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BellaPippin

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I haven't been very lucky so far. Out of 4 or 5 replies, 2 were scams, the other ones were invitations to apply to jobs that paid $1 per 500 words. Yes you read well. $1 per 500 words... (I'm willing to start cheap but writing 1000 words for $2 minus fees seemed like a waste of time, was I wrong?)

Now I've received this invitation:

Dm9cZj2.png



His profile seems legit, but giving him my address? If he's registered in Santa Clara and is currently in Mexico he knows no one that can receive the postcard from him? I know Google sends postcards but this smells like the "review a product for me, buy a gift card and send me a pic of the code" lol.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong, I've been sending proposals like you said, I have two portfolio pieces.. .maybe add some more?
I'm submitting no more than 3 proposals every other day so I don't get banned or anything.

This is a sample proposal btw:

Former fish mom + Blog article writer

Hi! I see you are looking for someone to write about owning pet fish. Preferably someone with some knowledge on the topic based on your question (answered below). I've written for small businesses and entrepreneur blogs and helped them provide quality content to their audience.

Could you tell me a bit about the platform and audience the articles would be for?

When you work with me you will get an up to 2000 words article, research and one revision included for this bid price. The writing will be clean, triple-checked for errors and delivered within the stipulated deadline. If this is what you need, hit me with a message! I do not mind answering questions at all.

Best,

BellaPippin (replaced)

What is a good pet fish for beginners? (Under 100 words)

A good pet fish for beginners would be of a species that will be hardy and forgiving of common first-owner’s mistakes such as less-than-desirable water parameters, overfeeding, and some actions that tend to stress fishes, like unnecessary and excessive water changes. A good example would be a Betta. Do not, however, have them in a tank too small for them. Most pet chains suggest Bettas are fine in small little desktop bowl decorations but this is far from accurate. Get at least a 5 gallon tank! Source: Former betta owner
 
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Lex DeVille

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I haven't been very lucky so far. Out of 4 or 5 replies, 2 were scams, the other ones were invitations to apply to jobs that paid $1 per 500 words. Yes you read well. $1 per 500 words... (I'm willing to start cheap but writing 1000 words for $2 minus fees seemed like a waste of time, was I wrong?)

Now I've received this invitation:

Dm9cZj2.png

NfzHgE1


His profile seems legit, but giving him my address? If he's registered in Santa Clara and is currently in Mexico he knows no one that can receive the postcard from him? I know Google sends postcards but this smells like the "review a product for me, buy a gift card and send me a pic of the code" lol.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong, I've been sending proposals like you said, I have two portfolio pieces.. .maybe add some more?

This is a sample proposal btw:

get an up to 2000 words article,

Is this a typo on the forum only or is this typo also in your proposal?
 

BellaPippin

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Is this a typo on the forum only or is this typo also in your proposal?

Dang, no. Now you made me doubt, is that really wrong? How can it be "a up to" or "a article"? in either situation grammar requires an "an", no? They both start with a vowel sound o_o

Edit:
llGYn9w.png
 
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Lex DeVille

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Dang, no. Now you made me doubt, is that really wrong? How can it be "a up to" or "a article"? in either situation grammar requires an "an", no? They both start with a vowel sound o_o

Edit:
llGYn9w.png

Ah I see what you were saying. I think I misread it. I wonder if the client might have misread it as well. Beyond that the rest of the proposal looks good. Either the client hasn't made a decision, or it's possible he just found someone he liked more.

One thing to consider changing is the first line, "Hi! I"

With YOU Focused proposals you want to start off by addressing them first.

It's a small change but it might make a difference. You can drop the "I" and just say, "Saw you were looking for..."
 
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abidrozdar

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Upwork is one of the fastest ways to get your feet wet with online business. You probably won't get rich on Upwork (though it's not impossible), and that isn't the purpose of this guide. This multi-post guide is an Upwork Tutorial for those who:

  • Need to get moving on something...ANYTHING
  • Need a way to bootstrap cash...FOR FREE

It doesn't matter where you're from or what your situation is. If you have semi-stable internet and a computer to work from, then you can make money on Upwork at no cost to you but your time.

