Oct 30, 2011 07:30:52 AM Edited Jun 2, 2016 06:45:05 AM by Vladimir G
When reading a job description, what causes you to go "Ut-oh!"? What red flags do you see in applications that at least puts you on your guard, if not actually skip to the next one? Here's some of mine (and others):
First and foremost The work is yours until you are paid in full. You own the copyright until you have been paid the agreed sum. If you choose to work for 15 cents per hour then that's your problem. If it takes longer than you thought..again, down to you. BUT. If you have done your bit according to the contract that you agreed, then the work is yours until it's paid for.
Asking for payment or to use your own accounts (Thanks Dave!) Money comes from the client to you; anything else and you're doing it wrong. Do not ever (unless you know the client really well, and give it second thoughts even then) pay for something for the client unless you have received the money from them first. Deposit for something; webhosting accounts; domain name; subscription for site X that is "essential for the job" etc etc. No money. Ever. Similarly, do not use your own eBay, Craigslist etc. accounts to list things for sale...chances are high that it will end badly and wreck any good karma you have built up there. And it'll be you in the frame if it turns out that it was illegal.
"Bait and Switch" (Thanks Selcalmel!) Clients advertise one job and then offer a different job at interview. Now there can be valid reasons for this; but a big difference between the job description and the work you're being offered should be viewed with extreme suspicion. Mostly on oDesk it's either jobs that you wouldn't have applied for if the job was described honestly or changing the rules to try and get the price down.
Too many people being interviewed This can be a sign that the buyer is dividing the job up and giving the various parts as a 'test' to applicants...with the intention of getting the job for free. It could just be that the buyer is looking for a very specific set of skills, or other innocent motive, but maybe not.
NOTE: (Thanks Brandon!) This also applies to the client's history...check the total number of jobs posted versus people hired. If there are a load of jobs posted but few contracts awarded, then proceed with caution.
Only low bidders being interviewed If you're not one of the low bidders on that job then it's probably not worth applying.
Long list of demands, silly budget We've all seen them; the jobs for an all-singing, all-dancing website for $100, followed by either a HUGE feature list and/or a long list of qualities required by the contractor. Luckily for you, the buyer is advertising the fact that they are a wanker (behaviour which is unlikely to change if you were unfortunate enough to land the contract). This buyer knows the market well enough to know exactly what they want; and must therefore know that the budget is exploitative...move on. And as a corollary to the above (Thanks Louis!):
People who bellow orders, often in capitals "SUCH SUCH WILL NOT BE READ I IF [insert term].... OTHERWISE I WILL DELETE YOUR APPLICATION IMMEDIATELY". Or "MUST ATTACH SUCH AND SUCH OTHERWISE YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME". Some people -presumably after watching Alan Sugar or that twat Trump- think that this is how bosses should behave. I see it mostly as a sign of either someone being new to being in a position to call the shots and is a bit insecure about it, or someone who is a natural git. In either case your job will be more difficult because of it. Also, these types of application are frequently paired with a ridiculous budget. Any buyers who are reading this should note that this isn't the way to go about things...also all capitals make it harder to read and you're increasing the chances of applicants missing an important detail. Annoying people before they've even applied for your job cannot possibly help. Am I the only one, by the way, who feels the impulse to reply in kind?: "Listen up bitch. I reckon I can do it in 10 hours which'll cost you $450 and if that isn't good enough then you can just **Edited for Community Guidelines** would be a fairly short application, probably.
Mention of half-finished job/previous contractor/s There are two factors here...sorting out what someone else has done often takes longer than just doing whatever it is from scratch. You will very probably be inheriting a hairy-arsed nightmare. The other factor -and a question you should be asking yourself (and the buyer, come to that)- is exactly why the previous contractor didn't finish. It does happen that buyers get a run of bad luck with contractors (often after playing in the lower budget ranges), so it isn't necessarily the buyer's fault. On the other hand, it could be. Rescuing a client from a wall-to-wall catastrophe at the 11th hour is one of the best smug feelings you can get as a freelancer; but these jobs are high-risk...you need to ascertain for yourself that the buyer is genuine before getting in too deep. A note to any buyers reading this: If you've already been through two or more contractors and you still don't have a result, you need to seriously consider throwing a match in and starting with fresh code. I've had jobs where it took significantly longer to find out what the hell the previous guys had done than it would have taken to just bin everything and do the job. And with other people's code, you can never be 100% sure that you haven't missed something important/broken/nasty.
