From Freelance Newbie to Top Rated on Upwork

When I finished university with my degree in BIS Multimedia, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to freelance.

The only problem?
I had absolutely no idea how to freelance, what to offer, or where to even begin.

I’d heard about Upwork during my studies, but the first time I looked into it, I was completely overwhelmed. The competition looked fierce, everyone seemed way more experienced than me, and the pricing? It felt like a race to the bottom.

So, I closed the tab and moved on.

Taking a Second Look

A few months later, during the holidays after graduation, I decided to give Upwork another look, but this time, properly.

With $0 in my account and nothing but determination, I set up my profile and got to work learning everything I could.

I dove deep into YouTube videos, blogs, and podcasts, searching for any bit of wisdom about how to actually stand out. That’s when I stumbled upon the Freelance Pros with Jess and Tyler, and that’s when everything started to change.

I binged every episode. And I mean every episode.
I was pausing, rewinding, scribbling down notes, and tweaking my profile in real-time.

At the end of one episode, they mentioned they were looking for A/B testers for their new course. I had nothing to lose (literally), so I sent them an email.

A few days later, I was on a call with Tyler, nervous, excited, and trying not to overthink it. By the end of the chat, he smiled and said: “You seem like a good fit. Welcome to the group.”

It felt like I’d just been accepted into my dream university.

Rebuilding from Scratch

Once I joined their program, I went all in.

I reworked everything, my headshot, thumbnails, portfolio layouts, descriptions, keywords, the whole lot. Every two weeks, we’d hop on a call to review progress and refine things.

It took time, but slowly, my profile started to look professional. Something I could actually be proud of.

The First Big Hurdle

The next challenge?
Landing that very first 5-star review.

It’s funny how something that small can feel so big. Jess and Tyler suggested something clever, to bring a real-world client onto Upwork to build credibility.

So that’s what I did.

I onboarded two existing projects — Your Travel Friend Anna and Travel Bug Tonic. Both went smoothly, and both clients left amazing 5-star reviews.

Finally, I had momentum.

The Proposal Game

Now came the real grind, applying for jobs.

If you’ve ever tried it, you know: writing a proposal that actually gets read is an art form. I quickly realized this wasn’t about sending out 50 generic messages. Each proposal needed to show I actually cared, that I understood the project, the person, and the goal.

Slowly but surely, I started landing more projects.

And one morning, about five months in, I opened Upwork and saw it:
The Rising Talent badge.

I was over the moon. It felt like a sign that I was on the right track.

From Rising Talent to Top Rated

After traveling for a bit, I slowed down my freelance work but managed to keep my Rising Talent badge. When I got back, I decided it was time to level up.

To earn the Top Rated badge, I needed to maintain Rising Talent status for 16 weeks and earn over $1,000 in the last 12 months. I was close — just needed a little push.

So I took on a few more projects, worked with a returning client, and hit the milestone over a weekend.

A few days later, I woke up, logged in, and there it was, a shiny new Top Rated badge next to my name.

I couldn’t stop smiling.

Looking Back

It’s wild to think that not so long ago, I was just a recent grad with no clients, no Upwork experience, and zero clue where to begin.

Now, I get to work with incredible clients from around the world, doing what I love — designing beautiful, functional websites.

None of it would’ve been possible without Jess and Tyler from Freelance Pros, who’ve been part of my story since day one.

But most importantly, I’m grateful to past me, the one who hit “sign up” on a platform that once felt way out of reach.

Because everyone starts somewhere.

Ready to Start Your Own Journey?

If you’re thinking about freelancing, whether on Upwork or anywhere else, take this as your sign to start.
Learn, experiment, mess up, try again. It’s all part of it.

And if you’re a business owner looking to work with a designer who’s been through the trenches (and knows what it takes to build something from scratch) - let’s chat.