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Upwork said I’m not qualified to be a freelancer:
I didn’t take the Upwork application very seriously
Ok, granted, I didn’t put that much effort into the Upwork application. I kind of thought they would accept anyone who was minimally qualified so I just went for it. I was also unsure on if I should add that much of my personal resume to the site in case it would be any sort of conflict of interest with my employer.
I assumed the proficiency tests would be easier than they were
I always got A’s in English. And, I think I sound pretty good when I write. I used to read a lot and have (or had?) a large vocabulary.
So I took the english spelling proficiency test… and got a 62%. OF COURSE they used the exact words I can never spell right… like Carribbean (what’s that spell check, its actually Caribbean?), and “acknowledgement” (hey I got it that time!.. maybe I second guessed myself and it my first guess was right).
I told Upwork NOT to display my failure in the english language as a test on my profile. But I wonder if when they reviewed my application they saw how bad I did. I also did it in 9 minutes (they allow 40 minutes). And I did it while my husband and son played with a $5 yamaha keyboard from the thrift store we just got pressing all the buttons and temps and back beats. It may not have been the best environment to take the test in, but I wasn’t really taking it seriously. So, maybe I should think about it as applying for a real job if I bother to do anything with Upwork or related sites again.
Also, I wonder if they spelling test for example, if they rate you based on how long you took to take the test. If I had taken the 40 minutes allowed (1 minute per test), I could totally have cheated and gotten all the answers right. But, I figured it must be time weighted somehow so I tried to do it quickly and generally go with my first guess. How many people are cheating on these Upwork qualification tests.
By the way, if I want to retake the english spelling exam I have to wait until July, or, 3 months.
Maybe Upwork isn’t for me?
I’m not really even sure if Upwork is for me. If I could get overtime at work (my work arrangement doesn’t allow for it unfortunately) that would be a way better option. Because yes, as Fi Me Outta Here says:
“Overtime is the most underrated side hustles ever”
But, since I can’t really get overtime, I thought Upwork might be a way to look into grabbing a few jobs here and there that only take a few hours without committing to a new JOB JOB.
Maybe I’ll revisit it in a few months when I’ve got some more blog experience under my belt, as most of the jobs seemed to want experience in writing anyway.
Regina is That Frugal Pharmacist. She’s a PharmD, mother to a son with cancer, breadwinning wife, personal finance enthusiast, artist, writer, and entrepreneur. Regina’s single-income household has been debt-free, including her home, since she was 28 years old.
Her money approach is “holistic financial health.” She encourages mindful spending, awareness of the non-monetary costs of choices, and aligning personal values with money habits. Regina sees a frugal lifestyle and mindset as an important part of environmental stewardship. As such she’s interested in ongoing efforts towards self-sufficiency and sustainability.