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Freelance Jobs - Guidelines

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Freelance Jobs - Guidelines

This forum provides a place for paid freelance job postings. This means companies or individuals looking to hire artists for paid work on a contract basis.

We have a few simple guidelines to follow here to cut down on the clutter and keep this professional.

1. This is for freelance/contract work only. On-site postings should be made in the Full/Part time onsite forumWhen contacting someone for work, if they provide an email address use that, otherwise use the Send Message link next to their post and send them a link to your portfolio. 

2. No mods, or any other form of non-paid positions, including "pay when we're done" structure projects. If you can not offer industry standard pay, immediately on completion of the contract, you are not offering a contract/freelance job. If your project does not offer immediate pay, it belongs in the Royalties or Unpaid Work forum sections.

3. Do not spam. Post your ad once. If you're looking for someone, and you have updated the position, then it is OK to update your thread to show that change. Feel free to refresh your thread with changes, but provide something in your post besides "Just a bump" or "Still looking!". Update the first post, and make a new reply to explain what has changed. The point of this rule is to discourage meaningless posts. Otherwise everyone is bumping their thread to get to the top, and each thread gets filled with posts which are an annoyance for everyone.

4. Do not reply in a thread unless you have a relevant question which informs everyone, i.e. "What is the length of the contract?", "Do you require specific software?", etc. Don't ask questions which only apply to your situation. 

5. Applicants should not post images from their portfolio, info selling themselves, or links to their portfolio in a company's thread. When contacting someone for work, if they provide an email address use that, otherwise use the Send Message link next to their post and send them a link to your portfolio. We ask applicants not to apply directly in a thread, because these posts make it more difficult for other applicants to find information about the job itself.

6. Do not post just to say you have applied, i.e "Message sent!". This is an annoyance for the original poster (OP) and everyone else.

7. Do not ask when you'll receive a response, or to state you haven't heard back, or ask if the job is still available. If you feel the need to do this, send a direct message. If the OP is still looking, they will post an update. Responding to each applicant is a time-consuming process, most OPs do not have the time for this. If you do not hear back, it is best to assume the OP is not interested in your submission.

8. This is not a place to critique/comment on other people's work, these sort of responses need to be kept in Showcase & Critique. If you have a comment for someone, use Send Message.

9. If you are a new user posting and do not see your thread, feel free to email the moderators at helpdesk@polycount.com and we will make sure it gets approved. We have an anti-spam filter in place to catch all the nonsense and viagra ads that somehow always seem to end up here. If you do not see your thread after posting, do not post multiple threads, just contact us.

10. If you see someone breaking these guidelines, we encourage you to use the Flag > Report button. This sends a message to the moderators, who will look into the post and decide whether it needs moderation. 

If you have any questions about this section feel free to ask in this thread.

Thanks, and happy jobbering!

Replies

  • Hriskiss
    Okay, thanks for the info. I didn't know that posting an images or links from my portfolio is ''bit unprofessional'' in this web platform!
    All the best Hris
  • maxmuses
    thanks for the very clear rule
  • Eric Chadwick
    Hriskiss wrote: »
    Okay, thanks for the info. I didn't know that posting an images or links from my portfolio is ''bit unprofessional'' in this web platform!
    All the best Hris

    Images from applicants make a job poster's thread more confusing. Images which are not from the OP make it more difficult for other applicants to focus on the job information.

    It is best to make your own portfolio website, or make a thread in Artist Looking For Freelance Work, then send the link to the company, using either an email or a private message.

    You should only post a thread reply if you want to ask a question about the position.
  • Mitchellangelo
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    Mitchellangelo polycounter lvl 7
    Thank you for clearing that up with me. I apologize for posting a comment on that job posting, I didn't know it was against the rules. Luckily now I know.
  • dgm_mkII
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    dgm_mkII polycounter lvl 5
    Just a question, what does [PAID] in the title mean?
  • Meloncov
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    Meloncov greentooth
    dgm_mkII wrote: »
    Just a question, what does [PAID] in the title mean?

    Just that the job is paid, not volunteer/equity based. It's redundant here due to the way the boards are set up; I think you mostly see it because people copy-paste the same job posting to several places.
  • dgm_mkII
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    dgm_mkII polycounter lvl 5
    Meloncov wrote: »
    Just that the job is paid, not volunteer/equity based. It's redundant here due to the way the boards are set up; I think you mostly see it because people copy-paste the same job posting to several places.

