Upwork Canada: How To Hire & Become A Freelancer In Canada 

Upwork, a top freelancing website, has a presence almost in all countries of the world. It is known as Upwork Canada in Canada for many Canadian residents who want to hire freelancers, probably from Canada, or become a freelancer.

Do you live in Canada and want to hire freelancers on Upwork? Are you a freelancer in Canada who wants to start selling their services on Upwork? This guide is for you as you will learn how to hire a freelancer in Canada and how to become a freelancer and make money.

Upwork Canada: Hiring a freelancer in Canada 

The first step to hiring a freelancer in Canada is to visit https://www.upwork.com/hire/ca/  and sign up as a client who wants to hire a freelancer. 

You will be taken to a new page where you will enter your details. This includes:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Password 
• Country ( Canada)

Ensure the email address you enter is active and that your password is strong and also one you can easily remember. Your password should be a minimum of 8 characters with a letter or symbol. 

Read Upwork Canada terms & services and tick the box to show that you understand and agree. Then click on Create account.

Check your email to verify and ensure that your registration is complete. When you verify,  you will be taken to a page where you log in to your account. 

You can use your Apple or Google account to sign up. That will save the time you spend entering your details to create an account.

Post a Job on Upwork 

Now you have an  Upwork Canada account as a client who wants to hire freelancers in Canada, the next step is to post a job. 

The first step is to create a strong headline that will make Canadian freelancers that fit in the project rush and bid for it.

Tips to create a strong headline for your job:

• Let  your main keyword be  in the headline
• You have a  maximum of 100 characters to create a headline

Assuming you want to hire a Canadian freelancer on Upwork who can help you with content writing.

Your headline can be:

A Canadian content writer is needed for a small business website

Skills 

Click on next to add the skills the freelancer you want to hire must possess based on what Upwork suggests. You can also search for skills or add your own.

Since you want to hire a content writer, the following skills are necessary:

Content writing, editing, proofreading

Note: The skills Upwork Canada suggests depend on the headline of your job.

Scope 

Click on Next after including the key skills the freelancer must possess. You will be taken to a new page and that is a scope. Here you define the nature of your project.

This is to ensure that only Canadian freelancers who are open to it send proposals. The scope of your project on Upwork Canada is of three types:

Large: Select this if your project is a complex one that can take more time to complete.

Medium: Select this if your project is well defined and can be completed in a medium-term. 

Small: Select this if it is a quick task that can be done in hours. 

Duration of project 

For any of the scopes, you select, set how long it will take for your work to be completed.

Example:

• 1-3 months 
• 3 – 6months
• More than 6 months 

Freelancers on Upwork Canada may prefer projects that will last longer especially when the client has a big budget. This is because they have a project that will keep them busy and earn them huge pay if they get hired.

Level of experience 

Some clients don’t care about this aspect which is necessary. Setting a level of experience will not limit the proposals you get but will help match expert freelancers to your job depending on the budget you have. 

There are levels of experience:

Entry: If you are looking for Canadian freelancers who are relatively new to the field

Intermediate: If you are looking for Canadian freelancers with basic experience in the field

Expertise: If you are looking for Canadian freelancers with many years of experience and high-level expertise.

Note: Some Canadian freelancers on Upwork Canada set their profile as experts in their field when they are not. It is a game they play to trick you into hiring them.

It is up to you to cut off these freelancers by setting some requirements and skills they must possess before they can submit proposals for your job. Interestingly, Upwork Canada has tests freelancers must pass before they can bid for certain jobs. A badge is assigned to their profile to vet them. 

Budget

This is the amount you are willing to pay Canadian freelancers to do your project. It can be hourly or fixed. Fortunately, Upwork Canada gives you a hint of what Canadian freelancers charge based on the level of expertise you want. 

An infographic guides you to what is obtainable if you decide to hire freelancers at an hourly rate.

For a fixed project, you have to state the maximum amount you are willing to pay freelancers.

Note: experts in your field tend to send a proposal for your project if the hourly rate for the fixed budget is worth their services. So if you want to attract the best talent on Upwork Canada, have a huge amount to pay. 

Review your job post

Review your job post to ensure there are no errors that can confuse freelancers and make the bidding process hard for them. Take a look at your headline and the skills you want and confirm everything is in order.

There is also a space for you to describe the job. Here you state what you are looking for, the type of Canadian freelancer you want for your project, and other unique things about it. The job description must be more than 50 characters and not more than 5000 characters. 

You have an option to attach a file that you think can help freelancers understand the nature and scope of the job they want to do.

Save the job as a draft and post it immediately after reviewing it.

When you post your job and it goes public, Upwork Canada congratulates you for posting a job the first time. 