In the posts that follow I will share a series of Upwork Tutorials to get you started even if you don't know what the f*ck you're doing, and even if you don't have any skills or experience right now. This step-by-step guide will give you a clear path from $0 to your first $1,000 or more on Upwork.

If you follow my posts and do as I say, you will make money...

Possibly this week.

However, you should know that your success here requires a difficult mindset shift. You will have to change how you do things. Employees do NOT make good freelancers. So here are some things you should know right now:

  • You can take your 20 year work history and light it on fire
  • Tuck your college degrees away on some shelf
  • Tear that entitled victim attitude to shreds because...

Freelance clients don't give a shit about your education and experience unless it backs up your ability to get the job done. Also, nobody owes you anything. In the freelance world, you rise to your own level based on how much you help people, and on how clearly you demonstrate that you can help people.


Also... I'm developing a corresponding tutorial for my YouTube channel, and as such will be posting videos related to each post topic. You can watch them or not. You do not have to watch them to get the information because I will also post it in text here.

Consider this DAY ZERO.

Each day I will walk you through one piece of the Upwork puzzle. Step-by-step I will guide you to get approved on Upwork, get started, and make money. At the end of each post you will find a homework assignment.

Do the homework each day.


I would encourage you to share your progress and results either here, on my channel, or both since it will encourage engagement that will send traffic to the Fastlane Forum (each video links to the forum), and to my channel which is valuable for M.J. and for myself and also promotes future comprehensive tutorials such as this one, which is valuable for you.

SET OFF AT SUNRISE TO GET THERE BY DARK

There's only one way this thread won't become another action-faking, analysis paralysis knowledge feast for you. To make anything useful happen, you will have to take MASSIVE action and get started. You will have to stop telling yourself every silly excuse. Stop being afraid. Don't let phantoms of fantasy futures destroy your dreams.

Action is the only way.

So start today. Right now. Make a commitment. Commit to do this. Commit to act and to get started. You will start this today. You will take your first step now. And that first step is to determine WHY you are doing this. What do you want to come of this? To do that, your first homework is physically to answer all of the following questions:

  1. Why are you doing this?
  2. Describe your endgame in specific detail...
  3. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?
  4. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed?

It's important to know WHY you are doing this. You can't be vague about it. "I want to be a highly paid freelancer who creates value" is not a good response for your "why."

You are doing this because you need to pay bills or debt. Because you want to quit your shitty job. Because you need money for your ecommerce business. Because you want to travel and earn money from anywhere. Because you want to support your family. Because you want to earn full-time pay with part-time work from home.

You are trying to escape something (bad job, bad boss, debt, poverty, feeling like a loser). You desire some kind of change (travel, money, freedom, skills, to get started). You are selfish and you want things in life and THAT IS OKAY.

But you need to define those things. The things you want. The things you don't want. Because it is those things that will help remind you why you set off down this path in the first place, especially when there's nothing but miles and miles of bumpy road ahead.

That is your homework today.

Do the homework. Post your response. In the next post I will teach you how to give yourself the best possible chance to get approved on Upwork. As of 2019, getting approved on Upwork is probably the single biggest barrier to entry for new freelancers.

Lucky for you, you're not a freelancer. You're an entrepreneur, and you have me as your guide. So follow this Upwork Tutorial and commit to continue even when the long road makes you weary. If you do, you may discover the distance between sunrise and sunset isn't so far apart as it seems.

By the way...

This is the only mindset post.

Get your mind right now. In the days that follow, we've got work to do.

Thank you for your Post! Pumped me up to go at Upwork one more time, I had one account suspended last year and I havent touched this Website, but I am making 500$ from fiverr.com which is Amazing but I am very excited about going back to upwork-

The work that I am doing at Fiverr.com is amazing but very hardworking as well- Actually I Illustrate Children Books, which I love and creating original Illustrations takes time and a lot of effort, so I Believe that I can earn more with my time and skills!! I am looking forward to this exciting journey and I am hoping for an Amazing experience! Thank you for this Post!
 

Jm10k

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I wanted to make a suggestion maybe it can be helpful for beginner copywriters like myself.
I'm yet still working on my portfolio so I'm not sending out proposals yet.

My first 2 proposals were ignored and that's because I have no portfolio work to back up my skills.

