How to get a long term paid freelance gig on Upwork.com

Hi everybody. This isn't some shameless self promotion article talking about how I achieved something nobody else can.
Nor is it some slimy sales pitch leading to a webinar prompting you to pay $50 a month to be part of some facebook group that might help you get freelance gigs. Bugger that, I'm above all that.

The truth is, I make a reasonable income (enough for my family to live on) through Upwork.com, working for a small Australian startup.

There is no clever hack for how I did this, just a few simple techniques I used. If you are interested in freelancing, I recommend going in with a bit of prior knowledge and doing some research.
I hope this article helps point you in the right direction.

1. First, sign up to some freelancing sites. I exclusively work on Upwork.com, however there is also guru.com, freelancer.com and others. I have had the best results from Upwork, but they aren't without their issues too. In my opinion, don't restrict yourself, join all the big ones. Google will tell you who they are.

2. Complete your profile. Make sure, if it's in upwork.com, the completion bar says "100%." In order to do this, you'll need to get some testimonials or referees from prior jobs (non freelance work is fine, just paste in references from any work or volunteer work you've done). Also, get a decent photo of yourself and put it on your profile. I followed the https://freelancetowin.com/ (Not an affiliate link) blog. Danny suggests using https://www.photofeeler.com/ (not an affiliate)
   I did and I like to think it improved my photo. I just used an iPhone to take the photo, but I suppose you could get one taken professionally if you wanted. I personally didn't bother.

3. Work out what to charge. You need enough money to get by, but I also wanted to prepare for times without work and have some extra spending money. So take all this into account, and remember you'll probably be paid in US dollars, so remember to convert to your local currency. You can set this as your going rate in Upwork and many other sites.

4. Decide what sort of work you want to do. If you have IT skills, you will have an advantage. Secretarial and administrative skills are also quite lucrative. Some people become writers. Copywriters can command some big contracts, but some clients are known to "take the piss" when it comes to writing contracts, meaning they expect heaps of rewrites, or change the scope of the job after the contract has started. If you become a writer, good on you, just be prepared to tell clients if they are pushing the boundaries of good business and be prepared to make them agree to further payment if they change the scope or keep sending back good quality work. I chose Information Technology, and work as a remote helpdesk engineer.

5. Go to http://www.fulltimenomad.com/upwork-proposal-tips-sample/ (Not an affiliate) and get some proposal templates.

6. Search for jobs within your area of interest. On upwork.com you can filter on whether the client has a verified payment method. I recommend only searching clients who have this endorsement, as this avoids scams and means you are guaranteed payment by upwork.

7. Apply for 2 contracts a day. No more. Use the templates from step 5 to apply. Modify them as necessary.
   If you apply for 2 roles a day, you don't burn yourself out, you can put as much time as you want into each application, making sure it's your best work. If you cannot find 2 roles a day to apply for, check that you're not being too picky. Remember, it's ok to do a couple of jobs for less than you'd like to, as this builds your reputation. Eventually you'll become more in demand and clients will start approaching you when you turn up in their searches. Make sure your proposals are well written, well thought out. Treat each one like a job interview and "put your best foot forward."

8. Lastly, never give up. It's easy to become disheartened after 2 weeks if you don't have any wins. If this happens, make sure you are in the right area of expertise. Also, if you get any rejection notes, look at the reasons they had for rejecting you and consider modifying your pitch. For example, if someone needs a Wordpress theme installed and you bid $20, but it would only take you 15 minutes to do, maybe you should have only bid $5 or $10, especially if this client hasn't spent much.
   Just be mindful of all the variables.

One final note. You don't need a paid upwork.com membership. It allows you to apply for more jobs each month, but if you are looking for work, chances are you don't have extra money. Paid membership in my experience, counts for nothing. I don't pay for my membership and I am employed full time on Upwork.com

If you have any stories, questions or opinions on freelancing, especially on Upwork.com, feel free to post them in the comments. If I like them, I might upvote.