One-line descriptions Buyers quite often don't know the information that a contractor needs in order to produce a final product the client will be happy with; that's not a problem and it's the contractor's job to ask the right questions. But when you see a job like "I need a website. Plz replie", just move on. If they can't be bothered, then neither can I.
Payment method not verified Sign either of a first-time user or a scammer. If the unverified user is overly familiar with the way oDesk works...warning! If it's a first time user, you may well have to do some unofficial oDesk support and talk them through it. And you might still get scammed at the end.
Anything where you have to create a user account on another site (that isn't the site you're working on) before you start. No. Just no.
Business plan with failure built in As a webdesigner, I hear 10 plans for world domination before breakfast. Some job descriptions have fail built into the very fabric of the scheme. The worst ones are the ones where you have to mess around with NDAs and soothe the buyer that you're not going to be over the horizon with his masterplan (which often as not turns out to be another bloody facebook or youtube clone). *sigh*
Jobs where 'clients' are mentioned I don't really like sub-sub contracting. Firstly there's there's the thought of the buyer sitting on his arse collecting cash for my work; which rankles a bit. Secondly -and more important- is the 'Chinese Whisper Effect'; where the original client's specs is filtered through the middleman's idea of what the end-client wants. These specs may well not be accurate. You *will* be doing extra work because of this. The same applies to large companies where an underling has been given the task and is now offloading it onto you; but in this case the specs are more often written down. The worse case in this latter scenario can be where it's a committee and everyone present has to get a design change in there -no matter how pointless- just to get their name in the minutes of the meeting.
"It will only take 5 minutes" No it won't. No job in the history of contracting has ever taken only 5 minutes. It takes longer than that to liase with the potential client, for a start.
Jobs that aren't worth it ((Your hourly rate) * (Number of hours you think it will take)) + (Say 10% safety margin for extra missions/unexplained bits) = (Your price for the job). If there's not enough money or not enough time, then it's usually best to move on.
Anything that mentions CAPTCHA or removing watermarks It's naughty. Don't.
Web scraping Nah. Probably illegal (copyright) and definitely immoral. You're stealing someone else's work. Worse...you're automating stealing someone else's work.
Jobs where it looks like a reasonable budget for the job until you read the description and it turns out that the budget is a monthly wage for full-time work of the same type This is annoying and wastes time.
Non-profit organisation (Thanks Mahesh!) A non-profit organisation is not the same thing as a charity. Some are, of course, but some are tax dodges, some are for groups of people, with the aim of the organisation being something you don't necessarily approve of..."Mothers in support of the ruthless oppression of Brits in Spain"; "White supremacy"; "Black supremacy"; whatever. Or -as Mahesh points out- it could just be weasel-wording for the fact that they haven't made any money.
Buyers asking for free work samples/tests (Thanks Anna!) It is the buyer's right to ask, just as it is your right to refuse. It's also discouraged by oDesk. All the veteran contractors (including me) will advise against free samples and in any case that's what your portfolio is for...to show previous examples of work and the standard that you're capable of. For contractors it just is not worth it...if there's 30 applicants to the job, you're spending time doing work for a 1 in 30 chance of getting a job. You can spend your entire life doing this and not make a penny. Now that I've said all that, a free sample is what landed me my first job on oDesk...someone wanted a graphic vector conversion and -having some free time- I just did it and sent an (unusable) sample graphic in. The buyer didn't demand a sample (I would not have applied if that were the case), but I proved I could do the job by doing it. Traditionally in design work, it used to be the case that the designer offered several alternate designs; but those were for *much* larger-budget jobs. It isn't worth even considering for the sort of jobs that are at oDesk. If you do choose to give free samples, always watermark them (Thanks Ernesto!). In the case of writing samples, send them as a graphic or locked PDF so that the text can't be used without paying you.
Free work samples - Part II If the buyer is asking for free samples and if it's the sort of job that can be broken up into smaller tasks then pay extra attention; and also look closely at the number of people being interviewed.