Using text to speech as if you were speaking to a loved one about whatever it is your specializing in and then going through it and making adjustments where necessary.
 

Schwarz

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My first 2 proposals were ignored and that's because I have no portfolio work to back up my skills.

That's a belief.
I believed it until last week when I got my first job without having any portfolio work or education to back up my skills!

A lot of it is about finding a specific client that clicks with you, that has the same interests as you. For example, this guy needed help on the Self Help niche, I had a lot of knowledge on the subject, so I could actually call him out on it in the proposal.

Do not let those beliefs hold you back from sending more proposals! That's the mistake I've been making over the past weeks.
 
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Jm10k

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That's a belief.
I believed it until last week when I got my first job without having any portfolio work or education to back up my skills!

A lot of it is about finding a specific client that clicks with you, that has the same interests as you. For example, this guy needed help on the Self Help niche, I had a lot of knowledge on the subject, so I could actually call him out on it in the proposal.

Do not let those beliefs hold you back from sending more proposals! That's the mistake I've been making over the past weeks.


What do you think about text to speech on google docs to have most of your writing done much faster and efficient?
 

Schwarz

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What do you think about text to speech on google docs to have most of your writing done much faster and efficient?
This is the first time I heard of it. I think that would feel like a very odd thing to do.
I wouldn't start doing that. Then again, who am I to judge?
But you can check it out and tell us how it worked out for you.
 

1step

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We were hiring a copywriter a year or so ago and Lex was one of the people who applied. We got tons of applications but it was quite interesting to see Lex's in comparison to everyone else. His was far and away the best of the bunch, I obviously recognized Lex's name and picture when I was going through the process but I took a step back to evaluate all the profiles and cover letters just to see what everyone was doing and I can't imagine anyone in my shoes wouldn't have hired Lex for the job. If you do what he does I can only imagine you will have lots of success on Upwork, despite what some may think there are people spending real money on Upwork and NOT just looking to hire the cheapest person from India or Pakistan.

Would you suggest using vpn to appear from U.S/U.K? :D

As someone who hires often on Upwork I see this often, when I notice it I instantly decline them. I think for most people it doesn't matter where you are from and would be best to just be honest.

I got accepted using your video, but how do you get jobs with no feedback? No one is going to hire someone with no history.

As someone who hires on upwork I will say I would often pass over someone with no work history but it depends on the type of job. I think in some areas a new profile wouldn't be as important, for instance I can recognize good copy, if I am hiring for copywriting and your cover letter is on point then it doesn't matter about past history because clearly I can see you can get the job done. Same with design or article writing. If you are going for an area where past feedback is important I think the best bet would be to find a client who is looking for consistent work do the first job at a discount then you can impress them with your skills and get a review to start building your portfolio. Be personable and human, be upfront about the need to build your profile and promise lots of value.

Can I use my middle name and surname to register on upwork? Or should the name correspond exactly with my credit card?

I go by my middle name and my Upwork profile is under my middle name.

Got insta-accepted for article writing, optimized overview, took three tests, came out top 20% on two and "above average" on the third. Now to some portfolio pieces and submit my first proposals. Fingers crossed.

Congrats! We might be in need of a writer in the coming months, message me your upwork profile if you are interested.
 
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100ToOne

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As someone who hires often on Upwork I see this often, when I notice it I instantly decline them. I think for most people it doesn't matter where you are from and would be best to just be honest.
I didn't mean it as a way to trick clients. I meant it as a way to go around Upwork's automated system for accepting new freelancers on their platform.
 

Schwarz

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Got my first gig on up work to write 5 articles (dog niche) 1000 words each for 30 bucks. that's 6 dollars a copy. I'm excited its not the best pay but we all gotta start somewhere.
Congrats!
 
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Jm10k

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Congrats!

I was ready to postpone it until I built a much neater portfolio. Thanks to Lex for the tutorials, and thank you for the mindset shift. It really hit home when you said "That's a belief.
I believed it until last week when I got my first job without having any portfolio work or education to back up my skills!"
 

Schwarz

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I was ready to postpone it until I built a much neater portfolio. Thanks to Lex for the tutorials, and thank you for the mindset shift. It really hit home when you said "That's a belief.
I believed it until last week when I got my first job without having any portfolio work or education to back up my skills!"

