I Spent 30 Days Freelancing on Upwork

[@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.

[@MetrucTon]

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]

@@MetrucTon I Wanna know. Too

[@duwatv7901]

What kind of work is that?

[@nanaambakeys2529]

Could you please teach me

[@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 😂

[@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?

[@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?

[@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?

[@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

[@BhargavSushant]

Teach me sensei

[@caravanlifenz]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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 ?

[@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!

[@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 ?

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@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?

[@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. (:

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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!

[@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 😎👍

[@FMehsen]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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...

[@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

[@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?

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.😁

[@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.

[@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

[@MahmoudMahmoudTobi]

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.

[@What_am_I_doing_here]

I absolutely agree with him. My first job on Upwork was worth $12 and the second one was $45. It took me so much time to work on them and just felt like it wasn’t worth it. But I kept on working and my 3rd job was $500, with 4th being $1000 and it kept on increasing. Fast forward 1 year, now I’m making $20k+ on a monthly basis and I have a full time job too. The platform is totally worth it so don’t lose hope if you don’t get a reply. I didn’t get a proper job for months.

[@webdev8284]

Aria are you ever going to have a website at some point?

[@What_am_I_doing_here]

@@webdev8284 I already do.

[@webdev8284]

@@What_am_I_doing_here Well I'm really trying hard to get an order from somebody for 5$. I handle problems related to wordpress and HTML. Let me know if you are interested.

[@stormproductions9155]

$20k+ per month, really? I seriously doubt you. With the all the limitations that it comes with. You must be a true guru at what you do then. There are less expensive ways to earn way much more money than $20K per month just so you know.

[@zainfarooq5248]

Bro, Do you do all of your work or outsource some part of your work?

[@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 ?

[@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.

[@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

[@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..

[@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.

[@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

[@CBQReview]

I’ve been on upwork for 6 months now doing web development and I’ve been able to cut my hours at my job significantly. I love it so much

[@tatafrominsolvo3744]

Insolvo is better than Upwork

[@Wonderlaust]

@@tatafrominsolvo3744 no one is going to use your shit website

[@redhood5670]

How much did you make weakly

[@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

[@digitalScribr]

My experience on Upwork was way stranger and shorter. I paid a fee to bid on jobs, that same day a client reached out. He loved my portfolio and wanted me to add a blog to an already establish site. Once we spoke over the phone, he decided to go with someone else. At first I did not think it was racially motivated, but I've experiencing quite a bit of that. I decided to dig into Upworks comment section and found out some interesting things that are bias and motivated by discrimination. Most importantly, it does not matter how many five star reviews you have, you will be denied opportunities.

[@Foxie635]

I am using it now and it’s frustrating. The issue is that developers don’t have templates to acquire information from me. They complain how much work it would be, blah, blah, blah. Yet, no one could give me a fair estimate nor provide me with a prototype to convince me they could complete my website. Want to develop my platform??

[@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

[@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

[@ChristyAK47]

I worked 2 weeks and get 13 dollars, I know it's too low but some of my friends says that they don't even get a job on Upwork and that's true also getting a job in Upwork is really tough

[@cyrymorante4887]

FACTS

[@mauriciosolano9342]

Sometimes it is Got 4 days on Upwork 1st day, I sent my first one Got $500 Then I sent 50 on the coming days And the rate they say they're getting is more than 70% off of the original budget WTF

[@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.

[@neilanderson-upworkforbegi9221]

My first weeks on Upwork was almost identical. From what I heard is that when you get 10-15 solid 5-star reviews you start getting bombarded with inbound job offers on the platform. I will try to find out if this is true or not myself haha. Great video btw!

[@ShakhNur1]

So? is that true?

[@B888-h2o]

How much per hour do you charge ?

[@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?

[@chrismcintosh2286]

Your rate is still skewed lower than average for a developer. A couple of things to consider that 20% drops down a lot lower the longer a contract / more money you earn on it. They prioritize long-term relationships more than short-term gigs.

