The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Lex DeVille's - I Deleted My Upwork Account...

Boba

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
38%
Jan 22, 2018
8
3
45
Serbia
Usually when there's very little info I just keep my proposal super short. For example:

"I need a copywriter for our company."

"Hi there, you need a copywriter for your company. I write copy for small businesses to Fortune 500's, so maybe I can help. Would you have time for a 10 minute call this week to see if we're a match?"

Thanks man, that sounds simple and at the same time very effective.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

TaylorTalks

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
160%
Jan 4, 2018
5
8
31
Arizona
I am getting really frustrated with UpWork. I have applied 8 different times now trying with 3 separate accounts (1st account I tried 3 times, second tried twice, and the third account I am on my fourth try, waiting a couple of days each time before reapplying) and have been constantly denied. I went through both of Lex's videos on how to get approved, but no success so far. I live in California, so it definitely isn't the country that is the issue. I tried signing up as a social media marketer, SEO consultant, and professional logo designer. I'm determined, so I will keep trying to get approved on UpWork, but I applied for People Per Hour and Freelancer too in the mean time. Do you have any more tips on getting approved like changing my IP address, phone number ect? Perhaps my face is just too ugly for UpWork and they are like, "Hell no we aren't letting that mutant in our system."

EDIT- F*ck yeah! Just got approved on People Per Hour. So, UpWork is going to have to wait until another day. For all those ugly f*cks out there, People Per Hour doesn't discriminate :)
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,935
Utah
I am getting really frustrated with UpWork. I have applied 8 different times now trying with 3 separate accounts (1st account I tried 3 times, second tried twice, and the third account I am on my fourth try, waiting a couple of days each time before reapplying) and have been constantly denied. I went through both of Lex's videos on how to get approved, but no success so far. I live in California, so it definitely isn't the country that is the issue. I tried signing up as a social media marketer, SEO consultant, and professional logo designer. I'm determined, so I will keep trying to get approved on UpWork, but I applied for People Per Hour and Freelancer too in the mean time. Do you have any more tips on getting approved like changing my IP address, phone number ect? Perhaps my face is just too ugly for UpWork and they are like, "Hell no we aren't letting that mutant in our system."

EDIT- F*ck yeah! Just got approved on People Per Hour. So, UpWork is going to have to wait until another day. For all those ugly f*cks out there, People Per Hour doesn't discriminate :)

I dunno what you're doing that isn't working Got my mom approved on the first try over the weekend.
 

TaylorTalks

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
160%
Jan 4, 2018
5
8
31
Arizona
I dunno what you're doing that isn't working Got my mom approved on the first try over the weekend.

I have no idea either, but I figure I'll give People Per Hour and Freelance a try in the meantime.

I appreciate all of your help and YouTube videos, your personality cracks me up.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

lowtek

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
332%
Oct 3, 2015
2,164
7,186
42
Phoenix, AZ
I have no idea either, but I figure I'll give People Per Hour and Freelance a try in the meantime.

I appreciate all of your help and YouTube videos, your personality cracks me up.

Try data science / analysis.

I'm a freelance machine learning / data science guy, and I only see 5 - 10 other proposals per job. Most I've seen is around 20.
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,935
Utah
Try data science / analysis.

I'm a freelance machine learning / data science guy, and I only see 5 - 10 other proposals per job. Most I've seen is around 20.

The thing is, it's probably not the skill he's choosing at this point. It's something else. Maybe putting too many tags, maybe not writing a bio the way Upwork wants, maybe not listing any education or work experience. If he's listing education or work experience, it could be that there's not an adequate description, or that the description of each item isn't related to the skill.

The skill alone won't get you accepted or rejected.
 

lowtek

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
332%
Oct 3, 2015
2,164
7,186
42
Phoenix, AZ
The thing is, it's probably not the skill he's choosing at this point. It's something else. Maybe putting too many tags, maybe not writing a bio the way Upwork wants, maybe not listing any education or work experience. If he's listing education or work experience, it could be that there's not an adequate description, or that the description of each item isn't related to the skill.

The skill alone won't get you accepted or rejected.

