I Spent 30 Days Freelancing on Upwork

🌐 Join my free software developer community: www.skool.com/software-develo...
I spend a full 30 days freelancing programming on Upwork. I was actually pretty shocked by the results.
I give you the rundown starting from my very first job on Upwork, to my final contract and everything in the middle. Near the end of the video, I go over how much I made from the 30 days and my thoughts on the platform.
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Timestamps:
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Intro/Week 1: (0:00)
Week 2: (1:19)
$50/hr Contract: (2:25)
Week 3 & 4: (3:32)
Total Earnings: (4:11)
I was wrong about upwork...: (5:00)

[@kennygunderman]

Join my free programming community to learn about how you can make money from freelancing: www.skool.com/software-developer-academy?invite=e1b020c78de04e5eac45b531b669e225

[@IrnoKola]

Dude just sits down and gets right to the point with no long introduction and no yelling?? KZbin creators are legally allowed to do that? Thank you. Finance KZbin is very insightful but with such high CPM creators pad their videos out with so much utter garbage. Keep it up!

[@carlogustavovalenzuelazepe5774]

I was expecting anoying dubstep and bad minecraft animations in the start lol

[@arslanrasit]

Riiiight? That's why I subscribed after watching the video. No shitty introduction and no yelling is a sign of good yt channel

[@alihatami8263]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/omeWf2iCn9qpj8U

[@alihatami8263]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/omeWf2iCn9qpj8U

[@k.k8791]

That what i love and what we all want

[@karlissulcs3822]

As someone from Eastern Europe where the minimum wage is like 4-5 EUR/hr, working on Upwork has been my savior for the past few years. Lost my job due to covid (airport staff cuts) and started freelancing. Man... Not that I'm making millions but with all my good reviews and top-rated badge, I get more job offers than I can actually even work on. Plus, I get to care for my elderly dad a lot better than while having to work away from home. It's not for everyone, but Upwork has its plusses.

[@webdev8284]

Bro are you ever going to have a website at some point in your life?

[@farhatmuhmmed604]

Taking care of your dad?! Woow. Wish you all the best.

[@reimleinreimlein9767]

Great job man! What are the most jobs you work on?

[@fazilmohamed2507]

What do you think is the negative side of these freelancing websites????? (if they have one)

[@kriti9869]

Hi I hv started freelancing recently can u gv some tips?

[@nikoszervo]

The key to Upwork is to start doing some projects almost for free. The reason is that while you start with Upwork, you need to chase the reviews first not the money. If you don't have reviews from other clients, nobody will trust you. Just think of it. When you order something online, how many times did you order something with bad reviews or not having reviews at all?

[@harikishore2514]

If you do it for free they'll suspend your account.

[@royfrias4379]

@@harikishore2514 thats why he said almost for free, meaning at a very low fee which I get. If you are starting off and want to get your foot inside the door i can understand why doing this may help you

[@biff9999]

Agreed - you have to get a few 5-star reviews under your belt first before you can start rolling on Upwork. If that means you have to take jobs at a rate below your market value in the beginning, then so be it. Consider the money you're not making at that lower rate to be marketing costs for the new platform, and then it will all make sense. The worst thing about Upwork is the 20% cut they take out of your earnings on a new project. OUCH! The percentage goes down (way down) every few weeks as you do more work for the same client, but almost all projects on Upwork are one-offs. It's a "one-and-done" client base, mostly. That 20% hurts, man. The second worst thing is that many of the clients are 1) demanding, and 2) cheap, and 3) not communicative. But the best thing about Upwork is that they do have the work on the platform, and lots of it. Lots of job postings, all day, every day.

[@nicholasekubi4794]

Anyone know anything about Fiverr. As a mobile dev I'm kinda at a split.

[@dannidrenovci894]

Upwork success rate algorithm sucks!

[@taimoori]

Well, Upwork really worths it for me. As a student, I started freelancing to support myself. I got the first job on 5th December and it's been 3 months to complete. Now I'm a top-rated freelancer and make 1000$+ every month. It's good as a part-time job.