Hahaha. Amazing. Happy to help.
I just finished rereading Lex's "15 Days To Freedom" (I occasionally do) and read about how your words can have an impact, then I come online and read this. The man just keeps giving us his snowflakes of wisdom!
 

ZF Lee

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Got my first gig on up work to write 5 articles (dog niche) 1000 words each for 30 bucks. that's 6 dollars a copy. I'm excited its not the best pay but we all gotta start somewhere.
Don't worry about low pay.

On one of my first interviews with a client, he was already discussing HOW to RAISE my rates.

I told him that I'll do it after doing X number of articles, and if he was still comfortable working with me by then.

I'm currently doing an Upwork article project as well, and during my research, I am shocked to see the articles on the Internet using the same tired, overused statistics and cliche phrases that mean as much as a rusty nail in a dumpster.

I can count on one hand how many articles I see that cite their research or provide evidence (in the form of social media snapshots, journals or databases). Even million-dollar businesses are having bad articles on their blogs!

WTF?

There's still lots of room to present info in more attractive ways, and dig more into research- plenty of room to give clients reasons to pay you more.

What do you think about text to speech on google docs to have most of your writing done much faster and efficient?
Transcribing? Yup, viable field.

I saw a few jobs for it, mostly by busy Bible preachers who need to get paperwork done. Some churches want the sermons to be turned into articles, bulletin material or books. Or the other way round.

I could do them comfortably, as I've been around preachers a lot to know their needs, but it would be outside my area of focus.
 
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Lex DeVille

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I am shocked to see the articles on the Internet using the same tired, overused statistics and cliche phrases that mean as much as a rusty nail in a dumpster.

This is also becoming a problematic trend with books. Everyone reuses the same stats, and even the same lines and phrases. So freaking annoying. Or they don't even bother going that far. Instead, they just reference other books where the stats or info can be found.

What really pisses me off is that these are NYT bestsellers. WTF?! How can you be a bestseller when you can't even come up with something new or at least spin the old shit in a new way so it looks a little more shiny?!

Anyway, even small gigs can turn into big gigs. I like to imagine that if I'm making a client money then they will want to give me incentive to help them continue making money. That isn't always the case, but it is sometimes. Clients don't pay low rates for no reason. They pay low rates because they don't have much money YET but some clients will have more in the future and if you're the freelancer who helps them get it, they'll want to keep you around!
 

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As someone who hires for lots of gigs on UpWork, I can tell you that this thread is SOLID GOLD.

Often the person I hire bids way over my initial estimate. Sometimes I hire for jobs and I don't know what I'm doing. Last year I started my first comic book. Initially, I thought it was a single job, but then I realized that the writer and artist were two very different skillsets.

When posting my "budget" I had no idea what was appropriate as it was a new market for me. The guy I hired bid about 30% over my estimate and I'm his first job. He was able to close the deal with his proposal.

A strong portfolio and proposal can overcome being new to UpWork quite easily. I am shocked at how many applicants I see with no portfolio or a link to an external website. This is lazy and a big turnoff. The only thing worse than a link to Dribbble is a link to an Instagram profile that has a mix of your work and selfies.

I can understand driving someone to your personal website strategically, but a clean portfolio makes it much easier for someone making a hiring decision. I've also seen make website developers post a big list of links to all their past projects...including dead websites.

I'm really excited to see where this thread goes!
 

Ritalin

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  1. Why are you doing this?
  • Being able to go on vacation with my girlfriend in summer without the financial aid of my parents. I would make myself, my girlfriend and my parents really proud.
  • Expanding my skillset. Expanding my persuasion skills which is definitely needed in every business venture
2. Describe your endgame in specific detail...
  • I quit my MD job, become an investor and entrepreneur in new medical technologies, real estate, and sports medicine.
  • I have free time to work with athletes all over the world and help them achieve better results in their sport.
  • I am not chained to a 60 hour week MD job which makes me and my girlfriend miserable and which prevents me from living in Italy.

3. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?
  • 750 dollars by July 2019 while I'm completing the last couple of months of my MD degree.
4. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed?
  • My girlfriend and parents
  • My dream of living in Italy
  • My dream of helping athletes become the best athlete they can be

EDIT: made a profile and submitted it. Anxiously waiting a response!
 
