Why Nigerians Get Rejected on Upwork (and How to Fix It)

What “Rejected on Upwork” Means: Profile Rejection vs Proposal Rejection

Before going into reasons and solutions, we must know exactly what rejection means in this context.

Profile Rejection: When Upwork Does Not Approve Your Profile

• This is when you register on Upwork, fill the application, BUT Upwork does not accept your account or profile. You see messages like “Your profile has not been approved yet” or “Application pending” or “Rejected”.

• Without an approved profile, you cannot apply to most jobs or get hired.

Proposal / Job Application Rejection: When Clients Do Not Choose You

• Here, your Upwork profile is approved, but when you send proposals (applications) for jobs, clients do not respond or hire you. You may get views, but many proposals ignored or declined.

• Or you may be shortlisted but not selected.

Top Reasons Nigerians Get Rejected on Upwork

These are the common causes of rejections—both for profile and proposals.

Incomplete or Poor Profile Information

• Missing or vague profile overview/description. If your bio is empty or too short, Upwork sees you as not serious.

• No profile photo or unprofessional picture (selfies, group photos, low resolution). Upwork requires a clear headshot.

• Missing portfolio or work samples. Clients want proof. If you have no samples, Upwork may reject your profile or clients may ignore your proposal.

Poor Spelling, Grammar & Communication

• Bad English, grammar mistakes, unclear sentences. These reduce client trust.

• Poor proposal message: generic, copy‑paste, not referencing client’s project description. Clients reject because they want someone who reads their request.

Applying to Jobs You Are Not Qualified For

• Applying for expert roles when you are beginner. Upwork matches skills; if your profile doesn’t show that skill, client skips you.

• Applying to saturated or highly competitive niches without edge. Some people report repeated rejections in graphics design niche because too many people do it.

Pricing Mistakes

• Pricing too low: While low price may attract attention, if it’s too low, clients sometimes think quality will be poor. They may reject you because they want value.

• Pricing too high without proof: Asking for high rates when profile lacks portfolio or reviews can lead to rejections.

Lack of Relevant Samples or Portfolio

• If your profile has no samples, or the samples are not relevant to jobs you’re applying for, clients cannot judge your ability.

Ignoring Upwork’s Rules, Verification, or Requirements

• Using fake photo or non‑real name. Upwork asks for real identity with ID verification. If this is violated, profile may be rejected.

• Not completing required fields: skills, education, work history. Upwork expects complete profiles.

Generic Proposals / Not Tailored to Client Needs

• Sending the same proposal text to many jobs. Clients can tell. They want personal proposals referencing their job.

• Not answering screening questions or ignoring client’s instructions in job posting. If job has required file upload or sample task, ignoring it causes rejection.

Saturated Skills / Category Competition

• Some skills like generic graphic design, logo design, virtual assistant are highly saturated. Many freelancers applying. If you are not differentiated, clients choose others.

• Applying in categories that are full with experienced freelancers without showing what makes you unique.

How to Fix Profile Rejections: Step‑by‑Step

If your profile keeps being rejected or never approved, here are clear steps to fix.

Step 1: Use Real Name & Professional Photo

• Choose a clear, recent photo of you alone. Avoid group shots, cartoons, or non‑human figures.

• Use your actual legal name. No nicknames or fake names.

Step 2: Fill Out Every Field Completely & Well

• Overview / bio: write in complete sentences. Describe what you do, who you help, what you are good at.

• Skills: select skills that are actually your strengths. Use keywords clients search for.

• Education, work history (if you have). Even volunteer work counts.

Step 3: Add Portfolio / Sample Works

• If you have past work (jobs, school, personal projects), upload them.

• If you don’t, create sample projects that look real. E.g. create mock‑designs, sample blog posts, video captions, etc.

Step 4: Provide Appropriate Verification & Identity

• Upload government ID (passport, driver’s license etc.).

• Use correct email, correct address, valid phone number.

Step 5: Choose Niche or Specialize

• Instead of saying “Graphic Designer”, you could say “Social Media Post Design for Small Business” or “Logo Design with Minimal Style”.

