I’ve mentioned on a previous post that I’ve exchanged a few emails with by Brandon J. Mendelson from The Graduate Student Survival Blog. Today I’m going to share with you Brandon’s views on freelancers feeling out their employers.
Some clients may be a waste of time for freelancers
Freelancers should be careful of whom they do business with. Do you think this is too obvious? Good for you. As someone who hires freelancers on a regular basis, I’ve met my fair share of naïf people. They barely knew me and already trusted me blindly. What if I was ill-intentioned?
As Brandon says:
Trust is everything in freelance. If there is even a remote hint of danger or mistrust, I can’t work with that individual. You’re walking a tightrope without a net, so it is important not to take any chances when it comes to your money.
Freelancers need to be careful about who they get involved with and what they sign (if anything). Some clients simply can’t manage their assignments and expect miracles in minutes.
Let me just add that such clients will never admit they are wrong. In their eyes, you, the freelancer, will always be the only one to blame for everything.
How can you feel out your freelance clients?
I’m going to quote Brandon again and add a few comments later:
Face to face and phone interviews are your best bet to figure out whether or not you should work with someone. Even a web conference using a web cam is acceptable—but should not serve as a replacement for an actual conversation if available.
The reason for this?
Your body has a built-in alarm clock. By listening to the way people talk, present themselves (you can tell a lot by little things like whether or not their clothes match), and by listening to your instinct, you can decipher whether or not the person you’re working with is someone you trust. It may sound very new age, but on a biological level, we all have a fight or flight instinct, and it kicks in every time we encounter someone new. The gut instinct, as far as I have experienced it, is always the right instinct (even if it is not readily apparent).
Of course I agree that trusting your gut instinct is important. I don’t necessarily agree with the part on matching clothes though, but that’s a minor detail. What matters here is this alert: you are entitled to being cautious and protecting yourself.
Don’t let the fear of losing possible jobs dominate you. Otherwise you may end up working for people who will never pay you. Is this what you want?
Many thanks to Brandon for offering his input on this subject!
