How Freelancing on Upwork Helped Catherine Find Her Freedom

Industry

Catherine's journey to Upwork

Catherine’s background is in nonprofits and research. She had been working as a full-time employee, then hit a ceiling and didn't see a clear path forward. Catherine knew that she had more to offer and was dissatisfied with her current job and career trajectory. Instead of accepting the status quo, Catherine brainstormed and figured out a solution. Going all in, Catherine began working as a full-time freelancer.

Years earlier, Catherine had briefly used Upwork when it was Elance and she still had her old account. Almost immediately after updating her profile and submitting proposals, Catherine found her first client, which lasted around eight months. She was surprised how quickly she landed her first job. In the beginning, Catherine was just looking for work and a short-term solution.

"I immediately loved freelancing because it gave me the freedom I hadn't felt before while working for other people. This was my chance to build my reputation and work for myself. So it was really a great opportunity that I didn't realize I was missing. Sometimes, you don't know something's missing until you actually get it."

It took two full years for Catherine to really start believing in herself and the business she was building.

How freelancing changed the game

What keeps Catherine freelancing is the control she has over her career. As an independent professional, she gets to choose which clients she works with and the projects she says yes to.

"I have the freedom to know that I’m not an employee but instead a business owner. I make my own schedule. I make my own destiny."

Working remotely gives Catherine the ability to travel the world. She can do her work from anywhere. All she needs is her laptop and Wi-Fi. This wasn't possible at Catherine’s previous jobs when she had to work in the office.

"So there's many times I'm somewhere else and enjoying life while I'm working. I do what I love. I choose projects that make me happy. On Upwork, you have the freedom to pick what you want and reject what you don't."

Catherine isn't afraid to change it up and take risks. She got her first tattoo at 50 and decided to shave her hair one day (which she loves). Freelancing allows her to be who she wants in and out of "the office." Because it's her business, she makes the rules.

"As a freelancer, people don't judge you by your appearance. They look at you for what you give them, what you deliver. Now, my people know I have tattoos and things of that nature, but that doesn't impact whether I get a job or not. They want someone who can do it, and that levels the playing field on Upwork."

Over the years, Catherine has built a successful career on Upwork and shares her advice with those who are interested in freelancing.

Reputation matters

Catherine has a strong work ethic and understood the importance of reputation as a freelancer from the very beginning. Her profile is filled with positive five-star reviews from past clients. This type of feedback helps you gain more job invites and win proposals.

"Make sure the client understands that you're out for their best well-being. I always let clients know that their project is important to me and that they're not just another number."

As a Top-Rated Plus freelancer, Catherine doesn't have to spend much time these days sending unsolicited proposals. Clients regularly invite her to jobs, and sometimes, she even has to say no because her schedule is already full enough. Those who are lucky enough to work with her often sing her praises in their reviews.

"I find that many new freelancers get panicky about client reviews. I have a lot of projects that don't have feedback on them. It's not that my clients aren't satisfied; they just may not have the time or want to give feedback. It's OK to ask for feedback from clients, but try not to be too pushy."

Have a backup plan

Catherine remembers what it was like to be a new freelancer on Upwork. When she accepted her first offer, she was so excited and didn't think to have a backup plan. The contract was ongoing without a set end date. When the client suddenly closed the contract, she didn't have another one lined up.

"Now, I always have two or more clients just to cover myself, in case one needs to close the contract. I would suggest to anybody starting out to always have a backup plan, whether that's putting money away in a savings account or taking on multiple smaller jobs.

“Freelancing doesn't always take off right away, and other people are competing for the same jobs. Make sure that you're prepared for those downtimes. Just like any other business, it will have ebbs and flows."

Change your mindset

Freelancers are not employees. You get to choose when, where, and how you work. Catherine had to shift her mentality when she became a freelancer and started viewing this as her business.

"Look at freelancing as a business and not as an employee-employer relationship. Many freelancers make that mistake and think of their clients as their employers. When you start looking at them as an employer, you start expecting things from them that an employer would do, or you expect them to keep you, and you get disappointed."

