Key Takeaways:
- Craigslist is infamous for scammy operations, however there are methods to seek out Craigslist gigs that fit your wants
- Pay shut consideration to the entire particulars in any job posting earlier than making use of and determine purple flags earlier than investing an excessive amount of of your time working with Craigslist poster
- There are various other ways to seek out freelancing work, we offer 8 options to Craigslist on your freelancing wants
Background on Craigslist
Launched again in 1995 when the web was pretty younger, Craigslist was each based by and named after Craig Newmark, a software program engineer in, you guessed it, San Francisco. Initially it was extra of an occasions notification system through e-mail, then was a full-fledged website in 1999. Because it grew, it grew to become many issues to many various individuals.
Right now, you’ll find absolutely anything on the positioning, from vehicles to haircutting providers to Craigslist gigs for every type of freelancers. Craigslist could not look glamorous, however don’t choose the positioning by its format––it generates greater than $1 billion {dollars} every year and reaches about 300 million individuals (virtually the complete inhabitants of the US) every month.
With these sorts of stats, why would you ignore Craigslist as a viable strategy to generate freelance revenue? Some persons are postpone of Craigslist gigs due to the fame of the positioning, some are cautious of privateness or scammers, and a few youthful staff could not even understand Craigslist exists (Which makes me really feel previous, however we’ll go away that for one more dialogue).
On this article we are going to handle the obstacles to utilizing Craigslist, do you have to tips on how to discover official Craigslist gigs and use them to construct your shopper base, and offer you some different concepts if Craigslist is only a no for you.
5 Scams to keep away from when on the lookout for Craigslist gigs
Let’s simply begin with the elephant within the room. Craigslist is named a spot for shady individuals to rip-off others out of cash or possessions.
This clearly isn’t at all times the case, however everybody has heard of somebody of their community (or their grandma’s hairdressers doggroomer’s community…) who acquired concerned in a scary Craigslist scenario. There was even an animated brief devoted to a Craigslist horror story.
Don’t let that cease you from on the lookout for Craigslist gigs. The reality is, scams account for just one.5% of posts on Craigslist. With a number of precautions, you’ll be capable to spot scams from a mile away and hold your self protected.
To make sure, let’s evaluation the highest 5 scams and their purple flags so that you just aren’t taken in.
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1. The Bait and Swap
You discover the right posting––the job matches your expertise, the pay is cheap, however whenever you ship an e-mail to get extra info, the outline you get is totally totally different from the unique advert. And far more fishy. Scammers do that to look extra official than they really are. By writing a professional-sounding posting, they’ll get you to reply, and after you have responded, you’ve invested time and vitality and would possibly simply be keen to wade additional into the mess. Don’t fall for it. If the directions or utility means of Craigslist gigs don’t match what you initially inquired about, one thing is off.
2. The Financial institution Deposit
Most individuals have heard of this one. A job description claims that you may “earn a living for doing virtually nothing!” All they need you to do is allow them to use your checking account for some imprecise (or generally elaborately detailed) purpose. They are going to deposit funds, after which ask you to ship a part of the cash to suppliers or purchasers. The unique deposit will then bounce and you can be out the cash you despatched to the pretend companions. There may be actually no official enterprise mannequin that entails sending cash from one account to the subsequent. Even for those who make some cash at first, you would be concerned in unlawful actions.
3. The Bogus Business
On this fraud, the scammers will arrange a job posting that appears fully actual, however the enterprise behind the gig is unquestionably not. The illegitimate firm typically asks for an utility payment or an funding of some type that you just pay on to the poster or to the “enterprise” itself. But when the enterprise doesn’t have a functioning website, a cellphone quantity, a bodily handle, social media accounts, buyer critiques, and so on., it’s extra seemingly that you’re merely giving your cash away to somebody who won’t ever name you again.
4. The Identification Thief
Legit Craigslist gigs won’t ever ask you for important private info––issues like a driver’s license, social safety quantity, financial particulars, and even identifiers like your mom’s maiden title or the title of your high college––earlier than you’ve been employed. A scammer will arrange a job posting and ask for increasingly private objects till you quit on the gig. By that time, they might have sufficient to make use of your bank card, apply for a mortgage in your title, steal your e-mail handle and different accounts, even take your own home. By no means give any private info to somebody you haven’t completely vetted. And a few sorts of knowledge you must by no means share, interval.
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5. Huge-Identify manufacturers
This scheme entails posting pretend jobs for actual firms. It’s simple to get caught dreaming that, the truth is, an enormous model inside your business is hiring off of Craigslist! A number of years in the past, one such rip-off claimed that the Higher Business Bureau was hiring customer support reps with no expertise wanted. It wasn’t actual, and, by sending their resume, individuals had their info stolen with out discovering work. It isn’t unimaginable that big-name firms would possibly flip to Craigslist to seek out staff, particularly within the present financial system, but when Craigslist gigs appear too good to be true, a superb rule of thumb is that they most likely are.
How one can Discover Legit Craigslist Gigs
After studying by means of that checklist of potential job scams, you would possibly begin considering it’s harmful to even go to the Craigslist website! However for each pretend job posting, there are literally thousands of official Craigslist gigs. The percentages are in your favor, so don’t quit, simply learn to shield your self.
To do this, there are a number of guidelines that you may observe to seek out legit Craigslist gigs and develop your freelance enterprise.
Search for element in postings
Actual employers will take the time to elucidate what they want and what their enterprise is about. Grammatical errors, imprecise descriptions, or followup emails that don’t match what you thought you have been signing up for are all purple flags. Search for gigs that intently match your expertise and choices, not simply any “earn a living from home” itemizing.