    Thanks for the explanation.
  • Eric Chadwick
    I added these two points to the OP, as it seems people are a little unclear on job posting etiquette. Hopefully this helps.
    • Do not post just to say you have applied, i.e "PM sent!". This is an annoyance for the OP and everyone else.
    • Do not ask when you'll receive a response, or to state you haven't heard back. Responding to each applicant is a very time-consuming process, most OPs do not have the time for this. If you do not hear back, it is best to assume the OP is not interested in your submission. If the OP is still looking, they will post an update.
  • Ofrst
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    Ofrst polycounter lvl 10
    I got just one question, everything else is more or less clear to me. Since this thread is called Freelance Jobs, is it OK
    and by the rules that entire studios or even intermediaries are applying on these ads, that way, they're practically stealing
    jobs from single freelancers. Me as a single freelancer can't possible parry to ten people that are working for some studio.
    It's happening on other game job forums as well, same people, so I'm interested what do you think about it.
  • EarthQuake
    We do not dictate in any way who can reply to an ad. If an individual contractor or an outsourcing studio is the best choice is entirely up to the ad poster/client.

    However, nobody, individuals or otherwise, should be publicly replying to ads if they do not have a relevant question. If you see someone replying publicly to job ads to advertise their portfolio/studio, please flag the post.



  • Eric Chadwick
    OfrWhenst said:
    I got just one question, everything else is more or less clear to me. Since this thread is called Freelance Jobs, is it OK
    and by the rules that entire studios or even intermediaries are applying on these ads, that way, they're practically stealing 
    jobs from single freelancers. Me as a single freelancer can't possible parry to ten people that are working for some studio.
    It's happening on other game job forums as well, same people, so I'm interested what do you think about it.

    I understand the sentiment, I'm a sole proprietor myself, but I'm not sure jobs are being lost.

    Studios or groups are typically more expensive than individuals. Offices and equipment, or even just the management layer.

    There's also scale of work to consider. Different needs for different contracts. If the work volume is larger than a single person, then the employer can either manage a collection of independent freelancers (at considerable time investment) or they can contract a studio (at higher cost but less time).

    But ultimately if we tried to gate it, I don't know if it would actually be effective. Competition will always exist, it's business after all. 
  • Eric Chadwick
    I also want to mention this. Individual freelancers offer something you don't always get with studios... personalized service.

    When I hire an individual, I know I am getting that particular person working on my assets. I can depend on that level of quality. When I hire a studio, I never know which individuals are being assigned to my particular job, so from day to day I may get differing levels of quality, or errors pop up which I thought we solved long ago. The studio is supposed to make sure this doesn't impact the work, but sometimes it does anyway.

    So, there's a certainly a quality niche that individual freelancers fill. Everyone has their place.

    That was a good question. I think I can speak for all the moderators here when I say we welcome discussion about how the forum is run. After all, it's ultimately meant to be here for you, the community.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Updated the rules today. We've changed these from Rules into Guidelines. We do actively patrol the job sections to catch rule breakers, but we can't catch them all.

    If you see someone breaking these guidelines, we encourage you to use the Flag > Report button. This sends a message to the moderators, who will look into the post and decide whether it needs moderation. 

    We hope the community can self-police. This section is here at your request, after all, and exists for your benefit. We hope you will show us your professionalism; if not then we'll have to revise things a bit. But we believe in you!
  • Y-NOT486
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    Y-NOT486 polycounter lvl 5
    I posted replies last night to two positions, stated my interest, provided a link to my portfolio and my email (all other replies in the the threads were written similarly). This morning I was informed that both were deleted due to breaking the rules. I have a desire to follow the rules to the letter, but in this instance I can't see what what Violations warranted my replies being removed. I have enough problems trying to find work, I would hate to lose this forum as a resource.
  • Eric Chadwick
    See rules 4, 5, 6 in the first post.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Moderator note:

    If you want to debate a job thread, this section of the forum is not the right place for it. This may seem counter-intuitive, as this is a forum after all. However this section is for employers to post jobs.

    Polycount does not pass value judgements on job posters nor on job seekers. This is not our role, nor can it be. We do moderate obvious scams or spam. However it is ultimately up to each job seeker to evaluate each job offer, to decide if the terms match their particular needs.

    It's important to realize this forum has a global reach; rates are not the same everywhere. It is your responsibility as individual professionals to evaluate the client, and decide if their rate matches yours. 

    When members critique job posts, the ensuing discussions distract everyone from the purpose of the section. Usually this causes the poster to be discouraged from posting future jobs.

    We want to keep things focused on what these sections are for... employers seeking talent and artists seeking work. We feel the employment sections are best for all when they're kept on-topic.

    If you wish to discuss the merits of a particular post, make a new thread in Career & Education, and add a link. As long as things are kept professional and within our forum guidelines, we welcome discussion.

