How I Got My First Gig on Upwork as a Content Writer

Getting a gig on Upwork as a Nigerian is possible; all that is needed is to know how to follow the proper procedures. When I joined Upwork as a freelancer, I was quite confused on how to find my way across the platform when I first created my account.

I signed up on Upwork in 2019, and after several failed attempts to get a gig, I got discouraged and logged out of the platform. However, in January 2022, I came across comments online from Freelancers who were successfully earning on the platform, and this motivated me to go back and try my luck.

Alas! In February 2022, I got my first-ever gig on Upwork. If I could do it, then you can too. This is why I have decided to share how I got my first gig on Upwork as a content writer; hopefully, you could learn something from this piece. Have a great read!

How I got my first gig on Upwork as a Content Writer

Optimized my Profile and sent out Proposals

As I explained earlier, I got motivated by top freelancers on the platform and decided to try my luck again. I returned to the old account I created in 2019 and did some upgrades; updating my work experience, location, adding a profile description, and rate. After this, I began to submit between five to ten proposals daily. I kept sending several proposals until I finally got noticed by a potential client.

Got a Response and a Gig

Sometime around February, a potential client, John (not real name), responded to my proposal, which was pretty exciting. But unfortunately, he did not offer me a gig. Instead, John stated that he noticed I had not gotten any gig on Upwork and observed I was making some serious mistakes that might not make it possible for clients to want me to work for them.

Now, believe me when I say I was elated; it felt nice that my proposal got a potential client’s attention at last! So I went further in the conversation by asking John to kindly share those errors with me, and he gladly did (I’ll list them below). To my surprise, John also added that he would offer me a one-off job (to write an article for his blog) so I could have a project in my Upwork portfolio. It felt like John was sent to help me out of my Upwork dilemma. I accepted the offer, worked on the article, and submitted it.

After submitting the article, I waited for payment and feedback on the work done. Now, this is the most exciting part; I received three notifications from Upwork; the first was a payment for the article I wrote, the second was a 5-star review on the work, and the third was a renewal of a long-term contract with John! I was not expecting that at all!

John also sent some messages in the chats explaining that he was impressed with what I wrote in the article and would like me to join his team of writers from Africa on a long-term project. I could not believe what I just saw. It was indeed a great moment for me. Eventually, I started the project, and that was how my journey to freelancing on Upwork began!

The Errors the Client Pointed Out

Remember I mentioned John pointed out some mistakes earlier, they are listed below;

• My profile description was not tailored to my niche; Title was “Content Writing,” but I included video editing, voiceovers, and graphics design in the description. According to John, It showed desperation and lack of focus to potential clients.
• My Cover letter had typos and other errors, which indirectly indicated I did not edit and proofread it. Now, as someone applying to help clients write, edit, and proofread their work, it showed I was not practicing what I was preaching.
• My rate was way too high for a beginner; I had $25 per hour as my rate for my Content Writing profile. This was a big turnoff to the client.

I took note of every error John stated and reworked my profile. This time, with a more professional touch.

Lessons I Learnt

Below are the lessons I learned from getting my first gig on Upwork;

• Observe; look at other freelancers that sell in your niche and learn how they optimized their profile. This will help you to have a better understanding of what will attract clients to your proposal.
• Don’t compare yourself with senior freelancers. This is what pushed me to use the $25 per hour rate. I saw other top content writers and thought I could fix any rate I wanted. This is a big no; remember that pricing is one of the elements you can use to survive in a competitive platform like Upwork.
• Be focused; keep yourself from overloading yourself with skills. It is good to have multiple skills but pick the one you know how to do best and sell it on Upwork. As your experience level grows on the platform, you can introduce other skills.
• Draft a Cover letter template. I took time to create a template for my Upwork cover letter; I watched different videos on YouTube, which helped me understand how to write a simple cover letter for Upwork.
• Investing in the skill is a great way to earn more. When you start to earn on Upwork, you should set aside some money to;

i. Get online courses to upgrade your skills.

ii. Subscribe to tools that will make your work more professional.

iii. Attend webinars and events where industrial experts in your niche sensitize beginners on how to scale through freelancing.

iv. Attend Upwork webinars.

Endnotes

Anybody can get a gig on Upwork; it requires focus, determination, consistency, digital skills, soft skills, and a resilient mind. I’m going to leave you with this advice; sell a skill you have passion for because some proposals require virtual interviews, and you might be asked to explain why you should be given the project. Answering this question can be challenging if you cannot connect your passion to the skill you are selling on Upwork. Also, the best way to maintain your flow and get more gigs on Upwork is to add value to whatever project you are involved in on the platform, regardless of the pay.

Have you gotten any gig on Upwork or any other freelancing platforms? Kindly share how it worked for you in the comment section below, and let people learn from your experience. Thanks!

You can also catch up with me on;

Twitter: @boluadeniji

LinkedIn: @Esther(Bolu)Adeniji

Email: @estheradeniji974@gmail.com