Three Freelance Jobs you Don’t Want

Over the past few days, we’ve been talking about freelance scams. Granted, a lot of problems you come across in the world of writing aren’t because the client has a huge scheme to rip you off. I’m using the term “scam” pretty liberally. Sometimes people just see a way to suddenly take advantage of you, and sometimes a disagreement between you and the clients leads to a problem – and they legitimately think they’re being fair (even when they aren’t).

But sometimes, people have set out to scam you. That’s the kind of freelancing job you just don’t want – and although the scam-y ads look the same to amateurs, as you’re in the business longer and longer, you begin to see patterns. After just a few years of freelancing, you’ll start the notice the signs of a job that’s a scam (most likely). Here are three freelance jobs you definitely don’t want:

• A Non-paying Job

Jobs that are non-paying are ofen advertised as “great for your portfolio.” Let me say this – unless you’re actually put in contact with top people in your industry or receive mass amounts of exposure, a non-paying gig will do nothing for your portfolio that you couldn’t do on your own. I mean, if you’re a budding sports journalist and are giving the chance to interview Tom Brady for Sports Illustrated, you may want to do it just for the byline. In general, though, non-paying jobs just don’t make sense. If the person doesn’t have a way to pay you now, it is very, very, VERY unlikely that they ever will. The ONE exception is an internship. I do believe there are some non-paying internships that can actually be worthwhile. Usually, though, people who advertise non-paying jobs just want free work.

• Vague Jobs

If you still aren’t clear on the job after a few emails, you may have a problem on your hands. People who are running scams make a point to give you as few details as possible. They won’t offer a contract, and probably don’t show you a website. They certainly don’t give you any information for contacting them other than a third-party (yahoo, gmail, etc) email address. Trust me, you want a very clear view of the job and your employer within the first two emails. Ads themselves may be a little vague to protect ideas or for other reasons, but anyone who may potentially hire you shoudl give you all the details of the job.

• Too-Good-To-Be-True Jobs

You’ve heard it a million times (two million if your mother is like mine): if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. The price of work may change from client to client, but if you’re being offered a price that makes you wonder if the client is “for real,” you’ll likely find yourself with a scam on your hands. Now, sometimes, you get an amazing gig. I’d gotten jobs that paid $100+ for 500 words before. It’s happy day when that happens. Be careful, though. Before you get all gung ho about a dream freelance job, make sure that the company is legitimate.

Other warning signs that a gig is a scam:

• You suddenly get a TON of spam after emailing them.
• They send you an email to hire you, but it isn’t personalized or otherwise sounds like a form letter.
• They ask you to download a program to do the work (other than normal, well-established programs).
• You aren’t given a phone number, and there’s no business address.
• They don’t have a website.
• They won’t pay you in increments as you do the work (unless the project is very small).
• You have to shell out any money to get the job or view available jobs through them.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. You don’t want to pass by a great gig because you’re scared that it is a scam. On the other hand, one scam can really finanically hurt you. Err on the side of caution, and research any client before you work with them.

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