This post is a bit unusual for this blog format but I hope you’ll find it useful nonetheless. It is a result of a reader’s question I received some time ago. It probably is a question many starting freelancers ask, if they are unsure of their qualifications. So I included the question as well as some food for thought on some points in her email.
The question:
“What happens if I cannot complete a project? I applied to a few projects which required little to no qualifications but I didn’t get any of them. So I decided to specialize in something. I took some tests and found out I am kind of natural in a specific area. I passed a few tests with flying colors but I have never worked on similar jobs. I don’t have any diplomas about it, either. This type of work is interesting to me and I believe I can complete projects in this area but my lack of experience worries me. Would I be penalized if clients find out I don’t have any certifications or diplomas in this area?”
And here are my thoughts on the topic.
First, this reader has quickly realized she needs to specialize in something in order to succeed.
If you remember, focusing on a single niche and becoming an expert in it is an advantage you can use to set a higher profile rate on websites like oDesk and Elance.
Second, if you think you can do a job, there’s no reason for you not to apply.
You will discuss project details with your prospective client before you enter a contract. If during the preliminary conversations you find out you are not suitable or cannot do the job, then you can withdraw your application. If after agreeing on all details you still think you can complete the job with quality and on time, there is absolutely no reason for you to be worried. Continue with the job.
Third, you should make a clear differentiation between being perfectly capable and qualified, and wanting to be perfectly capable and qualified.
You will never be 100% ready to start working on your first project. No matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, you will always have room to improve and something new to learn. This shouldn’t worry you.
If you know how to complete a project, take it.
If you don’t know how to complete a project but know exactly where to go to learn the missing parts and complete the project, take it.
If you don’t know how to complete a project and have no idea where to look to learn what you don’t know, don’t take it.
Don’t ever enter a contract relying on a friend’s help without personally knowing what’s needed to complete the project. That could only end badly for you and your freelance reputation.
Forth, you don’t really need a diploma to be good at something and clients usually know it.
For so many years working as a freelancer, I have been asked only once if I had a diploma. And the client who asked didn’t even want to see it. They just asked me if I had it and when I said I did, they never spoke of it again.
When a client starts looking for a freelancer, they have already stepped into a somewhat modern world. Today everyone can buy a diploma, so to speak. There are plenty of people with diplomas who are not good at their jobs. Also, there are many people who have not taken certification courses but are brilliant at their jobs.
Clients look for the latter. They want brilliant minds and don’t care about a document certifying their brilliance.
Fifth, the skill tests on oDesk and Elance are somewhat accurate.
If you took them with flying colors, you probably have what it takes to complete a job in the specific area. Obviously, I don’t know what this area is and I cannot say if you should take the project or not. You should make sure you are not breaking any laws, too.
To give an example from the top of my head – if you are an accountant and want to help US-based clients with financial consultation but you are located in the European Union, you could take an accountant test with flying colors but still not be eligible for US-based projects because the local laws are different.
But again, applying to a project doesn’t necessarily mean you will be awarded that project. You can always withdraw your application and you should do so, if you find out you are unsuitable or incapable of delivering what is required. When you back down during an interview, nobody can hold you responsible for it.
You thought you can do it but it turned out you couldn’t so you refuse to enter a contract. That’s the right thing to do and cannot reflect poorly on your reputation. What could potentially hurt you is taking that project although you did not really know how to complete it. There’s nothing worse than your first review saying:
“I hired this freelancer based on her test result and reassurance she could do the job with quality and on time. It turned out she doesn’t have any of the skills required, she never really understood what the project is about or how to complete it, and she has been lying to me since day 1. Awful experience. I would never hire her again and I would not recommend her to anyone as a team member.”
You do not want that kind of review on your profile under any circumstances. It could end your freelance career before it even started. So think carefully what projects you take and make sure you do know how to complete them before you enter the contract.
I think your post is right on target and great advice to newbies. I cannot think of a single thing I would add or change. Great job again, Diana!
Thanks for the positive feedback, Alan!
I never applied to a project that I know for myself that I couldn’t do it. That’s just…common sense.
Oh, Lem, you would be surprised how many “common sense” issues are not that quite common sense for many starting freelancers…
Good for you that you never apply to projects which you know you couldn’t do, that’s the right way to go. But things are not always black and white – my hope is this post will help fellow freelancers differentiate applying to a project from starting to work on one. Those might two very different things when it comes to qualifications and thinking or knowing one can or cannot do a job. 😀
Now that I’ve started to write book blurbs and press releases for clients, I’m starting to realize I would be well-served to now become more familiar with the freelance writing sites mentioned above and take the tests they offer (all in good time). It can be a gray area when it comes to deciding whether or not you are the right fit for a freelance job. I get job post emails from the EFA and would never dream of applying of posts that ask for subject-matter experts in things like biochemical engineering. That being said, I’ve pursued some projects I don’t consider myself an expert at because I know I can bust my butt to learn what I need to in order to succeed at the task. That’s where the saying, “Fake it until you make it” applies, but I know not to fake it if the topic is way above my head. Hope that makes sense.
