Upwork Review – A Freelancers Dream Or A Nightmare? [UPDATED]

Looking For Upwork Reviews?. 

Then I fully welcome you to my Upwork Review where I will discuss all you need to know about the worlds most popular freelancing platform.

Upwork is in the freelancing world is a little like marmite - some love it and some just have not acquired that taste for it.

And this is from both sides of the coin both employers and freelancers a like.

However, 

in this article I'll tell you all that you need to know to make the right decision if Upwork is something that you can make a living from or not. 

Before I get started I am congratulating you for being very smart and doing your research and being very internet savvy, this is how you avoid being scammed and find the very best way of making money online. 

Let's crack on with this article and find out if Upwork can be a way for you to start earning money from the comfort of your home or not. 

Upwork, founded in 2015 by Sanjay Noronha, Srinivas Anumolu & Beerud Sheth and is without a doubt the largest freelancing platform and market place worldwide!. 

The platform was was previously known as Elance-oDesk and is the result of the merger between Elance and oDesk, who were two giants in the freelancing world. 

Upwork make it very easy for businesses of all sizes and markets to find quality independent freelancers and vice versa with the traditional and usual barriers of time and location being removed. 

As an employer you can hire any individual you so wish from what ever town, city or country you need or want to hire from.

The same applies to the Freelancer who is free to perform the tasks required by any business of any size from any part of the world. 

A true global market place!.

This concept allows you, as a freelancer to live, work and travel in any given location - provided you can complete the task's required of your potential employer. 

As an employer - well, you can elect to save labour costs by employing freelancers from countries where the cost is much less. Also it allows you to ensure that work is going on 24/7 given the time zone differences.

Combined, the freelancers on Upwork are skilled in 3,500 areas and generate $1Bn+ annually. There are 15 million users (both employers and freelancers). 

Upwork has gone through 10 rounds of funding raising $168m USD. 

As a business Upwork generates $275M USD annually (besides the $1Bn+ paid to freelancers). And is now a public listed company on the NASDAQ Russel 2000 list of companies using the ticker symbol of UPWK 

Clearly, this is no small business!. 

Sites Similar to Upwork Include:

• Freelancer.com
• Guru.
• Hubstaff Talent
• Fiverr
• Outsourcely
• ServiceScape
• TaskRabbit
• Bidvine
• PeoplePerHour
• Workhoppers

You can get the Upwork App for Android Here And iPhone/iPad here. 

The functionality of Upwork is very easy to understand. Essentially they are a third party intermediary between those that are seeking employment (as a freelancer) and the employer. 

You can think of it as a massive global job agency for freelancers and an excellent place to find them (if you are an employer). 

There are two different types of jobs on the platform - fixed rate and hourly. 

Both have their pros and con's of which you will need to consider before deciding on which to chose. 

As a person that has both hired and been a freelancer on upwork I have a strong preference for fixed rate. 

As an employer I like fixed rate because I know my costs!. As A freelancer, I know exactly how much I will be paid for a given job. 

Your opinion may vary  and you may prefer hourly pay or to pay a freelancer on an hourly basis.

As a freelancer, I can be performing any number of tasks related to WordPress, Blogging and SEO, I am not at all comfortable logging in and having some software operating in the background monitoring what I am doing by screenshots at random moments and grabbing video. 

There are privacy concern there for both myself and clients. 

Anyone and everyone is free to join Upwork and create a profile as a freelancer or employer.

Sadly, currently to perform both tasks you need two accounts with two different email addresses. 

When ever an employer posts a job - you can apply to that job and create a cover letter detailing your skills and experience and respond to any questions asked as best as you can. 

At this point you will be able to see how much the job rate is either hourly or as a lump sum for the completed task. You can elect to bid over, under or on the proposed budget for the project (job). 

An employer can chose to short list applicants and interview them if needed. For most jobs this does n't happen. For bigger projects expect an interview. 

Payment is straight forwards on both ends an employer can pay from any number of options available and will be charged a processing fee. With Paypal an employer is charged around 2.5%-3%. 

As a freelancer on Upwork you also have the option of being paid in a number of ways, including Payoneer and Paypal. With Paypal your processing fees from Upwork are reduced to 1%. 

Do keep in mind the project cost -20% is what you will be paid. That is $100 project you will be paid $80.  

20% goes to upwork as an agents fee or finders fee if you wish. 

Optimising or priming your Upwork Profile will most certainly help you to get more work, win more contracts and earn more money as a freelancer. 

Definitely you want (and should) give careful and professional consideration to your Upwork Profile.

Creating Your Upwork Profile And Building A Reputation. 

Registering with Upwork is very easy. It is as simple as filling out the details required and asked for, including your payment information - so that you can get paid for your hard work. 

It is not any more difficult than joining any one of the number of social media accounts you may have already joined - just some more additional details are required such as your National ID number, address and your payment details. 

From the image above, where you see the Profile option this is your introduction area and your opportunity to put your best foot forward. 

Introduce yourself well, detail clearly your credentials, if possible upload images of qualifications that you hold and your experience. And upload a professional quality photo of yourself. Just you and a professional business like one. 

