7 Reasons Why One-Time Jobs are Better on UpWork – Detailed Breakdown, Tips, & More

UpWork offers multiple types of projects and jobs that you can avail yourself of. 

However, not every job provides the same type of benefits. 

This is why in today’s post, we’ll highlight why one-time jobs are better than long-term projects. Moreover, we’ll also discuss various FAQs.

7 Important Reasons to Choose One-Time Jobs on UpWork

At a basic level, there are two types of jobs that you can find on UpWork. These jobs fall in the one-time or recurring category. 

It comes down to your personal preference which type of job suits you better. Even then, multiple reasons for one-time projects trump long-term projects. 

Let’s check them out in detail. 

Financial Needs

It is no surprise that your main reason to choose UpWork is to cover your financial needs. It is important to keep in mind what sort of income you can generate. 

When it comes to long-term projects, the inflow of finances is usually slow. Your client pays you money over a long period. 

How does that impact me as a freelancer?

Let’s suppose you are a graphic designer. A client hires you to create multiple pieces of digital content over 60 days. 

Clients won’t pay you the full amount until your project is completed. It doesn’t matter if you complete it in 30-days, 40-days, or 60-days. 

How do one-time jobs help with finances?

One-time projects are generally short-term. In most cases, they span over a week. It means you can earn money quite quickly. 

On top of that, you can demand advance payment for your projects as well. Clients are willing to pay upfront for one-time jobs. 

Resource Allocation

When it comes to one-time jobs, resource management is quite different from long-term jobs. 

For one-time jobs, resource allocation is quite convenient and streamlined. Whereas long-term projects require a lot of planning. 

Why is resource allocation important?

To put it simply, your time and money are essential. Short-term projects consume little amount of both resources. 

On the other hand, you have to pour in a considerable amount of money and time for long-term projects. This can seriously affect your finances. 

Job Impact

As a freelancer, short-term and long-term projects impact you in different ways. It spans your personal and professional life. 

Short-term projects have a relatively smaller impact on your personal and professional life. It is easier for you to manage your personal life with short-term projects. 

Whereas long-term projects require a commitment for an extended period. This can affect your plans in multiple ways. 

How do short-term jobs impact my professional life?

Even though short-term jobs provide slow progress as a professional, you have more time to polish your skills. On the other hand, you don’t get that much time with long projects.

Portfolio Diversity

One of the important aspects of a freelancer is your portfolio. It projects what sort of past experience and work you have done while also showcasing your immediate skills. 

Short-term jobs significantly improve the outlook of your portfolio. You can easily diversify your project list. 

How is that beneficial for me as a freelancer? 

In Laymen’s terms, it helps you attract more clients. A diverse portfolio adds authenticity to your gig. 

Moreover, clients are more likely to pursue freelancers that have worked on multiple projects. If your portfolio isn’t diverse, it can be hard to land future jobs. 

What other benefits can I get from a diverse portfolio?

UpWork itself prefers freelancers that have multiple projects under their belt. It promotes them to potential clients. 

This can save you a lot of time and resources in searching for new jobs. 

Project Complexity

Every single job you can find on UpWork has a certain level of complexity. It is natural that short-term jobs fall on the easier end of the spectrum. 

On the other hand, long-term projects have a high level of complexity. This is mainly due to multiple layers of additional factors.

How do these jobs differ in complexity?

Let’s suppose you have a short-term proofreading job. Your only objective is to proofread single or multiple documents. It is quick and easy. 

Whereas a long-term proofreading job always includes multiple documents. You might have to cross-reference them and make sure everything is in a linear flow. 

These sorts of long-term jobs are usually related to large businesses and firms. Even though they pay a good amount, it still brings a lot of difficulty to the table. 

Goal Management

Another reason why short-term jobs are better is the ability to manage your goals. Long-term jobs don’t provide that kind of luxury. 

You can easily plan out your work schedule and meet your deadline. Whereas long-term jobs can often come with tough goals. 

What if I can still manage long-term goals?

There is no denying that you can manage long-term goals. However, it can prove to be quite difficult to maintain your personal and professional life. 

Moreover, manageable goals also ensure the quality of your work. In most cases, quantity over quality can seriously hurt your freelancer profile. 

Time Management

As we mentioned before, your resources are important. One of these resources is time. One-time jobs help you maintain a healthy balance.

However, when it comes to long-term jobs, time management can be a serious issue. You barely have any time to make other commitments. 

How does that affect me on a personal level? 

Suppose you are a graphic designer with expertise in Adobe Photoshop. As a freelancer, you want to venture into other graphic designing tools. 

With short-term jobs, you can easily divide your entire week between working and learning. This sort of balance is hard to maintain in long-term jobs. 

Why is it hard to maintain this balance? 

Long-term jobs are mostly related to only a single type of skill set. You barely have any time to focus on your job and learn new skills at the same time. 

Important Tips to Keep in Mind

• Always keep an eye out for the payout rate. It will help you determine whether a job is worth your time or not.
• Select your jobs according to your stronger skill set. This will help you accomplish tasks efficiently. 
• Keep your deadlines clear. Always try to submit work before deadlines. This will leave space for any additional changes from the client’s end. 

Wrapping Things Up…

With this, we come to the conclusion of why one-time jobs are better on UpWork. We hope you can use this information to your advantage. 

UpWork provides a number of opportunities for all sorts of professionals. However, one-time jobs can help you grow financially and polish your skills as well. 

Do let us know what you think in the comments below.