Ah, didn't know that. I was fortunate to get on the platform back in 2015.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Boba

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
38%
Jan 22, 2018
8
3
45
Serbia
The thing is, it's probably not the skill he's choosing at this point. It's something else. Maybe putting too many tags, maybe not writing a bio the way Upwork wants, maybe not listing any education or work experience. If he's listing education or work experience, it could be that there's not an adequate description, or that the description of each item isn't related to the skill.

The skill alone won't get you accepted or rejected.

Then he should talk to the Upwork support and get them to say what's wrong. Otherwise it's just a dance in the dark....
 

Smith11B

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
369%
Nov 7, 2013
55
203
35
Man, @SinisterLex, bought your course. I already had an upwork account and just gave up a while back.

Well I started applying yesterday using your methods. And let me tell you.

I got two gigs completed just last night. Total only $50 bucks. (I offered to do the work for $5 and over delivered like you say in you videos.)

Anyway, these led into an $800 monthly retainer with a facebook ad agency increasing as I handle more clients. Plus I've got an interview schedule tomorrow with another agency looking to outsource work, and as I was typing this, was awarded a small ongoing article writing gig.

I don't think people understand how powerful this stuff is.

My plan. Save up the cash to really start running facebook ad campaigns to get clients myself as well as other ventures. I did not ignore where you said that being on Upwork can lead to stagnation and the slowlane.

an Advantage I will admit I had is that I have worked at 2 very large ad agencies in the past running an managing campaigns of about $100k in ad spend a month. But other than that I did not have anything in my portfolio, or proof.

I may have actually took too much action. I might have more on my lap than I can handle LOL

anyway man. Thanks. Nothing but love from me man.
 

SquatchMan

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
383%
Dec 27, 2016
452
1,731
Nowhere

Smith11B

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
369%
Nov 7, 2013
55
203
35
This is good. This means it is time to hire someone.

Hmm you might be right. I've had some bad hires in my past. But I'll get over it and take a loss if I screw it up.

I understand that business is iterative. Less like a laser to success, more like a guided missile, checking and course correcting until it hits the target.
 

lowtek

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
332%
Oct 3, 2015
2,164
7,186
42
Phoenix, AZ
Hmm you might be right. I've had some bad hires in my past. But I'll get over it and take a loss if I screw it up.

I understand that business is iterative. Less like a laser to success, more like a guided missile, checking and course correcting until it hits the target.

Don't hire too fast. Trying to hire someone to solve a process bottleneck will only introduce more problems, not solve the ones you already have. It's highly likely the process you have just discovered is as efficient as it can be.

Get a documented (key part) and solid process in place first, then hire someone to fill in the parts you hate / are not good at.

The solution to too much work, in the beginning, is a combination of raising your rates and working more.
 

Smith11B

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
369%
Nov 7, 2013
55
203
35
Don't hire too fast. Trying to hire someone to solve a process bottleneck will only introduce more problems, not solve the ones you already have. It's highly likely the process you have just discovered is as efficient as it can be.

Get a documented (key part) and solid process in place first, then hire someone to fill in the parts you hate / are not good at.

The solution to too much work, in the beginning, is a combination of raising your rates and working more.

Agreed one hundred percent my man. I wasn't going out to find someone just yet. I've been there done that. (Hiring without a process in place to actually delegate, and delegate effectively.) Leads to confusion and the new hire feeling like they are just kind of twiddling their thumbs, or taking all kinds of everywhere tasks with no structure.

I was exaggerating a bit anyway. I'm sure I can just put my head down and get this all done. It's just crazy how fast it happens when you take action.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

ZF Lee

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
180%
Jul 27, 2016
2,842
5,113
25
Malaysia
Don't hire too fast. Trying to hire someone to solve a process bottleneck will only introduce more problems, not solve the ones you already have. It's highly likely the process you have just discovered is as efficient as it can be.

Get a documented (key part) and solid process in place first, then hire someone to fill in the parts you hate / are not good at.

The solution to too much work, in the beginning, is a combination of raising your rates and working more.
And have backup freelancers behind your sleeve too.

You might never know when a freelancer can suddenly bail out due to illness or mischief.

Today I had another interview, and the client talked about this with me briefly. The guy was still screening through a few dozen people, and took a week or so to confirm actual interviews even after I did his sample tasks.