    Thank you.
  • dark_ministry
    Hello,

    I posted job ad today, started receiving portfolios for consideration and suddenly my ad was gone. Any explanation?
  • Eric Chadwick
    You had triggered our spam filter. I've restored your post and I've verified your account.
  • dark_ministry
    OK, thank you. Perhaps due to editing several times, I had to specify the job requirements to filter out some confusion.
  • Frostgore
    Hi. This would be the first time using this website. I have read the guidelines and it all seems fine and dandy.
    Now, with that being said, am I required to post a budget along with the job post? Can I leave it to the applicant's discretion? (I'd very much prefer the latter).

    Also, initially, as I'd be weighting my options, is it okay to post the thread and hold off on consolidating the job at first? 
  • Eric Chadwick
    Frostgore said:
    ...
     am I required to post a budget along with the job post? 
    ...
    is it okay to post the thread and hold off on consolidating the job at first? 
    No need to reveal your budget, unless you want to.

    What do you mean by "consolidating"?
  • wermon
    Hi, i can reply to a job post with a private message to the user with my porfolio and web?
  • Eric Chadwick
    wermon said:
    Hi, i can reply to a job post with a private message to the user with my porfolio and web?
    Yes...

    4. Do not reply in a thread unless you have a relevant question which informs everyone, i.e. "What is the length of the contract?", "Do you require specific software?", etc. Don't ask questions which only apply to your situation. When contacting someone for work, if they provide an email address use that, otherwise use the Send Message link next to their post.

    5. Applicants should not post images from their portfolio, info selling themselves, or links to their portfolio in a company's thread.If you want to apply, email or Send Message them directly with a link to your portfolio. We ask applicants not to apply directly in a thread, because these posts make it more difficult for other applicants to find information about the job itself.

  • matatfunatomic
    When I posted new topics yesterday it said it had gone to the moderators for approval. How long does this process take? How can I check on the progress?

    Thanks in advance.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Good question! Answered here:
    https://polycount.com/discussion/63361/information-about-polycount-amp-new-member-introductions/p1#new

    Post needs approval? 
    If you try to post but you see a message like "Your comment will appear after it is approved", this means your text has caught the attention of our Spam filter. Don't make multiple posts, they'll just keep getting blocked. Once a day or so, we process a list of posts needing approval, to ban spammers and to verify members. If a full day has passed and you're still having trouble, send an email to helpdesk@polycount.com 

  • matatfunatomic
    Good question! Answered here:
    https://polycount.com/discussion/63361/information-about-polycount-amp-new-member-introductions/p1#new

    Post needs approval? 
    If you try to post but you see a message like "Your comment will appear after it is approved", this means your text has caught the attention of our Spam filter. Don't make multiple posts, they'll just keep getting blocked. Once a day or so, we process a list of posts needing approval, to ban spammers and to verify members. If a full day has passed and you're still having trouble, send an email to helpdesk@polycount.com 

    Thanks. I wonder what I could have written that was considered as spam? I'll keep waiting for now. Thanks again.
  • Eric Chadwick
    It's pretty much a black box. You should be all set now, sorry for the delay.
  • oskarkeo
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    oskarkeo polycounter lvl 10
    if a posted thread is greyed out, does that mean its awaiting moderation?

  • Eric Chadwick
    Nope, it means you've read it already, and there have been no subsequent updates.

    If there's a new reply, or you haven't opened it yet, it will be green. 
  • foddex
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    foddex polycounter lvl 2
    I found someone to do the job I posted. Should me post be removed? Should I post something that people don't need to reply anymore?
  • Eric Chadwick
    foddex said:
    I found someone to do the job I posted. Should me post be removed? Should I post something that people don't need to reply anymore?
    A couple of ways you could do this. 

    1. Edit your Discussion title to start with (Closed). This is quick and easy.

    or

    2. Use the Flag>Report button to let a Moderator know you would like it to be Closed. This takes longer, but a Closed thread can't get new replies. 

    Neither method explicitly stops new DMs. But either way at least you would be letting them know it's been filled.
  • foddex
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    foddex polycounter lvl 2

     A couple of ways you could do this. 

    1. Edit your Discussion title to start with (Closed). This is quick and easy.

    or

    2. Use the Flag>Report button to let a Moderator know you would like it to be Closed. This takes longer, but a Closed thread can't get new replies. 

    Neither method explicitly stops new DMs. But either way at least you would be letting them know it's been filled.
    Thanks, done.

    Maybe a good idea to add this to the main post in the top? Just an idea :)
  • Eric Chadwick
    2020 update:
    Replies have been disabled. Only new topics can be made. Employers, please update your original post, as needed.

    If you have questions or suggestions about this section, please head over to the forum section Career and Education. Or contact a moderator directly..
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