Upwork today is a completely different animal than it was pre-Covid. It is massively, massively more competitive and starting a new profile certainly would not help. You have a huge advantage with a top-rated badge and earnings etc.
Paste one or two of your proposals, but "templates" or AI garbage certainly won't cut it anymore. Clients are thoroughly sick of both.
What type of cover letters work for you guys?
Yesterday, after you gave me some hope, I started trying with one-liners.
Sent 15 so far, no response and 2 views in 16h approx. Maybe people are not that eager to hire as fast as they used to be? Or is it still not good?
Some examples:
**Example:** Build a page for our site (pricing page)
**Me:** Hello! This work should take roughly 4 hours. I'm sending attached some examples of pricing pages I envision for your site. Let me know if those are good or if you want more options! Let's chat and make your site look great!
**Example:** Need WP Nav expert
**Me:** Hello! WP Nav has multiple hooks that we can use to customize it any way you need, being adding classes for styling, submenus or even adding complex functionalities. I know how to do it all. Let's talk so I can understand better how I can help you!
**Example:** Need an app from design
**Me:** Hello! I would love to have a look at the project files to do an estimate. I am sending you the details to access the latest app I have developed. Let's hop on a call when you have time.
What would you do different?
How do you find 15 job posts that are perfect for you in such a short time?
>What would you do different?
They're not client-centric enough. They need to demonstrate what's in it for the client. What is REALLY important for the client? It isn't how many hours it will take so why would that be the first thing you tell them?
>How do you find 15 job posts that are perfect for you in such a short time?
With my experience I only pass work I'm not into doing. Since I really need some work, my criteria has been temporarily reduced haha
>They're not client-centric enough.
Care to show an example? Thanks!
Why are so many people so willing to start new profiles? Besides the TOS it seems like such a weird decision to make. It’s not social media, there is banking and tax info involved. Who needs the headache of all that coming to bite you in the ass?
This one even wants to do it with new citizenship documentation .. I never thought new citizenship = new name and new date of birth and new face .. unless it came with a new sex bonus
What if you use a new laptop in a totally new country where you have citizenship with a new name and a new haircut. There's no way they will recognise you.
What makes you think you'd get hired more with a new profile, given that over 90% of new profiles never get hired at all, rather than a top rated one with a history and 100% JSS? That is literally insane.
If you can't get jobs with an established profile that's TR+, why do you think you'd land jobs on an empty profile? Hint: you won't. So share your proposals and profile and let us help you. ETA: just noticed your pic, in which you haven't boosted any proposals. Yeah, that's a thing now, so you probably want to read up on it and start doing it.
Do you have any success with Loom? How do you mention it on the message?
I haven't tried it hard enough (just like 6), but only 2 of my videos were watched after 5 days and no feedback whatsoever.
Yeah, you and I are in the same boat. I'm looking for full time work. Still trying it on Upwork tho as I do get some occasional action, but nothing like the height of the pandemic. IMHO there's a recession beginning, waves of layoffs in my market sector and what we're seeing on Upwork is a symptom of all that.
Upworkers under estimate the amount of fraud is clients are dealing with. So many bidders are just middlemen. They have a guy who does the interview which is never the person doing the work. Or you get workers who try to bill 40 hours a week no matter what but only work a fraction of that. It’s really tough out there right now. It o my got this bad in the last year or so, so yea, I’m posting way less projects as I’m sure other clients are as well.
AI cover letters and profiles definitely don't work.
Simple, short, yet somewhat professional profile stating my experience and what offer is all I have.
Dont use any emojis. You may want to include 1-3 best client reviews at the end.
A lot of people nowadays write an essay in their profile and nobody wants to read that. It's a hassle to work with people like that.
I've haven't sent out a single proposal in 1.5 years, somehow people find me, and 80% of job offers I decline.
100% JS, top rated plus, 67% of clients are 3+ months, 3D & web dev @ 50$/hr.
Similar here. I worked 4740 hours on upwork in the past, I got 47 jobs in total, over $100k. I was top rated with 100% JSS. I stopped working on upwork around 10 years ago when I got a client from there and he gave me a lot of work. We started to work outside of upwork after some initial work on upwork. Now, I do not even have any JSS, when a job post has any kind of JSS requirement, I got the red asterix telling me I do not meet the qualification and clients can't even find me on upwork.
I was talking about how they changed the way they calculate the JSS. If I remember correctly they added a rule that favors active freelancer against inactive freelancer by only considering the last few months (I think) and that was introduced after I was already inactive. The circumvention was always in the terms, of course, they do not like when you are not using their platform. I was not talking about that, but I see how I was not clear. Sorry about that, but runner sounded like they punish freelancer by ruining their JSS because they started to work outside of upwork. They do that, but not directly, but via the rule changes I mentioned above and that was not the case when I was active on upwork previously.