[@alphazero3903]

What is your field of work

[@Co2GamerZ]

How many rejected proposal did you have before this? As a software development freelancer (began last month) I have had one client serious enough to answer me and accept and two serious enough to reject (as they wanted someone with more time on upwork) out of 10-15 proposals in total. I never heard from the rest.

[@swisdom9117]

@@alphazero3903 I Wanna know. Too

[@duwatv7901]

What kind of work is that?

[@nanaambakeys2529]

Could you please teach me

[@FragrantVagrant69]

For people in the third world like myself, this is an amazing option. I am able to support my family by working on upwork when I am not at my day job and all I do is write blog posts. They do charge a bit too much but they have to cover costs some how.

[@kennygunderman]

That’s awesome to hear dude!

[@obiajuluchibuzorjoseph7779]

@@kennygunderman Please how do you set up your profile when you have just learnt a skill and really don't have past experience... REALLY need this to work 😫

[@upsidedownwithkris6754]

hey man guide me how to land my first job. I am trying for data entry and content writing. but could not land my first job.. plz help..

[@FragrantVagrant69]

@@upsidedownwithkris6754 unfortunately you have to keep grinding away and applying. I still only land about 1 out of 10 jobs that I apply for, and I'm top rated with 100% success's rate. The right client will come along you need to just keep at it.

[@catherineelainebaxter4609]

@@obiajuluchibuzorjoseph7779 Ditto. I also set up a new profile and do not have the experience as yet. I really need this to work too. Kenny Gunderman, how do we promote ourselves please?

[@MaverickMoses]

I got on upwork as a pet project at the start of lockdown last year. And through that, did some work with a company that has since hired me full time as part of their team. So it was DEFINITELY worth it for me.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@LionhartM]

@@tatafrominsolvo3744 Lol coming from someone with Insolvo in their username, that's definitely a sales pitch and not an honest review 😂

[@TheSim4e90]

500 is an above average monthly salary in my country.

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

Yup ,same here 😂

[@nikitas3160]

Same

[@simoneto144]

Same

[@jaiversalazarortiz779]

500 is almost twice the minimum wage in my country

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@otterbeans]

As someone who needs part-time flex and fully remote jobs, Upwork has worked really well for me. I get paid a decent amount, usually around $17.50 an hour doing administrative assistance and data entry. Better pay than retail, much less stressful.

[@sofisofia8556]

what is ur upwork account name?

[@otterbeans]

@@sofisofia8556 I'm not giving that our for personal security reasons, but I can answer questions if you have any.

[@meepmeepet7187]

@@otterbeans hi I'm new to upwork and looking to take on data entry roles. Any tips? How long did it take for u to land ur first job and how much was the pay?

[@OneStepDown]

I'm interested in learning about it, as I'm also looking for a side gig on Upwork or Fiverr.

[@bountyhunter1153]

otterbeans how many hours a day do you spend doing it ? And what do you make a month on average?

[@sbkspyder]

I love that I didn't have to skip through most of the video to get straight to the details. Good work and good info. Keep it up.

[@caravanlifenz]

I love your honest, calm presentation style. It makes me feel like I'm watching a video made for grown ups.

[@wick3d262]

I live in a country with a small economy and I'm an 18-year-old self-taught software engineer/architect. The minimum wage here is around $300 per month and senior engineers make around $900 per month. I started working full-time on Upwork around six months ago and I am a top rated freelancer. I play a leadership role in projects I take on and I manage PhDs from first-world countries. Freelancing on Upwork is a very unique experience. Your engineering skills don't matter nearly as much as your sales/negotiation skills. I started working for $9/hr and now I am able to charge well above $60/hr. My income varies but I make over $10,000 per month after taxes, placing me way above the upper-class of my country.

[@sciuresci1403]

Hi, can you link your upwork profile ?

[@pursuitsforjoy2022]

This is awesome!

