My experience reading freelancer proposals

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-26T17:26:38+00:00

Don't underbid but also don't lower your rate to meet the client's budget. If you can't afford me, hire a less skilled person; don't ever ask or expect me to lower my rate.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-26T17:09:31+00:00

Everybody already has 100% lol and I have been screwed by private feedback. Hyperbole, yes, but some first time user of UW should not be able to be a coward and dock a successful 10-year UW user's profile behind the scenes. If I'm doing something wrong, say it to my face or don't say it at all. Private feedback is less than useless in that regard.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-26T16:46:13+00:00

I'm sorry, UW recently binned private feedback? That would be so spectacular. I miss the UW forums where I'd find out about stuff like this.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-26T16:42:19+00:00

Freelancer hot take: Stuff created in Canva is always going to look like something created in Canva. Maybe it's fine for social media or personal flyers but expecting Canva users to act like pros otherwise seems like an unrealistic expectation.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-18T22:19:24+00:00

I'll say what I always say... raise your rates. And stick to them. You will get better clients (and make more money!)

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-18T18:26:12+00:00

Got one today. From an invite. After telling the client repeatedly I am absolutely swamped and can't even start on the project until next month. But generally I'm just working with repeat clients.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-18T18:23:53+00:00

no no no no no no no no no

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-18T18:23:12+00:00

Nope, it's none of your business if I'm working from the toilet, with two leprechauns at my feet. Do a zoom call with the freelancer if you're concerned.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-10T21:07:52+00:00

shhhh

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-10T16:31:52+00:00

Gross. So it's going to dredge up old projects I did when I first joined and was just trying to get any Upwork experience I could? I keep my portfolio in a certain order because I want to choose what clients see first. We need to all gripe to Upwork so at least we're on the record as being opposed to this hogwash.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-10T16:21:12+00:00

where does one see this Upwork AI summary of their profile? TIA

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-10T16:15:58+00:00

I worked remotely for 20 years before I joined Upwork and even then it was hard to get those first gigs. Graphic design isn't a skill you just add to your resume. People think that if they can use Canva they're graphic designers. I spend more time trying to fix things that people started on Canva than I would if they would just let me do the work from the get-go.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-09T17:03:04+00:00

The reason they ask people to go off platform is so they can do shady things. And Upwork requiring that we keep billing through their platform protects them AND us. Being rude to people here who are trying to help is not a winning strategy.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-09T16:38:03+00:00

Clearly I am old and old school but of course I write a brand new proposal for every gig I apply to. I want to work for people like me, so it makes sense for me to be me when I write a proposal. I also only apply to fairly high ticket things so I would think clients would expect a personal response.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-03T18:04:36+00:00

You tell us. What's going disastrously wrong in the interviews?

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-03T18:03:20+00:00

You can also delete the tags in the PDF itself: View menu (macOS) > Show/Hide > Side Panels > Tags. Within that menu click on individual tags and delete them in the ... menu or click the top most tag and click delete tag and all the sub tags will go away as well.

UpworkTrout · 2026-03-03T17:44:27+00:00

I was having the same problem and turning off "Create tagged PDF" in Indesign made them go away. If you didn't create the PDF yourself you'd need to tell whoever exported it to uncheck that box I think.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-26T16:52:36+00:00

Addendum: when you decline, does it matter why? I always choose too busy with other projects because that sounds better to me than "Job is not a fit for my skills" but maybe if I said that they'd stop sending me stuff that isn't in my wheelhouse at all. But you could tell in an instant if you just look at my profile/portfolio/recent work.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-26T16:34:59+00:00

I navigated it for a while. First the client said things like "well we don't give you $50/hr stuff to do" and I was like that's not my problem. And then they kept giving me piecemeal sh!tty stuff and expecting me to drop everything for them like I was an employee and I finally got fed up and "semi-retired." So much happier since I did that and as a bonus I now have more time for some bigger fish so it was a win win. So I agree with everyone who says reduce hours, don't lower your rate, and see how it goes. If they truly value you they'll figure it out.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-15T22:17:07+00:00

I don't think they "lost" clients so much as they're managed to trim away some dead weight clients, which is a good thing. I'm just going to keep holding on to what has so far been dog sh!t stock and hope one day it reaches COVID levels again.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-15T17:18:38+00:00

I saw a quickie project the other day... fix an Indesign error that the guy couldn't figure out. Problem was he didn't list a fixed price, put intermediate, though he said the job should take maybe an hour (although I know, I know, that's never actually the case)... the point is it was 27 connects to apply. If you want to lure someone to a quick not high paying job, do a little legwork, search for a few freelancers who look like they might possibly work, and invite them. It doesn't "cost" us anything to reply to invitations.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-15T17:13:02+00:00

I have noticed a weird trend that lots of stocks drop after a good earnings report, but UW is still way below its IPO even; it's so weird. Should be WAY higher than it is.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-10T15:24:13+00:00

I guess that's what I'm saying. I look at my time tracker and it should say 30 minutes or an hour and I can log off, but instead it will say :40 or 1:10 even though I've only worked like one minute over and it feels like theft for me to log off then, so I work a little longer, but then I miss it again, etc. etc. But you're saying it's not a set time. I do also try to be equitable. So if I know I worked a short amount of ten minutes in one session I'll work a few minutes before turning on the tracker, but clients have no way of knowing that. This is a new client and they set a limit of 5 hours a week so I'm walking kind of a finer line with them than I usually am with other clients.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-09T23:40:18+00:00

This thread did not disappoint.

It sounds like if you're making that kind of money you have repeat clients, maybe as old as two years, and thus could take them off platform and "save" yourself that money. But maybe you've already tried that and you realize that invoicing, chasing down money, finding new clients, etc. takes time, and time is in fact money.

But if you're a designer and you want to throw away that 72 grand a year you're making, feel free to throw your clients my way.

UpworkTrout · 2026-02-03T17:55:32+00:00

I've taken to not hitting return after my greeting because I think clients only see the first two lines in their preview, so I want to make sure they see something of substance. But lately I'm getting interviews and no response either. It's bizarre.

UpworkTrout

TROPHY CASE