Part of this is understanding that contracts end and navigating the in-between times when you don't have clients lined up. On Upwork, you can submit proposals to projects on the Talent Marketplace™ and list your pre-packaged services on Project Catalog™. If you’re interested in working full time for a client, you can search for contract-to-hire jobs and show that you're open to full-time on your profile.

As a client, when you start working with independent professionals, it expands your talent pool. Spreading talent across time zones can help you get even more accomplished. As your work day is ending, another freelancer’s is just beginning.

Pick your projects wisely

Independent professionals are small business owners and need to be strategic and think both in the short and long term–part of this is learning to say no to projects that aren't the right fit.

"I've learned that I don't have to take something if I don't want to. That's the downfall of a lot of freelancers who are just starting out. They want to make money and take whatever they can get in the beginning, even if the project or client isn't compatible. That's how you end up with bad reviews, in over your head, or stuck in a project you don't enjoy."

Catherine is selective about what job invites she accepts and proposals she sends out. Reading the job description and the client's reviews can help you determine if it's the type of project you want to work on. Know how to spot red flags in the job description so you don't spend time submitting proposals to the wrong projects.

"I look for client reviews—the reviews that other freelancers have left. There might be some positives and some negatives. I look at everything, but if the client has a lot of negative reviews, even if the contract sounds great, I won't work with them."

For potential clients, adding as much background information about your business in your project listing is helpful for freelancers to evaluate whether they want to send a proposal. Adding your business’s website, especially if you are new to the platform and don’t have many reviews yet, lets talent do some background research to determine if the project is a good fit.

Before accepting an offer, Catherine always meets with her potential clients first. You may have to do a few interviews before receiving an offer from a client. The interview process is how you establish if the client and project are the right fit. This works both ways; you need to make sure you want to take on the project and work with the client.

"Another thing I also suggest to a newcomer is just as the client is interviewing you, you should be interviewing the client because there's not always a good client-freelancer fit. So don't take something and think you have to follow it through even if you're unhappy. Before accepting the offer, make sure this is what you want.”

Create a schedule that works for you

Many people are drawn to freelancing because it gives them more control over their schedule. As a freelancer, you choose the projects you work on and can create a schedule that fits your lifestyle. You can accept jobs and clients that align with your work hours, which is great for digital nomads, caretakers, and others who need more flexibility.

"It's not always about money. It's not always about title. It's about how you became a freelancer for a reason—having more freedom, enjoying what you do, and being your own boss. Make sure you take jobs that fit your lifestyle. If you're a night owl, maybe you want to work with someone on the other side of the world. If you have children, you may want to work a couple of hours at night while they're asleep. Compare the client's time needs with your desired schedule."

When starting out, it can be tempting to say yes to anything and everything that comes your way. Avoid taking on more than you can handle to maintain high work quality. Be mindful of time zones and how many hours you're setting yourself up to work each week. In the beginning, you'll also need to set aside time to submit proposals and interview with clients–-the unpaid administrative side of running your own business.

Stay on-platform

Freelancers on Upwork can feel confident knowing they'll always get paid for their work (as long as the Upwork Terms of Service are followed). Clients can securely pay freelancers and trust they’ll always get the work they paid for. When working on a fixed-price job, the client funds the project ahead of time, and the payment goes into escrow. Once the freelancer completes the project, funds are released. Hourly projects also have payment protection. Freelancers can log their time through the Desktop App or manually if the contract allows.

As a freelancer, you have more protection when you keep communications on Upwork. This is helpful to avoid scope creep–when clients try to add on tasks and deliverables that are outside of the original job description and offer. Some clients may do this as a way to get free work, but it can also be accidental, especially if the client is new to Upwork and to working with freelancers.

"Anything taken off of Upwork can be denied, but if you keep communications on the platform, you have that documentation and support from Upwork. You can be upfront with the clients and say, 'If you would like me to do additional xyz, we can renegotiate the contract, or we can open up a separate contract.' "

Newer freelancers may not have the confidence to push back against scope creep. Sometimes, clients don't realize they’re doing this, but if you let them know, they’ll be more than happy to adjust the contract. The longer you let scope creep go, the worse it can get until you feel like you're in too deep.

