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Upwork

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  • 20-11-2019 1:44pm
    #1
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I've started using Upwork again yesterday after a 2 year gap. Financial needs must be met and all that craic given my current unemployment status. I had pretty much received a job and completed within the first 90 minutes of reactivating my account.

    I wasn't necessarily going to ask a question, but start a discussion around Upwork and Freelancing in general, which is still an option. I suppose, does anyone have any advice for someone who has only completed 2 jobs with two 5 star reviews in the space of 2 years?

    I don't expect to make a living from Upwork, but a small supplementary income to pay the odd bill would be helpful.


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    #2
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users Posts: 14,715 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    Never used it myself but curious to know what kind of a job took you 90 minutes to do?

    I can only imagine a homework assignment taking that small an amount of time.


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    #3
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Earthhorse wrote: »
    Never used it myself but curious to know what kind of a job took you 90 minutes to do?

    I can only imagine a homework assignment taking that small an amount of time.

    You would be correct good sir on the subject of homework, but look at it this way, it's money in my pocket.


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    #4
    ShaneODub
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭ShaneODub


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    You would be correct good sir on the subject of homework, but look at it this way, it's money in my pocket.

    Those homework-type jobs may be less of an option in the future.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/academic-cheating-using-paid-for-essays-poses-threat-to-integrity-of-third-level-1.4083122
    While the scale of cheating in Ireland is difficult to estimate, there have been more than 1,000 cases of students in Ireland being disciplined for plagiarism since 2010, according to figures compiled by The Irish Times.

    In response to these trends, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has established a new National Academic Integrity Network to help agree common ways to identify and prosecute academic cheating.

    The new network met for the first time on Thursday and heard of how recently enacted laws make it an an offence to provide or advertise “cheating services” which aim to give students an unfair advantage over others.


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    #5
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users Posts: 14,715 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    You would be correct good sir on the subject of homework, but look at it this way, it's money in my pocket.

    Ha ha! Fair enough.


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    #6
    SKITLZ
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭SKITLZ


    I believe having an active freelance account is a very good thing stability vise. Any part-time job, where you don't 100% depend on your employer is what Nassim Taleb would call Antifragile (by the way, very interesting book), or at least more robust than other jobs.

    As long as it gives more than takes or solves your problem, why not.


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    #7
    Buford T Justice
    Registered Users Posts: 6,250 ✭✭✭Buford T Justice


    ShaneODub wrote: »
    Those homework-type jobs may be less of an option in the future.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/academic-cheating-using-paid-for-essays-poses-threat-to-integrity-of-third-level-1.4083122
    The new network met for the first time on Thursday and heard of how recently enacted laws make it an an offence to provide or advertise “cheating services” which aim to give students an unfair advantage over others.

    Technically you're advertising your services as developer. It's the students themselves that are engaging in cheating so freelancers should be safe imo


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    #8
    amen
    Registered Users Posts: 2,781 ✭✭✭amen


    Buford T Justice wrote: »
    Technically you're advertising your services as developer. It's the students themselves that are engaging in cheating so freelancers should be safe imo

    Are Grind Schools now illegal then ?

    What about study notes?


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    #9
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    There's also courses available to help candidates score highly on Psychometric tests. So there's plenty of people in the Army and Gardai, among others, that aren't technically suited to be there.

    The unfair advantage will always arise somewhere, somehow.


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    #10
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Anyway, to steer things back on topic. Has anyone made any form of a living on Upwork? Even on a part time basis. For anyone using the site, are you apart of a team or interested in creating one?


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    #11
    Mr. CooL ICE
    Registered Users Posts: 17,501 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    Hadn't heard of Upwork in yeeears and this thread reminded me of it. Back when I first heard of it, I hadn't any useful skills. Have a bit of experience in ASP.NET so decided to create a profile there. Just pumped over a grand into my car at the wrong side of Christmas so the extra income would be welcome.

    Put myself as intermediate level, tagged myself across ~10 skills including SQL, MVC, EF etc. No idea what rate I should charge so I put it as 25 p/h (I reckoned senior would be ~50 p/h). Is 25 a fair rate cnsidering my profile isn't even approved yet?


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    #12
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    You can set your hourly rate to 25 an hour, but remember, there's cheaper out there, so you'll have to be competitive.


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    #13
    Axwell
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,461 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    A lot of people on sites like Upwork will put their rate down very low and do a few jobs to build up reviews then once they have a good few reviews will up their rate. Anyone looking at their profile will see a load of glowing reviews and think they are worth whatever the rate is on the profile.


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    #14
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Axwell wrote: »
    A lot of people on sites like Upwork will put their rate down very low and do a few jobs to build up reviews then once they have a good few reviews will up their rate. Anyone looking at their profile will see a load of glowing reviews and think they are worth whatever the rate is on the profile.

    1st 5 star was in Jan 2018. My next 3 was just this week. So I'm slowly building it up.


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    #15
    Mr. CooL ICE
    Registered Users Posts: 17,501 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    My application to join was rejected. Never mind :)


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    #16
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Mark Rippetoe wrote: »
    My application to join was rejected. Never mind :)

    Was there a note as to why?


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    #17
    Mr. CooL ICE
    Registered Users Posts: 17,501 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    Was there a note as to why?

    Nothing specific really:
    Hi <snip>,

    Thank you for your interest in joining Upwork. We have reviewed your application to join, and regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your Upwork freelancer registration at this time.

    Please do not consider this a reflection of your abilities – while we would like to offer every qualified freelancer a spot, admission is highly competitive as Upwork receives more than 10,000 freelancer registrations daily. To help ensure that the freelancers we accept have the best chance at finding opportunities on our platform, we can only accept a small percentage of those who want to join.

    If you feel that the profile you submitted does not accurately represent your skills and experience, you are free to update and resubmit your application.

    Could be they are flooded. Maybe my range of listed of technologies was too narrow? I dunno. But looking through the jobs, there were plenty listed I would be well capable of.


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    #18
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Mark Rippetoe wrote: »
    Nothing specific really:



    Could be they are flooded. Maybe my range of listed of technologies was too narrow? I dunno. But looking through the jobs, there were plenty listed I would be well capable of.

    Well that's a balls. Have you considered Freelancer?


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