Upwork Review: Lessons and Tips from a Year of Freelancing

It has been over a year since launching Atadiat’s consultation and freelancing service, and it’s time for an Upwork review.

Last year, in parallel with launching the service website, I also started building a profile on the freelancing platform Upwork. After more than a year of being active on the platform, I can share some practical experiences, from the perspective of an electronics and embedded systems developer..

On Upwork, clients post detailed descriptions of their project requirements, proposed budgets (either hourly or fixed), and any specific conditions, such as geographic location. In response, freelancers submit proposals to express their initial interest in completing the requested work.

The platform uses a credit system called “Connects” for applying to jobs. Each proposal costs a certain number of credits, which can be replenished when they run out. Upwork generates revenue from the sale of these credits in addition to the commission it takes from earnings on the platform. The credit system is designed to discourage indiscriminate proposal submissions. The platform also provides freelancers with a limited number of free credits each month, barely enough for a single job application, and sometimes insufficient.

After completing a job, clients provide ratings for freelancers, which play a critical role in determining their success or failure on the platform. The platform awards badges based on ratings, increasing the freelancer’s credibility with potential clients. Freelancers also rate clients, which affects the client’s reputation among service providers.

Achievements after almost one year on Upwork

• 150 proposals submitted to various clients over more than a year.
• $2,000 in earnings.
• 9 completed projects.
• 75 hours of work through the platform.
• In August 2024, I received the Top Rated badge, which signifies maintaining a 100% job success rate over a specific period.

All these figures are modest compared to the number of proposals I submitted. Mathematically, based on my experience, this translates to a less than 5% success rate in securing jobs.

I’d like to share some important insights on the platform’s advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

• It allows developers to understand the most in-demand technologies in their field in the freelancing market. For example, microcontrollers like STM32 and ESP32 dominate most projects.
• It enables direct communication with clients without the HR process of 
• companies, which can sometimes be an obstacle to getting work.
• Submitting proposals carefully hones the skill needed to convince clients and is also a way to promote your services, even if you don’t get the job.

Negatives

• Most clients on the platform look for quick, low-cost execution, so the work differs from that of companies, where there are usually efforts and requirements for quality.
• Some clients exploit the presence of developers from countries with low income and living costs and set very low budgets.
• There is always a gamble in the beginning of your journey on the platform that can lead to failure from the start. Any service provider starts without any reviews, which makes reliance on them by clients risky and increases the difficulty of landing the first job. To get the first job, you either need to attract a client directly from outside the platform or be willing to work with a client without reviews as a mutually beneficial arrangement, or accept a low fee to get a high rating, even if just once, which encourages future clients to work with the service provider.
• Despite all the methods the platform has put in place to ensure the rights of both parties, either party can withdraw at any time without fulfilling the payment. For example, the platform deducts an amount and holds it, releasing it to the developer at the end of the work. However, the client still has many ways to exploit the service provider before confirming that the work has been completed.

Challenges

• Reviewing the work requirements and evaluating the client’s history and reviews makes submitting a proposal time-consuming. It may take between 30-60 minutes to present an appealing proposal to the client.
• You may deal with non-technical clients who have technical projects, or clients who don’t fully understand the requirements, making the project seem simple. However, as the client identifies gaps in the requirements, the scope begins to evolve.
• Since the “Connects” needed to apply for projects are not free, applying frequently can be costly, and the cost may not be accurate. If you don’t subscribe to a paid membership on the platform, applying for a project will cost 1-2 dollars. Therefore, it’s better to apply for projects where you have good competition.

Tips

• Due to the risks mentioned earlier, checking the client’s history and the reviews they have received is crucial. There is a skill in investigating reviews and conducting an initial analysis of the client based on their past interactions on the platform, which is a skill acquired over time.
• In fields requiring general programming or electronics skills, competition is high, with projects attracting over 50 proposals. It’s better to specialize in specific areas, such as complex PCB design or embedded systems in specific applications like BLE or Automotive, making you more appealing than a generalist developer.
• Don’t rely on freelancing as a primary income before building a portfolio of projects that can convince clients of your skills. Freelancing is not recommended until you’ve learned the fundamentals of professional work in companies. In my personal assessment, it takes at least five years to be able to transition to freelancing.
• Freelancing comes with significant stress due to the of irregular income and the absence of clients for certain periods, unlike salaried work where your income remains stable. Both paths have their pros and cons.

Some of the skills in evaluating a client

• You may find a project with a budget of $1000, but upon checking the client’s history, you find that most of their projects have not paid more than $50 in total. Therefore, it’s likely that they won’t pay this amount this time.
• Go back to the client’s history and ensure that they don’t have outstanding payments from previous projects. For example, some clients may leave a project open or close the project and release the payment after a long time. The contract’s start and end dates are available on the platform.

• Check the type of previous projects the client has worked on, as some clients seem to lack expertise in what they’re asking for. For example, you might find a client requesting the design of an electronic circuit, but in all their previous projects, they specialize in designing posters. This indicates that they may not be serious or could be suspicious.

• Check the countries from which the client hires, as some may prefer hiring from Europe, making your location a disadvantage.
• Carefully read reviews to uncover any subtle negative feedback.
• Ensure the client’s projects don’t have either extremely short or long deadlines, as both are red flags.
• If you can find the client’s name or company, search for them on LinkedIn to verify their seriousness.