How To Use Upwork as a Freelancer

Starting your own freelance business can give you more flexibility, autonomy, and potential to push yourself in new directions. Building that business with Upwork can make it easier for you to promote your services, showcase your best work, embrace new client relationships with confidence, and watch your consistent efforts pay off.

Upwork is the world’s work marketplace, a place where independent professionals and businesses from around the globe can connect with each other and work together. Upwork has two main types of accounts: one for freelancers to promote their services and find new clients, and one for clients to find the talent they need to get things done. 

In this article, we’ll focus on how Upwork works for freelancers, with best practices from fellow independent professionals and extra resources to help you build a solid foundation. We’ll look at:

• Understanding Upwork for freelancers
• Create an Upwork account
• Set up your profile in 10 steps
• Complete your profile
• Find your first job
• Submit your first proposal
• Interview with a client
• What to expect from your first project
• Work as a freelancer

Understanding Upwork for freelancers

“Upwork allowed me to build a lifestyle that matches my inner nature as a person and as a professional. It allowed me to meet with clients and people that changed my life personally and professionally. And just the idea of having the ability at any time to open my computer and find a new financial opportunity—that’s honestly amazing.”

— Stanislav “Stan” Slavev, Graphic and Media Designer
Read more about Stan’s story…

With Upwork, freelance professionals can build relationships with clients from all over the world. Once you’ve created an account, you have two ways to connect with potential clients:

• Through the Talent Marketplace™ you can search current job posts from clients and submit proposals to those that are a great match for your skills and expertise. This starts a process that may include correspondence with the client, negotiating, and interviews.
• With Project Catalog™ you can promote pre-packaged services that articulate the scope, timing, price, and terms. Clients can browse Project Catalog and purchase the services they need to begin work.

The key to unlocking these opportunities is your Upwork profile, the customized hub of your activity on Upwork, which highlights your skills and expertise to potential clients. 

Clients can find your profile when they’re searching for talent on Upwork and it will be shared alongside any proposals you send or services you add to Project Catalog. It also helps Upwork determine which projects to show you and where your profile should show up in search results.

Once you’ve completed at least 50% of your Upwork profile, you can begin submitting proposals for job posts using Connects. Connects are Upwork’s virtual currency—they enable you to interact with potential clients and leverage promotional tools on Upwork. 

It can take time to win your first projects but be patient! Let’s start by setting up your Upwork account.

Create an Upwork account

It’s fast and easy to create an account and register on Upwork.com. The most important thing is to have an email address you can use to receive messages about your new business. 

Join Upwork as a freelancer

Go to the Upwork website and click on the “Sign Up” button. Choose “I’m a freelancer, looking for work.”

Finish the sign-up process with basic personal information

There are a few ways to sign up for your free account:

• If you continue with Google or Apple, you’ll use your existing account to log in to the site. This means one less username and password to remember, and it extends any notifications you’ve turned on—like suspicious event detection—to your Upwork account.
• You can also use your preferred email address to create a unique login that isn’t directly connected to other services.

Finish this first part of setting up your account by adding a few more details:

• Your first and last name
• A password for your account
• Your location.

Decide whether you want to subscribe to our top tips. Then hit the appropriate checkbox once you’ve reviewed the Upwork Terms of Service—including the User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

We know: Reviewing the Terms of Service can be a lot to process. But understanding these terms is also critically important to your business and your success on Upwork. Get to know some of the highlights here and check out the new starter's guide to being safe and successful on Upwork.

Once you’re ready, click on “Create my account” to move on to the next stage: Setting up your Upwork profile.

Set up your profile in 10 steps

Before you can begin submitting proposals for job posts on Upwork, you’ll need to complete at least 50% of your profile. This includes basic information about who you are and what you do, including:

• A profile photo. You need to use a real photograph of yourself—not a group photo or a digitally altered image.
• A profile title. A brief description of your experience and most important skills.
• An overview. A few paragraphs to introduce your strengths and skills and explain why a potential client should engage you for their project.
• At least one highlight from your employment history. Emphasise your knowledge and expertise by highlighting the positions that are most relevant to the services you plan to offer on Upwork.
• At least one skill tag. Help ensure you show up in appropriate search results by selecting the skills that directly impact your work.

