gig.

In your proposal, state that you'll deliver your client job in 24 hours.

Just do everything that will make you stand out over others.

4 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Finding It Hard To Land Your First Gig On Upwork? Make sure you read this by FunnyDude(m): 3:57pm On Jun 08, 2021
ONE funny thing about Upwork is that, by the time you've gathered alot of positive feedbacks, your proposal style doesn't matter anymore.

You can submit anything, anyhow and you can still get the client's attention. God grace is involve too.

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