How Upwork Opened Doors for (New) Freelancer Vera Cus

Before joining Upwork four years ago, Vera Cus didn't think the life she has now was even a possibility. Remote work was seen as a scam where she lived in Belize. She knew people who took on jobs for clients but never actually got paid. Working from home seemed like an unachievable dream until Vera's friend introduced her to Upwork.

Flash forward to now, Vera is a full-time Top Rated Plus Administrative and Executive Assistant on Upwork. She gets to work from home, which lets her spend more time with her husband and kids – the most important people in her life.

"Looking back five years, I thought this would have been impossible just because of the area where I'm from, the country where I'm from, and the limited opportunities that we have here. And this is what I love about Upwork."

Vera shares her experience on Upwork and her best tips for freelancers and clients to be successful on the platform.

Breaking barriers: Vera's journey to Upwork

Before joining Upwork, Vera worked as a record’s clerk at the only prison in Belize. She was in the office from nine to five until she got promoted to executive secretary to the CEO and had to start getting to the office even earlier. After getting ready and commuting, Vera didn't seem to have enough hours in the day.

"I started going to work from seven to five, and that's a bit early, especially since I have a family. Most of the time I was running out of the house with the kids, leaving them with the babysitter and all of that. I barely spent time with my kids."

On top of all of this, Vera was going to school as well. She realized that if she wanted to progress in her career and earn more, she'd need to further her education and get a degree. While Vera was balancing work, school, and spending time with her family, her friend discovered Upwork.

"A friend of mine told me she was working from home online. She told me, 'You know, it's a great experience working from home. You don't have to rush out in the morning; you could literally get out of your bed, brush your teeth, and write behind the computer screen.' And that sounded so interesting to me."

At first, Vera was skeptical. Remote working hadn't caught on where she lived. Vera didn't know anyone else who had been successful working remotely or even freelancing. These types of jobs came with negative stigmas – scams there were too good to be true.

"Upwork wasn't popular here in Belize back then. It's like you had to have heard about it from someone."

After her friend told her about Upwork, she started doing her own research. She found stories of people, just like her, who were currently making a living on the platform.

"I did some Google searches and saw all these wonderful positive reviews from previous freelancers or freelancers who are currently working on Upwork."

Vera decided to make a profile and submit it for verification. Before freelancers can start applying for jobs on the platform, their profiles need to be approved and verified. Vera was rejected three or four times, not realizing she needed to add more information to her profile. She decided to give it a break and focus on applying to in-office jobs.

Eventually, she got tired of submitting her resume, interviewing, and not hearing back from companies, so she decided to try Upwork again on Christmas Eve.

"I came to a point where I was like, you know what? There has to be something out there. Let me do more research on Upwork. Let me see; I know this is my calling, and if my friend could do it, who am I to not do it? I just need to sit down and do more research."

Vera researched and watched videos on YouTube on how to create an Upwork profile, and when she checked her email in the new year, Vera was approved and ready to start submitting proposals. Vera has a 100% Job Success Score and has earned her Top Rated Plus badge. Her clients love her, and many of them have been working with her since the very beginning.

Tips for getting started on Upwork

One of Vera's biggest strengths is her communication and consistency. She is able to quickly build trust with her clients by being responsive and giving every contract her all. Vera dedicates herself to her clients and is a quick learner. She can adapt to different communication styles, whether that's checking in frequently with updates or working independently while meeting her deadlines.

She remembers what it's like to be a new freelancer on the platform, looking to get that first client. Before you have reviews and a Job Success Score, winning those first few clients can take extra effort to prove yourself.

"There has to be that client who will respond, and once you have your first job, I mean, the sky’s the limit. Everything is out there. You just have to push and make this goal for yourself and your life will change 100%."

If you're looking to build a career on Upwork, these are Vera's best tips:

1. Do your research

Vera hadn't freelanced or worked remotely before. This was all a new experience for her. She decided to watch YouTube videos from Top Rated Upwork freelancers to get tips on creating a profile and writing proposals.

"When I joined, I was quite new. I didn't know how to submit proposals. Then I found a video from Josh Burns. I binge-watched his videos on YouTube."

The Upwork Resource Center has articles, guides, and other tools that can teach you more about how to be successful on the platform. Find tips and guidance for your specific skills and industry. You can read articles to dive deeper into topics that you want to learn more about. The Research Institute will help keep you up-to-date with the latest trends in freelancing—from in-demand skills on the platform to advances in AI.

2. Spend time on your profile

When Vera was just starting out on Upwork, her profile was very basic. Her overview was vague; she used the objective from her resume. After seeing that her profile wasn't getting much traffic, Vera decided to do more research again.

Creating a captivating profile and overview can be difficult if you don't know what it should look like. Your profile is how clients decide if you have the right skills and experience for their projects. Freelancers need to have 100% complete profiles to be eligible for talent badges.

"I decided to review Top Rated and Top Rated Plus freelancer's profiles. I looked at those who were in a similar field to the one I was in to see how they were pitching their overview. And I'm like, oh, they have such a catchy profile overview. What could I do on my profile to grab my client's attention?"

Vera's overview now speaks directly to her potential client's pain points. She helps them feel immediately understood and explains how she can help. Vera also makes sure to keep her profile and overview updated as she learns from each contract.

"I constantly update it. As I finish with a contract or I learn a new platform, I add it to my profile. I'm gaining more experience as I'm doing a contract so I add those to my profile overview as well."