BTW, on a separate note, the client also mentioned that Upwork was pulling out money from accounts that were inactive, with no cash flow. How long would the freelancer need to be inactive before Upwork leaps in for the cash in the account?
 

dynamo

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
125%
Feb 23, 2018
4
5
42
Dubai
Is anyone getting approved from Upwork outside the USA? I'm based in Dubai and London and in both cases (using fresh profiles from each location) couldn't get approved, despite following all the profile instructions and tips in this thread, and scoring well on some tests, as well as adding a piece of work.

I've tried a profile for writing services (which I know is saturated) and also Management consultancy.

My apologies if this is veering a touch off topic, it's just that to benefit from this great thread, it seems approval on upwork is the most efficient strategy!
 

ZF Lee

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
180%
Jul 27, 2016
2,842
5,113
25
Malaysia
Is anyone getting approved from Upwork outside the USA? I'm based in Dubai and London and in both cases (using fresh profiles from each location) couldn't get approved, despite following all the profile instructions and tips in this thread, and scoring well on some tests, as well as adding a piece of work.

I've tried a profile for writing services (which I know is saturated) and also Management consultancy.

My apologies if this is veering a touch off topic, it's just that to benefit from this great thread, it seems approval on upwork is the most efficient strategy!
I did. I'm from Malaysia.

Look into other services 'related' to writing.

It could be:
-ghostwriting
-sales letters
-SEO blogging
-cold call emails (I threw out such a job offer because I had no time for that)
-virtual assistant (I picked up a job just now for this)


And much more!

Writing is pretty general. Try to zoom in on specific skills that use writing.

And no, this thread isn't exclusive to Upwork.

As long as you can send an email to a potential client on ANY freelance-worthy site, follow up and provide samples or proof of work, this works.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

dynamo

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
125%
Feb 23, 2018
4
5
42
Dubai
Hi
I did. I'm from Malaysia.

Look into other services 'related' to writing.

It could be:
-ghostwriting
-sales letters
-SEO blogging
-cold call emails (I threw out such a job offer because I had no time for that)
-virtual assistant (I picked up a job just now for this)


And much more!

Writing is pretty general. Try to zoom in on specific skills that use writing.

And no, this thread isn't exclusive to Upwork.

As long as you can send an email to a potential client on ANY freelance-worthy site, follow up and provide samples or proof of work, this works.

Hi there,

Thanks for the quick response. I realise I was a touch vague there, but in the spirit of the OP's posts, my profile was for copywriting, and article writing. These do seem pretty saturated.

I'll take a look at your other suggestions and see if I can tailor the profile around that. I'm looking at doing my own website and pitching to clients in my locations in the near future but in terms of time and effort, I felt doing an upwork profile was going for the best of the freelance sites.

In terms of profile approval, I'm not sure when you were approved but I've tried over the past couple of months with the iterative profile changes.

Thanks again :)
 

ZF Lee

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
180%
Jul 27, 2016
2,842
5,113
25
Malaysia
Hi


Hi there,

Thanks for the quick response. I realise I was a touch vague there, but in the spirit of the OP's posts, my profile was for copywriting, and article writing. These do seem pretty saturated.

I'll take a look at your other suggestions and see if I can tailor the profile around that. I'm looking at doing my own website and pitching to clients in my locations in the near future but in terms of time and effort, I felt doing an upwork profile was going for the best of the freelance sites.

In terms of profile approval, I'm not sure when you were approved but I've tried over the past couple of months with the iterative profile changes.

Thanks again :)
I applied around December last year.

Earlier I had done some work in other sites, but not on Upwork.

I went in without knowing that it was 'hell season' for Upwork approval. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, I guess. :)

I only got to know I just walked into the Somme when Sinister told me...

Now if you still want to stick to article writing, what do you want to zoom in on:
- sports?
-beauty?
-tech news?
-SEO content (I spotted such a listing...maybe the clients want organic searches to come in)

And much more!

Not every writer can write about everything.

Even when I write on Quora, I find myself writing more things on my home country, Malaysia compared to others, as I live there and have on-the-ground life experience.

