Your reputation precedes you

I can’t believe it’s July already. The year is half gone. Meanwhile, I’m behind schedule by one or two articles due to reasons that aren’t my fault. :’) But anyway.

Every now and then, I think back to a get-to-know-you call I had with someone looking to hire a writer—no, actually, she specifically wanted to hire me. Even though we hadn’t chatted once before this call.

Her reason: one of her team members—whom she holds in high regard, and whom I’d worked with while he was still with another client of mine—had recommended me. In her words (lightly edited for clarity):

• “Whatever he says, I’m more inclined to take it blindly. He’s probably right (when he recommends people).”
• “I asked him for real writers who know exactly what to do. He suggested you.”

Her words left a deep impression on me. I was really honoured.

I hadn’t pitched my services to this client. In fact, they weren’t on my radar, and I hadn’t even known they were hiring. But behind the scenes, someone from the company who previously had a good experience working with me recommended me to his boss.

As a result, I got the job without even sending my portfolio.

Reputation cuts both ways

Making a good impression on others opens doors. The opposite is also true: rubbing people the wrong way causes opportunities to evaporate.

I know of freelancers who have burnt bridges by missing deadlines, going MIA, treating other freelancers badly, being just downright incompetent…the list goes on.

And when someone’s perception of you turns negative, it isn’t just your relationship with them that deteriorates. Potentially, so does any relationship you’ve had (or could’ve had) with others in that person’s network, if that person talks to them. Which they often do. Word travels fast.

Do you think these other people would want to hire or associate themselves with you after that? Probably not.

It’s the same whispers through the grapevine, but this time working against you instead of for you.

Your reputation precedes you. Act in the way you want others to talk about you—especially when you aren’t in the room.

More freelancer news

Singapore’s nightlife freelancers share their payment woes

Nightlife freelancers in Singapore often get gigs through informal arrangements—WhatsApp, calls or even verbal discussions. This works fine until, well, it doesn’t, because a client pays late or doesn’t pay at all.

For example, one DJ is currently owed around $23,000 by a few clients for work that happened as far back as last August.

Suing the client in court to get the money back is one option, but there’s no guarantee the client will pay up. The amount owed might also not justify taking legal action.

Legal experts interviewed for this article advise (and I agree) that at the minimum, freelancers should get their agreements down in writing to reduce misunderstandings and disputes.

​There’s no need for a formal document: even recording the agreement in a WhatsApp chat can help. The key is to be precise when agreeing on things, e.g. whether the clock for a payment due “in 1 week” starts from today or the day after.

​Check out the full story here.

The world’s first gig economy treaty has been adopted, but…

The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, a treaty that aims to protect digital platform workers, was adopted at the United Nations’ International Labour Organization on 12 Jun.

The convention applies to “all digital platform workers” on “all digital labour platforms” and gives them rights to fair pay and social security protections, similar to what employees enjoy.

Among other things, it also requires digital labour platforms to provide digital platform workers with verifiable and easy-to-understand terms of engagement.

There’s just one issue: UN member countries need to ratify the convention and then pass laws to carry out its requirements. Right now, there’s no indication Singapore will do this.

​Read the news about the treaty’s adoption here anyway.​