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Freelance Insult 1818 Responses
Last post: 4 years, 1 month ago | Thread started: Apr 9, 09, 10:31 p.m.
- threadpost
Just offered $30/hour to work on a rather large project.
This after working 12 yrs and as CD at a mid-large agency, then getting shit canned last week in the 5th round of layoffs. Pretty much chopped off the head of the entire creative dept at the agency I had been working for.
Holy fuck this is getting real. I can pretty much sit around doing nothing for $30/hr on unemployment. I just feel so insulted and yet I know I pretty much have to take it for a few weeks.
I would rather work than take unemployment, but holy hell what an insult. I would hire jr designers fresh from school for at least $40/hr before and that was WITH benefits. Fucking hell this sucks it.- Apr 9, 09, 10:31 p.m. – Permalink
- threadpost
yep you should, cause that's how it goes. $30/hr is shiite.
- Dog-earApr 9, 09, 10:37 p.m. – Permalink
- threadpost
unemployment isn't that high, I'm exaggerating, in fact it's pathetic...like $450/wk.
But if you've worked at agencies with 50+ Fortune 500 companies, are educated w/ advanced degrees, experienced in strategy, bus develop., brand develop., all sorts of large scale campaigns, hands on 2-D, 3-D, motion graph etc. etc. Lead a team, client facing, awards, winning large scale pitches etc etc. etc. And to think I'm fucking lucky to get $30/hr now. Where every agency in the world would bill you at $200/hr for the same shit. its just such a slap in the face. Working your ass off for a long fucking time. Gawd I'm excited for this '09 depression or whatever its called to be done with.
- Dog-earApr 9, 09, 10:54 p.m. – Permalink
- akrokdesign
one of the issue might be also, there not that many big firms in l.a.
- Dog-earApr 9, 09, 11:49 p.m. – Permalink
- cannonball
What you feel you deserve has nothing to do with it. Take the job or don't take the job.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:02 a.m. – Permalink
- akrokdesign
i knew a few places which lower their prices, i am sure more places has. clients don't want to pay as there budget also shrinks.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:21 a.m. – Permalink
- threadpost
what you deserve has everything to do with it. that's the point, we start selling ourselves short because apparently the sky is falling and we're all going to die as the entire world crumbles into a pit of despair and we start growing corn in our strip malls and hunting animals in the streets.
So then, clients feel like all the sudden what we do is worth half what it was last year at this time.- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:25 a.m. – Permalink
- dyspl
It's a pain right now, but I'm sure you will take benefit from this experience. I mean sometimes it's good to remember what you have to deal with when you suddenly loose your comfort, money and habits.
And regarding your experience, I bet you won't stay in that weird situation for a long time.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:35 a.m. – Permalink
- threadpost
^ very true and humbling. Maybe I'll just sit this one out. Go volunteer abroad for a year or so. I loved building houses in college (worked in carpentry and construction), I really should just volunteer for a year with habitat for humanities or something similar (thanks pres Carter!), give something back.
Anyhow, since loosing my gig a week ago, I really have been thinking it's time to go back to Brasil. But certainly not opposed to south east asia or other parts of rural south america. africa would be very difficult I'm afraid. But hell, if they sent me there, I'd go.
Something different, that's it. fuck this little interneb fad, its gonna go away in a few years anyway. I hear they just got the internet on computers anyway.- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:49 a.m. – Permalink
- cannonball
regarding selling yourselves short - you can sell yourself at what the market will bear. since the market wont bear your 200 an hour, you are not worth that. reposition yourself or wait it out.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 12:54 a.m. – Permalink
- threadpost
Ok, after some thought, I suppose I'm probably acting a little entitled. For that I apologize. Times are difficult right now, and I know there are many who would be very thankful for the opportunity to earn $30/hr. I should be too, it's only that it's a shocking disparity from what I'm used to I suppose.
These are weird times, I'm paying my moms mortgage now to keep from losing her house and its just freaking me out that shit has changed so much in such a short time.
I don't think we as designers/developers should have to sell our souls to accommodate. Do doctors, dentists, lawyers, cops, teachers, pilots etc have to take a pay cut equivalent to half of what they billed hourly a year ago? no.
So then, if we're educated, experienced and professionals too, why are we just expected to give half back now that our economy is shiite? People are making some concessions in every field, that is fair. But it seems to me we're taking an disproportionate hit compared to those in other industries. That's my beef. my skinny. my gripe. dig? jive turkeys.- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 2:18 a.m. – Permalink
- jamble
I think it's fair to bemoan the fact that clients are driving down the rates but to be honest I've found that over the last 6 months or so, the demand for my freelance services has actually risen and I'm probably in as powerful a position as ever because firms are wanting projects doing still but aren't in a position to take on permanent staff but still want work doing.
It sounds like you've been lowballed on that one project but I haven't really seen much evidence around here that all rates are being forced down. Certainly companies are trying to drive down rates but like you said, it's up to us to strike a balance between providing quality and experience at good rates.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 2:32 a.m. – Permalink
- formed
Don't know about others clients, but mine are hurting. I feel their pain, as I need their business.
I've got several that are on the verge of bankruptcy and one large company that just went under (probably a 50-75 million dollar business 1 year ago), and they owe us a ton (in courts now).
Point being, you can blame clients or whoever you want, but the pain is everywhere. Having work and any income at all is something to be grateful for.
Oh, and those other fields are feeling it too. Dr's are feeling the pinch of insurance companies clamping down, lowering their billable time, teachers are having a hard time finding work, etc., etc. Also, everyone 'needs' those fields. We all knew coming into any graphic/web/3D/ad/marketing fields that these budgets are the first to go.
Take advantage of firms letting full time staff go and try to secure long term relationships. May not pay a ton now, but in a year you could be making more doing your own thing.
- Dog-earApr 10, 09, 8:14 a.m. – Permalink