On another instance of zooming in, I had a small job doing product listing. I zoomed in on Shopify. It could have been Amazon, Lazada (my home country's top platform) or Mudah.com (my home country's hustle website). Different e-commerce sites have different ways of laying things out although copywriting is pretty universal.

Don't let saturation deceive you.

it's saturated because 95% of folks on the platform are:
1. Bidding so damn low for work.
The Upwork minimum is $5. I spotted people who bid as low as $1 per hour. Why they would value their time so poorly, I shall never know.

But I bid the 'higher' $5, talked to the client, had a few interviews, and I got the job.

Bid higher according to your confidence, and deliver on the goods.

2. Getting by with 'good' instead of great.
People just send in work that is 'not too bad, but not too good'.

And clients just put up with it, because,well, what can they do?

Imagine if they became your lucky client, and you blew their problems out of the water with a fine-crafted copy or elaborate blog article.

They'll rate you handsomely. And even pay you well.

I see saturation more of a 'status quo' to be broken.

When you get approved, just look at any job with waiting interviewees. You'll be surprised how lacklustre and mediocre some freelancers can actually be.

There's other routes like Fiverr and Facebook (got to research groups though). For Fiverr, I found the package settings rather clumsy for my liking though.
 

GIlman

Still Gilman
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
604%
Oct 16, 2014
801
4,842
SL thanks for your insights. My experience has been similar, anyone can and will succeed if they find ways to bring value and convey that to clients. I started a company (Zigvy) 2 years ago and as you can see from our profile have made big profits on upwork.

Zigvy - TP.HCM, Vietnam - Upwork

The problem most people have is they don’t get in the clients head. They think like the person doing the work, not the person asking for the work.

I wrote the copy on our profile. It took an hour or two. I just made a list of fears people have using upwork and addressed each one.

This process is easily repeatable.

Props on a great thread.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

dynamo

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
125%
Feb 23, 2018
4
5
42
Dubai
I applied around December last year.

Earlier I had done some work in other sites, but not on Upwork.

I went in without knowing that it was 'hell season' for Upwork approval. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, I guess. :)

I only got to know I just walked into the Somme when Sinister told me...

Now if you still want to stick to article writing, what do you want to zoom in on:
- sports?
-beauty?
-tech news?
-SEO content (I spotted such a listing...maybe the clients want organic searches to come in)

And much more!

Not every writer can write about everything.

Even when I write on Quora, I find myself writing more things on my home country, Malaysia compared to others, as I live there and have on-the-ground life experience.

On another instance of zooming in, I had a small job doing product listing. I zoomed in on Shopify. It could have been Amazon, Lazada (my home country's top platform) or Mudah.com (my home country's hustle website). Different e-commerce sites have different ways of laying things out although copywriting is pretty universal.

Don't let saturation deceive you.

it's saturated because 95% of folks on the platform are:
1. Bidding so damn low for work.
The Upwork minimum is $5. I spotted people who bid as low as $1 per hour. Why they would value their time so poorly, I shall never know.

But I bid the 'higher' $5, talked to the client, had a few interviews, and I got the job.

Bid higher according to your confidence, and deliver on the goods.

2. Getting by with 'good' instead of great.
People just send in work that is 'not too bad, but not too good'.

And clients just put up with it, because,well, what can they do?

Imagine if they became your lucky client, and you blew their problems out of the water with a fine-crafted copy or elaborate blog article.

They'll rate you handsomely. And even pay you well.

I see saturation more of a 'status quo' to be broken.

When you get approved, just look at any job with waiting interviewees. You'll be surprised how lacklustre and mediocre some freelancers can actually be.

There's other routes like Fiverr and Facebook (got to research groups though). For Fiverr, I found the package settings rather clumsy for my liking though.

Thanks for the tips. I certainly will keep that on board. It's all great if I actually get approved lol. That's the major obstacle before I can think about the value I provide. The frustration at seeing such terrible profiles with clear errors keeps building up.

As an observation - On a previous aborted application to Upwork I forgot that I had a VPN for the USA switched on, and I noticed that for the USA they ask for a verified phone number. This didn't happen with my UK and UAE applications. I imagine this probably makes it easier for USA approvals.