[@ElanCarson]

What about 1099 taxes? If that’s around %15 depending on what state you live in, that’s $340-ish bucks for 19 hours. That’s less than $20 an hour. Makes me a bit glum

[@calumvaughan8690]

I found out about Upwork about 1.5 years ago, I had basically no experience in professional content writing but applied for some shit-pay jobs (which often still pay better than minimum wage in England) and found it fairly easy to find work. 1.5 years later I have earned about $50,000 on the platform from content writing, only working like 10 to 20 hours a week. It's been an absolute life changer. However, the money went to my head and I was just travelling Europe blasting Upwork and spending money that I should have been putting aside for tax. I did not put money aside, and once I realized this was a problem, I lost my two clients that both paid $70 and $120 per hour respectively. Baaad situation cos I now need to come up with like $10,000 because of the weird UK tax system. was worried for a couple of days until I get offered a job today of someone offering 500 ARTICLES at $80 each for a total of $40,000, needing every single article in the next month. Wish me luck because if this goes ahead, my soul is committed to upwork for the next month

[@ShakhNur1]

Good luck!

[@Web-developer22]

Can I see any example of your articles?

[@denniskingori2900]

Good luck mate

[@bakeraus]

Good luck my guy! It's easy to do especially if you are young and easy money coming in. Keep us updated how you go! You got this!

[@Belawithnoalcohol]

You should outsource and become the editor lol

[@sixstanger00]

I was considering upwork, but honestly it reeks of DesignCrowd to me. $21/hr is pretty pathetic pay for someone of your skill level. Most of the job listings I saw on Upwork were people wanting the next Amazon for the price of a one-night stay at a Holiday Inn Express. If you know multiple languages like Java, JS, HTML, CSS, PHP, etc then you are easily worth more than $21/hr (regardless of your geographic location) -- Java is Java, no matter what corner of the world you're in. $45/hr should be the absolute bare minimum. In addition to coding, I do design work with PShop, Illustrator, etc. I won't even get out of bed for less than $45/hr. Developers charge higher rates for the same reason doctors do -- the customer is paying for the *_knowledge and skills,_* not the labor.

[@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.

[@kylecampbell586]

You should make your own version of up work and get rid of all the B.S. one time 10 dollar fee per year for applicants an one time 20-50 dollar fee for client sourcing

[@TCTFounder]

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

[@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.

[@missmusungu]

You are lucky you got a contract in your early stages on Upwork. Some of us took years to do so.

[@TheGrinningSkull]

You have to go for a super simple small job and not mind doing it at a "loss", just to get that 5 star review. That just propels the algorithm in your favour.

[@missmusungu]

@@TheGrinningSkull That's true. I am currently a top rated freelancer on Upwork and I still find it hard to get a successful application. I have freelanced since 2015 and I got that badge end of last year. It's still tough.

[@TheGrinningSkull]

@@missmusungu I agree, I'm also finding it tough in certain regards. I'm finding that 10% of my time is spent on project proposals as well. But yeah, I was only referring to the first job to even become noticeable and top rated. My experience was similar to this video. It took me a month before I got a first proposal through and that was for a $20 job that took less then a day to do, but after that 5 star review, I was starting to see other projects come through.

[@missmusungu]

@@TheGrinningSkull yea that's the true journey of Upwork. And now with covid it's now having more freelancers hence high competition.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

He seems like a very competent programmer. Not luck. He also accepts jobs for under minimum wage when he could easily make 100k in the field

[@savydaniel]

5 star reviews is not gonna help much these days, as any freelancer from a certain country will work for basically free, in exchange for reviews. Almost all my reviews are 5 star (98% of them), I have 100% JSS, I've been top rated for years and yet, with upwork's changes, I still end up with no projects. And I am a frikin' full-time freelancer. I do have a $50/h rate, but that's always up for debate. Still, I'm no indian..

[@omkar6107]

I am an Indian, and In India, with $50/h rate you would make more money in 10 days than what professionals get paid in a month. Most developers in India make just $500-700 a month.

[@Sky_Nett]

Fish curry

[@romanreigns8184]

@@Sky_Nett ter####!st

[@ibukunokunoye4795]

I love your genuine advices and video!

[@sergiocespedes8345]

I've been sending proposals for 30 days and I didn't get a single job. I already spent like 80 connections. And now I will have to pay to continue sending applications to jobs

[@kennygunderman]

Oh man....

[@kevamorim]

What is your niche?

