Upwork – Get Freelance Jobs and Start Working Right Away

Global collaboration in pooling resources is a relatively new concept. Today, businesses and organisations have the option of outsourcing talent for their projects. Connectivity, especially digital communication and the internet, has made it possible for businesses to gain access to an even bigger global network of professionals. This has been a beneficial phenomenon for skilled freelancers willing to sell their skills to a global market. There are many avenues accessible online for connecting the prospective employers and freelancers, and among these is Upwork.

Introducing Upwork

Upwork, formerly known as oDesk, is one of the veteran freelancing websites in the world of freelancing. It has been in existence for a long term. It has recently brought together two of the bigger freelance websites; Elance and oDesk to become one company under the name Upwork. Like many other freelancing websites, Upwork has an interface of connecting clients with freelancers. Clients sign up to the website and are able to post their projects, while freelancers bid to get these projects. The bidding model is a familiar concept for freelancers. Freelancers are paid after completion of these projects through a variety of means available for them to choose from.

Initial Process

Freelancers at Upwork have the benefit of building up their portfolios by working with different clients on different projects. A freelancer, during the initial sign up process is required to come up with a good portfolio that clearly indicates their experiences, expertise and the skills they possess. For instance, there are categories for different kinds of skills like content writing and IT fields like web development, software development and mobile app development, and the freelancer is expected to state their expertise comprehensively. Upwork predominantly features a model of building trust between the clients and freelancers by encouraging freelancers to have a sufficiently loaded profile, as well as the average rating and feedback from previously completed projects.

Benefits of Working at Upwork

• Availability of Projects – Freelancers at Upwork are guaranteed to always find something to do. With the merger of two big freelancing websites, this convenience of finding projects has become even more prevalent. The bidding process is also fair and a freelancer has a good chance of getting paid in reasonable terms.
• Flexibility – There are a variety of options available at Upwork in terms of communication between the client and the freelancers. The modes of payment are also quite adequate and this is always a welcome opportunity for freelancers. Freelancers also have avenues of communicating with the staff at Upwork in case of any challenges, and conflicts are usually resolved in a timely fashion.
• Growth – Freelancers looking to polish their skills have a good chance of working with different clients at Upwork and in the process adding up experience and value to their portfolios. Working with global clients is also adequate exposure to different modes of organisational operations in the global market.

Challenges at Upwork

As is always the case, the great benefits come with the equally great competition. One of the challenges that freelancers face at Upwork is the possibility of working with clients who may have unrealistic expectations. Like any other type of work, the experience of working with different clients differs a lot and sometimes it is possible to have to work with clients who have a very high expectation and who may not be willing to be flexible or make reasonable compromises. This can be a hurdle to freelancers as it becomes a challenge when working on a project.

Concluding Remarks

Upwork has more than 4 million clients looking for freelancers through their platform, so if you are a freelancer you have good chance of selling your skills at avenues like Upwork. In addition, there is a wide range of tasks you can do so there is an opportunity for all types of professionals. The challenges are there but with the right attitude and professionalism, Upwork is a very viable option for budding freelancers. Learn more about Upwork through their Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages.

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