Anyway thanks again and I'll try to rejig the profile again.
 

HackVenture

Digital Marketer
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
146%
Mar 11, 2011
345
502
Planet Earth
I was in the middle of commenting something like "GREAT THREAD, too bad I'm not into freelancing.." and then I suddenly had an "AHA" moment.

I'm making it a goal to get decent at coding in 2018 and I realized I could mesh that goal with what I learn from this thread and get some Upwork coding jobs!

I'm gonna be upfront to clients about my inexperience of course, but I'm not going to charge as much as the experienced coders are going to charge either, and this real-world coding experience I believe is going to allow me to master coding that much faster.

SO, thanks for this great thread! Admittedly, this isn't super high up on my list of todos but the fact that it's going to turbocharge another of my goals is awesome.
 

lowtek

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
332%
Oct 3, 2015
2,164
7,186
42
Phoenix, AZ
I was in the middle of commenting something like "GREAT THREAD, too bad I'm not into freelancing.." and then I suddenly had an "AHA" moment.

I'm making it a goal to get decent at coding in 2018 and I realized I could mesh that goal with what I learn from this thread and get some Upwork coding jobs!

I'm gonna be upfront to clients about my inexperience of course, but I'm not going to charge as much as the experienced coders are going to charge either, and this real-world coding experience I believe is going to allow me to master coding that much faster.

SO, thanks for this great thread! Admittedly, this isn't super high up on my list of todos but the fact that it's going to turbocharge another of my goals is awesome.

If I may, i would suggest starting with Python and Django/Flask (web frameworks for python). It's the language of the year, quickly growing, and beginner friendly.

I suggest this because front end work, on the Upwork platform, doesn't look super highly valued. In other words, I wouldn't start with HTML/CSS as those won't teach you the fundamentals of solving business logic problems with software, and the market is flooded with inexpensive 3rd world labor in that domain.

Learning Python will give you far more options, such as pursuing studies in Machine Learning, which is a far larger value add and a much weaker domestic labor market.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

CurtRod

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
589%
Feb 21, 2018
9
53
43
Canada
I've also now encountered my first hurdle with this Upwork profile approval.

Recently I was visiting my brother and had the threads by @SinisterLex pointed out to me, so while he was busy I got to browsing. Then I read more, got pulled in deeper and eventually my brother was trying to get my attention while I was glued to my phone. Great work, truly inspirational stuff.

I've always been told I'm good at writing, I even take care to try and write well, mostly because I enjoy it. I've used words to help people plenty, editing papers for schools, business emails, resumes and cover letters, and tons of English as a second language edits. I've also never considered it an avenue for anything, more of a soft skill in addition to whatever else I happened to be doing. However, with the "Just Do It" mantra ringing in my head I decided to take the plunge and make an Upwork account, I might actually become good at this.

Several hours, multiple edits and a bunch of research later had me sitting with something that looked and sounded great. I submitted and assumed all was well. Unfortunately it was rejected almost immediately, I guess they only want people with 15 years of direct experience and a masters degree picking up those $5 jobs editing some guy's flyer for his mother-in-law's 60th birthday haha.

Ouch.

But if there is one single thing I've learned from forum threads, the 2018 summit, and meeting and talking to people doing such a vast array of things, it's that the only thing separating an entrepreneur and a 'normal' person it's that the entrepreneur doesn't let obstacles stop them. They find a way.

So that's what this is, an obstacle. I'm not letting some gatekeeping algorithm end this, I'll rewrite and edit my profile to get in. Then rewrite and edit it back to actually get clients. Writing that original submission left me exhilarated and wanting more, I even found a job I could absolutely crush in about 2 minutes of searching.

@SinisterLex thanks for the amazing threads. You've got me jumping out of my comfort zone and just doing it.
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,935
Utah
I've also now encountered my first hurdle with this Upwork profile approval.

Recently I was visiting my brother and had the threads by @SinisterLex pointed out to me, so while he was busy I got to browsing. Then I read more, got pulled in deeper and eventually my brother was trying to get my attention while I was glued to my phone. Great work, truly inspirational stuff.

