6 Types of Upwork Job Listings You Should Skip

People are very opinionated regarding sites like Upwork. While many have looked at it with disdain in the past (when it was Elance and Odesk), it has gotten a lot better…..especially with more recognized and "Big Name" companies using it to find people for contract work.

It was there that I found one of my first freelance clients (and have done work for clients that continue to this day outside of Upwork).

Yet anyone who has spent time there will attest to the fact that you have to be VERY careful what jobs you take, as the wrong job can be a real nightmare; not only with nightmare clients or projects, but a nightmare when things go wrong and you get a bad review or rating, killing your success score and ultimately prospects of future work.

At 3 million jobs posted on there annually, you should not hesitate in being highly selective as to what jobs you apply for.

6 Types of Upwork Job Listings You Should Skip

In fact, from the outset, here are 6 Upwork job listings you should skip automatically.

Skip all jobs with low budgets

You know these: "I need a website built with a WooCommerce store and a new logo……Estimated Budget: $25.

What!?

Always glance up at the Estimated Budget. If it is reasonable then great. If it is an hourly job, then great. But if that Estimated Budget is unreasonably low, just keep scrolling.

Skip all job listings that end with "This job was posted from a mobile device, so please pardon any typos or any missing details."

There are certain templates and sayings that people use on Upwork that "give them away."

Why do …. say …. 1 in every 8 job listings end with this sentence?

Well, if you search in the Upwork forums, you see that this sentence is automatically added when someone posts a job from their mobile phone.

My question is: If you have a serious project, why in the world are you posting about it from a mobile phone? Do you value it that little?

Either way, it is a red flag for me and I skip them.

Skip all jobs that show uncertainty

These are the jobs that will keep you in bondage for 6 months.

The client may not know how to operate a computer well and need you to "teach them," or they "just know" that they want something different and exciting and want you to make it happen, or they keep needing "more time to think about it."

Be sure that the clients that hire you give you the specifics of what they expect from you and know what they want.

Skip all jobs that ask too much from you

This is the job where the person wants a website, a logo, some podcast editing, and more Twitter followers.

Its just too much for one job!

It's often a sign that they are going to try to add more and more to your plate as the project progresses for the same fee that you agreed upon.

These tasks need to be broken up into different listings as they each require their own proper attention (and their own costs).

Skip jobs where the one posting is blatantly rude

You see these every now and then: "If you are not a top-notch WordPress developer, then don't even waste my time."

Now this may be a true statement, but more than likely you will end up with someone who is never satisfied or is just unrealistic about their requests.

Take it or leave it.

Skip jobs where the client has poor ratings

If someone has a 1 or 2-star rating, it may be a good idea to keep scrolling.

Now you can look at their reviews and see if this was an unfair review but often you will not be able to determine the real reason. Life is short…….keep scrolling.

Conclusion

I have had success on Upwork and I have had nightmare jobs on Upwork as well.

Determine up-front what Upwork job listings you should skip and stay true to it.

Are you a freelance newbie? Wondering whether you should do work for free up front? Then this post may be helpful to you, and be sure to leave some feedback.