$40,000 on upwork as a complete beginner - what I learned

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares his experience as a top-rated social media manager on Upwork, boasting a $40,000 profile. He discusses the benefits of having a high-earning profile, such as receiving numerous free invitations to apply for jobs and direct messages from clients. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a strong bio and portfolio to attract clients and stresses the value of good reviews. He offers advice for beginners, suggesting starting with low-paying jobs to build a reputation and gain positive reviews. His journey from zero to a successful freelancer serves as an inspiration, highlighting that anyone can achieve similar success with dedication and hard work.

Takeaways

• 😴 The speaker works so hard that they sometimes fall asleep at their desk despite having a bed nearby.
• 💪 They believe that no one can outwork them, emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication.
• 📈 The speaker has a $40,000 profile on Upwork, which they are willing to share to educate and inspire others.
• 🔍 They mention that their profile is public and can be found by searching their name on Upwork.
• 🏆 Being at the top of search results for 'social media manager' on Upwork is a significant achievement for the speaker.
• 📊 The speaker's job score is 83%, indicating they are actively working on improving their profile.
• 📩 High earnings profiles on Upwork receive many job invitations and direct messages from clients.
• 🆓 Receiving invitations from clients means being able to apply to jobs for free, saving on connect costs.
• 📞 The speaker frequently receives direct offers and messages from clients without having to go through the traditional application process.
• 🤝 Building a strong profile helps reduce the need for extensive outreach, as clients actively seek to work with high-earning freelancers.
• 📝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a good bio and portfolio to attract clients and stand out on Upwork.
• 💬 They advise against copying others' profiles and recommend creating a unique and outstanding bio.
• 💌 The importance of reviews is highlighted, with the speaker suggesting to ask clients for feedback to improve the profile.
• 📈 Starting with low-paying jobs and providing exceptional service can lead to positive reviews, which in turn can help secure better jobs.
• 🚀 The speaker reflects on their growth from $10K to $40K on Upwork, noting that it becomes easier as one progresses.
• 🎯 They advise focusing on the quality of clients and jobs rather than signing every single client.
• 📚 The speaker does not have any certifications or linked accounts, suggesting that these are not crucial for success on Upwork.
• 💌 They encourage others to start on Upwork, emphasizing that if they can do it, anyone can, and offers to answer questions and provide further guidance.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main motivation for sharing his Upwork profile?

The speaker wants to educate, inform, and potentially inspire others who are interested in starting on Upwork. He emphasizes that he is not special and started from zero, just like everyone else.

Why does the speaker mention his job score of 83%?

The speaker mentions his job score to show that he is not perfect and is still learning. He is working on improving his job score, which indicates his commitment to continuous improvement.

How does the speaker describe the benefits of having a high-earning profile on Upwork?

The speaker highlights that a high-earning profile leads to receiving daily invitations and direct messages from clients, often without the need to apply through the traditional outreach process.

What does the speaker mean when he says he gets 'free connects' to apply for jobs?

On Upwork, applying for jobs typically requires 'connects,' which are a form of currency on the platform. However, when a client invites a freelancer to apply for a job, the freelancer can apply for free, without using any connects.

What advice does the speaker give for creating a successful Upwork profile?

The speaker advises having a good bio and a strong work portfolio. He also emphasizes the importance of making the bio unique and standing out, rather than copying someone else's.

Why does the speaker stress the importance of reviews on Upwork?

The speaker stresses the importance of reviews because they significantly impact a profile's credibility and attractiveness to potential clients. He suggests asking clients for reviews after completing a job well.

What strategy does the speaker recommend for new freelancers on Upwork?

The speaker recommends starting with easy and low-paying jobs, being exceptional at them, and then asking for a review at the end of the project. This strategy helps build a strong profile from the start.

How does the speaker describe his journey from 0 to 40K on Upwork?

The speaker describes his journey as one of continuous growth and learning. He found the initial growth from 0 to 10K to be the most challenging, but after reaching that milestone, the growth to 40K happened more smoothly and without him even realizing it.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of certifications and licenses on Upwork?