"Great opportunity for newbies" (Thanks Judith!) This means that a buyer is offering a risably small budget for work in exchange for giving you feedback. This is either feedback blackmail or investing time in order to get in the game, depending upon your point of view. You are definitely being taken advantage of; but really it's your decision...as long as you go into it with your eyes open and as long as it's all agreed at the start. Buyers trying to use feedback to change the terms after the job has started, however, should be reported.
Vague specifications (Thanks Louis!) It's harder to work with vague specifications, mostly, but you see quite a lot of jobs with insufficient detail. If you're extremely lucky, it's a buyer who wants this Thing to perform this Function; is busy; has correctly assessed your level of competence; and trusts you to get 'er done. This is rare. It is, however, also difficult to write job descriptions with exactly the right amount of detail. Insufficient detail could be due to laziness; unfamiliarity with the oDesk system; lack of knowledge (which is after all why the buyer is getting a professional in)...lots of reasons. The best way of approaching this -I believe- is to use the application letter and interview to clear up any ambiguities and to focus in on the specs so that you and the client both agree on what the job actually is and where the boundaries are. If you start the job and only have a vague idea of what the client wants, you are going to have problems. Possibly big problems if the job description also states...
Unlimited redo A job description containing these words should be approached with caution. Particularly with website work, as you're essentially agreeing to maintain it forever as part of the deal. Add a bit of mission creep to a contract like this and you're in a world of hurt. I always specify 'reasonable amount of re-do' in the cover letter. It's a contract and you should never agree to something that can suck up an infinite amount of your time for free. I understand that buyers want their work the way they want it and the 'unlimited' is mostly just a way of ensuring that their needs will be met. You, the contractor, also needs to ensure that you're covered, so best to renegotiate this phrase.
"Send us ID" This is not needed to work at oDesk. Don't do it or you will be very sorry. Verify who you are through oDesk, if you must, but ***NEVER*** send ID; bank account details, PayPal, eBay or any other information that can be used by ID-theft types.
Write to me outside of odesk This isn't necessarily a problem...everyone has their preferred methods of communication. At the first hint of paying outside of oDesk you should run away quickly: It's against oDesk rules; will get your account terminated if you're caught; and you will probably get stiffed by the buyer anyway.
Phishing (Thanks Santos!) The way this works is that someone sends you a link (usually an obscured one like "http://bit.ly/whatever"). This takes you to a page that *looks like* a login page to a common internet service (Gmail, Paypal, Amazon, whatever), but isn't. What the page is, is a copy of that login screen and the idea is that you type your password in and it gets captured by naughty people. It's then standard practice to use that email/username/password on lots of other common services to see if they work. If you 1) fall for it and 2) use the same password everywhere, you're stuffed. Don't trust an obscured link; and ALWAYS check the URL on a login screen, just to make sure you're in the place you think you are. Personally, I go a little further than that and keep a link with my (encrypted) password file and I only use my local link to visit web services.
Good luck out there!
Jan 24, 2016 06:01:11 PM by Joseph C
Add: Job poster has 7-10 other jobs posted same day.
Also: look at jobs completed and see if identical verbatim job was posted before and completed.
Feb 3, 2016 05:58:07 PM by Debbie H
Wow I wish I had seen this sooner! What a great post! Thank you so much!
Feb 4, 2016 04:03:32 AM by Armela C
Thanks for your article on various job warning signs. It is very informative. Im inclined to comment:
1. I myself tend to be skeptical when surfing in between the functions of the website and I tend to lose pages and it gets redirected. Well,true, screenshot capture started some years back, maybe about 2004 but as the ghertz become faster with memory speed loading, we tend to lose that split second and instantaneous confirmation as pages gets reloaded to see a hack.
2. We are vulnerable and Upwork/oDesk know it. We just pray hard to get a good contract, a good employer/project agent. We have faith that Upwork/oDesk is doing its job. This also shows why we need an Umbrella company to protect us.
3, Some clients /interviewees tend to beunresponsive or silent. I wish there can be a more transparent and fair competition measures that can be done with it. for all we know, some clients are awaiting our communication while we await them.
Hoping the best for all of us, the clients and freelancers/job seekers.