I've always been told I'm good at writing, I even take care to try and write well, mostly because I enjoy it. I've used words to help people plenty, editing papers for schools, business emails, resumes and cover letters, and tons of English as a second language edits. I've also never considered it an avenue for anything, more of a soft skill in addition to whatever else I happened to be doing. However, with the "Just Do It" mantra ringing in my head I decided to take the plunge and make an Upwork account, I might actually become good at this.

Several hours, multiple edits and a bunch of research later had me sitting with something that looked and sounded great. I submitted and assumed all was well. Unfortunately it was rejected almost immediately, I guess they only want people with 15 years of direct experience and a masters degree picking up those $5 jobs editing some guy's flyer for his mother-in-law's 60th birthday haha.

Ouch.

But if there is one single thing I've learned from forum threads, the 2018 summit, and meeting and talking to people doing such a vast array of things, it's that the only thing separating an entrepreneur and a 'normal' person it's that the entrepreneur doesn't let obstacles stop them. They find a way.

So that's what this is, an obstacle. I'm not letting some gatekeeping algorithm end this, I'll rewrite and edit my profile to get in. Then rewrite and edit it back to actually get clients. Writing that original submission left me exhilarated and wanting more, I even found a job I could absolutely crush in about 2 minutes of searching.

@SinisterLex thanks for the amazing threads. You've got me jumping out of my comfort zone and just doing it.

Have you seen this video:


There's a forum thread about getting approved too, but you'd have to search for it. It's been a bit since it was last posted in. People seem to still get approved with this video tho.
 

CurtRod

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
589%
Feb 21, 2018
9
53
43
Canada
Have you seen this video:
I sure have, watched it this morning and made a bunch of notes for my next attempt.

Funny how you spend all this time writing a profile to get clients and it's the opposite you need for the opportunity. I'll post an update after I get a new backwards profile submitted.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

HackVenture

Digital Marketer
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
146%
Mar 11, 2011
345
502
Planet Earth
If I may, i would suggest starting with Python and Django/Flask (web frameworks for python). It's the language of the year, quickly growing, and beginner friendly.

I suggest this because front end work, on the Upwork platform, doesn't look super highly valued. In other words, I wouldn't start with HTML/CSS as those won't teach you the fundamentals of solving business logic problems with software, and the market is flooded with inexpensive 3rd world labor in that domain.

Learning Python will give you far more options, such as pursuing studies in Machine Learning, which is a far larger value add and a much weaker domestic labor market.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm semi proficient at HTML/CSS as I've had to do stuff myself for some of my projects, and Python is exactly what I'm looking to learn currently, I've bought a few courses on Udemy to learn exactly that. Not gonna hijack this thread further, so I'm going to PM you with some questions, hope you don't mind :)
 

CurtRod

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
589%
Feb 21, 2018
9
53
43
Canada
Second attempt was rejected, I've done some more edits and submitted a third. However, I've been reading that UpWork may have flat out locked certain categories due to market saturation, not sure how true that is.

My first attempt was a 'you' focused profile, my second was a 'me' focused one using "Professional Technical Writer" as my title. I've also submitted a profile on PeoplePerHour, but I'm waiting on that approval.

Any suggestions anyone has for writing specific skills/titles I can use are welcome.

Edit:
Third attempt was rejected. I did get approved on PeoplePerHour within 45 minutes of submitting a profile that was almost a duplicate of my original 'you' focused one for UpWork. So I think I'll give them a shot to build some portfolio stuff for UpWork.
 
Last edited:

Boba

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
38%
Jan 22, 2018
8
3
45
Serbia
Is anyone getting approved from Upwork outside the USA? I'm based in Dubai and London and in both cases (using fresh profiles from each location) couldn't get approved, despite following all the profile instructions and tips in this thread, and scoring well on some tests, as well as adding a piece of work.

I've tried a profile for writing services (which I know is saturated) and also Management consultancy.

My apologies if this is veering a touch off topic, it's just that to benefit from this great thread, it seems approval on upwork is the most efficient strategy!

I tried to open an account for a friend, a senior Java developer, and got the message that there are too many java programmers on UpWork already. The thing is I opened my account there in December as a Java developer with no problems, and I'm not located in the USA...

What was the rejection message?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top