The speaker suggests that certifications and licenses are not as important as one might think. He does not have any linked to his profile and believes that the quality of work and client reviews are more significant factors.

What is the speaker's final message to those who are considering starting on Upwork?

The speaker's final message is one of encouragement and reassurance. He emphasizes that if he can achieve success on Upwork as a 'normal dude,' then anyone can. He advises against waiting for the perfect moment to start and instead encourages immediate action.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Working Hard and Earning on Upwork

The speaker begins by sharing their current late-night work routine, emphasizing their dedication to work even when tired. They discuss the misconceptions people might have about their work ethic and how they outwork others. The main topic is their Upwork profile, which has earned them $40,000. They address privacy concerns but decide to share their profile to inspire and educate others. The speaker highlights the benefits of having a high-earning profile, such as receiving daily job invitations and direct messages from clients, leading to job offers without the need for extensive outreach.

05:00

💼 The Impact of a High Earnings Profile

The speaker continues by sharing a specific example of a warm client outreach and emphasizes the importance of responding to such opportunities. They discuss the strategy of maintaining a good bio and portfolio on Upwork, discouraging others from copying their content and advising to create a unique and standout profile. The importance of client reviews is also highlighted, as they significantly impact the profile's attractiveness. The speaker recommends starting with low-paying jobs, excelling at them, and then asking for reviews to boost the profile further. They reflect on their growth from earning $10K to $40K and how it felt more achievable as they progressed.

10:01

🚀 Becoming Selective and Encouraging Others

In the final paragraph, the speaker talks about becoming more selective with clients and jobs as they no longer need to accept every offer. They stress the importance of maintaining a relevant employment history and downplay the significance of certifications and licenses for their success. The speaker encourages others to start their Upwork journey, sharing their own ordinary background as a testament to the fact that anyone can succeed. They offer to answer questions and provide guidance, promising to help without selling anything, and hint at creating future content about portfolio creation.

Keywords

💡Upwork

Upwork is an online platform that connects freelancers with clients seeking various services. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses his experience and success on Upwork, highlighting how he has built a high-earning profile on the platform. The script mentions searching for 'social media manager' on Upwork and finding the speaker's profile at the top of the search results, indicating his prominence on the platform.

💡Profile

In the video, the term 'profile' refers to the speaker's personal page on Upwork, which showcases his skills, work history, and client reviews. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a strong profile to attract clients and mentions that his profile is public and can be found by searching his name on Upwork. The script also discusses the benefits of having a high-earning profile, such as receiving direct invitations and messages from clients.

💡Earnings

The speaker mentions that his Upwork profile has earned him $40,000, which is a significant achievement and a key point of discussion in the video. Earnings on Upwork are a measure of a freelancer's success and the value they provide to clients. The script uses the earnings figure to illustrate the speaker's hard work and the results he has achieved through his efforts on the platform.

💡Job Score

Job Score is a metric on Upwork that reflects a freelancer's success rate in completing jobs. The speaker mentions that his Job Score is 83%, indicating that he has completed a significant number of jobs successfully but also acknowledges that there is room for improvement. The Job Score is an important aspect of a freelancer's profile, as it can influence how attractive they are to potential clients.

💡Invitations

Invitations on Upwork are requests from clients for freelancers to apply for their jobs. The speaker discusses how he receives numerous invitations daily, which is a benefit of having a high-earning profile. These invitations are free to apply to, unlike jobs found through the platform's search feature, which require 'connects' to apply. The script highlights the ease with which the speaker can get job opportunities without having to actively search for them.

💡Direct Messages

Direct Messages, or DMs, are private communications sent by clients to freelancers on Upwork. The speaker mentions receiving daily direct messages from clients who are interested in his services. These messages often include job offers or requests for the speaker to apply for jobs, demonstrating the demand for his skills and the proactive approach clients take to engage with him.

💡Outreach

Outreach in the context of Upwork refers to the efforts freelancers make to find and apply for jobs, often by actively searching and sending proposals to potential clients. The speaker contrasts the benefits of having a high-earning profile with the need for outreach, stating that he does not have to do as much outreach because clients reach out to him directly.

