Mar 21, 2018 07:09:17 AM by Donna V
I have received a job offer and need an interview the the hr department. I cannot meet the time for the interview. I need to reshedule. He told me to contact the hr manager on hangout or email. I do not know the hr managers phone #. How do i do this. I am New to Upwork. This is my first time.
Mar 21, 2018 07:12:32 AM Edited Mar 21, 2018 07:12:46 AM by Rene K
It's probably a scam. Stop using Upwork until you have read all of this:
Mar 21, 2018 07:52:07 AM by Nina K
Hi Donna,
This does sound like a scam as Rene has suggested. In addition to checking out the resources that he provided a link to, please also check out this thread on how to spot suspicious job postings and to learn what to avoid. For the job in question, you can flag it for our review by clicking on the "Flag as inappropriate" link located at the upper right of the job posting, or you can also PM me the link. 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. Please do also check out the link shared by Rene for other great tips on getting started on Upwork and how to be successful. Hope that helps!
Mar 21, 2018 08:30:13 AM by Phyllis G
@Donna V wrote:
How can I send this to up work to see if it is legit
You can't. Upwork does have protocols in place to identify and banish scammers from the platform, but it's a porous situation.
As a freelancer, you have responsibility for running your own business which includes learning to recognize and avoid scams and fraud. Ditto for me and every other freelancer. It is crucial to read the material that is provided for new freelancers about every aspect of working on the platform. Otherwise, you're inviting trouble.
Mar 21, 2018 09:16:02 AM by Pat M
Again, I'm just shaking my head. As I've stated numerous times before and will probably continue to occasionally state, supposed Freelancers and/or Clients that just dive right in without educating themselves regarding the platform just never, ever fail to amaze me. How can anyone do that? Of course I'm not expecting an answer to my question, but it sincerely, thoroughly perplexes me.
Mar 21, 2018 09:35:55 AM Edited Mar 21, 2018 01:44:15 PM by Preston H
Donna,
You don't need to check with Upwork to see if this is a scam.
We know it is a scam because only scammers ask newbie freelancers to meet them on Google Hangouts, and only scammers refer newbies to their "HR Department" like this fake client did.
If you want to try reporting this to Upwork, you are welcome to do so. But the most important thing is for you to not waste any more of you time communicating with that "client."
Mar 21, 2018 10:18:53 AM by Rene K
Howdy Preston 🙂 Long time no see.
Mar 21, 2018 01:50:00 PM by Phyllis G
Donna, one more tip... It is highly unusual for a freelancer to be hired through a company's HR department. A freelance assignment is not a "job" and the person or organization that hires you is not an employer. I know UW refers to projects as jobs, and it's a pet peeve of mine because it encourages an error in thinking among inexperienced freelancers. It is important to understand and remember the difference between a job and a freelance project, and the difference between a client and an employer.
As a freelancer, you are typically hired by someone in a company who needs work done that is beyond the skills and/or available time of their employed staff. You are responsible for vetting the client (to be sure they are honest, know what they are doing, have reasonable expectations about the work and what it is worth, etc.), setting your own compensation, establishing and maintaining boundaries about things like available hours, communication turnaround (how fast are you going to be able to answer email, complete ad hoc tasks, etc.).
There are probably resources online that summarize and explain all this better than I am doing. I've been an independent contractor for 20+ years and most of it is second nature. But I see FLs posting in the forums all the tiem about tricky situations that stem from not keeping these distinctions clearly in mind.
Good luck!