Like I said before, this was the first mistake I made. I was so excited to get started, that I began proposing on every job I possibly could to land the maximum amount of jobs-only to be knee-high in crappy clients that had horrible communication, were cheap, and expected the world.

Here's how to find the right jobs to propose on:

• Find Relevant Jobs. This may sounds like common sense, but it's easy to come across jobs that aren't what you're looking for, but would be an easy paycheck. Don't do it. Stay focused and build your portfolio with relevant jobs to enhance your credibility. I made this mistake with writing articles and doing graphic design work in Adobe Illustrator when I knew close to nothing about it. I didn't have fun doing them and I didn't ever use them as portfolio examples.
• Make Sure Their Budget/Expectations Are Realistic. It's very common to see job postings where people have unrealistic expectations. Someone may want an article/web site completed with unlimited revisions or want you to triple their company's sales with a budget of less than $500. We call those Project Creeps. Their expectations are higher than their budget and they will turn your profits into a loss.
• Find Sponsored Posts. Sponsored posts are the job postings that are highlighted and say "featured post". These are good to consider because it means the poster paid $25 just to have their posting highlighted. If someone is willing to pay an additional $25 just with hopes of finding a good freelancer, then they are more serious and typically have more money to spend.

• Review Their History. How much have they spent on Elance? Are they 'payment verified?' What's their award ratio? Do they typically leave good reviews for past freelancers and do they seem kind and understanding? These are all important things to consider before submitting a proposal. If someone has spent $0 on Elance and they have awarded 0 out of 16 job postings, then chances are, they won't do it for you. It will just be a waste of a 'connect' (you get 40 with the free profile.)

My rule of thumb is to find posters who have spent at least $500-$2,000 on Elance, have at least a 40% award ratio, are payment verified with at least 3 green dots, and leave kind reviews for past freelancers. It ensures a higher probability that the relationship can start and end well. Although it will take an additional 2-3 minutes, it's worth it. You can find all this information by clicking on the poster's name.