Feb 5, 2016 03:26:36 AM by Anonymous-User A
Today I have received a job offer from Pakistan. Somebody is looking for 10 professional German content writers, budget is 4,500, that is not very much, because this budget is for over 600k + words. First thing he wants is the Skype-ID! Payment method not verified. I have rejected and flagged this job. Perhaps an Upwork freelancer who tries to farm and also to collect personal data.
Feb 5, 2016 04:22:14 AM by Miroslav M
There i sa substantially high proportion of "payment not verified" clients on Upwork, when compared to Elance. I avoid most of them, but doing this I struggle even to spend my Connects from the basic, free membership. No idea if it's technical problem with Upwork so new clients need to allow much time for it to verify their payment method or this simply became a scammer magnet.
Feb 6, 2016 06:25:22 AM Edited Feb 6, 2016 06:51:21 AM by Preston H
Miroslav,
This has been discussed on other threads.
I really think you are misinterpreting the "payment not verified" notation on the job postings you're looking at.
My advice:
Don't worry about this when you apply to a job.
Look at the job description and consider whether that is a job you're interested in.
Apply to the job, talk to the client. If this is a job you can actually do, and do well, then go for it and be happy if the client asks you to work on her project by sending you an official hire offer.
Simply make sure that the client verifies her payment method before you do any work. If she doesn't do this during the interview process, all you need to do is tell her:
"I'm excited to get started. It looks like the payment method isn't verified yet. As soon as you do that, I'll get started on the project."
Then the client will verify the payment method, and you're good to go.
Feb 6, 2016 07:39:36 AM Edited Feb 6, 2016 07:43:59 AM by Anonymous-User A
@Preston H wrote:Miroslav,
This has been discussed on other threads.
I really think you are misinterpreting the "payment not verified" notation on the job postings you're looking at.
My advice:
Don't worry about this when you apply to a job.
Look at the job description and consider whether that is a job you're interested in.
Apply to the job, talk to the client. If this is a job you can actually do, and do well, then go for it and be happy if the client asks you to work on her project by sending you an official hire offer.
Simply make sure that the client verifies her payment method before you do any work. If she doesn't do this during the interview process, all you need to do is tell her:
"I'm excited to get started. It looks like the payment method isn't verified yet. As soon as you do that, I'll get started on the project."
Then the client will verify the payment method, and you're good to go.
Probably you do not receive suspect job offers. Yes, there are honest prospective clients who do not have their payment method verified yet. However, there are also myriads of dubious job offers that are accompanied by "payment method not verified" as one of the alarm signals, especially if the "clients" have been on Upwork for months with several job offers. I have just declined and flagged 2 new bogus invitations, of course payment method not verified.
Feb 6, 2016 10:03:28 AM by Olga Q
@Miroslav M wrote:There i sa substantially high proportion of "payment not verified" clients on Upwork, when compared to Elance. I avoid most of them, but doing this I struggle even to spend my Connects from the basic, free membership. No idea if it's technical problem with Upwork so new clients need to allow much time for it to verify their payment method or this simply became a scammer magnet.
Miroslav, you may want to read this thread
According to Setu, "Skipping "not verified" posts, means foregoing ~45% of job opportunities. That is a dealbreaker to begin with. There are a few tips you can employ to safely tap into a portion of that extra 45%."
Feb 7, 2016 08:49:44 AM by Gaya L
Thanks for these warnings. I really like this site. It gives us writers great opportunities; however, I really wish that UPWORK would not even allow those without verified funds to be allowed here. Plus, I would like it stated to those wanting to hire that no samples are to be asked esp after examples of work are already given. I wonder if these people are going to different sites and asking for samples over and over again.
I just did a sample and was told I would get 20 dollars for the sample. I never heard from her again. She is not verified so my bad but her post should be elimated.
We writers have to do tests and show job history etc. but what are those hiring required to do what?
We have more to lose than they do.
My best to all!
Feb 9, 2016 07:29:47 AM Edited Feb 9, 2016 07:45:15 AM by Anonymous-User A
Again my thesis that clients who want to start a Skype conversation in an initial stage of the contact will try hiring off the platform has been proven. A client who hires on the platform but also tries to hire off the platform. I suppose this happens very often. In combination with something else I disliked I finally have withdrawn my offer after having wasted my time and connects. I abstain from reporting and translating the Skype conversation. I suppose that a great part of these job offers where the client starts with a Skype conversation end off the plattform.
