Earned $10 on Upwork without really completing project. See how.

Last year 2022 was the year I began my freelancing journey on Upwork after many of my failed attempts to do freelancing on some other freelancing platforms but I still kept the hope alive. It took a long time to get to know about freelancing because it isn’t usually a term that is so popular as it is now. I got to know about this noble platform that connects freelancers from all fields of work to responsible clients and after few days my profile was 100% complete because I believe it is the first impression for a prospective client. It really matters how your profile is built with keen consideration into the quality of profile picture, knowledge or expertise of field of work, past experiences and finally coming back to the content of your portfolio.

First of all, my initial profile was for freelance writing before subsequently adding other expertise as I grew in them like 2D illustration, designing among others. With the freelance writing profile, a job worth $8.00 was awarded to and after completion the payment was made and this was my first ever earning after quite a number of proposals. This was the beginning of the freelance journey. After this initial earning, the experience was very nice and many proposals were submitted afterwards and connects too were bought to supplement the freely awarded ones but still earnings hadn’t seen any
improvements yet. The truth is that competition on this site is high as it is one of the reputable and highest performing freelancing sites and the reason why to be successful, you have to be dynamic and very hardworking. There are freelancers with degrees and other higher degrees and maybe you an undergraduate you are competing with such people for a job but with determination luck might be on your side and success will be inevitable. In fact, it can take multiple trials as there is no guarantee for a job but your hardwork and manner of presenting your skills to a client persuasively can be key tools in making the way.

Methods devised for proposal submissions

After many unsuccessful attempts of proposal submission, I began to pay attention to client locations and particularly time zones with the assumption that maybe in the night competition over a job might not be too competitive but it still wasn’t paying off. So, my question was that ‘What at all has gone wrong?’

At times you might be the first to submit a job proposal and it might even be viewed but unresponsiveness also retards the efforts but hope still keeps the submissions in progress.

Now, how I made $10.00 without necessarily doing the job.

One night, I made up my mind not to sleep but stay awake to submit proposals to newly posted jobs that I believe my qualifications will meet. Finally, after searching and waiting for jobs to be posted, A job was posted about labeling a map in SVG and requires knowledge of HTML and since I was studying Front End Development, I submitted my proposal and the job was offered. Actually, fully completing the job would have earned me not less than $80.00. The client requested for a trial labeling of the first three locations in order to ascertain my ability to deliver the work rightly and timely. Immediately, I started the work and completed the first three labeling as I have understood it and submitted it for the client’s review. It was reviewed but what he wanted was not what I did as there was a bit of gap in understanding of the project but the client was very grateful about the responsiveness and positive attitude towards the project. He assured of compensation and within some few minutes he offered $10.0 as a token of thanks for a job attempted.

It was a surprise being offered such a token even though the actual work has not been done.

It was a moment that the realization that some clients can be so kind and ready to offer what a freelancer who values them and offers the best of service deserves.

Maximizing your chances of success in freelancing

There are some major fields that are highly competitive and requires exceptional conducts to making it in those fields. Per my experience in freelancing I could say that some of these fields include writing, illustration, design, image editing and others which are not listed. Successful is truly achieved over a period of time not always a one time encounter so try these moves

• Learn to improve yourself in your field of expertise.

Learn about free learning opportunities for self development.

• Research about simple things that maximizes your winning chances in a field.
• Present your skills in a convincing way for clients to be confident in your abilities even with first-hand meetings.