How to get started with Upwork and make money - Android

Services like Upwork are amazing platforms for freelancers to find clients. Learn how to start making money here!

A freelancer’s biggest challenge is finding clients. Services like Upwork are amazing platforms for clients and freelancers to find each other and establish a business relationship. Whether you are looking for extra cash or a serious source of income, Upwork is a website you can’t ignore, and today we are going to teach you the ins and outs of getting started with it.

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What is Upwork and how does it work?

Upwork is a web service where freelancers can set up profiles, specify their areas of expertise, and show off their work in order to find gigs. Clients can create job postings explaining what they need, the required timeframe, how much they are willing to pay, and other details. Freelancers can look through a feed of job listings and submit proposals to jobs of interest. Customers can also look at talent profiles and invite freelancers to submit a proposal.

Upwork is a hub that enables clients and freelancers to find each other and work together.

Edgar Cervantes

In a nutshell, Upwork is a hub that enables clients and freelancers to find each other and work together, ensuring the safety of both parties. All communications and file transfers can be done through the website, as well as logging the time you have worked. Upwork will serve as a mediator for payments. They make sure clients pay, but don’t release the funds to talent until the job is done. This brings peace of mind to everyone involved.

Of course, the website will take a cut. Upwork’s fees are 20% of the first $500 you get from a single client. The percentage goes down to 10% of whatever the client pays you between $500-$10,000, and 5% for anything that surpasses the $10,000 threshold.

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What kind of work can you find at Upwork?

Upwork is mostly all about freelancing work, which usually revolves around specific categories. These are mostly artistic, or skilled labor positions that are temporary. Here are some common jobs you can find at Upwork:

• Photography/editing
• Video production
• Web design
• SEO
• Marketing
• Social media managing
• Graphic design
• Programming
• Software development
• Literature/editing/writing
• Copywriting
• Content strategy
• Advertising
• Teaching
• Translating
• Voice overs
• Art direction
• Music
• General labor

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Should you sign up for Upwork?

Think of Upwork as the Facebook of the gig economy; you may not like it, but everyone's using it.

Edgar Cervantes

I have taken on some gigs using Upwork and believe it’s worth signing up as a part of your freelancing efforts. Chances are it won’t become your main source of income (and it shouldn’t), but it’s a large network that can help you reach clients who otherwise wouldn’t find you.

Think of Upwork as the Facebook of the gig economy; you may not like it, but everyone’s using it. Freelancers need to follow the crowd if they want more gigs. Upwork’s Wikipedia page mentions the service has 12 million registered freelancers and five million clients. Those are numbers you simply can’t ignore.

The website and apps work like a charm and the experience is pretty straight-forward. The secure payment process is also nice to have.

After starting an Upwork contract, both parties are contractually obligated to keep their business relationship within the confines of Upwork for two years.

Edgar Cervantes

Of course, there are some downsides to using Upwork. The most obvious one is that fees can add up. 20% is a high number. The number doesn’t get any lower unless the client starts paying you more. And even then, 10% to 5% is a high price to pay in the long run.

Because Upwork made your business relationship possible, they make you agree to keep all transactions exclusive to the platform for two years. After accepting a gig, both parties are contractually obligated to keep their business relationship within the confines of Upwork until 24 months are up. The only way out of this is to pay an “opt-out fee”. If these terms are violated, both parties will receive penalties and possibly face legal disputes.

That’s quite the commitment. But then again, the relationship probably wouldn’t have happened without Upwork. More work is always better, especially for a freelancer.

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How to sign up for Upwork

Upwork

If you have decided Upwork is for you, here’s how to get started with the platform.

1. Sign up for an account at https://www.upwork.com/signup/.
2. You can download the app from the Google Play Store and tap where it says “New to Upwork? Sign up”, but that will just redirect you to the website.
3. Fill out the required details and specify if you want to be a client or a freelancer. Selecting the latter will require you to enter a nickname.
4. Read and accept the terms.
5. Create a password and select your country of residence.
6. Hit the Create my account button.
7. You will receive a verification via email. Go to your email, open the message, and select the Verify email button.
8. Fill out your profile and enter all required information.
9. At the end, you will be asked to input a phone number and verify it through a code you will receive via text.
10. Submit your profile.

You are now part of Upwork! You can search for jobs, send proposals, and get to know the platform. Play around with it and see what it’s all about.

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Secondary steps

While it may seem like you are ready for prime time, there are secondary steps to take. Some are required and others just help you get more jobs. Let us guide you through them.

• Verify your ID here. This is a requirement.
• Make sure to add some work history so clients know what you have done.
• Click the View profile option in the home page and make sure you add as much information as you can. Clients like to see detailed profiles.
• Consider creating specialized profiles. These are great if you have multiple areas of expertise or want to target different audiences. If you knit and take photos, photography clients likely don’t want to see all your knitting information, and vice versa.
• Look through your profile settings to make sure everything is customized for your specific needs.
• Read all about the terms of service and Upwork payment protection.
• Take a look at Upwork’s freelancer education hub for tips.
• Check out available webinars to learn more about the system and increase your chances of getting jobs.

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Understanding memberships and connects

In order to send job proposals to clients one must have Connects (think of them as tokens). Each job proposal costs a set amount of Connects, ranging from one to six. These will be returned to you if a project is canceled without making a hire, or if the job post was removed for violating terms of service. Furthermore, no Connects are required when a client invites you to send a proposal.

Related: 7 easy passive income ideas to make money while you sleep

You get some Connects to get started, but they will run out and you will need more. This is when you’ll have to pay up. Using the free Upwork membership, you can purchase extra Connects for $0.15 each.

Those who have signed up for the Upwork Plus membership will get 70 connects per month. This membership costs $14.99 per month and offers some added benefits. Let us break down what each membership provides.

Free Basic Membership:

• Buy Connects as you need them for $0.15 each.
• Unused Connects rollover up to 140.
• Hourly protection to ensure you’re paid for each hour worked.
• Fixed-price payments are secured through milestones.

$14.99 Plus Membership:

• 70 Connects/month.
• Your profile will never be set to hidden due to inactivity.
• Setting to keep your earnings confidential.
• View competitor bids for any job.
• Customize your profile URL.

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How to get a job at Upwork