"Don't be scared to say ‘this is out of the scope of what we discussed.’ If you don't and let it keep building up, you may end up feeling scared to end the contract and risk negative feedback or let it go for so long that you can end up with a bad rating for all this work you did."

Stay competitive

As a freelancer, you have endless opportunities to learn new skills and expand the services you offer to your client. Stay up to date with your industry and be the first to adopt new technologies and trends. You can be highly specialized and become an expert at one skill or choose a few. Freelancers get to pave their own path.

"Whatever my skill set is, I can find it on Upwork. I'm not locked into a position that holds me. I like that freedom."

"The other thing about Upwork that I don't think a lot of people realize is it gives you an opportunity to learn. I've worked with clients all over the world, and I found that everybody does something differently. You learn how to build yourself and be well-rounded to accommodate those needs. Along the way, you pick up skills that you can take on to the next client. That's what I've been doing, and it just builds up my reputation."

Catherine has two specialized profiles, one for her research services and the other for virtual assistance. She doesn't have to choose just one role; it can vary from contract to contract. Each client can feel like an entirely new job, where you have to learn different workstyles and software, which you can use to your advantage as Catherine does.

"Upwork is just a world of wealth. It's a wealth of experience for a person if you grab hold of it."

Catherine isn't afraid to learn as she goes but emphasizes the importance of being honest about your experience. Take online courses or watch videos to learn an in-demand skill and start gaining experience by taking on smaller projects.

"You might not realize you have a skill set until you actually get with the client who asks you to do something that you've never done before. Then, you have the chance to say, 'No, but I can learn,' and look it up on YouTube or take a class and then add it to your skill set for the next client. When another client asks you, you can confidently say, 'Yes, I do know that.' "

Believe in yourself

Catherine was unhappy with where she was in her career and decided to dive right into freelancing. She believed in herself and went all in. Catherine had gone to school online in the past and knew she had the discipline and time management skills to work independently from home.

She realizes this isn't the right path for everyone and suggests slowly transitioning into freelancing full time if you're not 100% sure. As a freelancer, you can choose how many hours per week you work based on the projects you accept. Freelancing is something you can do outside of your full-time (or part-time) job and test it out before fully committing.

"I was so unhappy, I just dove right in. I let the chips fall where they may. But if I were to give advice to others, I would say gradually work at it. This kind of work requires discipline. There are no guarantees of success. I see many people on the community page asking, 'Why am I not getting more invites?' They jump right in, thinking this is the golden ticket. It can be the golden ticket, but you have to also treat it like a business."

Building confidence and learning to believe in yourself takes time. Remember to trust in your skills and be patient. You may have learning curves and face difficult clients and situations. Success as a freelancer doesn't happen overnight; you have to actively work at it. Catherine thinks back to one client who made a huge impact with just a few words. One day she plans on meeting up in person during her travels.

"My favorite client was the one who believed in me when I didn't believe it myself. I just thought, This contract, I can't do it. So many times, I told her, 'I can't do this, I can't finish this project.' She said,'I believe in you; you can do it. I wouldn't hire you if I didn't think you could do it.'

When she did that, I gave it my all for real. I ended up staying with her for almost two years, and it was all because she was the one who encouraged me. Whenever I question whether I can do something, what she said, ‘I believe in you,’ rings in my head."

See what's possible with freelancing

Whether you're ready to start freelancing full time or just want to try it out first, Upwork is a great first step. Getting started is easy. All you have to do is make a profile and submit proposals to jobs you think are interesting. Browse the Talent Marketplace or list your services on Project Catalog. Rethink your workweek and explore the possibilities. Start meeting clients from all over the world and doing exactly the type of work that you enjoy. It all happens right here.

If you need a virtual assistant with experience helping C-level executives or a researcher and data analyst, you can hire Catherine. She has a graduate degree in public administration and experience in project management and human resources.