The Cover Letter Template I Use to Get a 10% Job Offer Rate in Upwork

And why you’re getting disqualified long before clients see your optimized profile and portfolio

Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Quora and some online groups this past couple of months. One of the trends I noticed is the complaints about how freelancers who use Upwork aren’t getting new projects, including the “veterans” in the platform.

After reading the comments and replies, there are usually two common recommendations:

1. Optimize your profile — using a catchy headline, add your portfolio, and even record a video
2. Apply to more jobs—it’s a numbers game. Buy connects, apply to jobs, you’ll eventually get a job offer.

While not terrible, I didn’t see anyone address a more fundamental issue on why freelancers aren’t getting interviews and new projects.

If this sounds like you, I wrote about how the hiring process looks like from the other side of the table. I share what clients are really looking for despite what they say in their vague job descriptions. More importantly, I explained why freelancers are getting disqualified and how to overcome it. This is a continuation of that post.