Competition and regulations in Upwork are tough, making it difficult for newbies to land a job. Submitting your proposals costs me 10-23 connects. Then, if you get hired for an interview, it will also cost you multiple connects. I would like to try another website for project-based work. As a newbie, I will only charge as low as $15 per project. But once I gain enough testimonials, I will slowly raise my charges.