💡Bio

A bio on Upwork is a brief description of a freelancer's professional background and skills. The speaker advises viewers to have a good bio, as it is one of the first things potential clients see when they visit a profile. He mentions that his bio has been well-received and has contributed to attracting clients, but also warns against copying his bio and encourages uniqueness.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio on Upwork is a collection of work samples that showcase a freelancer's abilities. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a good work portfolio, as it provides tangible evidence of his skills to potential clients. He mentions that his portfolio has been a key factor in receiving positive feedback and attracting job offers.

💡Reviews

Reviews on Upwork are feedback left by clients after a job is completed. They serve as testimonials to a freelancer's work quality and professionalism. The speaker discusses the importance of reviews for building credibility and attracting more clients. He advises asking clients for reviews and highlights the impact that even a single positive review can have on a profile.

💡Certifications

Certifications on Upwork are credentials that freelancers can add to their profiles to demonstrate their expertise in specific areas. The speaker mentions that he does not have any certifications, testimonials, or licenses listed on his profile, suggesting that while they can add credibility, they are not essential for success on the platform.

Highlights

The speaker emphasizes their dedication to work, often falling asleep at their desk despite having a bed nearby.

They claim that no one will outwork them, showcasing a strong work ethic.

The speaker discusses their $40,000 profile on Upwork and their initial hesitation to share it due to privacy concerns.

They reveal that their Upwork profile is public and can be found by searching their name.

The speaker's profile shows a job score of 83% and earnings from 81 jobs, indicating a significant amount of work done.

They are often the top result when searching for 'social media manager' on Upwork.

The speaker receives numerous invitations and direct messages from clients, highlighting the benefits of a high-earning profile.

They mention the cost-effectiveness of applying to jobs through client invitations versus using connects for outreach.

The speaker describes receiving job offers without having to go through the typical application process.

They stress the importance of having a good bio and work portfolio on Upwork to attract clients.

The speaker advises against copying others' profiles and encourages uniqueness in one's own profile.

They discuss the importance of client reviews and how they can significantly impact a profile's attractiveness.

The speaker recommends starting with easy, low-paying jobs to build a reputation and get reviews.

They reflect on their growth from $10K to $40K on Upwork, noting it felt easier once they reached a certain milestone.

The speaker shares that they are now more selective with clients and jobs, focusing on quality over quantity.

They dismiss the importance of certifications and licenses for their success on Upwork, emphasizing the role of hard work and dedication.

The speaker encourages others to start on Upwork, assuring that if they can do it, anyone can.

They offer to answer questions and provide guidance to those interested in starting on Upwork.

