Imagine that you are actively looking for your next role, and the next time you try to submit a job application on Indeed or Glassdoor, you have to input your credit card details before submitting your application. C’est bizarre, right? Let us look at it another way – it is like submitting my CV in a retail store, and they ask me to pay $5 before the HR lady can take a look at my CV. This is an honest review of Upwork.
I don’t know any other way to sugarcoat this, but it is sad when a platform defeats its original purpose in the name of capitalism! But that is not the purpose of this post.
It took me years of convincing to finally join Upwork in 2022 (because my counterparts said ‘it was a bigger platform than Fiverr – which I love, by the way), and when I finally joined the platform, I was glad that I had chosen Fiverr first. Many things were off to me – the most off-setting one was that I had to pay for connects to keep my profile visible on the platform. Nothing like I had seen on other platforms!
But I think the right question is, ‘What is happening to Upwork’?
Lately, there has been a lot of criticism and frustration on Reddit from freelancers on the platform, especially top-rated freelancers who have made a ton of money from the platform. I already had my frustrations and quit the platform altogether.
But the other day, while I was going through Quora and Reddit for a CSS solution for my blog layout, I stumbled on a thread, and behold, everyone was venting about their frustrations with the platform, including seasoned freelancers on the platform.
First, Upwork is not the promising platform it once was. What used to be a gold mine for freelancing opportunities and talents is becoming frustrating and a playground for con clients.
Further reading: 12+ Hard Truths I Learnt About Freelancing
Whether you are a new or existing freelancer on the platform, you may have noticed certain drawbacks with the platform and here’s my honest review:
1. BUYING CONNECTS
I don’t understand how this concept came into play in the first place. For my profile to be visible on the platform in the first place, I have to spend ‘connects’ per day. One time, I ran out of ‘connects’ and could not pay, and guess what, my profile was automatically not visible to potential clients.
As of 2022, freelancers needed about 2 to 8 connects to send a proposal (apply for a job), and whether they got the job or not, they didn’t receive a refund for the connect. By 2023, I noticed that sending a proposal required about 8 to 16 connects, with no refunds even if the client didn’t accept or see the proposal.
So, I have to spend money to buy connects to keep my profile visible, boost my profile, send proposals, and make bids for my proposals to stand out (and yet, the clients may not even view your proposal). Even new freelancers struggling to get their first gigs find themselves spending money before they can even earn a dime.
If the client rejects your proposal, doesn’t hire anyone, or the job turns out to be a scam, you lose your connects for good. To make it tedious, freelancers have to spend connects when a client sends an invitation for a job.
Upwork’s current setup feels like a financial burden rather than an opportunity, and these challenges make it harder to find reliable work, especially when freelancers have to pay upfront for the mere chance of landing a job. This makes Upwork feel less like a marketplace of opportunity and more like a pay-to-play venture.
2. JOB POSTINGS HAVE NO DEADLINE
The number of scams and fake listings I have seen on the platform is unethical, aside from the fact that a job post can be on the platform for more than three months. How can this be? There is no timeline for these listings because they make the platform look busy.
Imagine paying for connects, applying for a job, and then realizing the client never intended to hire anyone in the first place. So, while a seasoned freelancer on the platform may spot this joke, a typical newbie may not be privy to these things.
It is unethical!
3. POOR VERIFICATION SYSTEM
It’s amusing that a global platform like Upwork, lacks a system to filter fake clients or verify the authenticity of job listings.
On two occasions, I have had invites for a project that said I should join a Telegram group for updates or send my bank account number so that they can send a wire transfer for my ‘home gadgets’. And, if or when I get the money, I was told to take 10% and send them the rest. Not only that, these listings stayed in the system for weeks, and I even got reminders to apply to them quickly. On another occasion, a client booked a video call with me after accepting my proposal but did not show up for the call. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
Clients, and even freelancers alike, are not vetted properly. A freelancer could claim to be an AWS expert with no proper vetting, while some clients use the platform to find talents and trick them into accepting half the budget of the work.
Without properly vetting these users, Upwork leaves freelancers vulnerable, and we end up spending connects on these fake jobs, further increasing the sense that the platform is more concerned with profits than protecting its users.
4. THE ALGORITHM DOES NOT FAVOUR NEWBIES
Of course, there has been a surge of new freelancers into the platform, and it is becoming very competitive but the ugly side is that the hiring rate has been low.
Even old freelancers in the Upwork community have made a review of Upwork, about the drastic decrease in invites and hires, and new freelancers on the platform have had a minuscule chance of being seen in the sea of talents.
In my first three months on the platform, my metrics were zero. With some patience and hundreds of euros in connects and scam invites, nothing remarkable. I was disappointed, for sure, but I have channeled my energy to other methods worth my time.
Despite new freelancers joining since the COVID-19 lockdown, the system should ensure the algorithm fairly spotlights professionals. This bias makes it almost impossible for newcomers to get any traction, leaving them stuck in a cycle where they are paying for connects but not getting any invites.
The platform now seems to benefit those who are already successful while lagging new freelancers trying to get a foot in the door.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It is a shame that a platform that was once a gold mine for talented professionals and quality employment has now become a joke. I could argue that most frustrations came after COVID-19 lockdown, but many freelancers still make a living from the platform.
Will I go back to Upwork? Maybe not! Will I be an advocate for this platform and depend on it for client acquisition? No! But I would gladly stick with other forms of sourcing my clients instead.
Personally, freelance platforms are great for visibility and portfolio, but don’t rely on them as they maximize their profits.
Malt (for Europe), Fiverr, Indeed, and LinkedIn, with the help of Hunter.io, have been and will always be alternative options for me to source and find new clients.
Now, Upwork seems to prioritize profit over the freelancers who sustain the platform. For many freelancers, Upwork feels like a gamble, favoring the established or those who pay extra.
With this in mind, my aim here is not to deter you from using Upwork or other freelance platforms but also to encourage you to invest time and effort in other methods instead.
What is your personal review about Upwork?
Toodaloo!
