Work Diary

Clear communication and transparency are crucial for building client trust as a freelancer on Upwork. Upwork's Work Diary is a powerful tool that helps bridge the gap between you and your client by providing a visual record of your project activity. Let's explore the functionalities of the Work Diary and discover how you can leverage it to showcase your dedication and commitment to delivering exceptional results.

Inside the Work Diary

The Work Diary is a log of your activity on an hourly contract. When you use Upwork's Time Tracker (we covered that in the previous lesson!), the tool captures screenshots of your work in progress at designated intervals. These screenshots and any memos you add offer a comprehensive overview of your efforts on the project.

Here's a breakdown of the key elements within the Work Diary:

• Time entries: This section displays the total hours you've dedicated to the project, broken down by individual days or weeks.

• Screenshots: Upwork's Time Tracker takes screenshots of your screen every ten minutes while the timer runs. These snapshots give your client a glimpse into your work on the project, fostering trust and transparency.
  • If you are working on multiple monitors, when opening your Work Diary settings and selecting which screen to track, choose Screen with activity to prevent recording an inactive screen.

• Memos: Utilize the memo feature to add clear and concise descriptions of your tasks. This helps your client understand how your time is being spent, enhancing project clarity and communication.
  • While you can edit memos in your Work Diary, you cannot edit the duration of time worked. This might occur if you forget to switch off the Time Tracker or, when working on multiple projects, you forget to switch on the correct Time Tracker for your current contract. To address these situations, manually removing and adding the time entry is recommended to accurately reflect the hours spent on the specific project.
    To learn more, check outUse Your Work Diary.

Optimizing your Work Diary experience

While the Work Diary captures your activity automatically, here are some ways to make the most of this valuable tool:

• Craft compelling memos: Don't underestimate the power of clear and concise memos. Instead of generic entries like "Working on the project," describe specific tasks you completed (e.g., "Revised website copywriting for homepage"). This extra detail demonstrates your proactive approach, keeps your client informed, and helps you to qualify for Hourly Payment Protection.
• Customize the view: Upwork allows you to adjust the timeframe displayed in the Work Diary. Focus on specific dates or weeks to highlight crucial project milestones or address client queries about project progress.

Note: Remember, the Work Diary doesn't replace direct communication with your client. Utilize it as a valuable tool to showcase your progress, but always prioritize regular project updates and discussions to maintain a strong client relationship. The Work Diary doesn't track your mouse clicks, keyboard typing, redacted passwords, application usage lists, webcam images or videos, or inactive time on your device. It only records the time you actively work on your projects.

By employing these strategies and effectively leveraging the Work Diary, you can empower your clients with transparency, showcase your dedication, and ultimately build stronger working relationships that lead to continued success on the Upwork platform.

Consider this: The missing memos

You're a freelance graphic designer working on a logo design project for a new client. You've been diligently using the Upwork Time Tracker and capturing screenshots throughout your design process. However, you realize you haven't been adding detailed memos to each time entry. While the screenshots offer a glimpse into your work, they lack context regarding the specific design decisions or revisions made.

• Will your client understand the value you delivered without detailed memos? How can you effectively communicate your thought process and design iterations without clear explanations?
• Should you go back and add memos to existing time entries? Would this raise any concerns with your client, especially if it's been a while since you logged those hours?
• How can you prevent similar situations in the future? What strategies can you implement to ensure you consistently add clear and concise memos alongside your time entries?