- Craigslist is infamous for scammy operations, however there are methods to seek out Craigslist gigs that fit your wants
- Pay shut consideration to all the particulars in any job posting earlier than making use of and determine crimson flags earlier than investing an excessive amount of of your time working with Craigslist poster
- There are numerous other ways to seek out freelancing work, we offer 8 alternate 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 by way of e-mail, then became a full-fledged web site in 1999. Because it grew, it turned many issues to many various folks.
In the present day, you could find absolutely anything on the positioning, from automobiles to haircutting providers to Craigslist gigs for every type of freelancers. Craigslist might not look glamorous, however don’t decide the positioning by its format––it generates greater than $1 billion {dollars} annually and reaches about 300 million folks (nearly the complete inhabitants of the USA) every month.
With these sorts of stats, why would you ignore Craigslist as a viable technique to generate freelance revenue? Some individuals are postpone of Craigslist gigs due to the status of the positioning, some are cautious of privateness or scammers, and a few youthful staff might not even understand Craigslist exists (Which makes me really feel outdated, however we’ll depart that for one more dialogue).
On this article we’ll handle the obstacles to utilizing Craigslist, do you have to find out how to discover legit Craigslist gigs and use them to construct your consumer base, and offer you some various 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 folks to rip-off others out of cash or possessions.
This clearly just isn’t all the time 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 just a few precautions, you’ll be capable of spot scams from a mile away and hold your self protected.
To make sure, let’s evaluation the highest 5 scams and their crimson flags so that you simply aren’t taken in.
1. The Bait and Swap
You discover the proper posting––the job matches your expertise, the pay is cheap, however while you ship an e-mail to get extra info, the outline you get is totally totally different from the unique advert. And way more fishy. Scammers do that to look extra legit than they really are. By writing a professional-sounding posting, they’ll get you to reply, and after you have responded, you have got invested time and vitality and may simply be prepared to wade additional into the mess. Don’t fall for it. If the directions or software technique 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 you can “generate income for doing virtually nothing!” All they need you to do is allow them to use your checking account for some obscure (or generally elaborately detailed) cause. They’ll deposit funds, after which ask you to ship a part of the cash to suppliers or shoppers. The unique deposit will then bounce and you can be out the cash you despatched to the pretend companions. There may be actually no legit enterprise mannequin that entails sending cash from one account to the subsequent. Even in the event you make some cash at first, you possibly can be concerned in unlawful actions.
3. The Bogus Enterprise
On this fraud, the scammers will arrange a job posting that appears utterly actual, however the enterprise behind the gig is unquestionably not. The illegitimate firm typically asks for an software payment or an funding of some type that you simply pay on to the poster or to the “enterprise” itself. But when the enterprise doesn’t have a functioning web site, a telephone 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 Id Thief
Official Craigslist gigs won’t ever ask you for very important private info––issues like a driver’s license, social safety quantity, monetary particulars, and even identifiers like your mom’s maiden identify or the identify of your highschool––earlier than you have got been employed. A scammer will arrange a job posting and ask for increasingly more private objects till you hand over on the gig. By that point, they might have sufficient to make use of your bank card, apply for a mortgage in your identify, 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 totally vetted. And a few sorts of data it is best to by no means share, interval.
5. Massive-Identify manufacturers
This scheme entails posting pretend jobs for actual firms. It’s straightforward to get caught dreaming that, in truth, 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 Enterprise Bureau was hiring customer support reps with no expertise wanted. It wasn’t actual, and, by sending their resume, folks had their info stolen with out discovering work. It isn’t unattainable that big-name firms may flip to Craigslist to seek out staff, particularly within the present economic system, but when Craigslist gigs appear too good to be true, rule of thumb is that they in all probability are.
Discover Legit Craigslist Gigs
After studying via that record of potential job scams, you may begin pondering it’s harmful to even go to the Craigslist web site! However for each pretend job posting, there are millions of legit Craigslist gigs. The percentages are in your favor, so don’t hand over, simply discover ways to shield your self.
To do this, there are just a few guidelines you can 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, obscure descriptions, or followup emails that don’t match what you thought you have been signing up for are all crimson flags. Search for gigs that carefully match your expertise and choices, not simply any “make money working from home” itemizing.