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yla

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Hi Lex! First off, thank you for all this value you're providing - your resources are incredible. The stuff you put out has opened my eyes to the possibilities with Upwork and helped me better understand how to handle myself on the platform.

I have a software development background and I've been applying to Upwork numerous times without success. This was before I came across your resources, unfortunately. I've tried applying as a more generalist software developer, which I understand hurts my application. I've also tried submitting with my profile specializing in specific software development niches. After I came across your resources, I've been applying your guidelines as best I can - ending up with rejections.

I do have previous work experience in the software industry, so I've included all of that in my profile as well to hopefully help my credibility and show I am capable in the areas I am looking to freelance in.

At this point, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and how I may be able to change my strategy to get accepted. I'm worried that my many rejections and the fact that I've switched up my applications numerous times focusing on different software development niches have hurt my ability to get accepted.

I would highly appreciate any advice on my situation. Thank you for taking the time to help out the community and provide all this value
 

Lex DeVille

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Hi Lex! First off, thank you for all this value you're providing - your resources are incredible. The stuff you put out has opened my eyes to the possibilities with Upwork and helped me better understand how to handle myself on the platform.

I have a software development background and I've been applying to Upwork numerous times without success. This was before I came across your resources, unfortunately. I've tried applying as a more generalist software developer, which I understand hurts my application. I've also tried submitting with my profile specializing in specific software development niches. After I came across your resources, I've been applying your guidelines as best I can - ending up with rejections.

I do have previous work experience in the software industry, so I've included all of that in my profile as well to hopefully help my credibility and show I am capable in the areas I am looking to freelance in.

At this point, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and how I may be able to change my strategy to get accepted. I'm worried that my many rejections and the fact that I've switched up my applications numerous times focusing on different software development niches have hurt my ability to get accepted.

I would highly appreciate any advice on my situation. Thank you for taking the time to help out the community and provide all this value

Hey yla,

There are a lot of possible reasons why clients aren't responding. Could be your profile, could be proposals, could be that they just found someone they liked better or even that they didn't hire anyone at all. If you want you can copy the text from one of your recent proposals and the corresponding job post (minus any client details) and I'll see if anything jumps out.

In regards to specialized versus generalized profiles, specialized profiles are almost always a better idea than generalized. The one exception I'd make is for industry-generalized proposals. For instance, if I'm applying to a product description copywriting job, then it would be okay for me to have a generalized "Copywriter" or even "Direct Response Copywriter title." Even just "Creative Writer" could work as long as my proposal is good.
 

yla

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Hey yla,

There are a lot of possible reasons why clients aren't responding. Could be your profile, could be proposals, could be that they just found someone they liked better or even that they didn't hire anyone at all. If you want you can copy the text from one of your recent proposals and the corresponding job post (minus any client details) and I'll see if anything jumps out.

In regards to specialized versus generalized profiles, specialized profiles are almost always a better idea than generalized. The one exception I'd make is for industry-generalized proposals. For instance, if I'm applying to a product description copywriting job, then it would be okay for me to have a generalized "Copywriter" or even "Direct Response Copywriter title." Even just "Creative Writer" could work as long as my proposal is good.

Thank you so much for the quick response! I think I used bad wording my post, I apologize. I should have said that I haven't been able to get approved on Upwork. So I am unable to even apply for potential gigs with clients.

It's been a consistent stream of "We have reviewed your application to join, and regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your Upwork freelancer registration at this time." emails .
 
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Lex DeVille

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Thank you so much for the quick response! I think I used bad wording my post, I apologize. I should have said that I haven't been able to get approved on Upwork. So I am unable to even apply for potential gigs with clients.

It's been a consistent stream of "We have reviewed your application to join, and regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your Upwork freelancer registration at this time." emails .

Ah, I see. I misunderstood. The only thing to do when you can't get approved is to keep trying and testing different things. In my experience, the best way to get approved is to try different skills and build your profile around the skill each time. Upwork wants you to show them what makes you someone who will be a good freelancer in that skill.

- How does your education support your ability to do the skill?
- What about your work experience?
- Does your bio focus on the skill and what makes you credible with it?
- Do your tags support that skill and only that skill?

