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To date, Upwork is the largest freelancing site in the world. The platform acts as a sort of intermediary for business owners and clients to find freelancers and independent contractors capable of providing in-demand services.

Upwork boasts an impressive catalog that includes logo design, e-commerce development, writing services, voiceover recordings, WordPress and more. Clients seeking these services can create accounts on Upwork and then browse the profiles of available freelancers for hire.

On the other side, freelancers capable of meeting these needs may set up their own accounts, apply to jobs, and leave their profiles open for clients to send over job invitations.

Over the years, Upwork has been consistently tracking and documenting the rise of independent contracting. More people are freelancing either part-time or full-time. Collectively, freelancers contribute billions to the US economy on an annual basis.

Amid the new year, it's pertinent for contractors to understand how they can make the most of Upwork.

Having an up-to-date, highly rated profile

Freelancer profiles go a very long way on Upwork. They often end up as the determining factor in whether a client sends a contractor an invite to apply for a job, responds to the contractor's application, or merely continues to look for talent elsewhere.

Any freelancer's profile should clearly state the services they provide. Other worthwhile details to include are the extent to which the contractor can meet the needs of clients seeing talent in their industry.

Work history is another major component. Freelancers on Upwork have their work history updated as they complete various projects and garner reviews from clients.

It goes without saying that contractors with successfully completed and five star rated projects (which generate a higher job success score) will be looked upon more favorably by clients than freelancers with low ratings and a subpar JSS.

Applying to multiple jobs

Even the most qualified and talented freelancers will not land every single job they apply to.

For this reason, contractors who are serious about picking up new work and fostering long-term business relationships should send applications for multiple listings they believe their skills will pair well with.

Steering clear of using AI to write proposals

In a day and age where generative AI is on the scene, some contractors may find it tempting to use this when filling out cover letters in their job applications. Though in the long run, AI use could backfire.

Taking the time to write an attentive, mindful proposal can help contractors stand out among the other freelancers they're competing with.

Furthermore, as recent months have seen more clients expressly stating in job listing that they don't want freelancers using ChatGPT or other forms of AI, steering clear of these tools helps get new client-freelancer relationships off to a promising start.