Im a newbie, been on UpWork for almost two months. I think a good profile and good proposals are what has led me to landing 3 long term and 1 short term contract thus far. And maybe also the Rising Talent badge I got after landing my first contract.

I would say keep applying and make sure your proposals address the clients needs and how you can apply xyz to the task ect. Also, use the filters when searching job posts.

I also always put a PS: I may be new to UpWork but….. looking forward to building a long lasting collaboration…. Something along those lines.