Just a few years ago, a life as a freelancer was synonymous with a life of unpredictable job opportunities, constant hunting for gigs, and financial uncertainty.
These days, however, freelancing is a much more consistent and lucrative career, thanks in part to freelance platforms that can provide you with a convenient hub to engage with clients and showcase your portfolio.
PeoplePerHour, in particular, is a freelance platform well-known for its talented pool of experts and its ability to connect you to high-paying and credible businesses looking for outsourced freelance services.
But if you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should apply there, then we’re here to tell you that it’s perfectly fine to weigh your options.
And today’s blog is here to help you do just that.
Today, we’re taking you through everything you need to know about working for PeoplePerHour so you can decide if that’s the best place to take your talents and make a living doing what you love best!
How Does PeoplePerHour Work for Freelancers?
Like other freelance platforms (Toptal, MarketerHire, etc.), PeoplePerHour works by connecting you with pre-vetted clients in need of your specific talents.
These digital marketing service providers are particularly helpful because they eliminate the need for you to be constantly marketing yourself to keep your pipeline full and make your life easier by handling the tedious and often stressful task of collecting payment and mediating between disputes.
Important Things to Know About Working for PeoplePerHour
But before you jump into a possible PeoplePerHour job, it’s good to know exactly how it works!
Here are 5 things to know before you throw your hat in the ring to become a PeoplePerHour freelancer.
1. Qualification Process
To get started with PeoplePerHour, you can visit their website.
On the upper right-hand corner, you’ll see a clickable text menu. Click on “Freelancer?” and then “I want to work as a freelancer” and sign up with PeoplePerHour using the email of your choice.
You’ll then be sent an invite to create a short freelancer profile. This is an important step because this functions as your application, so don’t leave any fields blank. Fill out the profile, being sure to add a clear profile picture, a list of your skills, a detailed “About Me,” and your desired hourly rates. Once you’ve filled it out, hit submit.
Your application usually takes about a week to process but, if you’d like, you can pay a small fee to expedite the process.
2. Your PeoplePerHour Profile
Once you are selected to join PeoplePerHour’s talent network, you’ll get a chance to really show any potential clients what you can do by creating a detailed freelancer profile. Here is where you’ll get the chance to post your best work, link any websites or social media accounts, and list all of your skills and qualifications.
Your freelancer profile is extremely important because:
- PeoplePerHour’s AI matching system will use the information on it to match you with potential clients.
- Potential clients will be given the opportunity to view your profile whenever you submit proposals (more on that soon!) and your profile will be the biggest determining factor in whether or not your proposals are accepted.
3. Sending Proposals
You’ll need to submit proposals in order to pick up jobs on PeoplePerHour. There are two ways to do that:
- Whenever a client posts a job, PeoplePerHour’s matching system will automatically alert any well-qualified freelancers to provide them with information about the job and an invitation to send a proposal.
- You can also browse through job postings and submit proposals to the jobs that you think you’d be best fit to complete.
Something interesting to point out: Each month, PeoplePerHour gives their freelancers 15 credits to send to any potential clients for the chance to get hired for a project. It costs 1 credit to submit a proposal, even if the Buyer (client) does not accept.
However, if you are matched with a client as explained in method 1 above, submitting proposals doesn’t cost any credits.
Use your credits wisely, but if you run out, no big deal. You can always purchase additional credits through the PeoplePerHour dashboard.
4. Workstream
If you submit a proposal to a client and they accept you as a match, then congrats!
You and your client can decide how often you'd like to communicate and there's no worry about needing to give out your personal phone or email. All of your client communication and file sharing will be handled on PeoplePerHour’s dedicated platform, Workstream.
Workstream also provides you a place to manage all of your ongoing project invoices to keep you organized and on top of your game!
5. PeoplePerHour Readiness Test
If you want to boost your freelancer profile, PeoplePerHour gives you the opportunity to do so by passing a “readiness test.”
This test will ask you multiple questions about your communication style, your work process, and other things that potential clients may find important in a freelance hire.
If you pass with a 70% or above, you’ll get a PPH Readiness Badge displayed on your profile, which will boost your visibility and enhance your credibility with any potential clients!
If you fail the test, then no worries. You can retake it in a month.
6. Freelancer 3-Month Trial
PeoplePerHour requires all new freelancers to go through a 3-month trial phase.
