What is with the " I can't move forward without a reason " bs? PTO is earned and it is none of their business why you are taking off. (Not my OP)

I just found out that you can’t even verify your account on Upwork unless you first buy Connects. That means you’re forced to spend money before you can even prove your identity or apply for jobs.

It feels like gambling. you buy tokens, roll the dice on proposals, and hope you “win” a client. There’s no guarantee, and if you don’t land a job, you’ve just burned cash.

Has anyone here actually made back their Connects investment quickly? Or do most people end up paying more before they see any return?