It’s a grey area indeed – “fake it until you make it” may apply but only if your client doesn’t pay for your learning curve.
I mean, sure – if you are an experienced “something” and want to specialize or shift focus, you can take on new projects which you lack experience at the moment but know you have what it takes to learn and succeed. You may work slower because of the lack of experience but that will result in lower price per hour for you (for example). In this case it’s ok to take a project.
However, if you don’t have experience and don’t know if you have what it takes and don’t know where or how to learn but take the project relying on your neighbor’s help (or something), then it definitely is not a good idea to take the project as you will most probably waste your client’s time and money and will ruin your reputation. (And when I say “you”, I mean “one”, anybody and everybody can be in this position.)
As for trying out oDesk and Elance – tell me how it goes! My first book is focused on steps one needs to take to succeed on those two sites, very specific info – so I hope editing it will also help you land some gigs there in no time 😉
Excellent post, and really lovely to hear you advising on a particular problem for a reader!! I totally agree about making sure you have the ability to do it, not just the will. On the flip side, we make sure we have and check references on all freelancers we use!!
Hi, Maia – thanks for the positive feedback. Good for you you are checking references – it really is an important part of the hiring process. But so is providing enough details to the freelancer so that he or she can make an informed decision about their ability to complete the project.
If more clients were providing full details in their job posts, less freelancers would feel unconfident to apply in the first place 😀
Personally, I think the system of awarding feedback and stars is such a useful tool to keep freelancers focused on bidding on what they are reasonably sure they can deliver on or at least to be open up front that they need added details to verify they would be able to do the work well. No one wants their reputation to be ruined. The competition is stiff and when you are competing agains several perfect or near perfect feedback scores, you don’t want to mess around with anything that you don’t think you are pretty sure to please the client. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you never put a more risky bid out there if you are new and need more clarification to see if you are a good match or if the job just is risky by nature but you love that type of work. Here are some examples.
I was invited to a project this week that I was a little nervous about bidding on. I design and develop e-learning but the development is the advanced actions built in to Captivate and added Javascript (front end development). From the description it sounded a little bit like it was for back end development of the actual LMS rather than e-learning development. What they were building, though, was an LMS for running e-learning so the project would need both types of development. I was the only invited bidder, so I made a bid assuming that they may be wanting both LMS developers and e-learning developers. I did clarify in my bid that the level I work on is what would run on the LMS (front side development) as opposed to the LMS itself(back side development), just in case the client didn’t realize there was a difference between the two. When in doubt and you do bid, clarify in your bid if you are uncertain about the scope of the bid’s skill requirements. Then you can bow out gracefully before the job is awarded if the job description’s scope left doubts rather than disappoint the client after the project is awarded.
I have one other bid this week that is a bit risky. It is one where a low resolution image needed to be brought up to a high resolution illustration. The requirements were to end up with an exact image at higher resolution. The posted image was missing a lot of detail. While any illustrator would find that one a challenge, I have lots of experience with that type of work because I have done portrait work from client provided photos when the subject is decreased (genealogy work, for example). You cannot just go and get a better image. One that I did in the past was of a toddler that had died and all the family had of the little guy was a low light, grainy VHS video tape. That portrait commission was quite challenging to do because the low light made the image very grainy and detail was more hinted at than actually seen, but the results were stunning and it would far out-survive the VHS tape they had. Despite the experience coming in to the project I bid on, it is pretty tough to meet a requirement for an exact image when the detail is not there to begin with in the reference. I like these types of jobs if it is portrait work, though, so for me the risk is worth it.
I second your love for the stars and reviews system, Tammy – I think it keeps both freelancers and clients focused on the end goal and successful completion of the project 😉
Thanks for taking the time to share examples of your experience – they sure add value to the topic at hand!
I think you offered this prospective freelance some valuable advice! Honesty up front and throughout is certainly key. As always, you make it abundantly clear that communication with the client is key to any project if you are to achieve a successful result…where both parties are pleased! Excellent stuff once again 🙂
Thanks, Jacquie – I am glad I continuously deliver useful info and tips 😉
Excellent article, Diana,
I like your logical common-sense approach to making decisions.
Thanks, Boyd – your feedback is much appreciated 😀