[@bakeraus]

Great job! Don't forget your taxes on that sort of money and don't tell anyone about your income in your social circles. Take care and goodluck my friend :)

[@ronaldreatiga2873]

I appreciate it! As a colombian music producer im hoping it will affect my income as well. hehe

[@sushantbhargav4652]

Teach me sensei

[@dandelion9094]

Hi Kenny, thank you for this video! It would be great if you could make a follow up with the freelance platforms or strategies that you actually think are more efficient than Upwork :) Have a great day!

[@twas19]

For a person Living in a third world its like being over the moon

[@sajidanwarr]

True

[@dasunnirmitha7693]

I'm an Upwork freelancer from SL & yeah I totally +1 this

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@earningwithyelp7801]

do u know about Yelp?

[@earningwithyelp7801]

@@sajidanwarr do u know about Yelp?

[@SuperHumansLife]

Kenny, I love your honest feedback. And I could not agree more. Upwork is a competitive marketplace, but it could be a great opportunity for people to get started freelancing.

[@Valikillenni]

I would never recommend starting there. anywhere but there.

[@AWOLMIFTAH-wq8on]

This idea was haf true, I ddint agree fuly.

[@yoyoyo3439]

@@Valikillennithen where?

[@charliegamezmedia]

thanks for being so honest bro love it and the level of transparency that you gave with your examples that you gave with how much you made vs how much time it cost you was very helpful

[@jimkirby2917]

Hi Kenny - first, thanks for getting straight to the point. But more importantly, THANK you for not "spreading the cheese" and just being honest about it all, especially the small turnaround you experienced. I actually think that if you worked it for a decent amount of time, you could actually turn it into something really viable. I'm getting ready to launch myself on their service for a bit to feel it out. I probably agree with you that, in general, it's not the best-case scenario. But for some, it may be a godsend. As you said, "you do you" and it may be the greatest for some people (more power to them!) and just "meh" for others. Great video!

[@goldenautumn8416]

I really appreciate your efforts in providing this information. It seems that if someone has it in mind that the objective is to get good reviews at first, that it may end up paying off the more work you do on the platform. Based on this, I think it's something that I'm willing to try.

[@abhaygautam0]

Thank you Kenny. I really like the way you make things so lucid and giving your honest opinions. The best part was that there was no unnecessary gibberish in it. You've got yourself a new subscriber.😁

[@nocodekevin]

I agree, if you're in the US I think it's a good place to replace student work with client work, and to teach yourself how to freelance so you can increase your side-income if you plan to go solo in the future.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@gunnasintern]

more than a side, it can become your main source of income while also having other remote work related sources

[@ibukunokunoye4795]

I love your genuine advices and video!

[@TCTFounder]

Thank you for giving a realistic and accurate review of Upwork. 👍

[@GinoZambe]

Upwork is great if you have - reviews, reviews, reviews! - a solid niche - a good rate But I've seen after 5 solid reviews you get into the "hidden Upwork economy" of client invites, this is when the "Upwork grind" isn't soo bad. Definitely agree that The connects system is a killer though. getting charged to apply and get charged when you "win a contract". Is an unnecessary double charge! Great vid btw!

[@webdev8284]

Man, are you ever going to have a website for yourself at some point?

[@GinoZambe]

@@webdev8284 indeed

[@webdev8284]

@@GinoZambe Man, there is something called as Webhost. Webhost is like a home where you put your website. It connects your website to the Internet. When you make a website, you necessarily have to buy webhost anyway. There are four types of webhosts. 1. Shared Host 2. VPS Host 3. Cloud Host 4. Dedicated Host There are like more than 50+ webhosts in each of these category. That's where I come in. I have a consultation-based service on Fiverr. It costs just 5 bucks. I can help you choose the perfect webhost for your website by asking you several questions regarding your preferences and website qualifications and needs. I have extensively learned about hosting companies for like 2 years. I know each of their upsides and downsides, ranging from their RAM power, their customer support and many more things. I'm just trying to get my first sale on Fiverr. It will definitely boost my ranking. Let me know if you are interested.

[@MRSEXY4EVER]

Started freelancing on Upwork when I began working from home last year (because of covid). Since then, I have made an extra 15k just working part time! Overall it's been such a great experience but the 10-20% Upwork fee is pretty painful.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@donaldjrtrumpy8511]

hey what work you do though ?

