4 Solid Reasons To Avoid Freelance Marketplaces Like Upwork
Lessons of an Ex-Top Rated Upwork Freelancer
It’s been one year since I last used Upwork. This may come as a surprise to those who recall how I was parading my top-rated talent badge on social media, but it’s true. Over time I’ve learned there are several other ways to land freelance clients and freelance marketplaces sit right at the bottom of that hierarchy.
The top rated status meant I was amongst the top 10% of freelancers on the platform; During my time on Upwork, I completed around 130 hours of work and earned in excess of $5000. I made 15 proposals for contracts:
- 12 were cold applications
- 3 were from people I met offline and asked to set up the contract via Upwork.
I did not secure any of the contracts I applied for cold.
Basically, I was shooting myself in the foot. It was not necessary for me to use the platform in the first place but I did so for two reasons: 1) It offered protection against clients who may try not to pay up and 2) I thought it was the only way to build credibility as a freelancer.