3. Follow up

Cus knows that her clients value communication, and this starts with the proposal and following up after interviews. After sending a proposal for a job that she's interested in, Cus will send a follow-up just like she does after interviews. 

"You have to be responsive. You just can't think that once you submit a proposal, that's it." 

This is how Cus got her first client on Upwork, by following up and showing interest. 

"After the interview was completed, I didn't hear back. I waited two weeks, then I decided, You know what? Let me send a nudge to this client. Let me do a quick check-in to see if they’re considering me to join the team. So, I swallowed my pride and sent a message to the client. I asked, 'Do you think I'm a strong candidate for this position? I really loved this interview, and the job seems to be a perfect fit for my skills.' She responded right away, hired me, and onboarded me the following Monday."

Tips and advice for clients

Clients come to Upwork to find highly specialized independent professionals and fill the skills gaps on their team. On Upwork, you can hire a skilled freelancer for a short-term project or add a full-time or part-time member to your team. Clients are able to rethink their talent acquisition strategies and expand their search to anywhere in the world, getting the best of the best.

Vera knows what it takes to have a successful client-talent relationship and shares her advice:

1. Write a good job description

Finding the right talent for your project starts with an accurate and comprehensive job description. Independent professionals use these job descriptions to decide which projects to submit proposals to. The more information you can provide, the easier it is for talent to decide if they're the right fit.

"It's good to have your job description out there, even if it's not detailed, at least a snapshot of exactly what the job is about. Most importantly, the time commitment. How long will this contract be for? Will it be for more than 30 hours? Will it be more than six months? Is it a short-term contract? It's also important to include your actual budget. Is it hourly? Is it fixed price?"

Writing a good job description can save you time as a client in the interview process. Accurately outlining the project requirements and what you're looking for can help you get better proposals and qualified talent.

2. Be responsive

Remember that freelancers use their Connects and spend time writing personalized proposals for projects that clients post. When you post a project, you should have the intention of hiring someone. Check in on your job posting regularly to review proposals and set up interviews.

You may receive a large amount of proposals from qualified and interested talent the same day you post your project. If you hire someone or need to pause your search, make sure you close your job out so no other freelancers submit proposals.

"Sometimes when clients post a job, they just tend to forget about it. Freelancers are applying, and they're probably feeling hopeful about the job. Try to be responsive to the freelancers and close the job out on time."

3. Give talent everything they need to start

Vera reminds clients to onboard their Upwork talent. If you're not used to working with independent professionals or are balancing many projects at once, you may forget to give them access to the tools they need to complete their jobs. Make sure you're available to respond to any questions they may have, especially in the beginning.

Before the contract starts, make a list of every tool, document, and other resources they will need. Grant talent access and permissions so they can get started right away and meet their deadlines.

"Provide the necessary applications that you use on time to get started. We can't really get the job done if we don't have the necessary applications or information."

Freelancing is possible for anyone

Vera didn't live in a big city, and her previous jobs were all traditional in-office jobs. While she used computers sometimes, she still worked primarily with paper. She had a big learning curve to overcome but didn't get discouraged.

"It was my first time doing online work. I wasn't familiar with online platforms like Google Docs or Google Suite. All of those were new to me because we mainly used desktop applications, and all our filings are done manually. We didn't really use Google Meets or any video communication programs. It was mainly over the phone or in person."

Now, Vera loves working remotely and wouldn't have it any other way. Setting her own schedule and working from home lets her spend more time with her family.

"What I love most is the flexibility and how I’m able to be at home with my kids. I have my kids, I'm a mother, I'm a wife, so I get to be at home with my kids. I have a live-in babysitter. Most of all, financial stability is like a whole new experience. Like I didn't know that what I'm earning right now was even possible."

She embraces technology and uses tools like generative AI to be more productive at her job. When she has a question about a spreadsheet she's working on, instead of asking her client, she can pop it into ChatGPT to make sense of it.

"Sometimes, when I'm working, I have questions. What is this email trying to say? My template is giving me errors or I don't understand what this formula is saying. ChatGPT literally breaks it down for me. I quickly realized this is a really, really powerful tool. It makes me not have to reach out to ask questions like these. I use AI tools a lot, and ChatGPT is my number one helper."

The last bit of advice for anyone in a position like hers is to not give up. Whether you have a great idea that you want to bring to life or are interested in building a freelance career, you have to keep trying.

"Once you land your first client, I mean, the sky’s the limit. You have several opportunities out there, and it's just up to you to reach out, and it will change your life. I had never been in this position before, and Upwork has made it possible for me. I never ever thought in a million years what I earn in a week or less is what I used to make in a month. It's unbelievable. If I could do it, anyone out there can once they're determined and they're consistent."

Rethink what's possible with Upwork

Freelancing has allowed Vera to build a career that she never knew was even an option until her friend introduced her to Upwork. Now, Vera is able to work from home and spend more time with her family. She has a better work-life balance and can set her own schedule, cutting out the daily commute and time it took her to get ready in the morning.

Clients on Upwork are looking for talent across over 10,000 skills in nearly a dozen categories, including website and app development, creative and design, customer support, and finance and accounting. If you have experience in one of these skills or want to learn, you can create a profile on Upwork and see what projects match your skill set. Freelancing could be your side hustle outside of your 9 to 5 or become your full-time career.

If you need an administrative or executive assistant, you can hire Vera to help keep you organized and supported as you meet your business goals.