I Received My First Ever Upwork Assignment A Day After Signing Up. This Is How I Did It.

I Received My First Ever Upwork Assignment A Day After Signing Up. This Is How I Did It.
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It was July 22nd.

I kept hearing about all these successful freelance stories online, and how people were making monthly income off freelancing. So I wanted to give it a good old try.

I signed up and I got approved. Yayy!

I started looking at all the jobs (and trust me there were a lot of jobs.) I was still new, so I wasn’t allowed to submit proposals through the Upwork just yet. But I did send out a few emails and I got a response.

This was the actual email I sent to potential clients looking for freelancers. Nothing fancy.

Hello!
I saw on Upwork that you are looking for a person who can complete your project? I just joined so it won’t let me submit proposals yet, but I would love more information on the project (if you are still looking for people).I can also send a link of my profile when I’m approved, by the time I write this email hopefully Upwork approves of me!
But in general I love the content on your website and I plan on reading it!
Thanks!
Alesha

This was the actual email I sent to potential clients looking for freelancers. Nothing fancy.

A Few Pointers That Landed Me My First Upwork Gig:

1. Don’t Give Up Because You Can’t Submit Through The Website

If they have an email, try sending them an email directly. Keep it short and simple. Don’t forget to tell them why you are the best for the job.

2. Try Video Proposals

If you send a video, they can actually get to know the person behind the proposal.

3. Stick With Verified Users As Much As Possible.

That way, you won’t run into issues later. It’s ultimately up to you if you want to stick your neck out there and accept work from non-verified users.

4. Build Relationships

I kept in touch with the person who hired me through out the entire project. I called at least once a day along with email. Because of this, they plan on hiring me for the future. If you build a relationship with people on Upwork, it can lead to other jobs and recommendations which will make other people interested in hiring you.

5. Follow The Rules Of Non-Disclosure Agreements

I can’t really reveal the person’s name or product (unless they say it’s ok) but don’t reveal any details about the work you are working on. I even changed a few words above, but you get the basic idea.

6. Keep submitting proposals/emails

I know I received my first job quickly, but in normal cases you might need to submit 10 times a day everyday until you get a job on Upwork, Freelancer, or other freelance website. Keep track of how many jobs you get accepted or declined from. Whatever you do, don’t give up!

7. Stick With What You Know

I saw so many jobs on Upwork it made my mind spin. However, I stuck with what I know I can do within a day or two (at the latest a week).

8. Start Small, Then Work Your Way Up

I saw jobs for several thousand dollars all the way up to $10,000. Could I have applied to those? Sure! But I looked for jobs around the $100 marker, because I thought at the time my chances of booking the smaller gigs were higher. I figured since I’m new to freelancer, I didn’t want to start in the major leagues just yet, lol. And seriously, everyone is going to go for the higher paying jobs.

9. Don’t Be Afraid To Charge Your Rates

If you charge 20/hr, tell them when they hire you! Just make sure that you can deliver quality results. If you do a great job, your reputation will spread and people will want to hire you, and who knows? The possibilities are endless!

10. Don’t Focus On The Money, Focus On Adding Value

The less I focused on getting “paid” and actually doing the work, I find personally the more offers I receive. It’s almost like a mindset shift in what I was told growing up.

11. Have a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) When Applying For Work

I’m not saying you will receive every job you apply for, but stay positive! If you think negatively, negative energy will cloud around you and you don’t want that!

Follow Alesha Peterson On Twitter: https://twitter.com/aleshapeterson

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