Assuming that you're keen on outsourcing, you've likely known about Upwork.
Upwork is quite possibly of the biggest independent site out there, so joining with Upwork is most certainly worth considering for consultants.
Whether you're a novice or a specialist, there's countless open doors accessible on the stage at some random time, and they range across various sorts of work.
Yet, with work tricks savage practices still widespread for specialists to confront, it's simply normal to address in the event that a given independent site is both real and worth the effort prior to joining.
I'll cover all that and more in this Upwork audit, so you can decide whether it's an ideal choice for your outsourcing business.
What is Upwork?
Upwork is an outsourcing commercial center that assists specialists with tracking down work with individual clients, organizations, and offices around the world.
At some random time, you'll see lots of chances in many fields, making it a great spot for specialists to rapidly look for a job.
No matter what your timetable, you can land and arrange and land a wide assortment of agreement types. Upwork offers both fixed and hourly undertakings, as well as short and long haul time periods.
For new specialists, it very well may be a test to get your balance on the site. It frequently requires some additional investment and exertion toward the beginning — from going through Upwork's endorsement cycle to attempting to fabricate your standing on the stage.
In the interim, experienced specialists likewise must be supported, yet can add their current portfolios and certifications, surrendering them a leg.
The two amateurs and outsourcing vets should guarantee they're effectively getting done with tasks and accumulating incredible surveys to flourish with Upwork.
However, it's certainly possible for the two novices and specialists to find true success on Upwork. There's no lack of extraordinary open doors, and in the event that you set forth the energy, you'll have the option to land increasingly more right away.
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How Upwork Works
Simply put, Upwork makes it simple for freelancers and clients to connect with each other. This connection happens in two ways:
- Freelancers can scroll through relevant job opportunities posted by clients and submit proposals to apply for the ones they want.
- Clients can look for and reach out to freelancers with direct job offers and invitations to apply based on their profiles.
But first things first: after signing up and setting up your profile, you’ll have to get your account approved by Upwork.
As Upwork gets more and more popular among freelancers, they’re becoming more strict on who they accept. This is to avoid overcrowding on the site and the problems—such as high competition—that come with it.
Once you’re all signed up, approved, and ready to start hunting for opportunities, Upwork serves as a tool to carry you through the entire freelancing process.
Every aspect of each job you take on can (and must) be completed on the platform.
Freelancers and clients can message each other directly through the platform before, during, and after their contracts, helping to ensure safe, simple, and instant communication.
You’ll also be able to securely share files and receive payment for your work on the platform. And after you’ve closed out a contract, you and the client can leave each other a review.
Reviews are one area where Upwork can be both great but also challenging.
It’s a great way to build your reputation on the platform, giving more clients the nudge to work with you. But, as you can imagine, problems and miscommunications happen, so freelancers can face a lot of pressure trying to avoid those to keep up good reviews on their profile.
If all goes well, though, you and the client can easily decide to work together again on the platform if you decide to.
Get some more tips for getting started with Upwork’s video, then read on for a few more details from me!
How does Upwork pay?
A particularly strong benefit of using Upwork is the ability to receive payments internally on their platform with payment protection.
Having the peace of mind that there’s protection in place preventing you from being cheated out of your earnings can help alleviate a lot of stress.
Moreover, receiving payments on the platform helps freelancers track their earnings easily, so you don’t have to manually input things into a separate spreadsheet.
Here are a couple of ways you can opt to receive your payments with varying fees.
- ACH transfer to U.S. bank: free
- Direct to local bank: $0.99 per transfer
- Wire transfer: $30 per transfer
- Instant pay with debit card: $2.00 per transfer
- Paypal: small fee per transfer depending on location
- Payoneer: small fee per transfer depending on location
How long does Upwork take to pay?
There are a couple of different factors that affect how quickly it takes to get paid on Upwork.
If you have an hourly project, your client will be billed weekly. After your client reviews your work, your earnings from that cycle will be available for withdrawal 10 days later.
