How I started working on Upwork earning up to $300/month
I finally did it! I got my first freelance job on Upwork!
I spent just a month both learning the skill required for the job and creating a portfolio of projects to showcase on Upwork and in that same month, I landed not one, but two long-term paying jobs that paid up to $300 In a month.
I know you’re all wondering what type of skill I was able to learn and make money from all under a month.
As crazy as it may sound designing thumbnails for YouTube channels is the skill that has given me this opportunity.
Here’s how it started, I was previously learning programming with my laptop the month before I started learning thumbnail design, this has always been what I wanted to do, but something happened.
My laptop got some issues that prevented me from coding, I was broke, frustrated, and Tired of the constant struggle of learning to code due to the internet and electricity.
Then I figured out that what I needed was balance, I needed something that would provide money in some way to meet my needs, that would be the only way I could learn properly, I would be able to get proper internet, a good laptop and other needed stuff.
I began searching YouTube on how to make money online, and after days of searching I came across a video by iman gadzhi.
In the video he talked about 17 side hustles and one cut my ears, he spoke of how his thumbnail designers made up to 7.5k between them, this is a great idea I said to myself, billions of YouTube videos are made every day and billions of YouTuber need thumbnail designers to design more than 5 thumbnails a week.
I ran to a friend and borrowed his laptop for a week which ended up expanding to a month, I began by setting up a roadmap to follow so I didn’t get off track.
I started by following a photoshop fundamental course on YouTube then I moved on to learn about the fundamental of design.
After watching several videos, it was time to start designing thumbnails and building a portfolio of projects to showcase, I knew in order for me to design thumbnails that didn’t just look good but got clicks, I had to understand the psychology behind thumbnails.
I watched lots of videos from YouTube explaining what made a good thumbnail and also tried replicating thumbnails of YouTubers that were getting lots of views, I spent more than 6 hours daily, throughout the week, designing thumbnails and watching videos on thumbnails.
By the last week of the month, I was ready to start applying for jobs on Upwork, first I made a profile that was very specific to thumbnail design only. Then I began applying for jobs
After more than 15 applications I got NOTHING. I wasn’t ready to give up, so I kept on applying to more gigs, and on a faithful day, I got a reply from one of the proposals.
I was asked to design a custom thumbnail with a provided title, to see if I was a good fit for the job. I immediately got started on the project, and before the next day ended I had delivered the project.
After some moments I got a reply and some questions to answer, Few minutes after submitting my answers I received the offer and was hired long-term.
During the whole onboarding process of the previous offer, I got a reply to another proposal, this time I didn’t get to design any custom thumbnail, in a few minutes I was already employed long term and starting my first project designing a thumbnail for one of my client’s channel.
It’s been two weeks since I started and I’ve made some money from the second job, but for the first job, the client had certain things to deal with concerning his personal life, so we didn’t get any work done during the two weeks.
But as of now I’m fully employed and have started designing thumbnails for both clients. Here’s a picture of the amount on my up work account.
The $75 work in progress is from the first client, as I said earlier, I started working officially with this client at the beginning of this week
The $20 in review is from two other short-term proposals I got last week.
While the $8 pending and $24 available are from the second client I started working with two weeks ago, not a lot of thumbnails were created these last two weeks, I guess it was a slow start. Though I plan to deliver up to 5 thumbnails for this client each week.
Thank you’ll for reading, I hope I’ve been able to inspire someone to continue chasing those dreams of yours, and never give up. Take it one step at a time.