Transcripts

so it is currently 4:47 a.m. uh I can't

really fall asleep so I'm going to do

some

work I don't think a lot of people know

what it's like to work so hard you fall

asleep at your desk even though you have

a bed like right

there you might be more skilled or more

talented than me you might be smarter

than me but you are not going to outwork

me all right so big video um today I'm

going to talk about what it's like to

have a $40,000 profile on upwork I was

kind of hesitant to kind of show my

profile um in my YouTube videos I guess

for privacy reasons but I realized that

my profile is public anyways and if you

go on uper and literally just search up

my name you can probably find me so I

thought just why not it'll help me

create a lot more content okay so this

is my up upw work um I'm using Safari

right now because for some reason I

can't log into upwork on my Chrome I

messaged upwork about it uh they haven't

responded yet so I'm just waiting for

that but yeah this is my page before I

get into it I want to reiterate that I'm

not doing this to brag in any way or

show off I'm doing this because I want

to show people that I'm not special in

any way I knew nothing just like

everybody else I started from zero just

like everybody else and I got to here in

a couple months so

this should I'm doing this just to

educate to inform maybe to inspire uh

some people who want to get started all

right so in this video I'm going to talk

about what it's like to have a

$40,000 profile and also some things

that I've learned along the way if you

go on upwork and just literally type in

the search bar like social media

manager I didn't even noce until I did

this but it's pretty cool oh if you go

to talent instead of jobs and type

social media manager

like I'm literally the first guy to pop

up like that's that's me um I don't know

if this is just on my profile but I went

on my friends accounts and typed the

same thing and I showed up I'm either

the top one or two or three so I think

that's pretty cool this is pretty much

what my profile looks like my job score

is only 83% so I I'm kind of working on

getting that back up again I'm still

learning these things I'm not perfect in

any way a lot of people have higher job

success scores than me but yeah $40,000

in total earnings 81 jobs like almost

almost 1,600 hours worked I have 27 jobs

in progress these are some of the

reviews my work uh blah blah blah so one

of the best things I found of having a

high earnings profile over time is this

part right here so if I go to my

notifications you see this received an

invitation received an invitation March

6 Reed received an invitation March 6

received an

invitation uh received the invitation

this is all still March 6 received the

invitation March 5th

invitation um I could go down the list

invitation invitation invitation now a

lot of people are like doing Outreach on

our B and that costs money to do which

it costs connects but when you receive

an invitation from a client it's free to

apply so I could literally apply to the

same job that you're applying to but I

it for free it doesn't cost connects to

apply to a job where you received an

invitation okay so another cool thing is

not only am I receiving these you know

invitations daily I'm also receiving

direct messages so invitations are for

people who want me to apply to their job

but some clients don't even have jobs up

and they just send me messages directly

like every day you'll see that like I'm

getting messages from people literally

just oh this one sent me a job but and

also I'm getting offers like I didn't I

didn't reply to this yet um I need to

ask him to to send some more details but

I'm literally just getting offers no I

didn't even get on a sales call I don't

know who this is they just sent me an

offer for 40 hours a week limit $15 an

hour uh this person I need to respond

but just sent me a message telling me

that they want to work with me this

person sent me an offer right away this

person literally just sent me an

offer uh sent me a direct message no

Outreach no response no proposals no

cover letter no nothing yeah this person

like a beauty queen pageant of Miss

Colorado yeah sent me a direct message

saying hey I want you to apply to my job

or hey can you help me out and hop on a

call with they're literally just asking

me to hop on a call without me doing

anything I literally wake up and I get

like five messages and then three

invites to jobs like this I need I need

to respond this person just reached out

to me with some like research that they

want to do and they want to pay me for a

30 45 minute interview like I'm just

getting these messages daily so like

look at look at this person right here

it says hi my name is Kristen hi Thomas

my name is Kristen I the marketing

director here at lawyer.com we saw your

portfolio we were so excited would you

be willing to do a oneoff project blah

blah blah it'll be a video edit more

details to come if you're interested let

me know can't wait to work with you and

I didn't respond yet I need to respond

but there's literally not a warmer

client than you can get with this like

this is the warmest possible call that I

can get on with

it it's going to be so hard for me to

mess up on the sales call with this

person I can literally just send them or

just send them a message saying yeah I'd

love to work with you let's hop on a

call we get on the call like they're

pretty much already sold like look at

look at this message we saw your

portfolio we were so excited let me know

can't wait to work with you how much

warmer can you get like when I do

Outreach or when I'm responding to DMs I

talk to people like they're human and

I'm human as well I don't I try not to

sound like a bot I try not to you know

be too

salesy just keep it simple talk like a

normal human I think that'll get you a

lot further so I think that's one of the

biggest benefits of having a you know

High earnings profile is I'm not having

