The greatest benefit of being only starting your career is the ability to choose and pick where you’ll apply for a job. However, it’s very dangerous to follow only the “hottest” project that the recruiter tells you about. You can quickly find yourself in a position where you’re working in a toxic environment and doing extra work that you’re not getting paid for.
So, you’ll soon find yourself turning down some pretty tempting projects because closer acquaintance with them made you nervous. You should always consider a number of aspects before joining any particular project on a contractual basis.
Make use of the list below – these are red flags that you should seek to avoid in any employment opportunity. The presence of one of these signs is not yet a cause for concern. However, if these signs appear together, you should think twice as carefully before taking on such a project.
Questionable Timings
You are required to complete the project as soon as possible by a certain fixed date. In this situation, most likely, the potential client has long known that the deadline was approaching. However, by the looks of it, they spent more time planning the project than they expected. But they expect from you that you will do everything on time and on time.
First, You Do the Estimations
The potential employer says he has no idea how much money is required for the project to be completed. This may mean that the client did not complete their “homework” and is not very invested in the project. This would mean that you initially have to make up all the figures and complete all the preparatory project planning.
You’re Responsible But Not in Charge
A potential employer doesn’t want to share budget information with you. This usually indicates that the employer does not trust you, thinking that giving the budget amount will encourage you to increase the price for your work.
The Budget is Small, and Requirements Are High
The employer wants a website as cheap as possible or says that the budget is small. This usually means that the employer does not appreciate the project executors, preferring cheapness to quality.
These are the cases when potential clients spend their own money on building a website and want to spend as little as possible but get as much as possible. The employer wants more than the budget can give. In this case, it will be quite difficult to please the employer.
Being Used as a Free Source of Content
You are expected to come to the first stage of the competitive selection with many design ideas. As a rule, at an early stage, this is quite problematic – after all, you do not have any complete information about the project. Such contests turn into beauty pageants when the clients, as judges, evaluate the visual design rather than the capabilities and track record of the applicants.
There is a great risk that your design findings will be used even if you do not get a contract. The same can help when they’re pre-emptively asking you to do some copywriting and provide them with paraphrase help to create content for them.
No Arbitrage
The project coordinator is missing. Projects for large companies usually involve many stakeholders. If the employer has no one to coordinate the interaction between them, you will have to do it. This will greatly complicate the project and increase your overhead costs.
Your position will be further complicated by the fact that as a performer, your studio will not have any weight in the affairs of the client company. You risk drowning in the whirlpool of the company’s undercover intrigues.
You’re Not Even Given a Specific Task
The potential employer did not provide you with the terms of reference and did not find time to fill out your questionnaire. If the employer did not spend his time on the project, this most likely means that he is not taking the project seriously. Or it means that the employer has turned to so many studios that now physically do not have the time to work with all of them. Or maybe they are just eyeing prices.
Take Everything with a Grain of Salt
Remember, the recruiters are out there to hunt talent. If they consider you a prime candidate for a particular position, then they’ll go to great lengths to persuade you to join their company. However, if you’re a great fit for a position, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the company is a great fit for you. Watch out for questionable projects and get the employment that you want!
