No N.

I spent on UpWork for three years.
660 proposals sent in two years, 41 interviews, 28 contacts, 24 closed.
"Top-Rated" status reached and lost, "private" setting by upwork and all other quests been passed.
Previous profile was blocked in case of lack of activities for more than a month, yes, three years ago UpWork just blocking profiles even if you just started.
On the second try in 2017 everything was right, sometimes I had well clients, sometimes they made me nuts, but I earned money and that the main.
In 2017 when I upgrade in my profession a lot of scumming clients and freelancers raised so in several months platform become flooded by clients with no history, strange projects and out of mind requirements. Same I could say about my colleague's whos start the dumping bids and involving such kind of clients.
So nowadays it's kinda challenging to a duel, who shoot proposal first wins, cause instead in several minutes after it will be 50+ and you drown like your voice on a flea market. I had been scummed 4 times, all those cases continue with disputes trough useless support, and only once I got half of my money back from scammed contract. Most of the cases, scammer hires a freelancer and try to work out of platform, or if he risky enough he could hire you and at work process close contract at the middle of night and its "payment verified" will mean nothing, especially when you don't apply milestone before, but even if you do scammer could decline approvement, close contract and bring back his money, so suck it "payment verified" status, UpWork really cares about freelancers. My rating jumped to Top Rated and falls to 40% and then back again and again. As a result, my revenues felt to none almost for a year.
Then UpWork announces the payment proposals I been glad, cause I hoped it will cut off summers freelancers and I be able to highlight my self with same level freelancers like me.
And it becomes true, that really helps for several months but bids already dumped and I don't see really challenging, big projects for a long long time, I even think that that kind of clients with great startups just escaped from the platform, cause at least on local markets services could be more costly but guarantee you will be able to converse on your language with understanding and gets more professional result.
And yes, I middle hand professional, intermediate as UpWork could define me, and someone would say that maybe I worked not enough, maybe I communicate not so well, but damn, 24 hires on 660 proposals for 2 years.
And that happens not only me, it happens with all of my friends who worked on UpWork, some of the good coders, designers, and copywriters.
Most of them been more successful than me, for example, I never had an hourly rated contract for a year and a half, but some of my friends do, and as same as me right after that great experience they felt into the void, no work, no interviews for a several months and first that are reached after is a quick small contract which cloud match their previous experience.
So now after all "major" updated at UpWork for last summer, they find a full-time job, and that's all.
In case if you are from a country where your currency sucks and even small budgets advantageous, I'll recommend it only in case if there are no other options to workaround.
Cause it's not easy money, money never could be easy.
It's not experience that grows you a lot, it's experienced about communications with different.
It's a place there in your profession could be ******* same as you, and 3000 proposals, it's a 44 person per proposal. Think about it when assuming that it could be your full-time job.
Cheers!