Deadbeat Employer: 25 cents for 500 words (and you have to be bilingual!)

When Toni sent me a link to this job advert, I thought at first that the rate was 25 dollars per 500 words . But no. The employer helpfully states:

"Please don't be one of those that confuses cents with dollars. This is 25 cents per clear written blog post."

Wow! Twenty five cents ALL TO MYSELF? There's more, though!

"...we will also increase your pay out too [sic] 1 dollars per article in the future once you have successfully submitted up to 1000 unique posts."

Well, that makes all the difference, doesn't it? I mean, after just 1,000 posts (of 500 words each, remember), you could be earning a massive $1 per post! Now, I'm no mathematician, but I've just worked this out, and for those 1,000 posts, you would make...

$250!

How long do you think it would take you to write 1,000 articles, readers? I'm going to guess "a while". Worth it for $250, do you think? Again, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess "probably not".

Of course, you're probably thinking this "job" advert is aimed at the kind of writers who'll barely be able to string a sentence together. You would be wrong, though, because if you want to apply, you'll need to be "intelligent and articulate" - oh, and bilingual. Yes, bilingual. Just think, all of those years studying a second language will be totally worth it when those first 25 cents hit your Paypal account, no?

I'm surprised this particular employer doesn't just charge writers to work for him. Surely that's the next step?

Comments

[suz]

Don't forget also that you have to write three posts/day!

[Timina]

Amen! It's unbelievable how many of those types of "offers" are actually out there (but the sad part is that people will bite just to get the work--I've seen freelancers willing to work for literally pennies to land a job). What's insulting is when you have a thick portfolio, though, and some nitwit hopes to lure you into a detailed and complicated project for 10 cents a word!!!