Those are the main things I've focused on when getting people approved in the past. It's hit or miss though. Some people have taken 40 tries before they got approved. There's no guarantees. It might be worth looking through the Upwork Skills Index to find an in-demand skill and building your profile around that.

Mostly it comes down to trial and error, but if they haven't permanently suspended you, then just keep trying.
 

yla

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Ah, I see. I misunderstood. The only thing to do when you can't get approved is to keep trying and testing different things. In my experience, the best way to get approved is to try different skills and build your profile around the skill each time. Upwork wants you to show them what makes you someone who will be a good freelancer in that skill.

- How does your education support your ability to do the skill?
- What about your work experience?
- Does your bio focus on the skill and what makes you credible with it?
- Do your tags support that skill and only that skill?

Those are the main things I've focused on when getting people approved in the past. It's hit or miss though. Some people have taken 40 tries before they got approved. There's no guarantees. It might be worth looking through the Upwork Skills Index to find an in-demand skill and building your profile around that.

Mostly it comes down to trial and error, but if they haven't permanently suspended you, then just keep trying.

Truly grateful for your help, Lex. Your insight is very appreciated, thank you. I will continue building out profiles and really focusing on showing Upwork I am capable of delivering the skills and services I say I offer.
 

Ritalin

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Didn't get accepted unfortunately. Profiled myself as Scientific Medical Writer (since I have an upcoming MD degree, and have written a couple of scientific texts, dissertations and papers).

Will try again in a couple of days. Should I profile myself as something else? Or keep the title the same and adjust the bio?

Thanks for your work.
 
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Lex DeVille

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Didn't get accepted unfortunately. Profiled myself as Scientific Medical Writer (since I have an upcoming MD degree, and have written a couple of scientific texts, dissertations and papers).

Will try again in a couple of days. Should I profile myself as something else? Or keep the title the same and adjust the bio?

Thanks for your work.

Did Upwork have tags for that skill? What did they list as their reason for rejection?
 

Ritalin

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Skill tags:
- Scientific Writing
- Medical Writing
- Medical Translation
- Medical Editing
- Medical Transcription

Reason for objection:
Thank you for your interest in joining Upwork. We have reviewed your application to join, and regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your Upwork freelancer registration at this time.
Please do not consider this a reflection of your abilities – while we would like to offer every qualified freelancer a spot, admission is highly competitive as Upwork receives more than 10,000 freelancer registrations daily. To help ensure that the freelancers we accept have the best chance at finding opportunities on our platform, we can only accept a small percentage of those who want to join.
If you feel that the profile you submitted does not accurately represent your skills and experience, you are free to update and resubmit your application.
 

Lex DeVille

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Okay, to me that says you probably need to re-submit with a different skill. They didn't give you the ole "we have too many people doing that skill" spiel, so that makes me think there's probably not enough clients looking for that particular skillset.

I would look at the Upwork Skills Index (Google it) for 2019 and aim for something on that list. Lesson planning is one that immediately comes to mind. Then re-do your profile/bio around the new skill and resubmit. The skills on the index are in-demand, so theoretically that should give you a better chance of getting approved.

Be sure to put something in every section Upwork gives you to fill out.
 
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Ritalin

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Will re-do the profile! I'll get back when I submit again :)
Thanks a lot, Lex.
 

sierraxluz

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This is my first time ever posting on the forum after being a long time lurker. I've always been extremely afraid of putting myself out there but I can't be anymore. So, I decided to take it upon myself and make the change, rather than just talk about it.

1. Why are you doing this?
My eyes were opened to the fast lane and this forum a couple years ago through my boyfriend. Why has it taken me so long to do something? I have no excuse. I've been lazy and afraid of rejection, letting it paralyze me. I'm doing this to finally stop being such a loser, quit my dog walking job, and set myself on the right path. Also, I'd like to start my own business, which means I need money

2. Describe your end game in specific detail.
As of right now, I don't necessarily have an end game. I do know I need to become exceptional at this skill. I've always liked the idea of starting a creative agency, which I can do with copywriting and basic design skills in my pocket. So, I guess it would be to start that and help smaller businesses grow

3. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?
I don't really know to be honest. Any amount of money I make would be worth it. As long as I continue to get better at copy.

4. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed?
Myself
 

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