I regularly trawl job boards to catch relevant freelance contracts but all too often I see listings that are — quite frankly — utter trash.

As a new freelancer, I probably wouldn’t have realised the raw deal I’d be getting if I accepted some of these roles.

So, I’ve decided to use my own experience as a cautionary tale.

I’ve isolated some of the warning signs of a crappy job and done my best to explain how to root them out when you’re assessing a job posting.

This post is buxom as hell, so if you’re something of a Lazy Susan, you can just watch the video.

One more note before we kick off! These red flags are all personal preference. If you see them out in the wild but feel you still want to go for the job, have at it! As long as you’re making the choice with as much info as possible, get in there, my guy.

Emma, what’s your metric for measuring red flags in job descriptions?

Before I start reeling off everything I see as being ‘trash’, I want to outline what ‘trash’ looks like in my eyes and why that is. The red flags I’ve identified in this post all indicate that the job will be nightmarish for one (or several) of the following reasons…

The client’s expectations are misaligned with my experience of the job
This can manifest in several different ways, but regardless of how the red flag appears, an expectation mismatch is a sure sign of trouble ahead. The client might be expecting a lower cost or a shorter turnaround compared to the advertised workload. They might be wanting premium experience for a basic-ass role. You get the picture.

Long hours for bad pay
Goes without saying, taking a job that indicates long hours for bad pay is major suxx0rz. It’s not conducive to a successful freelance business because we want fewer jobs that are better paid so we have time to work on business development, marketing and training to enhance the value of our services and get more wicked work.

The client doesn’t understand the freelance dynamic

Some red flags make it very obvious that the client has either a) never worked with a freelancer before or b) wants to work in a way that’s detrimental to freelance business. Exclusivity clauses and micromanagement are examples of how this might manifest. End of the day, that shit is a major headache and not worth the paycheque.

Now that we’re clear on what ‘trash’ looks like, let’s make like a racoon and start digging through.

Full-time hours for less than minimum wage

When assessing a job posting, be sure to check how many hours they’re asking for per day and the corresponding position and salary. Are they asking for 9-5 hours but listing the job as part-time? Are they paying £200 a week for full-time hours? Do the maths before you commit.

Experience level versus seniority mismatch

Is the employer asking for 5+ years of specialist experience and super niche skills, but listing the job as entry or intern level? Tally up the skills and experience they need and compare it to the level of seniority they feel it equates to. If it’s a mismatch, give that shit a dodge!

Undervalued tasks

I recently came across a listing which offered a mere £25 for a 700-word article. This immediately told me that the person listing the job had absolutely no idea how long it takes to write an article that long, including the SEO, research and proofreading.

Of course, I’m working on the assumption that this person is just ignorant of the skill and time involved (which isn’t great in itself). If they do happen to know…then they’re trash people.

To give you some scale, I’d charge a minimum of six times that rate.

If you spend half a day writing something and only come away with £25, you could really only earn a maximum of £50 a day unless you push yourself to the limit and you’d probably still come away with less than £100 for a day’s work.

In freelance terms, that’s roughly a third of the average freelance day rate here in the UK.

Traaaaaash.

Asking for free test pieces

I’ve seen freelance job ads asking for 500-word freelance test pieces and nothing turns me off a job quicker. I have a portfolio and a blog on this website — this should be more than enough to gauge whether I’m equipped for the job.

I realise this is often a point of contention for freelance folk, so I urge you to do what you feel is right. But I try to avoid giving work away for free. Because I’m a business.

Read between the (job requirements) lines

Some of the warning signs are hidden away in the small print of a job…that is to say the requirements of the role. Is the employer asking for someone to be on call? Saying that you need to work to tight deadlines in high-pressure environments?

These are some of the warning flags that your work-life balance will be impacted and the boundaries of decency pushed. Approach with caution!

Buzzwords and jargon

This final one is personal to me but I wanted to mention it anyway.

If someone comes at me, asking for a ‘copy wizard’ or a ‘word guru’ to help a ‘growth hacker’ or ‘thought leader’ and they’re asking me for ‘click-worthy’, ‘sticky’ content to ‘leverage’ their brand, I know the fit isn’t for me.

Take a minute to look at how the company is communicating to you — do they sound arrogant? Callous? Friendly? Inclusive? You could even check out their site or the ‘meet the team’ page to see how they talk about themselves and their staff.

Have you got any of your own job description warning flags? HMU on Twitter and share them — you never know who you’ll help!

Job red flags: how to identify a nightmare client BEFORE you apply