Upwork tips? Having trouble getting work on the platform

Tips & Tricks
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I apologize if this is off-topic for this forum.

I have been building almost daily on Repit for months, and now I am trying to get some work on Upwork. I have what I think is a nice looking portfolio of projects, but I can’t get any bites when I bid on jobs. In part, I imagine I am caught in the Catch-22 of “can’t get work because I don’t have any history/reviews, and I can’t get history/reviews because I can’t get any work”.

I anyone here has hung out a shingle on Upwork with success, I’d appreciate any tips! I’ve probably applied to 30 jobs at this point (all of which I have to pay for!) and not had a single reply back, let alone get hired.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
Dennis

2 Likes
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Hey Dennis, totally get what you mean, starting out on Upwork is the hardest part. What worked for us at Hashlogics was:

  • Niching down to one type of job instead of bidding on everything

  • Opening proposals with a specific question/observation about the client’s project (so they know you actually read it)

  • Taking on a few smaller jobs just to build reviews and trust

Here’s our profile if you want to take a look for ideas: https://upwork.com/ag/hlogics/

It feels slow at first, but once you get a couple of reviews, things start rolling. Keep at it!

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Thanks so much for the useful and encouraging feedback, much appreciated!

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You have an impressive profile by the way, I’d probably hire you guys. :wink:

1 Like
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just came across this chat today. @studio60 did you end up getting traction at upwork?

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What helped me was changing how I applied. Instead of sending full proposals, I kept it short and very specific to the job, like pointing out one thing I’d fix or improve right away. Clients skim, so the first 2 lines matter way more than the rest.

Try going for smaller, less competitive jobs at first, even if the pay isn’t great. The goal is just to get 2–3 solid reviews, after that it gets noticeably easier.

One more thing, portfolio is good, but clients care more about “can this person solve my problem quickly”. Framing your past projects in that way makes a difference.