Craigslist for job leads?

Callista Melaney

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I'm sorry if this question has been asked before or if this is the wrong forum, I tried my best to search for the most appropriate place to pose this question.

Has anybody ever applied to and been hired for a job they found on Craigslist? I just graduated with my bachelor's but I'm not in pressing need for a full-time salary, just a paycheck here and there, and saw that my city has various companies looking for copy editors/content writers. I've bookmarked them because they actually have minimum qualifications that I meet, but I'm concerned that since anybody can post on CL, some of those posts might be less than legit.

Also, if anybody has sage-like life tips for a just-graduated, aspiring writer like me, I would appreciate those too. :)
 

mrsmig

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I've found a couple little writing gigs via Craigslist. One of them was a nice sideline job, back in '07 when cell phones with texting capability were the New Thing. The company provided specialized text feed subscriptions for things like trivia and horoscopes, some of it geared toward adults but much of it for kids/tweens. Because the items had to appear on cell phone screens (without requiring the recipient to scroll), I was limited to 145 characters, which forced me to be really succinct. I got paid $125 per 50 messages and was usually commissioned to do 200 or so at a whack. Unfortunately the "Cool Writing Job" only lasted for about three months and then I never heard from the company again, so either they were saturated with material or the idea lost steam (and subscribers).

Even though I never met anyone face to face (and indeed, never spoke to anyone on the phone - all business was handled via email and fax), the company was very businesslike. I signed tax forms, we had a signed contract for every individual project and they paid promptly.

There are frauds everywhere, preying on people every imaginable field, and the only thing I can advise you to do is be careful. Get solid contact information, make certain that the job requirements, the rate of pay and the method and schedule for payment are all in writing. A contract would be best, with both parties signing and you being provided with a fully-executed copy.

And of course it goes without saying that if you're going to have a face-to-face meeting with ANYONE from Craigslist, make certain it's in a public place and that you've let someone who cares about you know who you're meeting with, and where, and when, and make arrangements to contact them as soon as the meeting is over, just to confirm that you're okay. Okay?
 

Rennet

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Yes, Craigslist is a normal place to find jobs. The writing field preys on a lot of get-rich-quick (ha!) and stay at home mom types (no offense, but many of them are only interested in working from home and aren't necessarily cut out to be writers). So be a bit more wary of anything that isn't a typical, onsite 9-5 type gig. But as for full-time jobs I found my first 3 out of college on Craigslist.
 

Callista Melaney

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There are frauds everywhere, preying on people every imaginable field, and the only thing I can advise you to do is be careful. Get solid contact information, make certain that the job requirements, the rate of pay and the method and schedule for payment are all in writing. A contract would be best, with both parties signing and you being provided with a fully-executed copy.

And of course it goes without saying that if you're going to have a face-to-face meeting with ANYONE from Craigslist, make certain it's in a public place and that you've let someone who cares about you know who you're meeting with, and where, and when, and make arrangements to contact them as soon as the meeting is over, just to confirm that you're okay. Okay?

Thanks so much for the info. I really appreciate you telling me to get things in writing because most of my friends have either gotten jobs by walking in and filling out an application or through a hook-up, so I would have no idea how to go about this Craigslist thing.

But as for full-time jobs I found my first 3 out of college on Craigslist.

Thanks for your answer! It's reassuring to know that the site isn't teeming with scam artists. :)
 

Debbie V

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The site is teeming with scam artists, but most people on it aren't scam artists. Use your common sense. Be wary, but don't be closed off either.
 

roundtable

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Three of my best clients came from Craigslist. What I do is apply, see what I get in response, and then research from there. If a company name isn't given, I'll be blunt and ask. Then I start Googling email addresses and site names to see what reviews are out there.

Once I'm comfortable, I'll agree to a week-long trial. If I'm not happy at the end of the week, I walk away having given it my best shot. That approach works well for me.
 

CaliforniaMelanie

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Sure. You'd probably be better of with Elance, though. Far more leads.

That said, my longest-running client was someone I approached just because I liked his site and wanted to write an article for it. We have been together now for six years. I receive daily work from him.
 

jublke

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Back when I was perusing Craigslist regularly, I found it helpful to look for writing jobs outside of my geographic region and then I would look for virtual or remote listings. Chicago and New York were two I hit frequently. That said, I haven't found a good long-term job out there, although I have found a couple of small, lower-paying ones.

Good luck!

jublke
 

GhostyGirl

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I personally haven't had good experiences with Craigslist. I don't know, maybe it's because of where I live, but the jobs I've found on there have been extremely lo-paying. If I were going to apply now, I'd only apply to ones where the pay rate was posted in the ad.

Hope this helps!

Ghosty Girl
 

roundtable

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Four years ago, I applied to a Craigslist ad that didn't have the pay rate posted. It takes very little time just to email and ask. If it's not of interest, you don't have to take it further. In this case, the pay was lower than my going rate, but they were a start up and it's all they had. Once I was building content and their site got off the ground, they doubled my pay. For three years, they provided me with a regular income and referred me to other sites.

Craigslist can work out very well. You just have to be willing to invest the time, ask questions, and then decide what does and doesn't fit.

I've tried Elance, other people love it, but I landed one client who a couple weeks into the project asked me to double the size of the articles without doubling my pay. She'd first wanted city articles that covered the area and gastronomy, but then decided she wanted the town/city's history and transportation options added too. I was happy to do it, but I asked for extra pay since the article size was increasing from 200 words to 400. She said I'd agreed to the rate of $10 per article and that she wasn't raising it. When I balked, Elance backed her rather than me.