to even though I have like a pretty low

or not that high job success score I'm

not having to do as much Outreach as I

normally did like some days I just don't

even do it cuz I already applied to 10

jobs for free and I already booked

multiple calls with with these people

but yeah I would say the most important

thing if you're just starting out um

have a good bio uh and have a good work

portfolio again I was hesitant to kind

of share my profile because I was

worried I guess of people copying me and

stuff like that but I realized that even

if you were to just check first of all

like my profile is completely public so

my YouTube channel is literally named

Thomas M and this might uper name but

even if you were I recommend just like

don't

copy what I have okay cuz even if you do

let's let's say you do you're a brand

new upward profile you just copy word

for word what I have and whatever and a

client were to look at your profile and

then look at my

profile they see that we both have the

same exact bio right what are they going

to think they're going to think that you

copied me they're not going to think

that I copied you it's going to be you

know the other way around it's not going

to do you any good um I guess you can

take this and kind of use it

to um use it as kind of like a base to

come up with your own but come up with

your own um make make your bio unique

make it stand out use other people don't

just use mine look at other social media

managers bio and see what they're doing

but this is what I found works for me

this is you I mean you can take a look

at some of the content that I created

and that I have in my portfolio but um

yeah those are I guess the two more most

important things the bio and then the

portfolio all of the messages that I get

the DMS that I get are from people who

say that they checked out my profile and

they love my bio what I said in the bio

or they love they checked out my

portfolio and loved my work so yeah

those things are very important you want

to make sure that you're spending a lot

of time on this another thing that I

learned is the importance of reviews um

when I first started out I didn't really

take this too seriously but then I

realized that it's very important and it

actually matters so my recommendation is

try to get reviews from clients it's

important to really just ask the client

for reviews all you have to do is just

literally ask the client hey or tell the

client hey um do you think you could

take some time out of your day to leave

me some feedback it'll it'll mean a lot

um and most of the time they'll be okay

with it if you did a good job and even

just getting like one review is super

important for your profile like a pro a

profile with zero reviews and a profile

with one five star review that makes

such a big difference um so what I would

recommend uh start with easy jobs start

with low paying jobs um offer a low cost

and then be exceptional at it and then

at the end of the project ask for a

review get that one review and then

it'll make everything else so much

easier trust me honestly I didn't even

realize that I had

40K until like a couple days ago I think

growing from 10K to 40K is a lot easier

to do than from going zero to 10K

growing from Z to 10K I felt like took

forever and when I got to 10K honestly

it was like one of the most shocking

things just seeing the 10K thing on my

profile um I thought it was really crazy

but then when I got to 20K it was like H

30k eh 40K okay I didn't even realize it

until a couple days ago I checked and

now you know I'm not so desperate to

sign every single client I focus more on

you know what the client is like and

what the job is like instead of you know

I have to sign every single client I

have to get every single job I guess

which is like a positive um so if

there's anybody struggling with that I

know what it feels like um trust me it

gets a lot better just stick with it

make sure your employment history is

related to the service you're offering

whatever somebody asked me about like

the certifications part I don't even

have any like I don't have any

testimonials I don't have any

certifications um nothing it's just I

don't have any linked accounts diversity

certification licenses don't worry about

any of that I don't really think it

matters or at least for me it didn't

matter so if there's anybody watching

this anybody looking to get started I'm

telling you like you can do it like look

at me look like I'm what am I I'm I'm a

normal dude look at look at my setup

look at look at my computer look at

my room this is this is as normal as you

can get I'm not special I'm one of the

top social media managers on upwork and

look at this is me like this is I'm what

what is this I'm literally just a normal

dude I didn't know anything couple

months ago about this about upwork I

started from nothing I started from zero

and I built my way to being one of the

top social media managers on upwork

there is no excuse for anybody out there

I don't care what your position is there

is there's no excuse I'm just a guy if I

can do it so can everybody else oh I

don't know where to start or I'm afraid

of this or I have questions about this

or I want to know everything about this

before I get into it oh I'll get started

tomorrow or next week or next month once

I have this ready I'll get started just

don't start then just stay where you're

at but don't complain cuz I'm working

also if there's anybody watching that I

guess wants to ask questions or anything

uh leave a comment I'll answer every

single comment that I see

on this video or send me a Instagram DM

or whatever I'm not going to sell you

anything I have nothing to sell yeah and

I have uh talked with some people who

reached out to me on Instagram someone

told me that they wanted me to kind of

go over um the portfolio creating a good

portfolio um and things like that so I

guess I'll make a video on that soon but

anything other than that yeah if you

have any questions let me know