1. Keep native
One of the best Craigslist gigs for freelancers are seemingly proper in your space. If potential, search for postings from native companies. This manner, you understand for positive that the job comes from an actual firm, and it’s straightforward to confirm the main points. You additionally may discover quite a lot of pleasure in being a part of your fast neighborhood and creating in-person working relationships.
2. Meet your potential consumer
This can be a very powerful tip on this record. 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 consumer who isn’t prepared to point out their face, and all the time meet in a public place. Speaking to somebody provides you the possibility to learn their physique language and get a intestine feeling for what it will likely be prefer to work collectively. If something feels off, don’t hesitate to stroll away.
3. By no means work without spending a dime
A posting that asks you to create “pattern” work very particular to a consumer 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 must do work with out being paid for it. For those who really feel strongly about working with the consumer, ship your portfolio over. That needs to be sufficient for the consumer to find out in case your expertise are match.
4. Create a contract
Any legit potential consumer 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 provides you some safety within the occasion that the gig turns bitter.
5. Don’t apply with out doing all your homework
By no means simply ship a resume or click on via to an software from Craigslist with out trying into the enterprise behind it. Take a look at their web site, LinkedIn profile, and even attain out exterior of Craigslist to get a really feel for the legitimacy of the corporate earlier than you provide up any particulars about your self.
6. Preserve your cash
Official Craigslist gigs won’t ever ask so that you can “purchase in” to the place. Utility charges, upfront investments, and so on. are all crimson flags {that a} job is a rip-off. There are many actual gigs that can pay you, not the opposite method round, so don’t really feel the necessity to settle for a job that asks you to offer them cash.
For those who observe the following pointers, there are positively Craigslist gigs on the market for you.
8 Options websites for craigslist gigs
Whereas Craigslist gigs generally is 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.
Beneath are simply among the websites that supply legit job postings that can assist you discover the proper 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, in contrast to Craigslist, they provide a security web, 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 web site is excessive. Nonetheless, with billing housed inside the platform and an enormous quantity of customers, Upwork could be an effective 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 a wide range of sources obtainable, resembling profession teaching. Moreover, Flexjobs claims to display screen every job posting, so that you gained’t must take care of scams. Flexjobs has a weekly or month-to-month membership charge, so you must make the decision whether or not it’s value it for you.
4. SolidGigs
SolidGigs stands out on this record as a result of, as a substitute of being a job board the place you sift via potential gigs and attempt to decide whether or not they’re legit, SolidGigs sends pre-screened job postings straight to you. For a month-to-month or annual membership payment, you’ll additionally achieve entry to their full vary of programs and instruments that can assist you in your profession path.
5. Fiverr
Fiverr has turn into a controversial job web site for freelancers, principally as a result of initially, the positioning was designed to actually provide employers an opportunity to have duties achieved for under $5. Clearly, to a talented employee, that is problematic. Nonetheless, Fiverr has modified quite a bit since these early days, and many individuals discover quite a lot of success freelancing via 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 in case you are extra of a talented freelancer you’ll discover barely increased paying work on this platform. ClearVoice takes a 25% minimize off the highest of every gig, however the increased worth level helps to make up the distinction.
7. Vollna
Vollna is a consolidation web site that places alternatives from most of the different freelance job websites on this record in a single place and sends you a discover when one matches your expertise. This makes it straightforward to seek for gigs. There’s a free model of Vollna, however to be able to slender down the quantity of postings you get via e-mail, you’ll in all probability wish to pay for the mid-level tier.
8. Guru
Guru purportedly has barely much less safety than another freelance platforms, so that you’ll wish to take the identical precautions on this web site that you’d on others, together with Craigslist. Nonetheless, in the event you discover an incredible consumer, you’ll be able to proceed to work with them, doubtlessly for years, so Guru generally is a stable technique to discover gigs.
Conclusion
There are every kind of how for freelancers to seek out jobs, and Craigslist is one highly effective instrument in your freelance arsenal. Whereas there are scams, in the event you take the correct care, there isn’t a cause to utterly keep away from Craigslist gigs. Notably in case you are curious about working for small, native companies, Craigslist is an effective way to attach with new folks and discover success as a freelancer.
Even in the event you aren’t on the lookout for used furnishings or second-hand home equipment, Craigslist has a spot in your corporation.
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