External hiring process

[#1]

I received a job proposal through Upwork from an unverified client. Being new here and “unverified” myself I accepted the proposal 5 days ago.

Today, and there was no other communication from the client since I replied, I received a message with an invitation for a Skype interview. I’ve read around here that that’s somewhat common practice, but something raised a red flag for me: an “identification number for the online hiring process”. It makes me believe the client wants to start a hiring process outside Upwork.

Is this ok or am I right in being suspicious?

Thanks in advance.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Joao,

I think you're right to be cautious. You'll definitely want to make sure that you have a contract with the client before starting on any work, and also that they have a verified billing method so that the work you do can be covered by Upwork Payment Protection. You can flag the job posting for us to review by clicking on the "Flag as inappropriate" link located at the upper right of the job posting. I would suggest you browse  this thread which has helpful tips and excellent resources for users just getting started on the platform and you can also check out this thread for tips on avoiding suspicious jobs and scams. I hope that helps!

[#3]

Thank you for the help and links, I’ll make sure to read everything thoroughly.

Meanwhile the proposal was removed for non-compliance even though I hadn’t reported it yet.

[#4]

That sounds extremely suspicious and also its against Upwork TOS to work outside the platform. However, that doesn't mean you can't communicate outside of Upwork. People do this all the time and that's usually common practice. However, payment and hiring should be done through the platform.

If they want to hire you, then they will need to send you an offer through the upwork system.

[#5]

Thanks for your input. It appears that my instincts were right, the proposal has been removed for non-compliance.