I will refer to Freelancer.com as for the moment is the only network of freelancers I am using regularly for getting new projects. The main advantage is that they target the biggest market of this kind and from my personal perspective, I already have enough reviews and a professional profile for getting more orders without too much difficulty. After all, I worked hard for over a year to arrive there, isn't it?
The main problem that I cope with more frequently at the beginning of my experience as a freelancer, in that network and in general, was the high concentration of scams. Scams are those dishonest people that have a anonymous profile and are aimed to use your brain for...nothing more than NOTHING. Now, either the administrators of the site are more careful to ban them or I am more experienced, I do not see them quite often, even though I can feel the smell of a scam in some of the very attractive offers posted by individuals from all over the world. No, the scams are no a Nigerian label and surprisingly for some of you maybe, one may find more scams covered under the Western flags, especially US and UK.
Despite my assumed experience, I got scammed again 10 days ago and was angry enough on myself to keep myself quiet for a while. Now, partially recovered and with other projects going on in my pocket, I want to share some of my modest experiences that may help the readers to take the right decision when it comes to freelancing. I use my experience on Freelancer.com, but it may be used for any kind of projects advertised through the networks.
1) Don't look for easy work. As I was told when I was learning in yeshiva, if it is too easy for sure it is not good.When a project mention that you can have a lot of money without too much effort - eventually with many !!!, go further, it's not good.
2) Avoid as much as possible the typing projects. I have not a single idea if people doing it are ever paid or what this work is all about. It sounds for me as a huge hacking enterprise using naive and poor people and I promise that one day I will use my journalistic skills to investigate the issue. Anyway, you better don't try to do it.
3) I don't want to disappoint you, but in general, people looking for work via Freelancer.com or for outsourcing in general do not have too much money. In the case of long-term, and full time projects, the remuneration is considerable, but such golden mines are posted twice or three times the year, if ever. If you find out some well paid project for writing, you must be very careful, it can vanish once you deliver the project.
4) Don't accept to write any single word without a Milestone! Don't! Especially if it has to do with writing or ghost writing student papers. You know what the risk is? That once you deliver the paper you end up without anything in your account! Be aware!
5) If the country mentioned for the potential employee does not matter, the language used, and especially the grammar are a very good indication of the quality of the person. He or she may look actually for a good English writer and you can help them, but sometimes, it is important that you prefer to work with people with a proper language. The way you write tells something about the way you think.
6) As in the case of the employees, the companies or individuals looking for hire do have a list of credentials. I am always happy to contribute with proper reviews of the employers shortly after the project ends because it is important to offer a hint to other people interested to deal with the person.
7) Don't accept communication outside the network, or at least, keep the Freelancer.com account as the main tool of communication. Sometimes you may need to skype or to send big documents attached - by the way, dear Freelancer.com, sometimes the 'attach option' is not such smart as I would expect - but communicate as often as possible via the network, especially when it comes to the financial matters and to problems directly related to the progress of the project. In case that it is a conflict, you will use the tools offered by the network and in general, the customer service work quite well and fast.
Keep those in mind and happy freelancing, wherever you are!
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