Legitimate freelance jobs, as discussed in the first part of this article series, are out there and the Internet can be a good resource for locating those opportunities. However, there are also plenty of scams, hirers that are slow to pay or don’t want to pay at all, and jobs that simply aren’t worthwhile pursuing. How do you sort through the many opportunities to locate legitimate freelance jobs? It is often a matter of knowing what NOT to do. Use this “Do Not” list to stay on track when searching online freelance oppportunities.
DO NOT:
- Apply to vague listings.
Job sites, especially those that do not require payment to post a job, will often include listings that provide very little information about the freelance opportunity. Be wary of those job listings that do not give either a company name or a detailed description of the project. These same types of listings may simply say they are hiring freelancers and then provide an email address asking you to reply in order to get more information. It is possible that this type of opportunity is for some type of illegal or unethical activities, or is a way to collect personal information from individuals to be used illegally.
- Respond to low-pay, no-pay or revenue-share opportunities.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see job listings from companies or individuals who want cheap, or free labor. Is this illegal or unethical? No. There are certainly legitimate opportunities that are simply low paying. However, these types of hirers often turn out to be slow payers, too. Or, they become overly demanding clients despite the fact they are not paying well.
The same can be said for those freelance projects that offer revenue-sharing opportunities instead of straight pay. In this case, there is no guarantee you will get any money for the work you complete on a project. This can be particularly frustrating when you have little control over how money is earned or profits are managed. And, if there is little or no tracking capabilities for revenue in-take, or you have limited access to it, you may never know if or how much money you are actually entitled to receive.
Be cautious of freelance job listings that offer “experience,” the ability to “build a portfolio,” or a “share of revenues in an exciting start-up company” in exchange for work. While there are times when working for free is a good way for a new freelancer to gain work samples and references, you may want to look for those opportunities through people or companies you know personally.
- Pay for the opportunity to work.
You should never directly pay a hirer for the opportunity to work on a freelance project. There are job or project sites, like Guru.com, that charge a membership fee to view available projects. However, these sites usually offer a lower-level membership that is free. Additionally, sites such as this one are offering a particular level of service in exchange for fee, including verifying the legitimacy of the hirer (so you do not have to) or for offering safe-pay options and other features designed to assist the professional freelancer.
- Allow direct deposit of funds into a personal bank account.
When applying for a freelance opportunity, you should not immediately sign up for, or allow the hirer to deposit funds into your bank account. This is especially important when working for an individual or a company that you are not familiar with. Be paricularly cautious if the hirer asks for you complete a direct-deposit pay form before you are even awarded the work.
- Give personal information or sensitive data to a client.
As with your bank account, there is little reason to provide any other detailed personal information to a hirer, particularly before the project has been awarded and a contract is signed. It is legal for a company to ask you to complete a W-9 Form as part of record-keeping and tax-reporting requirements with the IRS, but again, this should occur only after the project has been awarded and you have been hired.