I keep getting people who want to interview me off platform. It's frustrating because this is my livelihood, but it makes me wonder what the client's understanding about this is.
It's not the client misunderstanding in 99.99% of the cases, it's a scam. There is no reason to not use the features on Upwork for the conversations leading to a contract. If someone is informed, and they ask/insist/ demand/ghost - it's a scam. Why would you need a different video? It's a scam. If they refuse to use Upwork, or they refuse a video, camera doesn't work, etc. it's a scam.
I had an invitation to interview today & really want the project, but they would not join the call & instead sent an outside zoom link. Is that okay to do?
No! It is not. Doing so breaks the big rules and can cost you your account permanently. It will also cost you time, effort, work, and your money. These are not real jobs, they are scams.
I rescheduled because I wanted to be clear on what the policy is.
Stop all contact with this scammer. Contact Support and report this scammer. There are several ways to get to Support: through the job, through the Support Forum, through the chatbot, and by clicking on the vertical dots in your message by the date and time stamp, and leaving a message for the moderators.
All you missed with this scam, is being scammed.
Upwork is no different from a random chat room. You don't know who people are, their real names, why they are here, or their motivation. Heavy vetting of the job and the client are mandatory, but it takes learning outside of Upwork. Every freelancer should spend time learning about vetting and using it because if you don't, you will be scammed, cheated, and have miserable clients. It's not a skill to be taken lightly; vetting is a necessary skill to have before you ever look at jobs. It entails an examination and is not looking people up online.
Because you are new, you are a target for the scammers. The way you protect yourself is through knowledge, which includes vetting. Please read this post, and follow all the links. It will take you to valuable information on Upwork resources and community input on scams that is a must-read.
Also, the first line of your profile is all clients see in a search, so it's crucial to have a powerful first sentence. Don't use greetings, names or your skills list. The clients can see this information. Use the first sentence to tell the client why your skills and experience combine to save money on invoices, increase the ROI on a landing page, or create a brand that will elevate the business.
A professional profile is the best way to attract clients and deter scammers. Add more to the introduction but keep it to three or four paragraphs and add more about how you can aid the client in their endeavors.
If you follow the rules, use vetting, and your gut feeling, you will avoid the scams. I understand needing work, but this means at times there may be no work. However, no work, and no money beats being scammed and losing money every time. Be safe.
