Freelance jobs are quickly topping the chart on the most common job opportunities list recently. There are so many freelance gigs available and with the situation of the economy, workers assume that they say no to freelance gigs they see regardless of how unfavorable the working conditions may be. Making these decisions could be difficult but keep in mind that working for the wrong gig could make you miss an opportunity to work for the right one.
There are working conditions that you should never accept no matter how desperate for a job you are. Taking on jobs with unfavorable working conditions have a way of killing the passion and drive for work. No matter how hard you work you just don’t derive satisfaction from the job. It is in such cases that you definitely have to say an emphatic no. Let the person making the offer know that you are not willing to settle for less. Place value on your time and on your work.
Below are three such occasions when you should say no.
Low pay check
Most employers see freelancers as desperate and cheap workers; believing that they can get away with underpaying them. Don’t allow yourself to be underpaid for any reason. If the pay you are getting for the work you do is not able to fully compensate you for the job (with a little more for savings), then you shouldn’t be doing that job. Don’t be afraid to say no; they either make the pay worth the while or you carry your services elsewhere. Getting another gig shouldn’t be hard if you are good enough at what you do.
Abusive boss
When I say abusive, I don’t mean physical abuse (though that could be a problem), I mean verbal abuse and abuse of authority. It is fine for your employer to express his concerns about your job or chastise you for not delivering what he wants. It only becomes abuse when he overdoes it; sounding condescending or outright insulting. You are not under any obligation to serve a rude and arrogant boss when you could be working for someone else. Working overtime should be your choice not something you are coerced or manipulated into doing either. Don’t let anyone speak derogatorily to you or undermine your abilities; its abuse, don’t stand for it. Be firm enough no to freelance gigs that have abusive bosses.
Dead-end gigs
There are gigs you do and within few months you can tell that it’s a dead end. If you feel like that gig has no future, trust your instincts and move on to the next thing. The truth is that if your gut tells you it’s going to collapse, then there is a 75% chance of it happening. Go with your gut instincts and start looking for new gigs. On the other hand, if you have ideas that could keep the business up and running, you could offer those ideas to the administration and stick around for the change that is to come. Be warned; if that change is taking too long, get moving.
Your job should be something that makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled. It should pay the bills today and allow savings for tomorrow. If the freelance gig you have now isn’t doing all that, it isn’t worth your time at all. Save yourself the trouble and say no to freelance gigs with the above characteristics.
