This company is hiring again! They just went through a round of hiring around October or November, and I speculate it's because the quality of freelancer you get when you require an investment of 20 free hours can best be described as "desperate." And desperate freelancers aren't good freelancers.
Capital IQ is a transcription company (well, that's simplified) that advertises for editors on Craigslist. THEY REQUIRE 20 HOURS OF FREE TRAINING TIME.
Dear freelancer, if a company doesn't respect your time up front, do you really think they'll respect you as a contractor?
I agree! I’m not familiar with Capital IQ, but I definitely would not donate 20 hours of my time to a company that may or may not deign to hire me at the end of the “training” period.
I believe it’s a bad practice to give away what you do for a living, unless it’s pro bono work for a charitable organization, which is different.
Would anyone expect a restaurant to give away several free meals before asking the customer to decide whether the food was worth paying for? If writers refused to accept this kind of treatment, it would probably cease.
Actually, restaurants do give away food during promotions or when they are new to an area. These announcements are not always public but when I visited TX a couple of yrs ago, our group had a private invite to a chain restaurant (forgot the name) but we had to give constructive criticism. Chick-Fil-A did something similar when they opened a sit-down near me last month.
Anyway, I say it depends on where the person is in their career. If you are good at editing, then pass. However, if you’re still getting your feet wet and they at least give you something to show for the training and you have time to spare, then go for it.
Back when I first began working in corp. America, a placement agency that was new on the scene asked if I would mind learning this company’s (they’ve since gone out of business) procedures to work in the secretarial pool. Four hours without pay did not kill me. And it did work out as I worked in many departments and built up my resume. These days with tons of exp., education and training under my belt, I wouldn’t even consider it. .
Editing pays more than clerical work so it’s up to the individual.
While I hear what you’re saying about giving away food as a promotion, the sacrifice in that case is on the part of the owners, not the hired help.
I’m all for donating my services to worthy causes I choose, but not as a condition for work. If they can afford to hire you, they can afford to train you. I can’t imagine how low those pay rates are!
Not only does the name of the company tend to confuse the public with the more well known and established one, it is also supporting itself on the uncompensated labor of others who naievely think they will derive paid work at the end of the week, month or however long it takes to complete the “training” period.
Another tip-off that this is a flakely deal in the first place is the fact that it’s posted to Craig’s List, a site that (for me) has proved itself to be not reliable for legitimate ads. I really liked the numerous caveats that precede the body of the want ad.
I don’t know J-
I know that you’ve been around the block when it comes to freelance writing, but I’m just not sure this is even good for newbies- because it’s SO MANY HOURS.
Maybe I could understand it for those just trying to establish their career if it was 1-2 free hours, but TWENTY! Seriously.
Anyway, they JUST advertised in November. And here two months later…..hmmmmmm
I have seen a couple of OK jobs on CL but this isn’t one of them!
Lori & Allena,
Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t want to load my original post w/every thought in my head but here’s something I learned in another forum recently.
I took a few business and writing courses at Universal Class where there is no college credit (which I actually need), there is no guarantee of a job or reference upon completion – just a certificate. In fact, the “instructors” are really technical writers. And this training, which took more than 15 hours, is what I paid for!
So, yes 20 hours may seem like a lot and I’m not even saying that I would ever go for it. Today, my editing skills could use some work but I really do not have the time. Maybe in the future.
Hi, I’m Jamie – Director of Outreach at Scripted.com. Thank you so much for the tops. They were really helpful. For writers, we have a ton of paid work at the moment. For content buyers, we have flat-rate purchase options for blog posts, tweets, and other types of content! We hope you give our service a shot – You can reach me directly with any questions at jamie@scripted.com
Hi Tapia,
I read your newsletter regularly with lot of interest seeking fresh and important information. Your warning is also very timely.
I fail to restrain myself from commenting that in your new photograph you look stunningly attractive and beautiful. The change was badly needed.
Thanks.
C.K
…awkward.
Sadly, I think this isn’t uncommon. There are lots of “online freelancers,” (which I do most of so I’m not discounting it). But many of these freelancers are willing to do just about anything to land work. Potential clients are eager to get the written material they need at prices that are lower than they could dream of, but many times the quality just isn’t there.
As long as there are freelancers out there willing to work for free for so many hours or do jobs that pay next to nothing, it makes it hard for the rest of us that provide quality work and really put time and energy into each project.
In my (very humble) opinion, I wouldn’t be willing to work for a company that starts out by asking you to work for free – it sets the stage for frustration, lack of pay and an all around bad experience and that’s not why I’m doing this work! : )
Oh. I am desperate, all right. Desperate enough to constantly look for work that pays. Not desperate enough to give away 20 hours for free. When I pro bonoed projects for friends there was no way it added up to that much of myy time.
TWENTY HOURS?? Good Lord. That’s just crazy talk.
Don’t do it, kids. Don’t give away 20 hours of your life like this. Donate 20 hours of your writing time to the local children’s museum or the food bank or the humane society or something meaningful.
20 Hours is a lot of hours i did about 3 days free for a business got burnt its a lot of time doesn’t sound that much but it is. The problem with people doing free hours it’s another person out a job.
Allena –
“And desperate freelancers aren’t good freelancers.”
I kinda like that.
And as for the 20 free hours, forget it.
Steve
What I’d love to know is, how is this different from the “prep” time that About.com requires? Maybe I’m missing something here, but if I’m not mistaken, the company you freelance for required at least a potential “free” 20 hours up front … With no guarantee of a gig … Is the company you’re talking about less reputable or something?
Three ways, Jamie:
1) When you are onboarded with About.com, you make much more than 20/hr that ICQ is advertising
2) When you have the recognizable NYT About.com name behind you, the positive repercussions ring throughout your career. Saying that you’re a transcriptionist for ICQ isn’t the same.
3) If you’re not hired by About.com, everything you write is still owned by you. You don’t lose copyright. You’re not training for free. You’re committing to a time period of targeted writing. Most of my competitors in the Prep process started incredible blogs or websites that are still thriving today. It’s not an empty twenty hours. (It wasn’t 20 hours, either. I would guess about 10 total. That was a while ago. Not sure how it is today).
CK Sarma and Jen- thanks to both of you regarding my photo- my hubs and I are sitting here on the couch cracking up. “awkward” uh, yes. Was that a compliment about my new pic or a complaint about the old one
hee
also, regarding About.com- if you ARE chosen for the job among your competitors, you are paid by About for that writing. That’s another difference. If ICQ onboards you, you still lose those 20 hours.
And Jamie at Scrpitd- I’m lost as to what “tops” were really helpful?