Upwork is one of the best freelance platforms out there. Whether you are looking for side gigs that can use your special interests and talents, or you want to consider full-time freelance and be your own boss, Upwork is one such marketplace but, like any marketplace, you need to know how to navigate it.
What is Upwork
Upwork gives room for individuals to search for employment or for employers to find the right employees. Upwork gives room, for its users to work together on short-term projects or long-term contracts.
Upwork users have access to an onboard messaging service with voice and video support, tools for tracking hours, submitting projects, sending and receiving payments.
How to create an Upwork account
You can sign up for an Upwork account using an Apple account, Google account, or another email by clicking the sign-up button in the upper left corner of the homepage.
Once your email is approved, you will need to fill out another form by entering your full name, user name, and whether you are looking for work or talent.
Once your account is created, you can start browsing the platform, familiarizing yourself with tools, and looking at jobs and projects. However, your account isn’t finalized.
You will have to upload a high quality photograph of yourself as your profile picture, confirm your identity with a government issues ID(driver license, or state ID), set a desired hourly rate and availability, and also a payment method.
How to Search and Filter Projects and Clients On UpWork
To look for clients and projects on Upwork, select find work from the banner at the top of the page, select find work in the resulting dropdown menu. This brings you to the job feed that the site populates for you. The more you work, the more your profile is complete, and the better match jobs will be for you.
The most essential way to look for clients and projects is with the search bar at the top of the page. You can also select the Advanced search option under the search bar to search by keywords or exclude results that contain certain terms. You can select jobs in the jobs categories you indicated when you created your profile or you can click the pencil icon to add new job categories.
Once you are on the job for a specific job category, you can toggle the filters on the left side I the screen for;
- Entry, intermediate, expert, experience level
- Job type
- Number of proposals
- Client info
- Talent clouds
- Budget
- Project
- Hours per week
Note: once you submit a proposal, begin interacting with prospective clients by proposing a rate, writing of cover letter, and answering questions they may have.