[@curiousllama1442]

Well, Upwork proposes 4 or 5 times higher salary than my country so for me it's a pretty good option

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@curiousllama1442]

@@earningwithyelp7801 i know fiverr, but don't know yelp

[@user-1396]

Same, I live in Algeria and minimum wage here is 18000 DA which is 90 dollar/month. If you live in third world country like me these websites are like heaven.

[@manuh6142]

@@user-1396 any advice how to write a proposal

[@gigiwan3335]

@@earningwithyelp7801 yelp for web researching?

[@MartiinWalsh]

Great video Kenny, really insightful. Might give UpWork a try and see how it goes 👍

[@kennygunderman]

Give it a shot!

[@topazblu6209]

It's nice you encountered some decent clients. That's one of the issues I had when I worked on the platform before the name change. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@henrythomas7112]

Thank you a lot for this video. This is very interesting and informative. Keep posting like those amazing videos, this is awesome.

[@nova756]

thanks for the thorough review! i'd love to see videos about freelance sites you think are better options, especially for full-time work.

[@swolsauce9923]

I think freelance work in general is something that becomes more rewarding over time. As you keep working on projects and build a strong portfolio, it makes you more valuable, which also means more money. Experience and credentials is everything.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@Cahangir]

@@tatafrominsolvo3744 shut up please

[@MaiaB182]

I've been working at Upwork for months and all I've gotten is a contract for $5, working as a translator, transcriber, or making subtitles for KZbin is really hard on there because there's already SO MUCH COMPETITION, same goes for blog content writer, I keep trying because I really need money but I honestly don't think I'll make too much money on there.

[@mis7289]

Keep Trying even while you do other things, with upwork its slow at the start (it was for me too) but once it get's kicking it's amazing. Don't give up you just need to get noticed.

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

Learn other skills and please take testimonials also don't charge less tha 10$ per hour Do anything you are good at and Most important know the whole process of your service from start till end

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp?

[@DeGoya]

work smart not hard. Try to find better ways of making money

[@pranavmishra9521]

@@mrrohitjadhav470 Y not less than 10$ per hour....I thought the cheaper is the better because people look for getting jobs done at lowest possible cost....Am I wrong ?

[@grybx835]

Thank you so much, this video and the last one were both really helpful!

[@CodingWithJan]

Awesome content and super authentic. Results on Upwork also depend on the niche you're in. Ideally something in demand, that also gives your customer a great return on their investment so you can charge higher prices

[@thewritebrooke]

I do agree with all that you've said about Upwork. I lost my job about a month ago and, luckily, had a good amount of savings. I had tried Upwork MONTHS ago so I picked it back up. As far as it being a 'grind'...Absolutely! So far, I've made a little over $200 (before the fees taken out), but I do have about 6 open jobs right now. HOWEVER, I think the biggest difference between the prices for jobs between you and me is the niches we're in. It looks like you're in coding I think (new here sorry!) and I'm in writing/editing. The amounts people are trying to pay is so much lower with the jobs I've seen in the writing/editing niche. There are of course better-paying jobs but I don't have a lot of experience. Things are only just now starting to pick up in terms of money to time ratio, though it's still not enough to be able to support myself financially - nor do I think it will be. I think Upwork is best used for getting your feet wet in whatever niche you want to have a career in or just extra money. I don't think many people can really support themselves solely through Upwork. That's my take anyway!

[@inshirahashim4444]

I totally agree. I am into writing and editing niche as well and there are not many clients who are willing to pay that much also there is a very high competition

[@WriterandPhotographer]

I said the same thing in my comment..........in my case, I have been a full-time writer for 16 years with 5-star ratings on Upwork and its predecessor Elance. I don't even bother bidding anymore because the rates buyers want to pay "high quality" writers is ridiculous. (often below minimum wage) I have written more than a thousand published articles and ghost write for the financial services industry, and still when I have bid, I never get the jobs. Not worth my time and effort anymore.

