How To Sign Up In UpWork?

Before signing up to UpWork much better if we will check what is UpWork, How it make it all work for you and Is it worth It?

What is Upwork?

If you’re a new freelancer, chances are you have no idea where to get your first client or even how to go about it. This is where Upwork comes in.

So exactly what is Upwork? Upwork is a freelancing platform – one of the biggest around. Freelancers (like you) sign up and create a profile that highlights the skills you have to offer. Clients (business owners, startup people, entrepreneurs etc) post jobs on Upwork when they need help getting a job done.

There are hundreds of jobs to choose from on Upwork. Upwork lists jobs in different categories including Web, Mobile & Software Dev, Design & Creative, Admin Support, IT & Networking, Writing, Customer Service, Sales & Marketing, Translation and many more.

Is Upwork Worth it?

YES, As a freelancer, working on Upwork is your first step to freedom. It’s a great place to start as a freelancer as you try to figure out the world of freelancing

• You get to work on projects that excite and interest you.

• Upwork clients are diverse and spread out worldwide.

• There are so many clients looking to hire freelancers

• The ultimate goal for every successful freelancer is to have a constant stream of income from long term clients.

• Getting paid on Upwork is straightforward and secure.

How much does it cost to use Upwork?

Joining Upwork is free for freelancers but you can also choose to upgrade to a plus plan $10 per month.

Upwork charges every freelancer a service fee. The service fee is a sliding fee based on your lifetime billings with each client. This means that the service fee reduces as you keep earning more from each client.

The charges are as follows:

• 20% for every job as long as the amount paid by the client is below $500.

• 10% once the total amount paid to you by the client is above $500 but below $10,000

• 5% once the total amount paid by the client exceeds $10,000

The idea behind the sliding fees is to encourage freelancers to perform their best in order to get recurring jobs from the same clients. This helps to improve the quality of work offered on the site and improving clients’ trust on the site.

How to Get Started on Upwork?

Your success on Upwork relies on creating a compelling profile that will make clients see you as a highly skilled professional.

• Complete your profile all the way to the end.

• Add a portfolio showcasing your past work.

• Think of your Upwork profile as a resume or marketing brochure. ·

• Don’t forget grammar.

Getting Started On Upwork

The first thing you need to do when starting on Upwork is to ensure that you create Freelancer Profile

1. Link Your Accounts

After choosing the correct profile, you will be given the option to link your Upwork account to other online accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and many more. Linking your profile to your LinkedIn account, for instance, will establish your online presence and will make it easy for Upwork to match you to relevant jobs that match your skills and experience. Linking your accounts also helps you to build your reputation and verify your identity. This will in turn, increase your credibility in the eyes of a client because they are able to see that you have a bigger presence online and not just on Upwork.

2. Add a Profile Photo

When choosing a profile photo, go for a professional and friendly photo. This should be a high-quality headshot that is well centered and in good focus. A good quality profile photo is important because it gives clients a sense of who you are. Your profile photo is the first thing that represents you so ensure it conveys friendliness and professionalism. When taking a profile photo, look straight in the camera, smile, ensure that the background is clear and uncluttered.

3. Add Your Title

This section is probably one of the most ignored sections on Upwork; yet, it is one of the most important parts of your profile. There seems to be a general tendency of quickly writing whatever comes to mind when writing the title – something just to fill the required bit.

It is important that you realize that this is the first real description of yourself that clients will see, so you want to catch their eye right away. This small line will play a big role in determining whether a client continues looking at your profile and hopefully consider you for the job.

When writing your title:

• Be simple and concise: Use straightforward words to create a professional title that describes your skills.

• Be specific: Remember competition is high and therefore you have to be very precise on what niche you want to work in and avoid being a jack of all trades as this will narrow your chances of getting hired. So ensure your specific niche comes out clearly on your title.

• Use keywords: Use key words and phrases that describe your skills and that a potential client might use to search for someone with your skills.

Example: If for instance, you are a Graphic Designer you can quote specialized areas such as logo designer, visual brand designer, or go for general areas such as web designer, web developer etc. Here is a good example of a title on Upwork:

4. Add Your Overview

After the title comes the overview. This is your chance to tell prospective clients a bit more about yourself. You get to sell yourself in a few more words, make it count. Express the unique skills that you possess that will be of value to your clients in a professional and concise manner. Focus on your niche-specific skills.

Quick tip: Start with the most important information first because only the first two or three sentences of your overview are visible in search results and other Upwork pages. At the end of your overview you can include soft skills related to your area of expertise such as reliable, good communication skills, fast learner, attention to details etc.

When creating your overview, have these things in mind:

1. Type of work you want to do and the industry you want to work in

2. Years of experience you hold

3. Your proficiency with systems and industry-relevant software.

4. Accomplishments you’re proud of.

5. Languages you speak and are proficient working in

When writing all of the above, always remember to highlight how your skills and accomplishments can help the client reach their business goals. After all, you have to prove your value to them.

Finally, proofread your overview to ensure that there are no spelling or grammar mistakes because nothing will make a client drop you fast like poor grammar. This is a perfect example of a well written overview:

5. Add an Introduction Video

On Upwork you have the option to add an introduction video on your profile. While this may not be entirely necessary, a video:

• Makes your profile stand out and increases your chances of getting noticed by clients.

• Is a good chance to offer a compelling look at who you are, what you offer, and showcase your language skills.

• Builds trust as clients get a feel for who you are and is much more personalised than just a photo.

Your video should be about a minute long, not more. Introduce yourself, give a brief overview of the type of work you are interested in, describe your skills, experience and past employment. End by thanking the viewer for their interest, express your desire to work with them in the future, and don’t forget to invite them to look at your profile.

6. List Your Skills

List a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 skills that enable you to do your job. These should be the most important and most relevant skills for your job category (and the jobs you will apply for). Make sure you order them by proficiency. Upwork allows you to ‘drag and drop’ listed skills.

Upwork has thousands of skill-based tests.

Make time to take tests related to a couple of the skills that you have listed. Taking tests is beneficial to your profile because employers look at them to confirm if indeed you are the right fit for the job.

7. Assess Your English Skills

The official Upwork language is English but there are thousands of freelancers who posses fluency in other languages. You will be required to assess your English skills – do so honestly.

8. Select your Experience Level

As part of having a 100% complete profile on Upwork you must rate your experience level.

There are 3 levels, Entry Level, Intermediate and Expert.

The level you choose is not according to your experience on Upwork but the overall professional experience you hold in your area of expertise.

For most freelancers who are employed and freelancing on the side or those who have been freelancing part-time but now want to do it full time, their level of experience will more likely be Intermediate or Expert depending on the number of years worked.

However, if you are just starting out in a particular area, be honest and select Entry Level. This will not affect your profile but will help clients gauge your ability to handle different projects.

9. Add Your Employment History

To improve your profile and credibility, list your employment history as a way to showcase your experience, past projects and qualifications. In this section, list your previous work experience focusing only on projects that relate to the type of job you want.

Use bullet points to highlight achievements and specific expertise. Make sure that you add a brief description about your responsibilities and examples of projects you accomplished in each position listed.

When you get clients on Upwork in future, remember to go back and add them in this section. This will not only showcase your added experience but also reinforce your credibility as a freelancer on Upwork and get you more work.

10. Add Your Education

To further validate your credentials, let clients know more about your educational background. List the institution name and your degree(s) in chronological order with the most recent degree at the top. Education background is important even if what you studied is not related to what you are currently doing.

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