1. Keep native
The most effective Craigslist gigs for freelancers are seemingly proper in your space. If doable, search for postings from native companies. This manner, you understand for positive that the job comes from an actual firm, and it’s simple to confirm the small print. You additionally would possibly discover numerous pleasure in being a part of your instant neighborhood and creating in-person working relationships.
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2. Meet your potential shopper
This can be a very powerful tip on this checklist. At all times insist on assembly an employer earlier than you present any private info. The assembly can happen over Zoom or face-to-face. Be cautious of a possible shopper who isn’t keen to indicate their face, and at all times meet in a public place. Speaking to somebody offers you the prospect to learn their physique language and get a intestine feeling for what it will likely be wish to work collectively. If something feels off, don’t hesitate to stroll away.
3. By no means work free of charge
A posting that asks you to create “pattern” work very particular to a shopper is one thing to keep away from. There may be nothing to cease them from taking your work and by no means contacting you once more. You understand your value as a freelancer––you don’t ever should do work with out being paid for it. For those who really feel strongly about working with the shopper, ship your portfolio over. That needs to be sufficient for the shopper to find out in case your expertise are a superb match.
4. Create a contract
Any official potential shopper needs to be open to placing your working relationship in writing. If an employer is unwilling to signal something, run the opposite method. Even simply asking for a contract ought to weed out potential scammers, and the signed doc offers you some safety within the occasion that the gig turns bitter.
5. Don’t apply with out doing all of your homework
By no means simply ship a resume or click on by means of to an utility from Craigslist with out trying into the enterprise behind it. Try their website, LinkedIn profile, and even attain out outdoors of Craigslist to get a really feel for the legitimacy of the corporate earlier than you supply up any particulars about your self.
6. Maintain your cash
Legit Craigslist gigs won’t ever ask so that you can “purchase in” to the place. Utility charges, upfront investments, and so on. are all purple flags {that a} job is a rip-off. There are many actual gigs that may pay you, not the opposite method round, so don’t really feel the necessity to settle for a job that asks you to provide them cash.
For those who observe the following tips, there are positively Craigslist gigs on the market for you.
8 Alternate options websites for craigslist gigs
Whereas Craigslist gigs is usually a nice choice for freelancers on the lookout for extra work, if the potential for scams is simply too intimidating, there are positively different choices for locating freelance work.
Under are simply among the websites that supply official job postings that can assist you discover the right match for you.
1. Freelancer
Freelancer.com was one of many first job websites that catered on to freelancers, providing positions particular to contract staff. Bear in mind that Freelancer does take a proportion of your earnings, however in return, not like Craigslist, they provide a security internet, with the flexibility to resolve disputes inside the platform.
2. Upwork
Like Freelancer.com, Upwork takes a minimize of each challenge you full, and competitors for jobs on this website is high. Nonetheless, with billing housed inside the platform and an enormous quantity of customers, Upwork may be a good way to catapult your freelance profession and earn greater than you do now.
3. Flexjobs
Flexjobs is extra than simply the type of market that Craigslist is. Sure, there are legit job postings, however there are additionally quite a lot of sources out there, similar to profession teaching. Moreover, Flexjobs claims to display screen each job posting, so that you received’t should cope with scams. Flexjobs has a weekly or month-to-month membership charge, so you need to make the decision whether or not it’s value it for you.
4. SolidGigs
SolidGigs stands out on this checklist as a result of, as a substitute of being a job board the place you sift by means of potential gigs and attempt to decide whether or not they’re official, SolidGigs sends pre-screened job postings straight to you. For a month-to-month or annual membership payment, you’ll additionally acquire entry to their full vary of programs and instruments that can assist you in your profession path.
5. Fiverr
Fiverr has change into a controversial job website for freelancers, largely as a result of initially, the positioning was designed to actually supply employers an opportunity to have duties executed for under $5. Clearly, to a talented employee, that is problematic. Nonetheless, Fiverr has modified rather a lot since these early days, and many individuals discover numerous success freelancing by means of this platform. Like most different freelance marketplaces (Craigslist excluded), you’ll pay a proportion of your earnings for the privilege of utilizing Fiverr.
6. ClearVoice
ClearVoice is a platform particular to content material creators. Writers, editors, designers and different content material professionals will actually discover their area of interest right here. ClearVoice is taken into account a tier above websites like Fiverr and Upwork, so if you’re extra of a talented freelancer you will discover barely higher paying work on this platform. ClearVoice takes a 25% minimize off the highest of every gig, however the higher worth level helps to make up the distinction.
7. Vollna
Vollna is a consolidation website that places alternatives from most of the different freelance job websites on this checklist in a single place and sends you a discover when one matches your expertise. This makes it simple to seek for gigs. There’s a free model of Vollna, however with the intention to slender down the quantity of postings you get by means of e-mail, you’ll most likely need to pay for the mid-level tier.
8. Guru
Guru purportedly has barely much less safety than another freelance platforms, so that you’ll need to take the identical precautions on this website that you’d on others, together with Craigslist. Nonetheless, for those who discover an excellent shopper, you’ll be able to proceed to work with them, probably for years, so Guru is usually a strong strategy to discover gigs.
Conclusion
There are every kind of how for freelancers to seek out jobs, and Craigslist is one highly effective device in your freelance arsenal. Whereas there are scams, for those who take the right care, there is no such thing as a purpose to fully keep away from Craigslist gigs. Notably if you’re inquisitive about working for small, native companies, Craigslist is a good way to attach with new individuals and discover success as a freelancer.
Even for those who aren’t on the lookout for used furnishings or second-hand home equipment, Craigslist has a spot in your small business.
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