How to make money on Upwork (A step by Step guide for beginners)

UP WORK

What is Upwork?

Upwork, formerly known as Elance-oDesk, is an American-based platform for freelancers.

Upwork Global Inc., or simply Upwork, is one of the biggest freelancing marketplaces for freelancers to build small businesses in various fields like an online tutor, writing content, graphic design, social media manager, web development, and many more of their expertise. The site helps professionals find projects of their choice, communicate with clients, and get paid for their offered services.

If you are a novice freelancer who wants to sell his skilled services and does not know where to start, Upwork helps you gain valuable experience in your skillset.

So, are you keen enough to know about getting started as a freelancer using the Upwork freelance marketplace?

What is the process for creating an account on Upwork??

After learning the ropes of your skill, you must create an Upwork profile. In this write-up, I will demonstrate a step-by-step guide by following which you can dexterously create a profile for your new Upwork account. You’ll surely get an approval response from their site on your submitted application for creating Upwork profile within 24 hours.

STEPS

Let’s start by going over each stage of the registration procedure in accordance with the Upwork account requirements.

1. Visit Upwork.com to register

Type Upwork.com in the search box of your search engine browser and click ↩Enter. Register yourself by clicking on the “Sign Up” option displayed in the top right corner of the webpage. It will launch a new account registration form.

Upwork offers two categories of users’ accounts: i.e., join as a freelancer or as a client. If you have joined Upwork as a freelancer account, you can also switch to the client account after registration.

Pro-Tip;

If you have a previous account with poor repute on Upwork, don’t try to create another account as it violates their Terms of Service. Consequently, both versions will result in a permanent ban.

In case you forget your access password to your Upwork login, do contact at Upwork support team

2. SIGN UP with an email address

Write down your professional mail address in the section. You can also opt to “Continue with Gmail or APPLE ID” to access the Upwork login page.

A verification email will confirm your valid mail address, without which you cannot continue the next step.

Pro-tip;

Always enter a valid and well-protected email address with two-factor authentication. So, if something wrong happens, you receive a warning notification and can also restore access.

3. Log in with basic credentials

Type in your basic credentials in the details mentioned for setting up your Upwork profile. It includes;

Users’ First and Last name Email password Users’ locality (Select the residency country name)

After that, accept the agreement of Upwork ToS and click on the “Create my account” button. After a few interrogations, it will redirect you to the “get started” button before creating your Upwork profile.

Establish your Upwork profile; The purpose of your work profile is the same as that of an employee's CV or resume. It is your professional profile that will help you get a job on Upwork. To create an account on Upwork, be as proficient as you can in building your work profile. Write out about your expertise levels and areas of specification. It results in an increased opportunity to gain valuable work experience.

4. Describe the title of your expertise

The first thing a client will see in your profile is your work domain. Type in the block what expertise you can offer to the client as a freelancer.

Select up to four subcategories from the drop-down list that match your work domain skills.

If our area of specialization is in Web, Mobile & Software Dev, then select your related skill categories as Game Programming and Mobile development.

Pro-Tip;

Try choosing 1-2 most relevant categories instead of 4, as it is recommended by some freelancers, that doing this may decrease the possibility to find work (via Upwork rank algorithm).

5. Select your Experience Level

Afterward, click the option that accurately describes your level in the relative work domain. If you are a novice, select Entry Level. If you have significant work proficiency, go for the level of Expert and Opt for the Intermediate Level, if you have intervened expertise

Click on the “Save and Continue” option. It will save all your previously inserted data before proceeding further.

6. Inscribe your education

On the “+” icon, add here your educational status by clicking on it. It includes your current degree and all your previous areas of schooling or even earned awards and extracurricular activities. Adding education to the Upwork profile is highly recommended, though it is optional.

7. Select your language proficiency

Click the “Select your proficiency level” button and go for Basic/Conversational/Fluent/Native according to your level of proficiency in English. It will help you in communication with clients during work chats and clients’ requirements. If you want to add other languages, you can also include them in the mentioned box. This adds value to your Upwork profile.

8. Enlist your Work Experience History

Past work experience in the related field helps you in developing credibility. If you are fresher on Upwork, your valuable work experience will stand you out before potential clients. In your portfolio, you must have extraordinary work samples to portray in front of a client. It has two purposes;

When a potential client sees your experience level on your Upwork profile, it gives proof to him that you are an expert in satisfying clients’ work requirements.

The client gets a better understanding of the variability of the work you do.

It may include work experience with companies you’ve worked for and other freelancing sites’ projects. Only describe work experience associated with your current specialization on the Upwork profile. It helps you in finding more relevant projects that match your work field.

9. Set your Hourly Rate

Charge the service fee of your own choice. Set the cost rate you want to charge from the potential client for your offered services. But while setting-up charges for an hour, keep in mind, adjust the price based on experience level. For each level of expertise, Upwork has recommended hourly rates as:

Entry-level –– claim for 15$ as a minimum Intermediate level –– up to 15-30$ and for experts –– starting from 30$ minimum

However, you can also alter the cost rate while submitting the job proposal.

Also, remember that Upwork charges a 20% service fee from your earned amount.

Payment options

Upwork simplifies payment withdrawal options for its users. You can take out payments from the clients through;

1-Paypal__ worthful for USA and Europe users

2-Payoneer__convinient for Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, etc.

3-SWIFT payment system

10. Describe yourself with a professional title and overview

Your professional title must entice your clients as it will be the first thing one can see about you while hiring as a freelancer. It brings about more opportunities for you to get responses from potential clients.

Tips for a professional title that stands out are:

• It must be short and brief

• It must contain a specific keyword that a client seeks for

For instance; UX content writer

In a professional overview or bio section, briefly describe your profession, type of service you are offering, and period of experience. It shows your profile summary. It tells your client about your capabilities and potential. Your concise introduction about your professional achievements tells about who you are and what makes you stand out from others. This is one of the most important Upwork account requirements.

11. Upload your professional profile photograph

Companies are interested in working with professionals they can trust. Add a clear and good-quality photo focusing on your face with a simple background. Upwork does not accept any logo, trademark, or designs. So only add a professional profile picture and press the “Save” button.

12. Add your residency and contact number

Add your current residency address with the city name, postal code, and phone number to finish your profile for an Upwork account application. The need for these details from a user is for verification purposes. So do not try to write a fake address or phone number.

13. Review and Submit your application

The next step is “Review and Submit” your profile. Application preview before submitting is an important step in creating an account. Read your mentioned details one more time to add something or avoid any mistakes before submitting it.

Once you preview the application, click on the Submit profile shown in the green button on your screen. It will submit your profile for a new account approval. You have finished your Upwork account registration.

After submitting, you cannot immediately start searching for jobs. It takes up to 24 hours for users’ account approval. You will receive a confirmation mail from Upwork Team. Once your account gets approved, you can start submitting proposals for work.

Kudos! By configuring your account on Upwork, you are ready to work on your first project.

Wishing you all the very best in your new explorations!!

CONCLUDING NOTE:

Upwork is a great platform to start from. However, it is a tough row to be a newbie on Upwork in getting jobs. But consistency is all you need in every field for success, mainly in freelancing.

In a nutshell, creating an Upwork account is not rocket science. Follow the step-by-step guide while creating an account for the Upwork profile and get your profile approval. In your profile, you must display yourself as adept in your skillset. Your account profile will definitely win over the jobs from potential clients on Upwork. So try to create proposals that stand out. Prepare for acing the job interview with clients. Try to improve your skills with time and be persistent. You will surely win the race. On a high note, when there’s a will, there’s a way out.