Invite talent for interview 

To save the time of reading numerous proposals after posting your job, Upwork suggests to you top Canadian freelancers who have done the same jobs as yours. There is an option to invite them to apply for your job. The suggestions depend on your fixed and hourly rate, the skills you want the freelancer to possess, and the number of similar projects they have done successfully. 

Let’s assume you are looking for a Canadian freelancer who can write content for your website, Upwork Canada will suggest such freelancers to you. It is your choice to invite them or not. Also, some of them may decline to apply for your job after inviting them. 

Add a billing method 

Many top-rated Canadian freelancers always check for clients that added and verified their billing method before submitting proposals for their jobs. It is a way of separating genuine clients from fake ones.

 It also attracts freelancers with talents. Don’t worry about the safety of your payment details because Upwork Canada takes care of it. They are 100% safe. Also, nothing is deducted from your account until you hire a freelancer. 

Upwork Canada accepts these cards for payment:

• Diners
• American Express 
• Visa 
• Mastercard
• Discover 
• Using PayPal to pay is also allowed

Set your Industry & business size

This isn’t necessary but it can help you find Canadian freelancers who have passion for your niche.

Tap the drop-down menu to select your niche/industry. If you can’t find your industry in the list, select anyone that is related to it. Tick the number of employees that work with you.

Proposals 

Now that your job post is live on Upwork Canada, next is to go to your dashboard to read proposals of Canadian freelancers that bid for it. 

Take your time and read the proposals and pick a freelancer who you think can deliver a great job.

Some of the freelancers attach files and links to previous jobs they did for clients to convince you to hire them.

Contact and chat with them to discuss your project in detail. 

Finally, click on the Hire button that shows on their profile to show you have hired them for your job.

How to become a Canadian freelancer on Upwork

Clients who post jobs on Upwork look for freelancers who can submit proposals and get hired. Are you a Canadian freelancer who wants to become a freelancer on Upwork? Take the following steps:

1. Sign Up As A Freelancer 

Go to the homepage of Upwork and sign up as a freelancer who wants to find work. To create an account, enter your name, email address, password, and country which is Canada.

2. Define your services 

When setting up your account as a Canadian freelancer on Upwork, you have to make clear the services you offer. The ideal thing is to offer services that are high in demand in Canada. That’s the only way you can land projects easily and make money.

3. Find your target audience 

Your target audience are clients whose jobs require your services. Upwork connects clients and freelancers but you must make efforts to position yourself before them.

Don’t wait for Upwork to notify you of the jobs that require your services, or to login into your account and see projects that match your services. Take the following steps to be ahead of others:

Leverage job boards to drive clients who post jobs to your Upwork freelance account.

Engage in outreach via email or other platforms 

Build connections and networks of people who care about your services

4. Have a pricing structure 

Your main goal on Upwork as a Canadian freelancer is to deliver quality services to clients and earn money. Achieving that begins with having a pricing structure that ensures your pay matches the services you offer and also gives room to earn more without losing a client. Below are factors that will help you develop a competitive pricing structure on Upwork:

• Experience 
• Industry
• Project complexity 
• Urgency
• Clients geographic location 
• Project duration 

Note: Upwork charges you a service fee anytime you make a sale. This fee depends on the amount you earn per sale.

5. Create a portfolio 

Having a portfolio increases your worth as a freelancer on Upwork. When clients see your past projects and achievements in your industry, they will have no reason to doubt your capacity to deliver a great job. Your portfolio should highlight the best jobs you have done that relate to the services you offer on Upwork as a Canadian freelancer. It should include case studies, testimonials from previous clients, work samples, etc.

6. Write a catchy proposal 

The first step to drawing the attention of a client that posts a job is to submit a great proposal. Clients receive hundreds of proposals for a single job post especially when the pay is attractive. So, to distinguish yourself and convince the client that you are the best freelancer for their job, your proposal should explain how to plan to tackle the job in a few sentences. You can also attach proof of similar jobs you have done including testimonials from your past clients.

7. Build a strong relationship with clients 

When you land a client on Upwork, ensure you over-deliver. That’s the only way to build a relationship with them. They will return to you for subsequent jobs and even recommend you to other people. 

8. Continue to develop your skills 

Developing your skills is a sure way to remain relevant in your niche. Take new courses, read books, and fellow experts in your industry. That will keep you updated with the latest development and new skills that can help you continue to deliver high-quality services to your clients and earn higher.

Final thought on Upwork Canada 

Upwork Canada is for clients that want to hire Canadian freelancers and also for freelancers that want to offer services and earn money. I have shown you how to about them depending on what you tend to achieve. It’s up to follow the steps and achieve your aim.