Of course, we recommend completing 100% of your profile! But you don’t need to do it all right away. There are some elements of your profile, such as an intro video or a robust portfolio, that can take more time to prepare.

In fact, you’ll probably update your profile on a regular basis. “I’ve redone my profile more than 75 times!” said Peggy P., an editor and proofreader who ran her own business for more than two decades before she joined Upwork. “You have to be able to position yourself according to what your market needs and wants and cares about. That's why I keep editing my profile, even if I only change a sentence.”

1. Start your journey on Upwork with a few questions

Through this initial process, you'll be prompted to answer a few questions about yourself, including:

• Your experience as an independent professional. This won't be shared with anyone but your answer will help us understand whether you might need some additional assistance as you get your Upwork profile set up.
• Your biggest goal. Having a better understanding of what you’re aiming for helps us highlight the opportunities most likely to support your objectives.

We also want to know about your work preferences. There are two ways to pitch your services to potential clients on Upwork:

• They find you through your profile or an offer in Project Catalog (a marketplace for projects you’ve predefined)
• You approach them by submitting a proposal for their job posting

There is no right or wrong answer—independent professionals often combine both strategies and you'll be able to do the same. The response you give during the signup process just indicates how you think you'd like to start.

2. Tell us more about what you do

Your freelancer profile is an important part of your introduction to potential new clients. Its goal is to share who you are and the work you do, highlight your expertise, and capture attention. The Upwork Academy course on creating your profile can give you an overview of the whole process.

First, give your profile a title:

• Keep your title short but engaging. Get the most important information across as quickly as possible. Keep in mind that, on mobile search results, your title will trail off with a “...” after 35 characters or so.
• Be specific and include keywords that potential clients may search for.

3. Summarize your past work experience

Your past work experience can help build credibility with a potential client—particularly when you’re new to Upwork. It can both emphasize your level of expertise and also highlight industries or subject areas you may already be familiar with.

You may want to include:

• Companies you’ve worked with
• Projects completed before joining Upwork
• Projects you can share from other freelancing sites.

4. Highlight your educational background

This section summarizes your formal education. If you choose to add entries here, all the details are optional except the institution.

We suggest including:

• Any degrees you've earned or anticipate earning, even if you haven't yet completed them.
• The area of study
• Additional details, such as awards or recognitions received or extracurricular activities (i.e., teams, clubs) you were involved in.

5. Add your language proficiency

Upwork operates in English and you’re required to indicate your English proficiency in your profile. But clients on Upwork come from all over the world and often do business in other languages, so be sure to indicate any other languages you’re familiar with.

While language skills are self-assessed, try to be as accurate as possible so that you set the right expectation with potential clients.

6. List your skills and show potential clients what you have to offer

You can highlight as many as 15 skills from Upwork’s extensive list on your profile. As you start to type in a skill, Upwork will offer suggestions from a standardized list. These skills will show up on your profile—you can drag-and-drop them into the order you want—and help potential clients understand whether you have the skill set their project needs.

7. Polish your title and write your profile overview

A great title and overview can make a difference in the responses you get from clients since they’re among the first things they will see. Let’s start by considering what clients will see in search results: it’s an ad for your services.

What can you do to help entice potential clients to click through and look at your full freelancer profile? The profile title and first two lines of your overview will appear in search results, so you may want to focus your efforts there.

‍Make your first sentence count. Your whole bio can be a critical tool to convert new clients, but the very beginning is the most visible. In fact, while your overview can be up to 5,000 characters, one experienced freelancer suggested keeping it to a few short paragraphs. 

‍Morgan Overholt is a freelance graphic designer who is the owner of Morgan Media LLC, a freelance coach, and the co-founder of TheSmokies.com. Based on her experience: If the ‘read more’ option pops up, you’ve written too much. 

“Your overview should be one or two short paragraphs: This is my profession, this is how much experience I have, these are the kinds of projects I want to take on, this is what I can do for you,” Morgan explained. “Short, sweet, and done.”

“I’ve hired freelancers with zero experience on the platform just because I was impressed by their portfolio and their bio,” she said.