Show case your very best work here as an example of what you can do. Here you can also set your minimum hourly rate. 

I suggest here that you "undercut" what you would normally expect to be paid for your skills in order to build up your reputation and get a lot of high ratings.

As a word when you do get work, do it as best as your can always - this goes without saying!. And always request that your satisfied client gives you feedback. 

Do make sure that you profile is 100% complete and that you fill out all of the given sections that you can - it is quite extensive!.  

A profile that is 100 percent completed will rank higher in their internal search engine than one that is not. 

• Add a Professional profile pic of yourself with only you in it. No logos no other people and nothing else just you!. 
• Detail your Skills offered - be as detailed as you can 
• Add your work history and experience, particularly where relevant. 
• Add a work portfolio as best examples of your work. 
• Add your hourly rate (start low!)

Take The Most Relevant Upwork Tests

These test might be annoying and a pain in the backside but you are much better to take them than to skip them. When you do take them, be serious about it and no distractions. Employers will judge you on them.

I know! I do!. It actually helps me and other employers to judge an individuals capability to perform a given task. 

The most important test, you have no option on skipping this one. The Readiness test on Upwork. You don't pass this or get a good score you will find work hard to come by - no matter how fantastically talented your are.

And when you have completed that test the the ones that are relevant to your skill, of which you wish to freelance. 

You will find that there are anything from 2-4 and maybe more tests to take depending on your skill. Each one will last about 20 mins. 

Upon completion of your test check your profile to make sure they show up. It's eye candy for potential employers!.  

Doing well on the tests will increase your "findability factor" with their internal search engine as well as increase you potential of getting work on Upwork. 

Be Quick, Be Polite and Be Courteous

When freelancing On upwork your reputation is pretty much everything. The way in which you manage that is up to you! obviously you are seeking a great reputation in regards to all aspects. 

Here are a few idea for enhancing your reputation:

• Respond quickly to job offers
• Respond quickly and politely to any communication in relation to your job. 
• Complete the job over and beyond the expectation of your employer. Exceed expectations always!.

In short if your client is happy he/she/they will leave you with a high scoring when asked to (upon completion of your contract).  

The better your reputation the higher you will be in their search results. Hold an incredibly good reputation and you can end up with a Top Rated badge on your profile, which can help you win more contracts!. 

The Upwork App certainly will help you in some aspects here - replying quickly to certain messages and job offers for example. It is a "must get" app if you are freelancing or hiring freelancers. 

Getting your dues from Upwork is pretty easy and you don't need to worry at all about not getting paid for the work that you have done - as long as it is done to an acceptable standard. 

Employers/clients pay the whole amount into escrow with Upwork who hold the amount and do not release it until the client/employer permits it to be released. 

As a freelancer you have the option of not accepting jobs that are not funded. When I freelance on the platform I only accept fully funded contracts. 

Once you have submitted your work, and in the case of it being approved the client will release the funds right away and you will be paid. 

In the event of you submitting your work and the client does not respond, funds will be automatically released within 7 days.

If your work is not up to standard your client can request rework. You will have to do adjustments until your client is satisfied.

A client can cancel a contract, but only if you accept that. 

In short, it is quite difficult for a potential employer to cheat the system and get some work done for free!.

The the worse of cases, you can (and/or) the client can open a dispute and leave it down to customer support and their final decision. 

Getting Paid For Your Work

How you actually get paid and get your money depends on the type of job that you accepted to do - Hourly billing, Fixed Price or Milestone payments. 

Hourly Billing

As simple as it sounds you are paid on an hourly basis. Each hour you are logged in you will be paid for. Once your task is complete - billing stops. 

Fixed Price

You will be paid once you complete the project and your work is approved. 

Milestone Payments

Milestone payments are prefunded and once you hit an agreed milestone and your work is accepted the funds will be released to you and you can continue with and on to the next milestone in the project. 

Or you can be paid once the whole project is complete. Those terms you have to agree to before you start the job. 

Upwork works with a number of payment processors making both paying and getting paid easy They currently use the following methods:

1. Payoneer
2. Wire Transfer
3. Direct Deposit
4. Paypal 
5. Local Funds Transfer

Upwork is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau. However, in their favour they do have a perfect A+Rating with the organisation. 

You can't keep all of the people happy all of the time. There does seem to be a pattern of complaints regarding the sudden closure of freelancer accounts with no to little explanation given. 

Accounts seem to be closed at will and no chance of ever knowing why or getting reinstated.

Getting an account banned is one thing, getting it banned and your money being withheld is disgusting - regardless of the amount. 

There also seems to be a problem with users misrepresenting their skills and untold damage being done to say a website for example, of which reminds me something a great piece of advice given to me when I was starting out online. 

- Don't outsource what you can't do yourself!. 

In other words only outsource stuff you do yourself and improve your skill level in other areas. If something goes wrong...you can straight away jump in and fix it.

You should outsource out of convenience and easing your own workload and don't become dependent on another's skill set!.