[@sergiocespedes8345]

@@kevamorim I make 3D animation of products

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

@@sergiocespedes8345 do you have testimonials ? Don't send randomly pls and put effort in building you profile, process and communication

[@salepg]

Man, I know how so you feel. I sent over 100 job aplications (PHP and related jobs), and got zero jobs. Over 80% of clients was fake (after posting a jobs they never came back). I lost few days just to make my profile attactive, read a lot about making offers. Never helped. I was unable to reach an interview.

[@BooksInTheVoid]

Different experience. No idea if this is something that happens to everyone, but found out the hard way that if you don't start earning right away or don't start applying for jobs right away, your profile goes invisible, which has happened to me. You have to pay to make it visible again or start earning. All I can do for now is apply for work. My husband uses upwork and since he's a web dev he is a lot more in demand. I'm a content writer. So, I'm sure there are tons of people applying for the same jobs I am. But i'm hanging in there.

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

What would you recommend for a freelancer instead of Upwork?

[@StuartHetzler]

been on upwork for about 5 months now as an audio engineer. Just hit 2k earned and i do about one proposal per day .the problem is it's absolutely crawling with people from impoverished countries that are perfectly happy getting 6 dollars an hour and that really drags the value of your field down. and add to that the entitled scumbags who want a whole album mixed and mastered and want to pay $30 for it. That being said, i do it as a side hustle to my real job, so it's 2k i wouldn't have had otherwise, so it's still a net positive

[@theprimecoder4981]

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

[@DeGoya]

Not worth it for me. If you want to work as a freelancer, build your portfolio, network and find your niche. You get way more money, for way less stress and hard work

[@RadBunny2269]

The trade of is the time this takes. If one can afford that time then yeah, this works out best.

[@rickyticky3350]

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

[@mentalstatement]

The point of upwork is for people to find more affordable freelancers.. I worked with a dev in Ukraine to make an app.. cost 2k to make. A North American Dec would have changed 20-30k to make the same app

[@moneyindabank]

Upwork gets their cut then the government gets their cut. No win situation.

[@rosemaryfengchannel]

I hate it Upwork has 20% of each gig we got. Besides, I see the trends for non-code gigs is the cheapest offer competition. Especially these gigs like mandarin/Chinese translation, I got around 10 gig proposals, then after first-time contact or interview, nothing happened till now. So just know get it...

[@princeclark4659]

Been on upwork part time for a year now, it has its drawbacks but once you pass the $10k mark then things start to get easier, you are now Top Rated (assuming you maintained a 5 star rating) and commission is now 10% after the first $500 for non featured jobs, for featured jobs it's 10% outright. I don't even apply for jobs anymore, I just get invited to them. You need to maintain a good profile and don't take on any job, it's important to take on quality jobs only.

[@joshuaramcharan9735]

What line of work.

[@lunaloynaz-lopez2318]

@@joshuaramcharan9735 A lot of these comments are clearly fake. I think there's something fishy going on with Upwork trying to make themselves look good. Lots of people commenting amazing success stories and never answering anything else. Very fishy

[@kbprojekty]

@@lunaloynaz-lopez2318 Lol just been thinking the same thing. If they are so quick to brag and someone gives them more opportunity to do so, how come they never answer? It looks very suspicious.

[@МИЛОШ-ч8и]

Im 16 and I paid $500 for a python course. Im determinated to finish it and I will spend the whole summer and a good portion of fall on studying it. I hope im going to find some $20/hour jobs.

[@anubhabbhattacharjee476]

Upwork is everything for me. In lockdown Upwork saved me and my family's life. Without Upwork I might be died in starvation and lockdowns. My father runs business which is dependends on education. So in COVID my father had no job. I was giving some tuitions to some of my students and by that money we were running our life. But when I learnt Upwork, I devoted my whole time on this platform and it's gave me results Did 26 jobs in lockdown and earn $100k in 2 years which is huge amount of money in India. So I am so grateful to have Upwork in my life.

[@webdev8284]

Bro can I talk with you about Upwork. I have some questions? Well, lot of questions to be honest.

[@LAM_G80085]

Can you please tell us what type of jobs you did?

