I also had that problem (and still have), but I found my best gig on the UpWork.
UpWork is a race to the bottom, but only if you are unknown and have no reviews. Once you get a reputation, it gets better. It takes a lot of time, and for me, it's still the process. In the beginning, I focused only on getting good reviews without paying attention to the earnings.
I am based in Germany, and as you can guess, the money I earned couldn't even cover the electricity bills. But I got a few good reviews, and suddenly, one great client found me with a lot of work. Not only did he provide me with a lot of work, but he also referred me to other people, and I got more clients.
So, as someone said in the comments "Sometimes its just a matter of being in the right place at the right time or dumb luck."
UpWork is a race to the bottom, but only if you are unknown and have no reviews. Once you get a reputation, it gets better. It takes a lot of time, and for me, it's still the process. In the beginning, I focused only on getting good reviews without paying attention to the earnings.
I am based in Germany, and as you can guess, the money I earned couldn't even cover the electricity bills. But I got a few good reviews, and suddenly, one great client found me with a lot of work. Not only did he provide me with a lot of work, but he also referred me to other people, and I got more clients.
So, as someone said in the comments "Sometimes its just a matter of being in the right place at the right time or dumb luck."