[@NuggetsOfGold]

Good to hear your experience on up work. I have intentions to freelance there and your video is good on expeditions and what goes on there. Thanks for sharing.

[@SS3-Rick-Man-X]

I am gonna try this today. Thank you for your information as it was very helpful.

[@freeliberalminds]

Thanks Kenny for this very informative video of yours.

[@hamzaben9336]

You are a Decent guy ! Hope Will rock in Future😊

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@ANDREPEIXOTO1]

Me too. And I think he's already rocking; subscribed after watching the 7-day React learning.

[@mdmohiuddin3141]

next video "i spent 1 year Freelancing on upwork"

[@curiousnerdkitteh]

I wanna see this! With a whole progression timeline!

[@kingofyoutube9318]

He doesn't have the grit.

[@ceodarren2568]

Imma do dis fa myself.

[@ThePierre58]

Great video. i am researching Upwork and this is one of the best presentations.

[@rainoppus2521]

Thanks for the honest review! This is great and helpful review of upwork.

[@rosakwick5329]

Thank you for your video. I have been with UPWORK since 2015, but I wasn't that lucky as you were. It took me probably 3 months to get jobs as a translator from English to Spanish and such as others say, do works almost for free in order to get reviews. It takes time at UPWORK and it is a matter of a loooot of pacience. Also, there are sometimes (months) in which I do get very little work. We also have to be very careful about the scams, there are a lot of them. At the end, I believe that UPWORK is a good place with pacience.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@ahmedw5]

I watched your first video on Upwork and knew you would get paid more if you stayed for a bit longer. The way i see Upwork is like a side gig to get some extra money. Thank you for the video!

[@jadelaawar779]

Can I actually earn from there if I am a digital marketer

[@MiltonLittle-qr8ir]

Really clever explanation and no unnecessary verbiage! Respect! + subscription

[@mikedaddysikata5798]

Watching from Kenya 🇰🇪 love your videos I tried up work a couple of years back the competition is enormous.. too bad I gave up even before I started to earn. But very educative video I'm going to try my luck again

[@localmanke7078]

Hapa kuliendaje?

[@mikedaddysikata5798]

@@localmanke7078 bro nko on vibaya sana just upload your documents na marketing introduction video just the way he did n you are good to go

[@shingabiss]

I'm doing my first Upwork job now, so far so good. Thanks for posting your experiences.

[@raymondmambo7242]

I'd like to hear about the progress after a month

[@modathermohamed5460]

@@raymondmambo7242 me to

[@AK-cc6dv]

pls share your honest opinion after working 5 months?

[@sukami6118]

Hey how it works like the clients are sending me telegram links to contact about the work and they are offering to submit work on telegram so is that fake?… how upwork works?

[@SaltLake180]

Very good realistic review. Helped me decide about upwork. Thx

[@itumelengkgosana8833]

I've just registered on Upwork and it was good to see this video...I really enjoyed it. Thanks

[@francisroberts9010]

Thanks for sharing your upwork experience, I would be interested to know your opinion on upwork alternatives for freelancers working either full-time or part-time from the US or Canada.

[@FMehsen]

You should make a video comparing freelance platforms and providing better options than Upwork which indeed absorbs most of your profit.

[@tjkatz]

"People who value quality over getting the best deal". YES, bro. They're out there. You have to be patient and doing great work always helps but that's cool you stuck with it.

[@toxicvirgin]

Saw your channel from the YT recommended and I must say I ain't disappointed, nice video definitely earns a sub👍

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@Darryl_Smith]

@@earningwithyelp7801 stop spamming

[@earningwithyelp7801]

@@Darryl_Smith I am seller level one on fiverr with Yelp category

[@jackvial5591]

My first programming job was on upwork when it was oDesk. Ended up working with my first client for 4 years but moved off upwork after a few months. It's good for getting your foot in the door and getting some experience but they take too much of a cut.

[@vedranb6260]

To which platform did you move to, if it's not a secret?

[@jackvial5591]

@@vedranb6260 I started working for one of my clients directly and cut upwork out of the loop.

[@waqaralikhan6601]

@@jackvial5591 It could cause some cheating from the clients.