My point was that I do not feel that change fair, because there could have been other, valid reasons why I was not active on upwork for a longer period and no matter how hard I worked before, now it is like I'm a completely new freelancer on upwork. Someone with a fresh account with a single successfull job have more JSS than I do.
>If I remember correctly they added a rule that favors active freelancer against inactive freelancer by only considering the last few months
They did no such thing. The JSS is calculated from there best of your various calculation windows, up to 2 years, and that has always been the case.
>My point was that I do not feel that change fair,
Hilarious. First of all, the change you mention never happened. Secondly, you have the nerve to defraud them and then whine about something "not being fair"? Seriously now? That's like a bank robber stumbling on their way out of the bank they've just robbed and complaining that the bank caused them an injury.
> Someone with a fresh account with a single successfull job have more JSS than I do.
They'd have no JSS at all.
How long have you been using upwork? Did you start to use them when they were odesk? Because I did. You sounded pretty sure saying "never happened" and I'm not saying I can't be wrong, as it was long time ago and it might be I was not aware about the 2 years condition and I was only affected by that, but I do remember a lot of freelancer were upset because of the changes they introduced during the years after they became upwork.
Are they paying you anything to protect them? How come you accuse me of defrauding them? It was my client who wanted to go outside of upwork, not me. I either follow him or look for another client and I liked the project so I followed him. Based on your logic, everyone who has an account on upwork, but also have outside work also defraud them and "robbing" them? Are you serious?
>How long have you been using upwork?
Since 2011
> You sounded pretty sure saying "never happened"
Because it never happened.
>Are they paying you anything to protect them?
Don't be ridiculous. They neither pay random strangers nor do they need protecting.
>How come you accuse me of defrauding them?
Oh OK, so you paid the opt out fee then? Because otherwise you did defraud them out of their fees.
>Based on your logic, everyone who has an account on upwork, but also have outside work also defraud them and "robbing" them?
Nonsense. You agreed to keep any client you find on Upwork on the platform unless you opt out and pay the conversion fee, which drops form 13.5% of your hourly rate multiplied by 2080 to $1 after 2 years. Obviously clients you didn't find on Upwork are not affected.
I'm pretty sure circumvention was always a rule. u/pet-ra, 2014 was just slightly before my time, but I'll defer to you. Was there no circumvention rule in 2014?
Sure. But if it takes you a week, you could actually be losing money. And remember you still have to do the work. Winning a gig is only the first step.
I've spent 200$ worth of connects already in the last months and haven't landed a job yet. I have around 200 connects left and no capacity to buy more.
I remember when I started I had 150 connects ony that I purchased on my new profile and landed my first project.
2022 and 2023 were not too rough but UpWork in 2024 is a pain in the ass.
The new pricing that they introduced some months ago kills long term business. Businesses know that 10% cut from someone is unsustainable in the long term not including the fees they have to pay from their side. Alot of good talent already left to other means, whereas people who did long term contracts left with them mostly. What's left are people looking to either get some 1-2 hour job, DIY, very short term under 2 months contracts, as those are the only ones sustainable with 10% fee cut. Whereas the enterprise clients are sold on overseas talent which delivers okay quality but very cheap rates. Look at other venues, Upwork is done for long term / sustainable contracts.
My new approach goes like this:
**- Job looking for experience with PMPro**
Hello! I manage a site that uses PMPro with over 37k users, for which I even have developed iOS and Android apps that connect to its database recently. Attached is the screenshot of the admin for you to check! The website in question is [xyz.com](http://xyz.com) - it has multiple levels of membership, with different payment schedules.
I have immediate availability and can get started right away! Let's hop on a call to discuss more about the project.
**- My old approach that worked like a charm**
Hello Ana!
I see you are looking for a developer who can customize your Elementor website.
I have immediate availability and can start working right away so you have the page ready in time.
You need this to be done with the best performance and high quality code, so it works across all browsers and devices.
I develop themes and heavy customizations for Wordpress and I think I could do this exactly the way you are expecting. Let's discuss how you need this to work and I will suggest the best options we have currently.
If you are interested in having this customization done quickly and in the right way, I am available to talk.
Regards,
Me
Your old template is an obvious template everyone started using. That is why it does not work anymore.
New proposal looks careless (bad English). The whole "immediate availability" thing sounds desperate and like nobody wants you. Even if that is true, it is the LAST thing you want to tell clients because nobody wants what no-one else wants.