8. Identify the main services that you offer

You can choose up to 10 work categories—your core services. We suggest picking the strongest, most specialized, or most in-demand. While the categories you select will impact how clients find your profile, you can submit proposals to job postings in any category.

9. Set your hourly rate

If the question about setting your rates raises anxiety, keep these two things in mind:

• You can adjust your overall rate at any time
• You can customise your rate every time you submit a proposal

One common mistake new freelancers on Upwork often make is to base their rate on their salary as an employee. While that might be a starting point, it doesn’t account for costs you’re now responsible for, such as equipment you rely on, your home office setup, taxes and professional fees, or ongoing skills training.

Learn more about how to set your freelance rate or take the course on setting your rate from Upwork Academy.

You may find it helpful to start at one rate and then adjust it as you build your reputation through completed projects and client feedback, improve your understanding of the value you offer to long-term clients, and get a better sense of the effort each project requires.

10. Add your profile photo and a few last details

Businesses want to work with professionals they can trust with critical work. Does your profile photo inspire confidence?

Upwork has a few requirements for profile photos. For example, the photo must:

• Clearly show your face
• Be a real photo—and can't be a group photo
• Be at least 250 x 250 pixels
• Be a .jpeg or .png image file

Your photo doesn’t need to be professionally taken. But how can you ensure you have a high-quality profile image? Check out these tips for your Upwork profile picture to get suggestions and examples.

Photo from Thiago Maior’s talent success story

You'll also be prompted to share your contact details, including your address and phone number. Only your town, county, and country will be shared with potential clients; the additional information is for Upwork's administrative requirements.

And if you’re travelling or are otherwise not currently at home? Enter the address you use for tax purposes.

Complete your profile

You've put together your initial profile, but if you've only filled in the basics, make completing your profile a priority. Not only does a 100% completed profile help clients get a full picture of your experience, but it also helps Upwork match you with more relevant freelance work.

A completed profile is required if you want to achieve a Rising Talent badge or become a Top Rated freelancer—both of which can help you build a stronger reputation on Upwork. This may include:

• At least one portfolio item
• Any degrees and diplomas
• A brief video introduction
• Certifications you've earned
• Other experiences that are relevant to your work
• Additional skill tags or positions for your employment history

From the work category you choose to the overview section you write, use every part to emphasise your skills and position yourself as a professional. An intro video is a captivating way to make a connection with a potential client in 60 seconds or less.

For inspiration, you can browse:

• Job posts. Current job adverts can help you understand the skills and expertise that are more in demand for your industry.
• Upwork profiles. Check out the profiles of other professionals in your industry to see how they present themselves. Here are Upwork profile examples to consider from top performers.
• Learn from Upwork Academy. From courses to coaching, Upwork Academy is a rich source of information, whether you’re new to Upwork or want to learn more about growing your business. A good place to start: A learning path for people who are new to Upwork.
• Read articles—like this one! There’s a lot of information from Upwork, with ideas and insights to help you build your business.

And don't overlook the importance of investing time into your online portfolio.

One of the first things Morgan said she looks at is a portfolio, particularly when it comes to creative skills like writing and design. She said that freelancer portfolios often include just a couple of work samples—and she doesn't think that's enough.

“I think I have something like 30 to 40 different examples available in my portfolio”, she said. This variety serves two purposes:

• Clients want to see if you have experience in their industry or have worked on projects similar to theirs. More examples mean more opportunities for them to see this overlap.
• It gives clients a better understanding of the variety of work you do. You may understand that social media infographics and brochures require the same skill set. You might also know that web development can differ from search engine optimisation (SEO)—but a potential client may not.

“We all start somewhere, and you may need to fake it until you make it,” she said. “I started with no portfolio. I did work for family and friends, I did work for myself. Those are the projects I used until I became a more seasoned freelancer.”

If you aren’t ready to add this additional information right away, don’t worry—you can always come back to your profile later.

Want to learn more?

• Learn how to build your portfolio in this Upwork Academy course
• Get more ideas on how to create a freelance portfolio
• Find more in-depth suggestions about creating a freelancer profile that stands out

With your Upwork account set up, you can start looking for your first job. 