[@anubhabbhattacharjee476]

@@LAM_G80085 mathematics tutoring

[@LAM_G80085]

@@anubhabbhattacharjee476is that on upwork? i am planning to upskill myself so that I can start making some money 😄

[@anubhabbhattacharjee476]

@@LAM_G80085 yes, you can deliver content and other courses too

[@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.

[@erickmoya1401]

Not asking you to do more, but 1 month is the basic. Would be great to know how it works on a period of six months, and how it goes with drought seasons.

[@bin4ry_d3struct0r]

I am so glad I never landed a single job on UpWork and gave up after a week. It's like just barely above minimum wage. So, what is the best platform for freelancers?

[@cenderlynsayner9300]

I understand what you are trying to say. At first, it was a very tough. But after 2months of working as a Virtual Assistants, I made $1000/a week sometime more than that.

[@jamesinsekta1245]

Wow how ? Can u send me details ma'am thank you

[@archishapaliwal9794]

Hey please tell me how long it took you to find a job, I need help. If you could share some tips it would be great :)

[@JustinWellsDev]

I’ve been considering upwork, but have ultimately decided to just try to get my own income and apps going. I’ve got a full time job paying $55/hour USD, in a low cost of living area so I’m just looking to add more income streams. I think since it’s purely supplemental income it’ll be better for me in the long haul to get passive income from already developed apps.

[@rjbasilio2002]

Been in Upwork for 13 years now, and it saved my life. Now I'm living my life to the fullest.

[@luka2549]

What do you do?

[@FsdYT]

I applied for first job on upwork, got hired and it was my first proposal on upwork...and earned $1.5k like in 4 days.

[@FsdYT]

@fanat scandelli web developer

[@1234abcd12344]

Upwork is great for getting very cheap dev work and for international wokers where a US dollar is worth alot! US developers not so much...

[@jamiebennett6354]

You can take a client outside of Upwork IF you make yourself a company (simple business license) and hire them, Upwork can NOT contest that

[@imposter3205]

For all those saying this is a lot in their countries - if you're doing the same work you should be paid the same, regardless of country.

[@patrickargao7602]

Been with Upwork since 2015 doing Customer Service and been satisfied so far! Upwork clients has provided me the income I need to do things I can't do when I was working in a call center. 😍 Though, it's disheartening to see Customer Service projects for $3 doing phone support, live chats and emails. Overall, can't complain!

[@webdev8284]

Hey, Are you ever going to have a website at some point?

[@АртурПалуанов]

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

[@EE-uj6tw]

Don’t worry,all these videos are absolute BS

[@dawg868]

I make over 10k a month on upwork, some months ive made over 15k so its just about grinding you are right. But once you get a flow and keep at it, its awesome. Now I have a whole team setup so I can take on even more work trying to get to 20k monthly would be solid

[@webdev8284]

hey man, can I talk to you?

[@StefanoBenatti]

disclaimer: I'm an engineering manager at Toptal. That said, I worked 2 years as a freelancer in Toptal's network before joining the core team and becoming an actual employee. As for my actual opinion, I do recommend Toptal quite heavily, as it doesn't have a lot of those marketplace shenanigans seen in others. You don't pay to apply, you can't pay to boost your profile, you set your own rates, and there's no bidding/auction for who does it for less going on. And if you do part/full-time engagements, you may talk with the client to get rid of having to time-track all the things if you build trust. You still can't work with clients outside the network, but that should be a given for any offshore/freelancing services. It is heavily curated both for clients and talents, so it has a harsher selection process, but I do think it's the best option for more mature/senior people.

[@sujit_webdev]

Thanks for sharing! By any chance are people with 0.5 years of experience in front end development (react.js) able to get gigs? I'm from India and wish to join. I have never had any freelancing experience

[@StefanoBenatti]

@@sujit_webdev react is one of the "hot freelancing" skills right now, so if you're able to join the network (there are tests, and they are not easy, I recommend checking glassdoor for more info), you'll certainly be able to land a job.

[@sujit_webdev]

@@StefanoBenatti Ahh ok. Will do

[@Mafa__B]

It’s never worked for me it’s not easy to get a job I’ve been applying and deleted the app. Download it again a while after still nothing, it’s not easy especially if you have never made any previous work on upwork . It’s just not easy it’s very difficult

[@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.