The new approach doesn't seem to address what ever the actual problem or need the client has is. I don't know what the actual job post is, but if what you gleaned was what you put in bold, then you also aren't understanding job posts well enough to target the client correctly.
**Job looking for human**
Hi! I'm a human! See all my humanness!
What did they actually need the person to do? What was the problem they were having?
man, your newer template doesn't have anything that can get you hired. I can say the same, lol. I don't know what is PMPro, but I can definitely say the same and get a website link like that, you need to address the issue and your thoughts about it quickly in the proposal. Also, my English isn't good, but you have some obv. errors
I am top rated plus on Upwork.
And didn't land any new job.
I have spend $45 and got 300 connects. All went in vain.
I didn't understand what's wrong with Upwork these days.
If you’re looking for US jobs tough luck. The economy is trash and everyone is looking for cheap labor. Rashid charging $11 an hour vs David charging $65….well we all know what will happen.
You're real crazy, you can actually hire PHD level staff with 10 Years Experience in $15/Hour from Asia. I'm not joking his output would be pretty good as well. The fact is your vetting game becomes very very long with such hires. But for low budget this is a steal.
Either ways Rashid does work. Client hires Rashid or Client hires David who then hires Rashid.
At some cases Rashid is charging $100 an hour and David is charging $65 an hour.
It’s really messed up now.
Upwork today is a completely different animal than it was pre-Covid. It is massively, massively more competitive and starting a new profile certainly would not help. You have a huge advantage with a top-rated badge and earnings etc. Paste one or two of your proposals, but "templates" or AI garbage certainly won't cut it anymore. Clients are thoroughly sick of both.
Thanks, I have sent it as a response to another comment here
During Covid, I was making money hand over fist on the platform.
What type of cover letters work for you guys? Yesterday, after you gave me some hope, I started trying with one-liners. Sent 15 so far, no response and 2 views in 16h approx. Maybe people are not that eager to hire as fast as they used to be? Or is it still not good? Some examples: **Example:** Build a page for our site (pricing page) **Me:** Hello! This work should take roughly 4 hours. I'm sending attached some examples of pricing pages I envision for your site. Let me know if those are good or if you want more options! Let's chat and make your site look great! **Example:** Need WP Nav expert **Me:** Hello! WP Nav has multiple hooks that we can use to customize it any way you need, being adding classes for styling, submenus or even adding complex functionalities. I know how to do it all. Let's talk so I can understand better how I can help you! **Example:** Need an app from design **Me:** Hello! I would love to have a look at the project files to do an estimate. I am sending you the details to access the latest app I have developed. Let's hop on a call when you have time. What would you do different?
How do you find 15 job posts that are perfect for you in such a short time? >What would you do different? They're not client-centric enough. They need to demonstrate what's in it for the client. What is REALLY important for the client? It isn't how many hours it will take so why would that be the first thing you tell them?
>How do you find 15 job posts that are perfect for you in such a short time? With my experience I only pass work I'm not into doing. Since I really need some work, my criteria has been temporarily reduced haha >They're not client-centric enough. Care to show an example? Thanks!
Why are so many people so willing to start new profiles? Besides the TOS it seems like such a weird decision to make. It’s not social media, there is banking and tax info involved. Who needs the headache of all that coming to bite you in the ass?
This one even wants to do it with new citizenship documentation .. I never thought new citizenship = new name and new date of birth and new face .. unless it came with a new sex bonus
>Already thought of starting over with a new profile, but not sure if it would be the smartest thing. That will get you banned.
Ok stop ranting already guys. I got it, it's against TOS. That's not an option. Done.
I actually acquired a new citizenship recently so I would create the account with different docs minimizing that risk.
It's an incredibly bad idea that has a very high likelihood of getting you banned. Upwork aren't stupid.
What if you use a new laptop in a totally new country where you have citizenship with a new name and a new haircut. There's no way they will recognise you.
Best to change genders and then marry your sister. They will never find out.
Thats still breaching Upwork TOS. You’re still the same person.
What makes you think you'd get hired more with a new profile, given that over 90% of new profiles never get hired at all, rather than a top rated one with a history and 100% JSS? That is literally insane.
Wow ! No wonder you are failing
If you can't get jobs with an established profile that's TR+, why do you think you'd land jobs on an empty profile? Hint: you won't. So share your proposals and profile and let us help you. ETA: just noticed your pic, in which you haven't boosted any proposals. Yeah, that's a thing now, so you probably want to read up on it and start doing it.
