Applied for a freelance proofreader gig with a video production company a couple of weeks ago. Only yesterday did I get an email from them with a “test” I was to complete within two days. I was instructed to rewrite, in Native American English, a six-page script.
Six pages, single-space.
The last six-page test I took was the mid-term exam for Psychology 101, and that was all multiple choice.
So I sat in front of my handsome white laptop, and mulled over a one-line reply to send to the email signed “HR Dept”—something along the lines of “How many applicants actually fall for this?” or “I actually charge double for tests.” I also considered telling them about my experience of spending some eight months hunting down a measly $1,300 from the publisher of a certain piece-of-crap magazine for an article of mine they published without my consent.
Like most other pointless matters, I spent too much time to finally snap out of this. It wasn’t like I was really going to decline the “test” invitation with a sarcastic comment anyway. Because while they included what looked like a legit domain name and email address in the recruitment ad, the “test” was sent out from a hotmail account. And even though applicants were to feel free to contact them with queries, no contact details were given. Not even a contact person to whom I can address my one-liner.
If I ever take a six-page test again, it’d be to unflunk that Psychology mid-term. I reckon if I had passed that one, I wouldn’t care about $0.0002/word freelance gigs now.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment