A couple of months ago, I was offered an assignment that made little business sense.
It was a very, very small gig that paid peanuts. To make that more concrete: the job would take me about six hours and I was promised €120, corresponding to an hourly rate of €20 ($23). And to put that in perspective: NVJ, the Dutch journalists’ union, advises freelancers with my level of experience to charge an hourly rate of €60 ($70). 👀
The time spent on this assignment would mean time not spent doing well-paid work for my other clients. Someone who knows more about economics might mutter something about opportunity cost here.
Also, we had never worked together before, which meant I had no idea if I could trust this client to treat me well. Would they pay me on time? Would they ghost me after a couple of weeks? Would I get scope-creeped? In other words, would I somehow have to do way more work than originally agreed and, as a result, have the low fee turn into a I-want-to-cry fee?
In spite of all this, I still said yes. When I tried to explain to others – and myself – why, I couldn’t offer much beyond:
I had a really, really good feeling about this client and I knew in my heart of hearts that they would treat me well.
Compared to the work I usually do, this assignment took me out of my comfort zone. I love my regular assignments, but it’s nice to swerve sideways every now and then.
This one-off gig could turn into a repeat job and with time and practice, it might only take me four instead of six hours to get the job done, turning an exceptionally low rate into a garden-variety one.
My voice going increasingly shrill, I rattled off one after the other excuse. But, in the end, I just crossed my arms and defensively snapped: “You know what? I have the right to take on low-paid work. It’s my decision.”
The thing is: I know exactly why my voice was rising. I’m usually that person so quick to tut-tut and finger-wag at the miserable pay so many creative freelancers put up with. Taking on this kind of low-paid work makes me inconsistent at best and a hypocrite at worst.
There are so many opportunities I haven’t gone after because they did not pay well in the last few years – opportunities that might have turned into repeat, better-paid jobs over time. So many clients I never emailed because their rates seemed like a joke.
But why does it always have to be about money? Why can’t I take on an assignment that barely covers my expenses? Why does it feel like I’m letting a faceless mass of freelance comrades down when I do?
In the end, I told myself, it’s my prerogative. I reserve the right to be an inconsistent freelancer. My reasons for saying no to some gigs and yes to others are allowed to change over time. In fact, I probably would have turned this job down a year ago. But today the circumstances are such that I’m itching to do the kind of work this client dangled in front of me.
At the end of the day, being paid well shouldn’t become a straitjacket restricting our freelance moves either. And perhaps that’s what it’s come to feel like for me. As if the only thing that matters anymore is how much money I rake in with each job – no matter the doors a low-paid assignment might open, no matter the connections it might build, no matter how creatively rewarding it might be.
I want to be compensated fairly for the work I do. Of course I do. But I’m learning to give myself permission to take on assignments that aren’t financially rewarding if they’re rewarding in other ways. That might not make business sense, but it makes sense to me.
I would love to hear what your reasons are for accepting low-paid work and how you feel about taking on such jobs. Email us your thoughts at freelancerthefriendly@gmail.com
Linda
What I’m watching, reading, listening to this week:
I really enjoyed this interview with graphic designer Kendyll Hillegas on the Being Freelance podcast. Hillegas talked about how she tries to be nice when she declines work because the budget the client is proposing is too low.
“I want somebody to be left with a good impression and to not feel bad about themselves as a person, after having dealt with me. I think being told, 'oh, you're cheap', or 'you don't have enough budget' or whatever, like that will not make somebody feel good. And so even if the end result is I'm not going to be able to work within their budget, I still want them to feel positive after their interaction with me.”
Well worth a listen.
What our readers are saying:
Journo Resources, a UK non-profit that helps young people break into the media industry, has put together a list of must-read newsletters. They mentioned us!!! alongside big players like Opportunities of the Week, Lance and IJNet. 💃🏽
A special request 🚩:
A reader and friend is looking for a freelance graphic designer to cover for him while he goes on holiday. It’s a three-week assignment, two days per week, to start in January 2022. We’ve been told the job would involve creating website banners, presentations, social media campaigns and print publications. And, finally, they would prefer someone based in the Brussels area. Email us freelancerthefriendly@gmail.com and we’ll put you in touch!