Feb 9, 2016 09:15:44 AM by Olga Q
@Margarete M wrote:Again my thesis that clients who want to start a Skype conversation in an initial stage of the contact will try hiring off the platform has been proven. A client who hires on the platform but also tries to hire off the platform. I suppose this happens very often. In combination with something else I disliked I finally have withdrawn my offer after having wasted my time and connects. I abstain from reporting and translating the Skype conversation. I suppose that a great part of these job offers where the client starts with a Skype conversation end off the plattform.
Margaret, it looks like you're accumulating some really bad experiences as far as Skype is concerned. I've used Skype many times, and had only 1 client suggesting to pay me via Paypal. I thought worthwhile mentioning my experience with this to let other freelancers know that this is not one of those cases where 1+1=2.
Feb 9, 2016 09:33:30 AM by Jennifer M
I think there is a distinct difference between someone maliciously trying to get someon off-platform and customers who just don't know. Most people ask for a discount, I say no, and we just go through upwork. For me, there is no incentive to go off platform, because giving a 10% discount means I'm making the same without the escrow protection. This is why I have no idea why freelancers actually agree to it....think people.
I don't think I've ever run into someone who is trying to get me off platform for malicious reasons (like not pay). But some have asked and I just tell them no. No reason to report them and lose money.
Feb 9, 2016 09:37:26 AM by Olga Q
@Jennifer M wrote:[…]
I don't think I've ever run into someone who is trying to get me off platform for malicious reasons (like not pay). But some have asked and I just tell them no. No reason to report them and lose money.
Exactly! The client I mentioned ended up hiring me on Upwork
Feb 9, 2016 12:39:17 PM by Anonymous-User A
@Olga Q wrote:Margaret, it looks like you're accumulating some really bad experiences as far as Skype is concerned. I've used Skype many times, and had only 1 client suggesting to pay me via Paypal. I thought worthwhile mentioning my experience with this to let other freelancers know that this is not one of those cases where 1+1=2.
Olga, you are right. Some clients on Elance before even refused to work on the platform and told me they always do it this way. Others like this example today also work on the platform with some freelancers but try to hire off the platform as well and ask for a reduction (because they do not pay the Upwork fee then). However, I think if somebody tries this, perhaps other problems like delaying payments will arise in the future.
Feb 16, 2016 09:30:14 AM by Daniela P
I applied for a job few days ago, and client asked me when I can start working.
But, he doesn't want to tell me what is the subject of the book that I need to write (he doesn't want to tell me anything. I really mean, anything.
He sent me a contract but he doesn't want to tell me the details before I accept the contract and sign some kind of Ghostwriter agreement (also, he did not fund the full amount, only 50%).
I don't want to sign anything before I know the details (maybe I don't know anything about that subject, or maybe I cannot write 10000 words).
Also, I'm little bit worried about outcome and revisions. He told me that I need to write like a native American or Australian. He told me something like this :
"For example a native english speaker would say " Could you please pass me the salt" and a foreign speaker would say " Could you pass salt please"
For him, it's only a very small subtle difference but any native english speaker can pick up on.
Any ideas?
I don't want to work for this client, smells like trouble. 😄
Feb 16, 2016 09:39:51 AM by Jennifer M
@Daniela P wrote:I applied for a job few days ago, and client asked me when I can start working.
But, he doesn't want to tell me what is the subject of the book that I need to write (he doesn't want to tell me anything. I really mean, anything.
He sent me a contract but he doesn't want to tell me the details before I accept the contract and sign some kind of Ghostwriter agreement (also, he did not fund the full amount, only 50%).
I don't want to sign anything before I know the details (maybe I don't know anything about that subject, or maybe I cannot write 10000 words).
Also, I'm little bit worried about outcome and revisions. He told me that I need to write like a native American or Australian. He told me something like this :
"For example a native english speaker would say " Could you please pass me the salt" and a foreign speaker would say " Could you pass salt please"For him, it's only a very small subtle difference but any native english speaker can pick up on.
Any ideas?
