Getting work samples

[6dca2c5f]

I'm trying to hire a designer and copywriter.  Before I invite anyone to a job I want to see work samples, but many freelancers don't post them to their profile. Is it possible to contact the freelancer to ask for work samples without inviting them to a job?

[prestonhunter]

re: "Is it possible to contact the freelancer to ask for work samples without inviting them to a job?"

No.

But in all seriousness.... why would you want to?

Why are you interested in inviting those freelancers if you haven't seen their work?

Personally... I don't take freelance writers and designers seriously if they don't have portfolios. I assume they're not serious. Having a portfolio is a pretty important concept for these types of work.

[6dca2c5f]

I’m not. That’s the point. I’m trying to see their work before inviting them, but many don’t post samples or the samples they pair aren’t relevant to the project.

[petra_r]

---

Paul S wrote:
I’m not. That’s the point. I’m trying to see their work before inviting them, but many don’t post samples or the samples they pair aren’t relevant to the project.

---

Then the solution is to only invite people who have relevant work in their portfolio,

If you need very specific samples, then freelancers may not have anything specific enough in their portfolios. Whilst you're not allowed to ask freelancers to create "on spec" samples for free, you could hire a few people whose style you like at their normal rate to create samples for you.

[6dca2c5f]

Thanks Petra.  That's too bad because freelancers don't typically post all their work to their portfolios. If they have relevant samples to share on request, I think that would be benefiical to all parties. 

[petra_r]

---

Paul S wrote:

Thanks Petra.  That's too bad because freelancers don't typically post all their work to their portfolios. If they have relevant samples to share on request, I think that would be benefiical to all parties. 

---

Maybe you misunderstood.

You can ask freelancers if they already have any relevant samples. If they do, you can ask them to put it in their portfolio so you can take a look. 

Generally, anyone with a reasonable portfolio, even if those sampes don't specifically releate to what you want, gives more than enough to decide if you like someone's work or not.

[feed_my_eyes]

All you have to do is post your job and ask people to attach relevant samples. (And you can safely ignore anyone who doesn't comply, since that'll be a good indication of how well they're able to pay attention and follow instructions.) 

[kbadeau]

I don't understand. I thought Upwork had changed the system and now you *could* message freelancers before posting a job or sending an invite? In which case you would just ask them for relevant samples.

Like, in my case, I usually have my most recent books in my portfolio on my profile. But maybe someone wants to see a financial book, or a story book, or a art education book. I have too much stuff to put it all up there, plus no one wants to wade through 8 million samples in the hopes they'll find an exact example of "x." So I put up recent projects that I really like, and send relevant samples when I respond to invites, but I'm also always happy to send samples if you just message me.

[petra_r]

---

Kelly B wrote:

I don't understand. I thought Upwork had changed the system and now you *could* message freelancers before posting a job or sending an invite?

---

Only some random clients have that facility.

I also have a feeling that the OP is after "custom samples" (aka "free samples" or "spec samples") rather than just previous work done for someone else.

[6dca2c5f]

>> I also have a feeling that the OP is after "custom samples" (aka "free samples" or "spec samples") rather than just previous work done for someone else. 

Umm...not at all.   I'm making the same point as Kelly B.  Freelancers don't always post all samples, nor should they. 

[ladyelexia]

If you are looking for specific types of samples, you may just have to ask the freelancer for them. Most people create work on a "work for hire" basis, which also means that they must have permission from their past clients to display that work in their public profile. 80% of clients do not allow it for various reasons. Look for a freelancer that has a good body of work shown, even it is not in the exact niche you prefer. If you like the quality and style, send an interview invite and ask to see more of their work in a specific niche, or offer to pay a small amount for a custom sample. 

[dzadza]

---

Paul S wrote:

Thanks Petra.  That's too bad because freelancers don't typically post all their work to their portfolios. If they have relevant samples to share on request, I think that would be benefiical to all parties. 

---

We are unable to add work to our portfolio without creating specialized profile. Problem with specialized profiles is - there are quite a few categories missing (print design, for example). So - there are quite a few freelancers who don't want to create those profiles - hence our portfolios only contain old work and can't be updated. Thanks much, Upwork!

[shamin07031]

It's it's possible. When they send you the proposal just message than to show their previous work. Most of the freelancers show you their previous work samples. No problem