Pros
1, Got a crash course in spotting red flags from a mile away. 2. Great opportunity to test how much unpaid work I could realistically tolerate. 3. Learned valuable lessons about contracts: they only work if both parties sign them, who knew? 4. Remote work, so at least I didn’t have to waste commute time while being ghosted. 5. Got to sharpen my crisis communication skills... with myself.
Cons
1. Was approached by Biz-Tech Analytics for a freelance gig at ₹800/hr, which initially sounded like a dream come true. Spoiler: dreams sometimes turn into unpaid invoices. 2. Signed their NDA immediately, but when I sent over my freelance contract, they "graciously" chose to ignore it. I thought, “Hey, maybe they’re just really busy with other important things,” so I went ahead and started working. Because what could possibly go wrong? 3. The deadline was tight (just three days), and I went above and beyond, working extra hours to make sure I hit the target. Too bad the same urgency didn’t apply to paying me. 4. Late-night huddle calls demanding constant updates nothing says "professional freelancer experience" like getting pinged in the middle of the night for something that was entirely my responsibility. So considerate. 5. Payment was promised within two weeks, which felt odd for freelance work, but I naively believed it would happen. A month went by, and surprise, still no payment. 6. Was asked to purchase software subscriptions with the glowing promise of reimbursement in the final payment, guess what? Still waiting for that reimbursement. What a shocker. 7. After delivering the project, I followed up multiple times via email and Slack to wrap things up professionally. In return, I got a masterclass in ghosting truly inspiring levels of avoidance.