Still haven't signed up for Upwork? Take your career or business to new heights and get started now..

Find your first job

Let’s start looking for your first project on Upwork! In the next few sections, we’ll consider profiles, proposals, and interview preparation.

Explore job opportunities using the search bar at the top of any page. Optimise your search with keywords based on your skill set and the types of projects you want to work on. To avoid missing good opportunities, also think about the potential clients you want to work with: what language would they use to talk about their project or to describe the type of expertise they need?

For example, you might be a front-end developer, but someone who isn't familiar with the industry might say they're looking for a "web designer" or "web developer." Add the terms you come up with to your existing search terms to capture a broader range of projects.

Then, use Upwork's filters to narrow your search even further. These include:

• Experience level. The depth of experience a client is looking for.
• Job type. Set parameters around the hourly rate or fixed-price budget.  
• Number of proposals. The number of proposals a potential client has already received for their project.

Also, watch for the "Featured Job" banner. Featured jobs are projects from highly motivated clients who have paid so their project will stand out.

Use Connects to improve your chances

Connects are Upwork’s virtual currency, a valuable resource that enables you to connect with potential clients and submit proposals. You can push your Connects further and use ads to win more work. 

There are three different ways to promote yourself with ads on Upwork:

• Boosted Proposals. When you’re feeling particularly confident and interested in a job post, you can push your profile to the top of the list of proposals.
• Availability Badge. This badge indicates that you’re ready and available to take on new projects, helping you stand out in search results.
• Boosted Profile. Get priority positioning at the top of a potential client’s list of suggested freelancers in search results.

‍Learn the ins and outs of the job search process:

• Jump into the Finding Work course from Upwork Academy
• Read How To Get a Freelance Job for the First Time
• Troubleshoot your efforts so far with the top 8 reasons you're not getting jobs on Upwork
• Learn why 4 freelancers use ads to fuel business growth

Submit your first proposal

A proposal is your chance to convince a potential client that you have the experience to fix their problem or help them reach their goals. A proposal pitches your services to a potential client by outlining what you can do for them, your qualifications, and why you think you’re such a great fit for their project.

On Upwork, your proposal consists of two main sections: The terms for the contract and a cover letter. While you’ll be prompted to enter the terms for the project first, your cover letter is likely the first thing a potential client will see.

Your proposal likely won’t clinch the job on its own. Instead, it can start a conversation. Write a cover letter that aims to capture a client’s attention and confidence so they’ll contact you to discuss next steps.

“When I post a new project as a client, I can get anywhere from 10 to 50 submissions,” said Morgan. 

“Clients don’t have time to read through every proposal, they fly through them. You’re trying to quickly stand out in a pool of 50 other professionals and that can be intimidating!”

Be strategic with your efforts

Danny Margulies, a freelance copywriter and client on Upwork, recommends taking what he calls the “upside-down proposal” approach: If a client asks additional questions as part of their job post, your responses will be shown at the top of your submission instead of the cover letter.

“Answer the additional questions [first], put a lot of good, juicy nuggets in there, demonstrate your knowledge, demonstrate your caring to clients in those additional questions, and then move on to your cover letter,” he suggests.

Get advice on your draft from Uma™

Win more of the work you want with Proposal Tips powered by Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI. Uma uses context about your experience with Upwork to offer personal and relevant assistance. These personalized recommendations can help you craft a compelling cover letter and showcase your skills in a way that’s more attractive to potential clients.

Make it personal

Open with a friendly greeting that includes their name, if possible. And, if you use templates for your proposals, be sure to customize your cover letter to fit the project.

Be brief

Succinctly describe who you are, what you do, and how you can help their project succeed. Freelance SEO writer Sean Cope knows it’s tough to cut through the noise. 

“Clients don’t have the time to read lengthy proposals with details that are unrelated to their challenges,” he wrote in How To Create a Proposal That Wins Jobs. “Long proposals may not convince anyone, as almost no one will take the time to read them.”

Pay attention to the details

If the client is looking for specific skills, highlight your experience using those skills. If the job description includes a specific request, such as the client looking for a specific type of expertise, address it in your message.