• Show in your bio or portfolio examples in that niche. Helps with clarity to both Upwork reviewers and clients.

Step 6: Avoid Multiple Profiles & Past Suspensions

• Do not create many Upwork accounts. If Upwork detects duplicates, that can lead to rejection or suspension.

• If you have past suspended account, sometimes applying as part of an agency profile helps if rules allow.

Step 7: Review Upwork’s Profile Quality Tips & Always Update

• Upwork sometimes gives feedback when rejecting a profile. Use that feedback.

• Read Upwork’s help centers about profile approval guidelines.

How to Fix Proposal Rejections: Winning Proposals & Job Offers

Assuming your profile is approved, proposals (applications to jobs) often get rejected. Here’s how to make proposals that get accepted.

Step 1: Read Job Description Carefully & Respond to All Requirements

• If a job says “include sample”, then include sample. If it says “mention code word ‘ORANGE’”, include it.

• If there are screening questions, answer them thoroughly. Don’t skip. Clients often reject when questions ignored.

Step 2: Customize every Proposal & Show you Understand the Project

• Start with addressing client by name or project name. E.g. “Hi [Client], I read your project about X, I believe I can help by doing Y…”

• Show you understand their problem or goal. Suggest how you will solve it.

Step 3: Use Clear, Good English & Proofread

• Avoid spelling mistakes. Use simple sentences.

• Use grammar checker tools (Grammarly, etc.).

Step 4: Provide Relevant Samples or Attachments

• If client wants designs, links, etc., attach or link your past work.

• If you don’t have exactly what they want, create a sample “mocked‑up” similar to what they describe.

Step 5: Set Realistic Price & Time

• Estimate how long task will take you. Quote accordingly.

• If you are beginner, you may quote lower but not so low that you lose credibility.

Step 6: Be Polite, Professional & Show Confidence (Not Desperation)

• Avoid phrases like “please choose me, I really need this job.” Instead, say “I am confident I can deliver…”, “look forward to working with you.”

• Good tone, respect, clarity.

Step 7: Follow Up if Needed

• If client doesn’t respond after some days, it’s okay to send a polite follow up (if allowed by Upwork rules).

• But don’t spam. One follow up may help.

Choosing the Right Niche, Skills & Categories to Avoid Rejection

Sometimes your rejection is because the category or niche is saturated or your skills mismatch client demand. Here’s how to pick well.

Find Niches With Less Competition

• Some skills have fewer freelancers. For example, translation in less common languages, technical writing for specific sectors, data analysis in niche fields, etc.

• Use Upwork search to see how many freelancers are in that category. If thousands, you may find it hard to stand out.

Match Skills to What Clients Need

• See job listings in your country’s Upwork. See what clients are asking for. If many clients want “WordPress design”, “virtual assistant”, “Excel data cleaning”, and you can do one of those, pick it.

• If you claim skill in something, be sure you can deliver what clients expect.

Be Specific in Your Skill Set

• Rather than “graphic design”, say “logo design for food brands”, “social media graphics for Instagram posts”, etc. Specificity helps you target better clients and avoid rejection from clients looking for special style.

Update Skills & Certifications

• If possible, do short online courses, free or paid, then include those certifications (e.g. free Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy) in your profile.

• Upwork has tests (sometimes) or relevant certificates help your profile look better.

Improving Communication, English & Professionalism

These are soft skills, but very important in avoiding rejection.

Use Clear, Correct English

• Clients often reject proposals or profiles with many grammar/spelling mistakes. That makes them doubt professionalism.

• Write in short sentences. If English is not your first language, use grammar tools to help.

Be Polite, Respectful & Responsive

• If client messages you, respond prompt.

• Use polite greetings; ask questions if you don’t understand something.

• Avoid slang too much; stay professional.

Set Real Expectations

• Don’t promise extremely fast delivery if you cannot do it.

• Be honest about what you can deliver. Overpromising → poor review → harm reputation.

Follow Up and Feedback

• If client doesn’t respond to your proposals, try to improve your proposals. Maybe ask other freelancers for feedback.

