Non paying leading to major paying? Really?

[texkam]

So, we've all seen the CL posts with "We have a non paying opportunity that can turn into a major paying opportunity" in them. True or a load of crap?

I'm not talking something like interning with the Dallas Morning News out of college, but rather "if you're willing to shoot this gig for free it could lead to fame and fortune" requests. Really? Just curious how often this really happens. Experiences?

[hue-e]

I've come to realize that the people that post on craigs typically want something for nothing. I stopped even looking for side work all together cause people wouldn't even respond for a $250 logo.

[hue-e]

oh, and I don't suspect any gig will turn into a bigger gig later down the road.

[texkam]

I've come to realize that the people that post on craigs typically want something for nothing. I stopped even looking for side work all together cause people wouldn't even respond for a $250 logo.

+1

oh, and I don't suspect any gig will turn into a bigger gig later down the road.

Yeah, I don't either, but I thought it would be fun to ask our members. : )

[hue-e]

yeah, I'd be interested in finding out if anyone has actually had any success using CL for jobs at all.

There was one job I actually did where I went against my design morals and entered a quick logo design in a "contest" (winner got paid). I won the contest and got $500, all in a matter of hours. I mean, that was great, but even after I delivered the files, then got paid, I went on to pitch other services (web, brochure, business cards, print brokering, etc) and they basically just said... "we have a guy for that." ok? so why did you hold a retarded contest to get your logo design?

anyway... months later I went to their website to see what they had done with the logo and they had some skyline in the header where they had put my logo, super tiny, at the top of the tallest building. I got a good laugh out of it because it made it look like the logo (which was actually a character for the most part) was going to commit suicide.

I'd post a screenshot of it, but they've since changed the site and so it's gone forever. But I honestly think that would have to have been the dumbest freelance job I've ever done, for the dumbest people on the planet.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Patrick try one of the way back machines that captures shots of sites on the internet and see if you can pull up the old page.

Yeah Craigs list is good if your trying to sell some stuff instead of doing a garage sale and you only have a few higher priced items or finding out about parties in town but otherwise forget it.

Now if the unpaid gig was shooting a bunch of supermodels in bikinis I may just do that one on the cuff.

[hue-e]

ah, I'm not that interested in finding it, I'd prefer if that job just get's erased from my memory banks. I will however try to find the logo on my puter here at work and post it if I find it.... but it's certainly no earth shattering logo design work. I followed the CL ad word for word and I think it's a pretty retarded logo.

[janikphoto]

My wife works in the career services dept of a college, and she is the person who deals with industry jobs and internships for the students and alumni. She gets these same requests from people all the time...

"we want one of your students to do all our work for free, because it will get them big fame and fortune later!"

It's total BS from people who have some silly dream that their t-shirt company will make millions, if only they knew how to create and manufacture the ideas they have floating around in their heads... Most of these people spent $10 on a DBA and another $10 on a pack of business cards. That's as far as they've gone with their "international" business.

The only gigs I've done for free are for non-profits and not-for-profits that I want to help. Not only are you donating to a cause you love, but you are putting your name out in front of like-minded potential clients. That, or a regular client that has a quickie and I offer to throw in a free shoot, not them. Like, with a publication I regularly shoot for, I offered to shoot a little video on top of a regular print assignment at no extra charge. I wanted some more practice with video and they got some bonus content!

[LuckyDucker]

I'm just a beginner photog, so I can't speak as a pro-photographer doing freebie work. But, I have seen something like that work for my wife. She's a face painter and gets the "freebie" requests all the time. She's very selective of which ones, if any, she does work with - generally non-profits that deal with hospitalized/special needs kids, etc. She has received several jobs from doing these type events because so many parents can instantly see her work and ask for biz cards, etc.

I also post ads for her on CL. But, like most have stated, most people on CL are too cheap to pay a professional rate. However, for every 10 leads that come from CL, she can usually get 1-2 bookings. I can see how it's a waste of time for a true photographer/face painter/etc to generate real leads when there's always some "pro", (as Jason put it) with a $10 DBA and stack of cheap biz cards, posting ads for 1/2 the going professional rate. She's starting to stay so busy that I'll eventually stop posting on CL.

[janikphoto]

Originally Posted by LuckyDucker

...I can see how it's a waste of time for a true photographer/face painter/etc to generate real leads when there's always some "pro", (as Jason put it) with a $10 DBA and stack of cheap biz cards, posting ads for 1/2 the going professional rate...

I guess it applies to the people who think or wish they are pro photogs, as well. However, I was talking about the people who think they are Michael Kors, just because they came up with an idea for a t-shirt company. My wife gets these calls all the time: I'm a famous clothing designer that is about to hit it big, and I can help one of your students get famous, too. All they need to do is design my shirts for me for free, or take all my product and fashion photos for free, or whatever service they are trying to ask for.

If their business is so great, they can afford to hire a real designer, photographer, etc... Having a DBA and a business card doesn't make you a legitimate business, and interns aren't slaves or peasants that should beg to bask in your glory.

[ronocnikral]

for me, it boils down to 2 issues:

1) my time is my time, and why would i want to go do something as a job and receive no compensation. sorry, but your event is most likely very boring for me.

2) the old adage, "one in hand is better than two in the bush."

i hold no animosity towards those who want to do this type of work. maybe they win the life lottery and it works out for them, i'm more than happy for them. while it does undermine those in the same industry, you can't fix the world (that is a non-paying gig as well). ymmv.

[brad]

Its that everyone has a dream that their idea/startup is going to win big. If they didn't have that dream - why bother starting up. People truly believe their idea is a good one and most of them fully intend to "remember" the ones that helped get them there.

I've worked those jobs both in the photography industry and before that, the computer programming industry.. with mixed results.

The truth is that maybe 1 in 100 startups actually succeed past 5 years... and probably 1 in 1000 or 10,000 are successful enough to bring riches to their founders... and an equally great jump to the ones that are successful enough to remember the "little people" who got them there riches.

Its a numbers game .. if you want to play it, play it... but your odds of winning the lottery might be better... and the odds of having your own idea take off are better still.

[hue-e]

rofl @ the so-called tshirt designer companies that ask for free tshirt designs.

every time I see those ads, I actually email the people just to call them stupid.

[Imagebuffet]

Originally Posted by hue-e

yeah, I'd be interested in finding out if anyone has actually had any success using CL for jobs at all.

I found my current employer (such as it is) on CL. This employer originated in New York City as a financial services provider. They grew large enough that they began using their in-house IT to service other financial institutions that need occasional computer services (such as installations and upgrades). I have earned a few thousand dollars over the last several months doing work for them as an independent contractor.

A typical job with this employer consists of them advertising for a specific job. They attract their initial list of candidates from CL, then keep a database of technicians who have worked with them, who they call for future jobs (I got two calls from them today, in fact). The selected technicians have whatever qualifications the client requires for the job. I have seen as many as 50 technicians called to a job site. The majority of us are unemployed IT or technical personnel, trying to earn a few dollars while we look for steady work. Others have regular jobs, but do this for extra money. A few of the leads are full-time employees.

The pay is pretty good, but I work less than 8 hours a week on average. Actually, I've put in about 150 hours of work for them over the last 4 or 5 months.

[janikphoto]

Originally Posted by hue-e

rofl @ the so-called tshirt designer companies that ask for free tshirt designs.

every time I see those ads, I actually email the people just to call them stupid.

exactly!!! Why are they even calling themselves designers, if they don't even know how to design?!? If you don't have the financial ability, the artistic ability, or the business ability... well, then you are just another person with a basic idea - and there are currently 6.8 billion others just like you.