Focus on the client

Peggy suggested putting the client rather than yourself at the center of your proposal. “One piece of advice I read is to use the word ‘you’ more than the word ‘I,’ and remembering that stops me,” she said. “In a cover letter, I’ll tell a prospective client that ‘your job caught my eye,’ rather than ‘I am this and I am that.’”

Be careful when setting expectations

Peggy learned that to help protect your reputation on Upwork, it’s important to set the right expectations. “You might read a proposal and think, ‘I can probably do that.’ Then you oversell yourself to the client to get the project,” she said. “If you can’t deliver, you could end up in a mess with a negative rating.”

End with a clear call to action

Recommend a next step for the potential client to take. For example, you could ask them to reply and schedule an interview or encourage them to check out your Project Catalog offers.

Boost your proposal

Increase your chance of getting noticed by bidding additional Connects to enter an auction for one of four “boosted” slots at the top of the list of proposals. Promoting your proposal this way can increase your chance of getting hired by more than 60%. Learn more about using ads to win more work on Upwork.

For many projects, there will be several more steps—including an interview—before a potential client makes a decision. Think of your cover letter as the best way to start a conversation and take the first step towards a new working relationship.

Interview with a client

The reality is, if you get your proposal, profile, and online portfolio right—or if you offer a packaged service on Project Catalog—you may not always need to do an interview. “My speciality is pretty unique and I’ve been hired many more times than I’ve been interviewed,” Peggy said. “From my experience, if a client has reached the point of sending me a message, they usually hire me.”

However, many times a winning proposal will help you get attention but a client will want to speak with you before confirming which independent professional they want to work with. To ace your next client interview, think about a few key suggestions:

• Be as professional as you would be in person, such as showing up on time and dressing appropriately
• Study the job post and be prepared to ask thoughtful questions
• Learn as much as possible about the client ahead of time.

Researching the client can be tricky if they haven’t provided any information in their job post—but don’t give up too easily:

• Look at the feedback from other freelancers they’ve worked with. Does it include an individual's name or mention anything about the business?
• Does the job post mention the client’s industry or customer? Even if you don’t know who the client is, getting more context about the project can be an advantage.

What to expect from your first project

We’ve looked at how to get started on Upwork, from signing up for an account and building your profile to submitting proposals and landing your first interview. But what will your first project actually look like? 

Use Upwork messages to share information

Use Upwork messages to reliably connect with your clients using text, voice and video calls, images, recordings, and other tools. From the moment you and a potential client connect, Upwork will create a new thread of messages—what we call a message room—to keep project details, correspondence, and other activities in one place.

Communicating within the Upwork platform also helps keep you safe by reducing your risk of exposure to fraud, scams, and other harmful behaviors.

While exchanging contact information with a client before a contract is in place is against Upwork’s Terms of Service, keeping your business operations on Upwork provides extra protection so you can start new working relationships with confidence. 

“When I first joined Upwork, I had a few people contact me with what I think were scams,” Peggy shared. “Those are the kinds of things you avoid by following the rules and understanding why they’re in place.” 

Upwork will generate a contract

On Upwork, the terms of your proposal will become an offer from the client. An offer is a formal proposal between you and a client, a step beyond the interview and informal messages you’ve been sending back and forth.

An offer confirms details such as the scope of work, payment terms, deliverables, and timeline. Once you’ve accepted an offer, it becomes a binding contract between you and the other parties involved. Having a freelance contract in place is in your best interest—but carefully review the details before you agree.

Make your clients happy

You have all the talent and skills you need to do a great job on your first project. But the heart of a great client experience is more than a highly polished deliverable—you also need to learn how to communicate. 

For example:

• Set expectations. Explain how you will approach the work and discuss how you’ll work together.
• Clarify how you’ll check in with each other. Establish a schedule for communication up front, whether you will preset milestones, plan regular meetings, or share status updates and information through Upwork messages.
• Plan ahead for challenges. Projects rarely (if ever) go as expected. How will you approach problems that might arise? How will you fix them? Have a plan to help you track modifications and developments, contact the client when something time-sensitive comes up, and negotiate changes if needed.

