I know there’s a time and place to hire creatives on a budget. I get it. There will always be aspiring artists who need a portfolio bump. How tempting it must be for ad agencies and brands to save money and cut budgets too. For a no up-front fee you can put dozens of creatives, artists, designers, copywriters from around the world to work, accumulating hundreds of hours towards your project for pennies on the dollar. The talented winner can earn between $50 and $500 US Dollars. That’s a week’s salary somewhere right? So lucky. So clever!!
Now let’s do some quick math (and I hate math). The only person paid is the (winner) and only if the work is client approved (aka on-speck). So the rest of the creative crowd gets a big fat $0 for their time and ideas (thanks losers). Put that in your stocking.
Is this practice one of the biggest collective wastes of human energy ever? Contest websites luring creatives with false hope and slim chances away from family time and more substantial wage earning opportunities.
If your company claims an emphases on human rights, moral conduct and ethical practices, please consider my plea. Don’t support contest sites and don’t do contest speck work.
I’m not asking for call-outs. I am asking for companies and artists to look-inside and make sure your companies freelance hiring practices and career goals match your good intentions.
Peace & Good will to all.
-Drew
PS. Raise some holiday spirit and share & like and help stamp out contest-job websites!
