8 Possible Reasons Why You are not Getting Hired on Upwork.

The reasons why you are not getting hired on Upwork, Freelancer are many and bidding for jobs can be frustrating.

Clients are interested in freelancers that will give them a value for their money, and there are a couple of reasons why you are not getting hired.

When I started out freelancing on odesk (now Upwork) I had a hard time landing a job/getting hired. I would bid day and night. Setting my alarm clock to wake me up in  the wee hours of the night to check on my job status.

“Have I been Hired?” ( The thoughts running on my mind) Guess what, the only notifications I was receiving on my email included: The Client Chose another Contractor, You did not meet the client requirements.

To cut the long story short, I almost gave up. I did my research and with my experience of not getting hired, I realized the reasons as to why I was not getting hired. True Story.

I rarely apply for jobs on Upwork rather I get job invites from clients because I learned the reasons why I was not getting hired.

i) A Poor Cover Letter

Your job application / cover letter is your first connection with a potential client. It is your first chance to put your best foot forward. If you craft a good cover letter that fulfills client requirements with regard to the particular job posting then you are halfway into the interview.

If your cover letter is betraying your job application read more on how to write a killer cover letter.

ii) Incomplete Profile

Do you have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account? Almost everybody has an account. I believe you give it your all when populating your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. Your Upwork Profile is no different. (Without all the flashy photos and weird nicknames)

When you apply to a job posting, clients look at your profile information to see if you have the skills they desire, what is your job history and feedback you have received from other clients.

Ensure all aspects of your profile are well covered, with the relevant information. Let employers know who you are by a glance of your profile.

In case you are having a problem get to know the tips and tricks to create a compelling odesk profile

iii) Irrelevant Portfolio Items

Relevant Portfolio items or samples are very important on your profile. I have made a lot of money from the samples on my profile.

Your portfolio items need to match your skills. You should not have samples that betray your skills. Clients end up getting confused. Always update your portfolio items often.

iv) Lack of Tests on your profile

How would I know that one knows a particular language, skill, software or task ? By having relevant tests. Tests are important in making you look professional and capable of handling tasks. Take as many tests as possible, pass and make the results visible to employers.

The most important test that you need to take is the English tests specifically the U.S. English and U.K. English Basic Skills Test.

This test should be followed by tests in your field. If you do article writing, there are tests for that. Basically any skill that you have there is a skill for that.

Read More on the Reasons Why Taking Skill Tests Is good for your Freelancing Career.

v) Too Many Active Contracts

Do you have too many inactive contracts? If yes you need to close all those contracts in a polite way. I do have many contracts on my profile and not once or twice that I have missed a job because of those jobs.

Although I have too many jobs in progress, I still work on them once in a while and therefore the reason my profile has too many active contracts.

vi) Better Competition

If there are freelancers who are better than you, the chances are high they will always be chosen over you. This is a reason for you to lose out on a job application.

What do you do to ensure that you run down all that competition? Research your competition and find out what they are doing better than you.

Read More on Why Spying or Researching on your Freelance Competition is Important

vii) No Feedback or job history

Although there are some employers who welcome newbies (new freelancers/ freelancers that have never received any job), most employers prefer a freelancer with good feedback or job history. It only makes them confident in your capabilities. If this is your case you need to keep bidding relevantly and often to make sure that you land a job.

viii) Lack / Inadequate Skills

If you are inadequately skilled then the chances of you not getting a job on any of the freelancing websites are very high.

Clients are interested in freelancers that have the required skills to handle and make their job a success. If this is your case ensure that you improve your skills to get work and paid.

There you have it. Those are some of the reasons why you are not getting hired on Upwork and any other freelancing website.

Correct any mistakes that you are having and you will start landing contracts within no time.

Bonus: 5 Websites to Learn and Improve your Freelancing Skills

I highly appreciate your feedback, therefore feel free to follow up with any concerns, comments, and questions on the comments section below or  Freelancer Insights Facebook Page or you can Contact Me.