Are you new to the world of freelancing, or have you just recently heard about it and want to find out if there are some opportunities in there for you?
As long as you have a skill, you can use it to make money through freelance job hubs like Upwork. Many people have, and so have I.
The beauty of it is that you can do this from anywhere. No early alarms, no morning traffic, no grumpy boss, none of that!
And it’s also super easy to start. In fact, to kick-start your freelance career, all you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and a brain.
One great site that can make it really easy for you to make money while working from home is Upwork, so I’d be showing you how to start your freelance career with this website.
What is Upwork?
Upwork is an online job marketplace where people and companies from all around the world post various kinds of jobs. Freelancers can apply, or be invited to apply for these jobs.
The nature of the jobs can vary in type and in duration. Some last a day, others can go on for several years.
Who should use Upwork?
If you are new to the online income world and want to start earning quickly, or if you are a freelancer who is trying to kick-start your freelance career, then Upwork is the place to be.
How do I get started?
1. Find Your Skill: Are you good at writing creative pieces or do you have experience in business writing? Can you design beautiful works with Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator? Do you have experience in web design or have you setup a WordPress blog before? What are you good at?
Even if at this step you feel you have no particular skill to sell, that shouldn’t stop you. Proceed with the following steps and you would almost surely find that there are some services you can provide. For example, many people make money through upwork by working as voice talents. All they needed to start was a great voice.
To give you some direction, here are the main categories of work you can provide at Upwork.
• Web, Mobile, and Software Development
• Design and Creative
• Admin Support
• IT and Networking
• Writing
• Customer Service
• Data Science and Analytics
• Translation
• Sales and Marketing
• Engineering and architecture
• Legal
• Accounting and Consulting
2. Register at Upwork: Create an Upwork profile using your correct details. Don’t be tempted to use a nickname or some other fancy name as this could lead to issues (resolvable but unnecessary) later on.
3. Complete your profile: After supplying your personal information during registration, your profile is created but is incomplete, and rightly so.
Because this is a job website, your profile has to include information about your work-life, skills, and experience.
One major thing you’d be creating is your profile overview, which is a brief description of your skills and experience. How well you craft this could mean better job opportunities and more hires.
Please read this article to learn how to create a compelling Upwork overview. The article also includes 3 sample overviews to help you get started.
After creating your overview, go on to complete your profile by adding skills, education, work experience, and other necessary details. If you have done some jobs previously, then also update your portfolio with information about these.
Note: The Upwork freelancer getting started guide contains useful information that can help you set up the rest of your profile.
4. Start applying for jobs: After your profile gets approved, Upwork will furnish you with connects with which you can start applying for jobs. And that’s exactly what you need to do.
When you start applying, do not stop at one or two. Search for and apply to as many jobs as possible, taking care to select those you are sure you can do well.
As a starter, you may submit quite a few applications before you get your first gig, so persistence is important.
However, when you make it your aim to wow each client you get with your performance, you will quickly build a record of quality work and satisfied clients which will make it easier for you to score jobs and make money from Upwork.