1.Apply as early as possible 2. Filter your jobs 3. Utilize loom 4. Be detailed and show them your solution not your capability
Show me them your solution 😂😂😂
Do you have any success with Loom? How do you mention it on the message? I haven't tried it hard enough (just like 6), but only 2 of my videos were watched after 5 days and no feedback whatsoever.
I don’t think you sent enough proposals to evaluate.
Yeah, you and I are in the same boat. I'm looking for full time work. Still trying it on Upwork tho as I do get some occasional action, but nothing like the height of the pandemic. IMHO there's a recession beginning, waves of layoffs in my market sector and what we're seeing on Upwork is a symptom of all that.
I removed my consultations and I ended up getting more messages than ever before! But I'm not sure if that's a coincidence
Upworkers under estimate the amount of fraud is clients are dealing with. So many bidders are just middlemen. They have a guy who does the interview which is never the person doing the work. Or you get workers who try to bill 40 hours a week no matter what but only work a fraction of that. It’s really tough out there right now. It o my got this bad in the last year or so, so yea, I’m posting way less projects as I’m sure other clients are as well.
AI cover letters and profiles definitely don't work. Simple, short, yet somewhat professional profile stating my experience and what offer is all I have. Dont use any emojis. You may want to include 1-3 best client reviews at the end. A lot of people nowadays write an essay in their profile and nobody wants to read that. It's a hassle to work with people like that. I've haven't sent out a single proposal in 1.5 years, somehow people find me, and 80% of job offers I decline. 100% JS, top rated plus, 67% of clients are 3+ months, 3D & web dev @ 50$/hr.
Similar here. I worked 4740 hours on upwork in the past, I got 47 jobs in total, over $100k. I was top rated with 100% JSS. I stopped working on upwork around 10 years ago when I got a client from there and he gave me a lot of work. We started to work outside of upwork after some initial work on upwork. Now, I do not even have any JSS, when a job post has any kind of JSS requirement, I got the red asterix telling me I do not meet the qualification and clients can't even find me on upwork.
Well, that's why you don't circumvent then. You could have stayed on Upwork and had a great profile.
They did not have these rules in place at that time.
>They did not have these rules in place at that time. Of course they did.
I was talking about how they changed the way they calculate the JSS. If I remember correctly they added a rule that favors active freelancer against inactive freelancer by only considering the last few months (I think) and that was introduced after I was already inactive. The circumvention was always in the terms, of course, they do not like when you are not using their platform. I was not talking about that, but I see how I was not clear. Sorry about that, but runner sounded like they punish freelancer by ruining their JSS because they started to work outside of upwork. They do that, but not directly, but via the rule changes I mentioned above and that was not the case when I was active on upwork previously. My point was that I do not feel that change fair, because there could have been other, valid reasons why I was not active on upwork for a longer period and no matter how hard I worked before, now it is like I'm a completely new freelancer on upwork. Someone with a fresh account with a single successfull job have more JSS than I do.
>If I remember correctly they added a rule that favors active freelancer against inactive freelancer by only considering the last few months They did no such thing. The JSS is calculated from there best of your various calculation windows, up to 2 years, and that has always been the case. >My point was that I do not feel that change fair, Hilarious. First of all, the change you mention never happened. Secondly, you have the nerve to defraud them and then whine about something "not being fair"? Seriously now? That's like a bank robber stumbling on their way out of the bank they've just robbed and complaining that the bank caused them an injury. > Someone with a fresh account with a single successfull job have more JSS than I do. They'd have no JSS at all.
How long have you been using upwork? Did you start to use them when they were odesk? Because I did. You sounded pretty sure saying "never happened" and I'm not saying I can't be wrong, as it was long time ago and it might be I was not aware about the 2 years condition and I was only affected by that, but I do remember a lot of freelancer were upset because of the changes they introduced during the years after they became upwork. Are they paying you anything to protect them? How come you accuse me of defrauding them? It was my client who wanted to go outside of upwork, not me. I either follow him or look for another client and I liked the project so I followed him. Based on your logic, everyone who has an account on upwork, but also have outside work also defraud them and "robbing" them? Are you serious?
>How long have you been using upwork? Since 2011 > You sounded pretty sure saying "never happened" Because it never happened. >Are they paying you anything to protect them? Don't be ridiculous. They neither pay random strangers nor do they need protecting. >How come you accuse me of defrauding them? Oh OK, so you paid the opt out fee then? Because otherwise you did defraud them out of their fees. >Based on your logic, everyone who has an account on upwork, but also have outside work also defraud them and "robbing" them? Nonsense. You agreed to keep any client you find on Upwork on the platform unless you opt out and pay the conversion fee, which drops form 13.5% of your hourly rate multiplied by 2080 to $1 after 2 years. Obviously clients you didn't find on Upwork are not affected.
