Truelancer

In recent times, more people are working from home more than ever. Of course, this is in part due to the recent pandemic. However, telecommuting and working with people via the internet has been a rising trend for years.

With this being the case, it's a good idea to step your skill set up and get some experience working online. Even if you have a comfortable job, getting a side hustle on the web can be potentially lucrative. Similarly, if you already have an established business or are trying to build your startup, you should be aware of places you can go to get connected to people.

One you may want to consider if you're new to online work is Truelancer. And be sure to read the whole review – there are some subtleties and disclaimers you're not going to want to miss.

Here Are the Basics As to How the System Works

At its core, Truelancer is a networking platform for freelancers of all types to connect with clients. In both cases, either party might be an individual or groups of people working together. Whichever one you are, you can get an account for free.

In fact, to start up, all you need to submit is your email address, name, phone number, and to come up with a password. Logging back in is a simple as it gets, and the site does allow you to use your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn data to connect with this site.

Getting Work As Freelancer Is Straightforward…Sort Of

Hypothetically, it's fairly easy to find work thanks to the different categories which are designated for different fields like logo design, content writing, blogging, IT & programming, etc. Further, since every job should be loaded up with tags and keywords, you should be able to find whatever you specialize in using the various filter tools in the advanced search engine.

Since this is an international website with a massive community, you can find jobs that offer compensation in a variety of denominations like Canadian dollars, Indian rupees, Euros, and other dominant or commonly traded currencies.

When it comes to payment, you (typically) don't have to worry about getting paid since Truelancer holds a client's money in escrow when they post a job. Just be careful about scammers and other shady individuals. For instance, if you get accepted for a job, but the client wants to take the project off the platform, do not. It's a common tactic scammers use to rip freelancers off.

One thing to keep in mind is that you'll have to do a lot of work when it comes to standing out from the competition. For any particular job, there will likely be dozens to hundreds of applicants – so, get a good resume and some samples. For that matter, fill out as much of your profile as possible.

There Are a Couple of Ways to Get Services

The most typical way to connect with freelancers is to connect with them via Post Project feature. The requirements are simple – come up with a title, a description, select a category, and post the skills required. On that last note, Truelancer will prompt you with keywords to make things easier.

To get the best talent possible, be as specific and detailed as possible. If you think you've used enough keywords, you might want to include some more. After all, the people on this platform are hungry for work – if you make it easier for them to do so, they will actively seek you out.

You will have to specify whether or not you're paying a fixed rate or on an hourly basis. Whichever one you choose, you should have the money ready to go so Truelaner can hold it in escrow.

Although less common, you can throw a contest, which will have a slower turnaround time. But if you understand how the system works, you could potentially save a little money. But we'll get into the details about that tactic further below.

Clients Need To Be Careful When Hiring

One nice aspect of working on a platform with a global community is that you get to see a range of skillsets and backgrounds. Of course, that can be a problem since you will have to filter through a range of applicants to make sure you work with the best.

Some freelancers might look good, but they may not have the skills they claim, are slow to submit work, or are selling other people's work.

There is no real quality control since anyone can signup, but when you vet freelancers, there are a few tactics you can employ. To start, look up their profile to see if they are a verified user and how much of their page they've filled out. As a rule, the more information they submit, the better.

You should always ask for samples and any references a freelancer might have. Further, it's always a good sign when a freelancer can present a resume and past client testimonials.

Users Can Participate in Neat Community Contests

Arguably, this is probably the most unique thing about this particular freelance platform. Typically, several are held on a daily basis and cover a variety of different professions. I have found that most of them include logo design or redesign work, basic brand building, and web building. Of course, if you are lucky, you'll find that there are writing and editing tasks from time to time.

Contests vary quite a bit when it comes to length but usually run between several days to a week. So, as a freelancer, you should have plenty of time to get a submission prepared.

Sadly, this whole thing is a little one-sided since only the person setting the contest really benefits from the whole thing. The reason being for anyone contest, there are literally hundreds of applicants to pick from. That's great for the client, but if you're a freelancer, this sort of blows.

What's worse, even if you are a winner, the payout really isn't all that great most times. To give you an example, any decent logo designer is going to charge at least 60 US dollars or more. However, I've seen ay rates as low as $27, and that's before you take transfer fees into account.

There Are Additional Costs for Clients

One thing I was not particularly thrilled about is how this site nickels and dimes people who post jobs. Again, posting an ad is free, but to stand out from others and secure your work, you'll have to put up even more money. In US dollars, here are what the additional posting options are going to run you…

Featured – $10

Simply put, this feature places your ad at the top of a page in a given category. It can be useful if you're trying to get a lot of applying talent quickly. Of course, that in and of itself is not a guarantee of getting good workers.

Recruiter – $30

This is sort of a nice feature that involves Truelancer staff reviewing each and every applicant to save you time when it comes to screening people.

NDA – $15

Yes, that's right, in order to get a Truelancer approved non-discloser agreement, you'll have to pay for that as well. Or more aptly, the freelancer is required to check off that they will sign an NDA with you will have to draw up. I would skip this and simply demand your client fill out an NDA in private chat.

Urgent – $5

Again, you can simply ask your freelancers to do this, so I don't see a need to pay money for this service. But if you pay for this requirement, a freelancer will be contractually required to start working within a day of being hired.

Private – $5

This makes your ad confidential, so the only people who see it are freelancers you invite it to. This feature can be found on other freelance websites, but you can do it for free, unlike Truelancer.

This Site Is Not Without Controversy

Truelancer has been around for some time and has seen several incarnations both in terms of their business model and aesthetic. I suspect these changes aren't just to stay fresh and competitive, but also to shake some past controversy.

While these seem to have been addressed, Truelancer has had a reputation for accidentally transferring money to a freelancer's account before work had been delivered. Even to this day, some Truelancer users complain about having trouble getting access to their account or getting in touch with customer service.

Now For What Really Matters: My Opinion

When it comes to whether or not I would recommend this website, it depends on the person and their purposes.

To be honest, I think this could be a decent platform for beginners who have no experience in the world of freelancing. You'll find a fair bit of work though the competition will be fierce and the pay won't be great. Even if you do get work, I wouldn't quit your day job the next day.

As far as individuals and businesses go, you're in a much better position to network with independent professionals to assist you with an upcoming business venture. That said, you will have to put a fair bit of work into vetting your potential freelancers.

Also, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. You can get away with offering up substandard rates, but the chance that the quality of the work will be shit is high. Honestly, if you can get into better platforms like Upwork, you probably should. But seeing as that site has put a cap on joiners, Truelaner might work for you.

My final rating: three hands only.