18/07/2025
Top Mistakes New Freelancers Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Becoming a freelancer is exciting. You can work from home, choose your own hours, and make money doing what you love.
But many beginners make common mistakes that stop them from getting jobs or growing fast.
Let’s talk about the top mistakes new freelancers make — and how you can avoid them.
❌ Mistake 1: Saying “Yes” to Every Job
Chidinma from Lagos was new to freelancing. She joined Upwork and started applying for every job — writing, designing, data entry, anything just to make money.
After three months, she was tired, broke, and confused.
👉 Why It’s a Mistake:
Doing everything makes you look confused and unserious. Many Clients want to hire specialists, not someone who does everything.
👉What to Do Instead:
Pick one skill and focus on it. Learn it well, improve daily, and grow your confidence. Chidinma later focused only on copywriting — today, she writes sales copies for international businesses and earns $200+ per project.
❌ Mistake 2: Undercharging for Your Work
Michael, a graphic designer from Ghana, charged $5 to design logos. He got many clients but was always tired and had little to show for it.
One day, he found out a client resold his $5 logo to another company for $300.
👉Why It’s a Mistake:
When you charge too little, Some people don’t value your work. They use you and move on.
👉What to Do Instead:
Charge based on the value you bring. If your work helps a business grow, then it’s worth more. Michael later increased his price to $100 per logo — and serious clients still hired him.
❌ Mistake 3: Copying Other People’s Freelancer Profiles
Blessing from Kenya copied another freelancer’s Fiverr profile word-for-word. She thought it would help her get clients fast.
Instead, Fiverr flagged her profile, and she didn’t get any job.
👉Why It’s a Mistake:
Clients want to know the real you. If your profile is fake or copied, it doesn’t build trust.
👉What to Do Instead:
Write your own profile. Be honest. Share what you can do, even if you don’t have much experience. Be yourself. Clients love working with real, honest freelancers.
❌ Mistake 4: Not Following Instructions in Job Posts
Ahmed applied for 50 jobs on Upwork. In one job post, the client said, “Start your proposal with the word BLUE.”
Ahmed missed that part and didn’t follow the instruction. All his proposals were ignored.
👉Why It’s a Mistake:
Clients use simple tricks like that to test if you are paying attention. If you don’t follow simple instructions, they assume you won’t follow bigger ones.
👉What to Do Instead:
Always read job posts carefully. Follow every instruction clearly. It shows that you are serious and reliable.
❌ Mistake 5: Giving Up Too Early
Sarah opened a upwork.com account and applied for 10 jobs. She didn’t get any response and gave up.
But her friend Joseph didn’t give up. He applied for 100 jobs in one month. Out of those, 3 clients replied and one hired him for $50.
Today, Joseph makes up to $1,000 every month from freelancing.
👉Why It’s a Mistake:
Many people give up too soon. They want quick results. But freelancing takes time, patience, and effort.
👉What to Do Instead:
Don’t give up. Keep applying. Keep learning. Keep improving your skill and your profile. With time, you will get better and attract serious clients.
Freelancing is a journey. You won’t become rich overnight, but if you’re focused, patient, and smart, you’ll succeed.
👉Pick a skill and grow it.
👉Don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth.
👉Be real and honest in your profile.
👉Follow client instructions carefully.
👉Be patient and consistent — your breakthrough will come.
You’ve got this. Keep going. Your freelancing dream is possible!
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These courses are not common online. I created them myself, and they’re not available anywhere else except through my trusted affiliate marketers. You’re getting real value here!
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cc: The Digital Ada (Adaeze UC)