I don't want to work for this client, smells like trouble. 😄
I saw that job. It's cheap. He's probably just one of those junk Kindle spammers, so I would say he doesn't care but be careful with it. If he's hiring you (an apparent non-native) and expecting you to write like a native, it's likely that he wasn't able to find a native to write at the price he wants, which IIRC was way too low.
I always tell them that they have to fund the full amount. This was one of those cheap $50 ebook jobs, wasn't it?
Feb 16, 2016 09:46:34 AM by Daniela P
No, it's 150$ for 10000 words... I'm new here, so I need to work for peaunts.
The problem is that he doesn't want to tell me anything about the project.
"I will tell you when you sign the contract"... I don't think that is normal.
I'm not going to work with him, I'm not crazy.
Feb 16, 2016 09:54:53 AM by Jennifer M
Yeah, this is one of those kindle book spammers. He doesn't really care but since you're a non-native speaker, it will be hard to live up to his native expectations. He's probably used to it though. I'd go into his history and see if other non-natives have been paid. I still wouldn't do it for 50% funded.
Feb 16, 2016 10:11:03 AM by Daniela P
Thank you.
Actually, he never hired a writter before. I'm the first one.
The bigest problem is that he doesn't want to tell me anything about the project.
I've asked him several times, but noooo.
I'm wasting my time on him. And the funny part is that I am currently writing my Phd thesis (Social sciences) in English... he doesn't know he wants, probably 75$ book. 🙂
Feb 16, 2016 02:56:47 PM by Olga Q
@Daniela P wrote:Thank you.
Actually, he never hired a writter before. I'm the first one.
The bigest problem is that he doesn't want to tell me anything about the project.
I've asked him several times, but noooo.
I'm wasting my time on him. And the funny part is that I am currently writing my Phd thesis (Social sciences) in English... he doesn't know he wants, probably 75$ book. 🙂
Daniela, that is THE problem! I can't think of a single legitimate reason for not discussing a project prior to hiring. You'll probably regret yourself if you decide to accept the project.
Feb 16, 2016 11:27:36 AM by Sherry W
Hi I am a newbie on Upwork. I had 4 job offers this morning and so far 3 of them were scams. How can this happen. Should I go by the old saying" if it sounds too good to be true it probably is" It is really hard for a newbie to get started here. No reviews, no job success score. No jobs. How do I do it? I remember other freelancers saying they belong to more than one job site. How do I find these other sites. Need a little bit of help here please! I have 30 years of customer service experience and even though it is a competitive field that should count for something. I woud hate to think I wasted 30 years of my life. I have 3 fields that I am qualified for but nothing legit yet. I wont give up but hope I can keep the scam hound dogs away.
Feb 18, 2016 07:45:46 AM Edited Feb 18, 2016 08:24:42 AM by Valeria K
Just received an invitation that I have declined and parallel I have flagged the job offer:
**edited for Community Guidelines**
10 applications already.
Feb 18, 2016 08:28:26 AM by Valeria K
Hi Margarete,
Thank you for flagging the job. Our Marketplace Quality Team will review and take actions if needed. The client may be referring to depositing money into Upwork Escrow in advance, which is not against the Policies.
Feb 18, 2016 09:03:49 AM Edited Feb 18, 2016 09:13:25 AM by Anonymous-User A
@Valeria K wrote:Hi Margarete,
Thank you for flagging the job. Our Marketplace Quality Team will review and take actions if needed. The client may be referring to depositing money into Upwork Escrow in advance, which is not against the Policies.
Yes I know. However, the client talked about Fxxxlxxxxr not Upwork. Perhaps just copy and paste. And the whole text was dubious and it sounded tooooo gooood to be true that the client offers free travels around the world. Additional an attachment so that you can directly receive your virus by opening the document. Unfortunately we do not have the chance to flag dubious invitations, we only can reject them (and the bogus client receives new recommendations then). Only after having rejected, we can flag the job offer and it then takes some time until it is taken down. In the meantime a lot of victims have already applied.
Feb 18, 2016 08:16:37 AM by Mary W
Sherry, I just took a look at your profile. I would remove the language about being new on Upwork - scammers hit the newbies. Also, hide the one test result that is low.
I know others will have better advice. The scammers do go after newbies - I haven't had one in months. Hang in there - it does get better.