• Join Upwork/community groups, read forums, learn what works / what clients like.

Building Portfolio, Samples & Social Proof

Portfolio or social proof helps a lot in reducing rejection.

Using Past Work Outside Upwork

• If you did jobs before Upwork (school, volunteer, small business, hobby), gather those. Put them in portfolio.

• Even practice projects or mockups are fine if clearly labelled as such.

Creating Sample Projects Yourself

• For example: design a sample logo, sample poster, sample social media graphic, write a blog post on a topic, build a small website etc.

• Use free tools (Canva, WordPress free theme etc.) if needed.

Getting First Small Jobs or Testimonials

• Even if clients outside Upwork, you can do small paid or volunteer work, get testimonial or reference, show that in profile.

• Some freelancers trade services: help someone, get feedback, then show that work.

Use Portfolio Wisely

• Only include your best works. Make sure portfolio pieces are clean, well presented, with description of what you did.

• Avoid including very old, low quality work. First impression matters.

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Pricing Strategy: Avoid Too Cheap / Too Expensive Mistakes

Pricing affects rejection both from Upwork profile perspective and from clients.

Choose Introductory Pricing (But Not Too Low)

• Starting with slightly lower price can help you get first jobs and reviews. But if price is extremely low, clients think quality may be poor or you don’t value your work.

Be Transparent About Prices and Packages

• If your job has options (e.g. more revisions, faster delivery), put them in your proposal or gig with extra fee.

• Clients like clarity: they want to know what they are paying for.

Raise Your Rates Gradually

• Once you have good reviews and repeated clients, gradually increase your rates.

• Show in profile that you have delivered well. Let reviews support higher pricing.

Know Platform Fees & Factor Them In

• Upwork takes service fees. When you set your price, ensure after deductions you still earn something worthwhile.

• Also consider currency conversion (if payment leaves in USD but you convert to your local currency) and bank / payout fees.

Real‑Life Nigerian Examples of Rejection and Recovery

Examples help show how others got rejected and fixed issues. These are drawn from real stories (names changed).

Example 1: Profile Photo Problem

• Chidinma, from Lagos, submitted profile with casual selfie. Profile got rejected. She changed photo to a clear headshot (plain background, well lit). Also added detailed bio. Profile was accepted.

Example 2: No Portfolio / Work Samples

• Emeka applied in “logo design” but had no relevant samples. He made mock logos, uploaded them, updated skills, then started sending proposals. After that he got responses and first job.

Example 3: Generic Proposals / Copy‑Paste

• Fatima was sending same proposal to many jobs. She noticed no replies. She changed to reading job posts, customizing proposals (mentioning client’s project, their name, specific suggestion), and added relevant sample link. She got her first hire within a week.

Example 4: Pricing Mistakes

• Ibrahim was pricing too high though he was new. Clients ignored him. He reduced price, offered good quality, got reviews. Later he raised rates stepwise.

Pros & Cons: What Happens When You Fix Rejection Issues

Understanding the benefits and the challenges helps you stay motivated.

Pros

• Your profile gets approved, you can apply to many more jobs.

• Clients respond more often; proposals get selected.

• Steady income becomes possible.

• Better reputation; more referrals.

Cons

• Takes time and effort: improving portfolio, rewriting proposals, learning.

• Early low income: introductory pricing means less earnings initially.

• Competition is still strong; not all jobs easy to win even with good profile.

• Rejection may still occur; you must keep improving and resubmitting.

Summary Table Before Conclusion

Conclusion

Getting rejected on Upwork is common, especially for beginners. But it doesn’t mean failure. The rejection often happens for reasons you can control.

Here’s a quick recap:

• Ensure your profile is complete, professional, and honest.

• Use real photo, real name, good bio, relevant skills, portfolio.

• Make proposals that are customized, clean, with good English.

• Price wisely—not too low, not too high; align with your experience and what you can deliver.

• Choose niche or category where you can stand out.

• Keep improving and persisting.

If you’re a Nigerian learner, student, or working class, remember: many people before you have made it. It takes time and work. But by fixing the common problems, you can reduce rejection and start winning jobs.