UpWork: what is Top Rated and what it is eaten with

Relatively recently, on the UpWork exchange (the former oDesk), freelancers had the opportunity to receive Top Rated status and such an icon on their profile:

According to UpWork, Top Rated status helps successful freelancers build a career and become even more successful.

Possessing such an icon on your profile page makes it easier to get a job from a potential employer. He immediately sees that you are not just an ordinary freelancer, but a freelancer whose skills are recognized by the UpWork exchange. The number of freelancers with Top Rated status does not exceed 10% of the total number of freelancers on the UpWork exchange.
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How to get TopRated status

According to official information, a freelancer with the status of TopRated must meet the following characteristics:

• The value of Job Success (the success of the work) should be more than 90%
• Earnings in the last 12 months should exceed $ 1,000
• 100% completed profile with relevant photos
• Regularly updated availability status for new work
• The account should not be frozen for some reason.
• At least a 30-day history of work on UpWork

In principle, all these requirements are clear, with the exception of the first - Job Success, the success of the work.

What is Job Success?

According to UpWork, Job Success is an average measure of your reputation and success on UpWork. UpWork calculates this value from the data for 24 months and updates this value every two weeks. You can check your current job success on the My Stats page. This is how it looks like:



When calculating Job Success, UpWork is guided by the following data:

• Freelancer Public and Private Reviews
• The success of the work
• Customer complaints
• Controversy
• Long-term customers
• Reviews

In other words, for example, if you have jobs that are not fully completed, you did not receive the money, or you returned the money to the client completely, you may be excluded from your profile, but these jobs will affect Job Success.

My little job success story

When I just entered Top Rated and Job Success, I found that I had 100% Job Success and I had Top Rated status, and of course I was pleased. I wandered through my account and decided to remove the 5 old contracts that I had completed but not closed. I did the work, employers, in principle, were in no hurry to close contracts and leave feedback about me, because they got what they wanted - work. I decided to close them on my own. Employers left positive feedback, closed contracts in connection with the "Successful completion". And after a few days I discovered that my Job Success was equal to 88%, this is not enough for Top Rated. That is, a situation occurred when the work was done successfully, everyone is happy, but since I closed the contract manually, and therefore the employer did not leave a review about me, it’s like getting a not very good review, as I understood.

I wrote in support of those then oDesk'a and described the situation. I asked a specific question - how does it affect the fact that I close old contracts on my own, why I’m having Job Success if my employer didn’t leave any feedback about me. And what to do if the employer received what he wanted and does not want to leave a review, for example, he simply forgets or he does not have time. In response, I received instructions saying that "you need to work better, more and everything will be fine." I asked again - there was no answer.

Having created another technical support ticket with the same question, I again received general instructions that did not describe the details. Then I wrote a message to my customers asking for feedback. Four of the five left excellent reviews, the fifth just did not answer. And my Job Success became 97% and I became Top Rated. Now my Job Success has dropped a little (93%) due to the closure of old contracts, but now I have to improve, because I received good reviews.

Total

Having Top Rated status, high Job Success and 5 stars rating is much easier to find work I noticed that with me they began to send invitations to interviews more often, they began to respond to my bids more often. Of course, their counting system is not ideal and needs some work, but in any case, if you are an intelligent specialist, or if you want to be so, you will be in the top. And, of course, you need to strive to look for good regular customers, because the rating is just a business card, according to which you are met.

Thank you for your attention and all the success in your work!

UPD. On May 31, 2015, my Job Success was updated and became equal to 100%. Apparently, the problems of accounting Job Success with open contracts UpWork gradually eliminates.