[@XzzVttll]

upwork was made by merging odesk and elance

[@frankrankin8218]

You are not charging enough! I know people on upwork charging $30-$35 an hour for level 2 msp work. As a developer you can easily pull $50 an hour!! Please do not under value yourselves as this makes the market worse for us!!!

[@MrShnazer]

more like you are overcharging.

[@innocentboi561]

@@MrShnazer no he is not overcharging

[@tatjanamit9034]

50$ is LOW.

[@innocentboi561]

@@tatjanamit9034 ohhhh i get u

[@gonsleiva3595]

You have to charge minimal amounts on petty jobs at the beginning just to get those reviews which gets your foot on the door. Then once you have some minimum credibility you can charge $50+ an hour

[@IamDavidGauthier]

Good start! All about consistency and building your reviews/relationships with clients.

[@sushanrai3172]

Keep going ! You got it

[@dtPlaythroughs]

Avg pay for Java developer is $60-80/hr at mid-level which seems like where you are at (if not senior). So $40/hr is awful. I do wonder if this is a good way to get your foot in the door though or just have fun on the side. Interesting video though. Thanks for sharing and keeping production quality so high!

[@kennygunderman]

Agreed!

[@ImperialAlterEgo]

Hi, I get payed $6/hr and I'm a fullstack java dev working with Spring, I am about to finish my degree in Computer Science also. (:

[@colinmaddox8567]

Hey brotha thanks for putting up amazing content. Found your page here recently. Dropping out of college after this semester to pursue development. I would love to have a mentor to check in with every so often and make sure I’m following the right path. I understand you are busy with LIFE but it would go an extremely long way for me. This hasn’t worked for any other you tubers I’ve reached out to but I understand everyone has their own life with stuff going on and at the end of the day you can’t reach out to everyone individually which is why content is created. I’m going to document my journey from beginning to end as well 👍🏼 looking forward to hearing back.

[@kennygunderman]

For sure dude! Feel free to contact me via email- you can find my email address in my about page 🤘

[@colinmaddox8567]

@@kennygunderman roger that man! Sounds good 👊🏼

[@jackmullin9247]

Don't drop out of college. Easier to get a decent career in development if you have a degree in it! It will show up on your CV as a quitter! I almost left uni to go back to college but the Dean told me it would be a massive mistake he was right I buckled down got the degree and that's on my CV now. Something I grafted at and didn't quit! Your choice. Sounds like your on the wrong course or something? Maybe change course for something more interesting?

[@colinmaddox8567]

@@jackmullin9247 yeah I’m looking into WGU’s online degree in software development. I work full time but I understand it’s been done before so no reason I couldn’t do it. I am majoring in biology but I thought for the longest time development was just a “hobby” when really I have no problem focusing in on code but the math/science realm is a whole other beast. I appreciate the input Jack. I’m 23 years old and in my sophomore year. Patience has always been a core value I have lacked but maybe it’s time to work on that.

[@brianestepa2376]

@@colinmaddox8567 hey! One year later, how are things going for you?

[@zekrullahanayatzada1753]

Thanks for honest explanation buddy 👍

[@ohsugarstop]

very informative. thanks for this!

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@btbees1]

You neglected to mention that in order to work on Upwork, you must obtain their ID Verification Badge, providing Facial Recognition, Voice Recognition, ID, and Banking information that is provided to NSA.

[@waffrentrager8216]

Yeah you should, after you complete the verification process, you get verified badge besides your name tag. It looks cool tho 😎👍

[@user-vi3wm6cs1c]

Me who can't get a single job yet 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@EE-uj6tw]

Don’t worry,all these videos are absolute BS

[@sambosco11]

Man I love your studio

[@pankajbhandari4180]

O" what a genuine man, thanks for the review.

[@peterngochannel]

I run a small business, I run most of my operation on Upwork, businesses are willing to pay more for quality work. Just get as many 5 stars as you can first, then don't low-ball to get clients, less stressful and more money.