If your contract is fixed-price, you’ll be paid five days after each work milestone you and your client have agreed upon is completed.
Also (and this is pretty cool) Upwork offers the option for clients to send optional bonus payments to freelancers if they’re particularly satisfied with their work. This works similarly to fixed-price payouts, where you’ll receive the bonus after a five-day security period has gone by.
Finally, once your earnings are eligible to be withdrawn, any additional length of time to receive your payment depends on your method of withdrawal (i.e. wire transfer vs instant transfer, or etc.)
You can withdraw your payment manually or set up an automatic payment schedule.
What types of jobs can you find on Upwork?
Upwork currently offers freelancers upwards of 100,000 jobs in a wide range of fields. They also boast jobs from top clients, like Microsoft, GE, and Airbnb.
With 14 main job categories and many subcategories within them—from graphic design to property law—it’s very likely you’ll find something that meets your unique skills and services on Upwork.
Here are the main categories you can choose from after signing up:
- Accounting & Consulting
- Admin Support
- Customer Service
- Data Science & Analytics
- Design & Creative
- Engineering & Architecture
- IT & Networking
- Legal
- Sales & Marketing
- Translation
- Web, Mobile, & Software
- Writing
Though these are the general categories you’ll choose from to describe your services, you’ll also be able to choose a specialization and further customize how you describe your services through your job title, profile overview, and proposals.
The jobs listed on the platform tend to occasionally stray from the precise categories as well.
I once saw a listing requesting a “serious yet funny” letter to break up with the client’s partner on their behalf—though, sure, I guess that could loosely fall under content writing.
While odd jobs like that appear every now and then, the vast majority you’ll find are professional in nature.
If you’re still in the beginning stages of starting a freelance business and trying to determine which services you should offer, Upwork actually created a current list of the 30 highest paying, in-demand jobs and skills.
It’s definitely worth checking out; some top options on their list include Machine learning engineers and SEO specialists.
How much can you make on Upwork?
On average, freelancers in the United States make around $20 per hour, but the amount you can expect to make on Upwork depends on several factors and can vary a lot.
For example, your earnings can depend on your field and skill set, education level, the amount and type of projects you take on, and perhaps above all, how you set your personal rate.
One of the beauties of being a freelancer is setting your rate to whatever you want it to be. However, there are still factors you’ll want to weigh (including the above-mentioned ones) when naming your number.
Since learning how to set your rate can be tricky, especially for new freelancers, here’s a helpful guide that can help you get started.
To give you a picture of what potential earnings are currently available on Upwork, a quick scroll through showed a recent graphic design listing with an hourly budget of $30-$100, a C++ developer listing with a fixed-rate budget of $4k, and a nonprofit grant writing gig with a project budget of $2k.
There are many higher and lower-paying options as well, so you can be however selective you want about which options make sense for you. You can also always negotiate upward based on the client’s budget listed and your current rate.
Upwork provides an abundance of job opportunities for freelancers, so it’s definitely possible to make a killing.
But, of course, it’s ultimately up to you to market yourself well and land projects amidst the competition.
Pros and Cons
There are definitely pros and cons to consider, though, so I’ll summarize those here:
Pros
- Tons of opportunities regardless of field
- Simple, streamlined process
- You set your own rates
- Payment protection
- Clients can’t ask for free work
Cons
- High service fees
- You must purchase Connects to send proposals
- Can take a while to build your reputation
- Customer support is not always reliable
Despite the competition and fees, the high volume of opportunities alone makes Upwork a great place for beginners and experts to make money and grow their businesses online.
Sure, it’ll take some work to grow on the platform, but freelancing is work—just on your terms.
On Upwork, you’ll be able to build legitimate connections right away, build your portfolio, and take the reins over how much income you want to make.
Upwork is what you make of it, so if you’re willing to put in the effort and make it work for you then I think it’s definitely worth trying out.
So there you have it. I hope my review of Upwork has given you a clear picture of how the site works and helped you determine if it’s a good option for you.