How to open an Upwork Account is something that might baffle a lot of newcomers to the marketplace. Never fear! This article will hopefully answer all the questions that you might have in this regard.
Opening a freelancer account is how we enter any online freelance marketplace.
With Upwork, the most popular online freelancer marketplace, the process of opening an account is a relatively simple one.
The process of opening an account on Upwork isn’t much different than opening a Facebook or Twitter account. Because this is a formal workplace, you should be very serious in the entire process. It is very important that every single information you add to your account is true and valid.
Information Needed to Open an Upwork Account
Just like most places you open an account, the information you’ll need for an Upwork account includes:
- Actual or Official Name, i.e. the name on your Birth Certificate or National ID Card/Social Security Card
- Email ID – the one you intend to use for professional purposes
- Location, i.e. the country and city you will be living and working in
- Your Birth Date, i.e. you need to be at least 18 years old to work on Upwork as a freelancer
- Password (make sure you’ve chosen a complicated one)
Actually, these are information you’ll need to enter any online freelancer marketplace, not just Upwork.
It is very important that all these information you provide to Upwork are 100% true, valid and recent. Remember, Upwork will verify your account so you should provide honest information for your new account.
Can I create an Upwork account under someone else’s name?
Most definitely not!
Upwork is quite serious about this! You can only open a freelancer account in your name to work by yourself. You have to use your own details and your own skills, and you can to communicate with the clients yourself. Maintaining an account with someone else’s name is completely and utterly prohibited on Upwork.
If you ignore this rule and create an account under someone else’s name, your account will most definitely be suspended and banned from Upwork forever.
Therefore, it is very important that every single information you provide to Upwork while creating an account is true and belongs to you.
Is it Hard to Open an Upwork Account?
Yes and no!
If you’ve tried to open an account on Upwork before you are ready with all the information, you might get stuck in the middle of the process. On the other hand, if you already have everything you might need in order to open your account, it shouldn’t be too hard.
Before you think about opening an account and sending it for verification, be sure to have everything ready. This includes:
- All the information Upwork is going to ask for;
- A digital copy of a valid Government-issued ID card (one that has your picture and your name in English);
- A clear idea of what you want to do, i.e. your skills;
- A few samples of your work;
- A good photo; and more.
If you can provide everything Upwork asks from you, there should be no problem in opening your account.
Does Upwork Verify Every Single Account?
Again, yes and no!
Upwork will give you back an active and verified account if every single information you provide them turns out to be authentic. The verification process can be a long one or a short one, as it depends on a lot of factors.
Read more about the verification process here.
How can I make my Freelancer Account an Impressive One?
A good freelancer profile on Upwork has a few very important features, which you can learn about in these two articles:
Why Do I Have to Take the Upwork Readiness Test?
The Upwork Readiness Test is another very important and mandatory step to take if you want to create a verified account on Upwork.
Read more about the test here!
Finally, there’s nothing more to do but wait – until Upwork gets back to you with news. Hopefully, if your account gets approved the first time, you can immediately get to work and start applying to jobs. If not, you can make a few changes or improvements, and apply for verification