This trial is designed to make sure that you’re a good fit for the platform and are an active member to avoid proposal requests going unanswered. To maintain your profile, you’ll be required to take on two projects within the trial period (or make a certain amount of income) and receive an average feedback of 4 stars.
Be sure to stay on top of it because if you fail to do this, your account will become “limited” and be less visible to potential clients!
7. Freelancer Support
Once you begin engaging with a client, you're free to work directly with them, setting the deadlines you decide on and implementing any feedback as necessary.
But if a dispute arises, PeoplePerHour will step in to help. Simply click "Raise a Dispute" in your Workstream and explain in detail the issue you are experiencing and how you'd like it resolved. PeoplePerHour's customer support team will review your case and help you and your client come to a resolution.
Bad matches aren’t common, but they do happen! So, in the case of a completely unreasonable client, PeoplePerHour will step in and reassign that client to another freelancer.
8. Getting Paid
All payments are processed through the Workstream dashboard for client and freelancer safety.
When you start a project, your client will be required to put your payment in an escrow account within the Workstream dashboard. As soon as the project is finished and your client has reported satisfaction, PeoplePerHour will release the money to your account.
You are allowed to set your own rates (you’ll get an automated suggestion if you attempt to set it too high or too low), however, PeoplePerHour will take 20% of your earnings as a freelancer commission fee.
Pros and Cons of a PeoplePerHour Job
As with working anywhere, your mileage may vary depending on who you talk to about their experience.
However, we find that, on average, the following pros and cons are listed when folks talk about their experience working with PeoplePerHour or other freelance platforms that operate similarly.
Pros
- Access to Quality Clients — PeoplePerHour pre-vets its clients, which means you don’t have to deal with duds that stop replying once you email them your rate. Instead, you’ll get to enjoy better-quality assignments and professional working relationships.
- Competitive Pay — Due to the pre-vetting process and specialized focus, the pay rates can be more competitive compared to other freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
- Flexibility — As with many freelance jobs, you have the flexibility to choose your projects and set your own schedule.
- No Bidding Wars — Unlike platforms where you have to bid on jobs, PeoplePerHour uses its AI algorithm to match you with clients. Send proposals to your matches as you see fit.
Cons
- High Competition — Given that the platform attracts skilled professionals, there may be high competition for the best jobs and less of a chance of your getting matched with them.
- Dependence on the Platform — Your ability to find work may be dependent on the platform’s algorithm and client flow, which can be inconsistent.
- No Chance at Collaborating — While PeoplePerHour gives you clients to collaborate with, there won’t be much of a chance to bounce ideas off of other creative folk or work together on the same project.
- Inconsistency — Freelance work can be inconsistent, which you are probably well aware of, and there may be times when there are fewer projects available.
- No Project Management — You’ll work directly with your client and, if you have multiple clients, this can get hectic.
- Commission Fees — Like Upwork and other platforms, PeoplePerHour takes 20% of your earnings as a service fee. This could cut into your revenue and cause you to spend more time working to make up for the loss.
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Looking for the Perfect Place to Start Your Creative Career?
So, what do you think?
Is a PeoplePerHour career the right choice for you?
If it’s not and you’re still on the hunt for the perfect place to jumpstart your creative career, then perhaps your search is over after all. Because Designity is always looking to add fresh new talent to our creative community, and we think you just might be a perfect fit.
Designity can offer you all of the benefits of other freelance platforms, plus so much more, like:
- Competitive Pay — Earn what you’re worth, doing what you love best! Designity pays its Creatives competitive and consistent wages.
- Creative Directors — Creative Directors manage each account, taking over client interactions and administrative tasks, letting you focus on your creative tasks without the extra hassle.
- Growth Opportunities — If you want a long-term career doing what you love, Designity can offer all kinds of growth opportunities for you to move up in your career.
- Collaborative Environment — Designity’s collaborative environment encourages teamwork and provides you with teammates, Creative Directors, and other Creatives to brainstorm, bounce ideas off of, and give you feedback when you need it.
- Project Variety — Designity clients have a variety of different needs and come from a variety of different industries, meaning you’ll have a wide range of different projects and never get bored!
How about it? Are you ready to join the Designity creative community?
If you think you have what it takes, then why not put your skills to the test with our one-of-a-kind application and let’s get your creative career started off right!