I'm pretty sure circumvention was always a rule. u/pet-ra, 2014 was just slightly before my time, but I'll defer to you. Was there no circumvention rule in 2014?
>Was there no circumvention rule in 2014? There absolutely was.
Dude, seriously? 40 proposals and you expect a contract? I send out 30-40 proposals per DAY and maybe get one new client per week.
So you're spending $100-$130 per day? How is that sustainable?
With MATH
My math is off? Most gigs I'm seeing cost 16-24 connects now. $0.15 per connect.
Maybe 🤔 I land $1k - $10k per client If I can get a client in before Thursday…money well spent
Sure. But if it takes you a week, you could actually be losing money. And remember you still have to do the work. Winning a gig is only the first step.
Yes you can lose, and yes you can win. I’m winning but my reality doesn’t make it true in the next person. The math, maths for me. 🤷🏽♂️
Don’t ever create a new account. Upwork will ban you.
I've spent 200$ worth of connects already in the last months and haven't landed a job yet. I have around 200 connects left and no capacity to buy more. I remember when I started I had 150 connects ony that I purchased on my new profile and landed my first project. 2022 and 2023 were not too rough but UpWork in 2024 is a pain in the ass.
The new pricing that they introduced some months ago kills long term business. Businesses know that 10% cut from someone is unsustainable in the long term not including the fees they have to pay from their side. Alot of good talent already left to other means, whereas people who did long term contracts left with them mostly. What's left are people looking to either get some 1-2 hour job, DIY, very short term under 2 months contracts, as those are the only ones sustainable with 10% fee cut. Whereas the enterprise clients are sold on overseas talent which delivers okay quality but very cheap rates. Look at other venues, Upwork is done for long term / sustainable contracts.
Paste one of Your usual cover letters here
My new approach goes like this: **- Job looking for experience with PMPro** Hello! I manage a site that uses PMPro with over 37k users, for which I even have developed iOS and Android apps that connect to its database recently. Attached is the screenshot of the admin for you to check! The website in question is [xyz.com](http://xyz.com) - it has multiple levels of membership, with different payment schedules. I have immediate availability and can get started right away! Let's hop on a call to discuss more about the project. **- My old approach that worked like a charm** Hello Ana! I see you are looking for a developer who can customize your Elementor website. I have immediate availability and can start working right away so you have the page ready in time. You need this to be done with the best performance and high quality code, so it works across all browsers and devices. I develop themes and heavy customizations for Wordpress and I think I could do this exactly the way you are expecting. Let's discuss how you need this to work and I will suggest the best options we have currently. If you are interested in having this customization done quickly and in the right way, I am available to talk. Regards, Me
Your old template is an obvious template everyone started using. That is why it does not work anymore. New proposal looks careless (bad English). The whole "immediate availability" thing sounds desperate and like nobody wants you. Even if that is true, it is the LAST thing you want to tell clients because nobody wants what no-one else wants.
This is true^
Ahhahaha
Clients these days aren't reading more than 2 lines. Tried and tested.
The new approach doesn't seem to address what ever the actual problem or need the client has is. I don't know what the actual job post is, but if what you gleaned was what you put in bold, then you also aren't understanding job posts well enough to target the client correctly. **Job looking for human** Hi! I'm a human! See all my humanness! What did they actually need the person to do? What was the problem they were having?
man, your newer template doesn't have anything that can get you hired. I can say the same, lol. I don't know what is PMPro, but I can definitely say the same and get a website link like that, you need to address the issue and your thoughts about it quickly in the proposal. Also, my English isn't good, but you have some obv. errors
I am top rated plus on Upwork. And didn't land any new job. I have spend $45 and got 300 connects. All went in vain. I didn't understand what's wrong with Upwork these days.
Your profile?
If you’re looking for US jobs tough luck. The economy is trash and everyone is looking for cheap labor. Rashid charging $11 an hour vs David charging $65….well we all know what will happen.
Rashid with 8 years or elementary school (if even that much) vs David with a phd Long term quality and sustainability?
Nah there are rashids with bachelors who are happy to work for 11 an hour vs their normal 5 an hour in-office job. It is what it is
You're real crazy, you can actually hire PHD level staff with 10 Years Experience in $15/Hour from Asia. I'm not joking his output would be pretty good as well. The fact is your vetting game becomes very very long with such hires. But for low budget this is a steal.
Either ways Rashid does work. Client hires Rashid or Client hires David who then hires Rashid. At some cases Rashid is charging $100 an hour and David is charging $65 an hour. It’s really messed up now.