[@damienbradshaw]

Upwork isn't as lucrative for countries like US, UK because they have a higher currency value. For countries like Philippines, India, Ukraine, it's beautiful because the conversion rate is awesome. Even for my country, Barbados, it's 2 to 1 for the dollar so I made a pretty good amount on Upwork at $35 - $50/hr.

[@romanreigns8184]

Guide us

[@123ftw1]

I agree. I currently live in UK and I'm making more money in a warehouse than I would be in Upwork. I'm studying CS to earn more, not less...

[@mercedessmith2646]

I like that you are real and very honest.

[@theloa7154]

No idea why you ended up in my recommended but I am glad you did veery informative great video.

[@nikolajovanovic8571]

I got lucky to have first client on upwork for full-time long-term project (depends on amount of work, cuz it's paid by hour). Started with 28, now 34$/h. And by time, the upwork fee is lowered to 5%, after 3 months. I'm happy with the client and the job. I'm not from USA, but I would say that someone from there would be ok with that. So I would say it's pretty good for someone that wants to be flexible and that values his time. But you gotta be a bit lucky 🙂

[@gonewild7386]

Can foreigners signup on upwork ? Or only Americans ?

[@MidnightSt]

the job application thing - going against 50 people or so. i have found out that it doesn't really matter if you have the skill, and will to write up a good application. and the best applications seem to be... you just spill out your thoughts on the project and questions you'd need answered anyway, and outline how you think you're going to do what needs to be done. the clients there CAN recognize skilled person who's kinda already on the job (thinking about how to do it and what they need for doing it), and the remaining 40 applications of "i can do teh codez for 10 bucks because i'm from india" won't matter (unless the client is a moron in which case... bullet dodged), and the rest of 10 applications who took the time same as you... well, those are fair and reasonable competition.

[@anderslars3399]

Well as a client i would rather take freelancer's from india than paying my butt off for a simple job

[@MahmoudMahmoud-xo4xe]

ifkr!

[@Tech-Corner2023]

@@anderslars3399 if it is a simple job to be done for 6 or 10 dollars, then do it yourself?? why to spend time to upload.

[@christiansalada7314]

This is very helpful. I am actually considering starting freelancing. :)

[@voltairepabustan]

Thanks for sharing this!💰👍

[@calebandersonvo4006]

I use Upwork as a voice over artist. It's really solid in that regard. I average about $30 an hour with the work that I do. Some of it isn't glamerous, but it works as a way to get some solid practice as an amateur

[@bassam4404]

Bro please do a second month cuz the second month will be accurate more then being new freelance who is trying to get whatever job

[@derricksiawor]

Haha omg! the "Previously on..." made me laugh. Gained a new subscriber. Nice comedic angle.

[@htstffcmnthru]

Nice channel kenny!

[@wnywebdevelopment8757]

Thanks for being so transparent. It's tough for anyone from the United States to start out on a platform like Upwork without reviews. Everyone knows that India and Pakistan have the upper hand when it comes to those platforms. They can always do the job cheaper. What irritates me when using a platform like that is the language barrier. I've paid $75 for 3000 word blog content and gotten garbage. Twice! Articles never ranked and I had to rewrite a lot of it because they used ai to write articles that made no sense because they don't understand English.

[@shivanipathak5380]

I'm Indian and we do know english. You just had a bad experience with sucky people and that can happen anywhere. And I've been freelancing for a while and still haven't gotten a single gig so its not easy for all of us. We have to work hard too.

[@Iam.wayward]

@@shivanipathak5380 +1

[@Mogwai88]

@@shivanipathak5380 I think the point is that many people in india and pakistan have lower cost of living so can work for cheaper, thus driving down the rate the hirer is willing to pay.

[@Unseeliesiren]

@@shivanipathak5380 I can empathize with that. I've been freelancing for a while now and have yet to find anything. It's very discouraging.

[@thenest.4656]

​@@Unseeliesiren I feel you brother.

[@ssmufc9941]

Living in the UK, Upwork just isn't worth it. Unless everyone starts to value themselves higher rather than undercutting each other, it's just a platform that benefits clients only.