This actually quite a difficult question to answer as it is a double edged sword. The answer is both yes and no. 

How good Upwork is really depends on your skill set, your reputation and your ability hustle and get out there and win contracts. 

Part of the problem is in certain areas Upwork is just saturated, and saturated way beyond bursting point.

Meaning there is a lot of talent on the platform. Being a global organisation you can easily find yourself undercut, under bid on many projects that you are trying to win by those who don't quite have the same living costs as you do - like those form developing nations. 

This is the hard fact of the matter. 

It is good, in my opinion if you are just starting and want to try out freelancing and see if it is for you - or not and of course if you possess a specialist skill that is hard to come by and hard to find or in a specialist area then sure you can do very well on Upwork and thus is good for freelancers. 

Before you decide if upwork is good for you or not consider their fees - 20% giving you $80 for every $100 project, and from that $80 you will have income tax to pay, which might be around 25% (depends on a number of factors, lets assume 25%. 

Meaning, for every $100 project completed on Upwork you will effectively see $60 of it.  

There are a number of jobs available as a freelancer. Below is a list of some of the better paying freelancing jobs in no given order: 

• Computer Programming
• Graphic Designer.
• Search Engine Optimisation 
• Transcriber.
• 3D Modeller
• Video Editing
• Illustrator.
• Social Media Manager/strategist
• PR Consultant
• Language Translator
• Administration Support
• Podcast editing, sound engineer
• Marketing Consultant
• Teaching
• Administration Support
• Customer Service Support Officer.
• Virtual Assistant (Multi skilled)

This is just a short list of what you can do as freelancer online and is by no means a fully comprehensive list.

There is a lot of plus points to Upwork, naturally speaking which are as follows. 

• You Can Work From Home!: This is always a good point, in fact a great point. If you have to work it is far better to work for yourself than someone else. 

• No Worries About Getting Paid By Clients: Upwork is a solid and secure site with escrow payment protection ensuring your client won't and can't do a runner and not pay you. 

• Many Ways To Get Pay: From Payoneer To Paypal, and your bank account too and a few other options in between you are not short of options.

• Very Fast, Very Responsive Support: I have used their customer support a few times from the client side to fix out some tech issues. First class I must say. 

• Perfectly Rated with the BBB. Always a great thing. 

• Abundance Of Jobs Available for most skilled folks. If you decide to turn your hand to freelancing there are plenty of jobs 

Nothing is perfect, nor ever will be. There were somethings that I did not like about Upwork: 

• Can Be Saturated! Common skills mean a lot of competition for jobs
• The Fees In My Opinion Are Too High!. 20% is a huge kick in the profit margin!. 
• Under bidding!: Give that there are now a lot of agency for all sectors and an over population of the Upwork Eco system a lot of under bidding goes on by agency's and freelancers from developing nations where the cost of living is greatly reduced. 
  

Yes, you can make money with Upwork and on a regular and ongoing basis too. I have little doubts that you can, if you have the skills earn a full time income on the freelancing platform. 

It is all up to you to hustle and build up your reputation. In fact there is no obligation for you to work with just the one platform - you can use many to pull in more work from home for you. 

In my opinion, and experience on both sides of the platform I can absolutely tell you that Upwork is legitimate. 

The company is legitimate in every way that you can think of. First and foremost it is a place where you can sell you skills and your time and get paid form them. 

Be prepared to work hard, and work well from home to get those freelancing bucks! 

Upwork is, if you have the skills a great way of starting out online. Many people do make their first or seconds steps to earning money online by freelancing. 

If you have the skills - whatever they may be give good consideration to freelancing. I think it is a pretty good idea if you do, and start slowly, build up. 

Keep in mind that with Freelancing you won't be building up a passive income source as freelancing is an active income.

Still, absolutely nothing wrong with freelancing and saving an hour or two per day to building and working on passive income sources. 

Affiliate marketing is what has brought me my passive income source, sure I freelanced around it to pay my bills - something for you to give serious consideration to doing too. 

To learn more about Affiliate Marketing I suggest that you have a look at how I make money online. 

(Just in case you are wondering! - yes, you can end up with a LOT of marketable skills as an affiliate marketer as back up and freelance with them!)

Affiliate Marketing is my Number 1 recommended way for making money in the digital world both for those just starting out and those that are semi experienced. 

The reasons are pretty simple:

• No huge startup costs!
  
• No Selling face to face!
• No Stock to keep or manage!
• No huge investment involved - (Get started for $19!)
• No networking or recruiting required. 
• You can operate in any market you wish! - even your hobbies & passion!
• Earn a full time income & more!. No limit to your earning potential!. 
  

In fact...

I have created and built a regular mid 4 figure passive monthly income and fully enjoy a life of travel to where I want and when I want. With no boss to answer to and zero annoying co-workers I completely enjoy life and work when I choose to.

This is all thanks to Affiliate Marketing!

To emulate what I have achieved, real freedom and a passive income stream, click that red button below..and watch the video that I have prepared for you. 

Because MORE MONEY IS Waiting For You. The Question Is: WILL YOU TAKE IT?!?