‍Learn more about collaborating effectively with clients:

• Get tips and tools to help you communicate with clients in different time zones
• Create a standardized process to onboard new clients
• Take the Upwork Academy course on working with clients 

Ask for feedback and a review 

And when your project wraps up? Ask the client for feedback and a review that can be shared on your Upwork profile. 

Whether good or bad, client feedback is always important—especially when you’re new to freelance work and looking for ways to improve. For example, you may want to ask:

• Did the project meet their expectations?
• How can communication and collaboration be improved?
• Are there specific examples of things that worked well for the project? Things that didn’t work well?
• Would they recommend you to a colleague? Why or why not?

Being open to feedback will help you improve as you move forward. And reflecting on the good experience they’ve had working with you might inspire your client to leave a review.

Client reviews help build your reputation on Upwork and are an important way to grow your business. Client reviews are published on your profile and can provide:

• Useful insights to prospective clients
• External proof that you have the skills and experience you describe
• Confirmation that you’re a reliable professional to work with

Highlight the best reviews in your profile overview, proposals, portfolio pieces, and other marketing materials.

What working as a freelancer is like

Becoming a freelance professional can be as scary as it is exciting. Finding new clients is anxiety-inducing while challenging yourself to constantly learn new things and go outside your comfort zone is a real achievement! 

Your experience is bound to be unique and unpredictable. Here are a few more tips to help you get a good start.

Stay patient when trying to land your first client

When you’re new to Upwork, getting your first project can take hours or weeks—members of the Upwork community say it can be highly variable. 

“It’s tempting to just jump in!” Peggy said. “But if you’re new to Upwork and new to having your own business, there’s a whole world of stuff to learn, from marketing yourself to getting paid to paying taxes.”

Make use of the many resources available through Upwork, including:

• Upwork Academy, which offers a wide range of courses, events, coaching, certificates and an education library.
• The Upwork Resource Center, where you’ll find articles, videos, ebooks, and more to provide you with insights, information, and inspiration.
• Upwork Help. You’ll find hundreds of how-to articles so you can navigate different features and functionalities.
• Upwork Community, where you can connect directly with other freelancers and clients from around the world.

“The thing that I did right when I first started? I paid attention to people who’d been in my shoes and succeeded, not the ones who tried and failed,” said Morgan.

“I found top-rated freelancers who”d earned £100k or £200k on Upwork and read their blogs and followed their advice”, she said. “There are so many people succeeding who are happy to share what they know. You just need to talk to us!”

Find more tips to help you grow your business in How To Get More Jobs on Upwork and check out The Best Freelance Jobs for Beginners.

Speed up your results by working with an experienced Upwork coach

Whether you’re looking for expert tips to strengthen your profile, craft better proposals, or figure out your pricing strategy, you can get insights and support through Upwork Coaching Services. 

Choose the type of coaching that works best for your time and budget: one-on-one strategy sessions, small group workshops, or free events for the Upwork community. You can also get on-demand suggestions through our library of coaching videos.

Continue to update and improve your skills

One thing you’ll quickly learn about running a business is that being proactive pays off, whether that’s thinking about your next project, following trends in your industry, or keeping up your skills.

Independent talent may enjoy an edge over employees regarding up-to-date skills: they’re nearly twice as likely to have completed skills training in the last six months.

So, as you start to carve out your new routine as a business owner, consider including time for regular research and learning. Have a look at top upskilling tools that can help keep your skills fresh.

Get started with Upwork

That’s a lot of information to take in! We hope it brings you more confidence as you sign up for your account on Upwork and start your freelance journey.

“It took me more than a year on Upwork to really start getting work. But this was also because I wasn't very skilled. I was self-taught and I just learned some basic stuff on YouTube,” said Adriana Danaila, an illustrator and graphic designer who’s now a Top Rated Plus freelancer on Upwork. “Upwork gave me the opportunity to learn on the platform. I was able to get a lot of different projects where I learned on the job and it helped me grow much faster.”

See what type of jobs are available by browsing the Talent Marketplace, then submit proposals to the projects you’re most excited about so you can get your freelance business moving forward. Get started today!