[@operandexpanse]

That's not true in my experience. I do fine on Upwork charging $55 an hour.

[@avinashrohit6593]

@@operandexpanse What is it that you do?

[@operandexpanse]

@@avinashrohit6593 web and software development.

[@helenzarembo]

I’m also 55$/h 😊

[@heathersimmons1996]

That’s not true. For me my first upwork job was a $20 gig now I’ve grew to an agency brining in anywhere from $200 to $400 a week. Total I’ve made over $10k and I’m top rated

[@Tristen501]

Comment to help with the KZbin algorithm. Good info. 👍

[@Mojoballer]

Love the honesty

[@Sahrokh]

A thing Kenny did not talk about is: on Upwork not everyone is welcome. They decide that certain programming languages are not "cool" or too many people know them, so they reject your application.

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@joseph3036]

What are those 'not cool' programming languages?

[@robbirobson7330]

@@joseph3036 probably talking about cobol

[@robertv.8893]

@Vahrokh Vain states is true, but not only for programming languages. Upwork only accept what you offer if there is already a market for it.

[@alimaruf503]

I've watched your video. I'd like to ask you, as you think upwork as 'Just Okay' for a dev freelancer, from your 30 daya experience, which platform would you like to suggest ? . That'd be much better if you can provide a comparative video on different freelancing platform.

[@yashuarushed1877]

thanks I got motivated by your video

[@mdmohiuddin3141]

i wish i had as much knowledge as you have now :)))

[@rickyticky3350]

It really depends on each individual. Not everyone goes through the same experience

[@SulaimanBotha]

You should do a series where you try out freelance platforms fro 30 days, that would be cool

[@kennygunderman]

What sites should I try next?

[@SulaimanBotha]

@@kennygunderman try out fiverr, it's quite popular these days

[@armamia.1701]

And Freelancer. I need tips for getting my proposals accepted

[@juanpasten6077]

Yes!

[@BoredGhostInk]

Don’t forget Honeybook

[@manishs_]

Loved this video, really helped put things in perspective. As a freelancer, where would you recommend going to source potential clients?

[@cloudsurfing3900]

Very good and concise video

[@merebhayl5826]

Thanks for the great review :) I saw Upwork isn't easy for freelancing. But what other platform do you recommend for online freelancing?

[@yuurinikiforov758]

The saddest about Upwork is, if you are freelancer from East Africa like Somalia they just ghost you *sobs*

[@ibomohamud]

What you mean i am from somalia!

[@ismailhaniya4520]

change location bro am in Kenya and most freelancers work from Georgia

[@adewumiademola855]

@@ismailhaniya4520 How did you go about this, please?

[@AntoineJacques]

@@ismailhaniya4520 hi how do you change location? Vpn?

[@RadBunny2269]

Yup. Kenyans know this as well..

[@imovies6217]

Thanks bro for the insight

[@BeGoodNow5]

Great video, very useful info. Thank you!

[@jameselorcha9307]

Much love! ❤️ Thanks to this video 🥰 James - Upwork freelancer 🥳

[@theprimecoder4981]

i am living in a third world country, earning 400+ a month that is like mining gold

[@S4sent]

I started with upwork then moved to toptal and i am really happy that i did that. I don't care how much cut toptal makes i get what i have set my price that enough for me. Without the hassle of hunting for projects.

[@alitopedits]

Hey since you're anonymous here can you tell me your hourly rate on toptal and or how much can a developer earn annually there realistically? Im doing front end and am curious.

[@abdelalimdebilou3238]

This is very inspiring!

[@davecodes4551]

Good content! New subscriber!

[@earningwithyelp7801]

Do u know about Yelp on fiverr?

[@irajahmed731]

So what are the freelancing websites good for landing jobs in the US? also international, and lastly is it worth the hours you put into the work?

[@brianna_jade]

Upwork has been an incredible platform for me, and honestly the key platform I use for my freelancing business. I loved this video though! For those who are just starting on the platform, don't give up, keep trying! It's taken me ~6 months to become a top rated freelancer and I make a living through it.

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@evertars]

Great video!