While trolling your favorite (ahem) job list, you come across a gig for which your qualified, one that pays okay money. You’re not excited about the project, but you have nothing going on and something is better than nothing, so you apply. You’re offered the job, you accept the job and you begin. Halfway through the gig you find it’s not what you expected. In fact it’s boring and all you can do to keep at it each day. You don’t want to do this job anymore. What do you do?
A. Finish the job. Your email is your promise and your promise is your reputation. To quit now would be irresponsible and unprofessional. Once you finish this project you don’t have to work with the client again.
B. Quit. Contact your client and say you have a sick aunt or a death in the family and can’t complete the project. You’re so sorry.
C. Quit. Don’t contact the client. Don’t return emails. Don’t do anything.
Here’s why I ask. All three things have happened to me when I was an editor for an online information portal. The work was D-U-L-L dull. I’m not going to deny it. The pay was OK, nothing amazing, but better than some of the places there. Because the work was dull and the pay wasn’t amazing, the turnover rate was (and still is) pretty high. I understood that part, even if my superiors didn’t.
Most of the writers at least finished up their month’s assignments before parting company. There were those who would either have to immediately fly off to help the sick aunt or disappeared from the face of the earth never to be heard from again. I’m not a big fan of options B & C. In fact, I have some advice for those of you who are considering options B & C to get out their current assignments.
- Don’t
- If you’re considering option B, don’t let me see you comment on forums and blogs at the same time you’re supposed to be nursing Aunt Sally back to health. You may not be working for me anymore now, but I’ll remember you in the future.
- If you did use option B or C and I was your editor, you might think twice about using me as a reference or contacting me for advice.
So my answer is A. What’s yours?
January 18th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Yeah A would be mine too.
But then what if the client asks for more?
Hahah!
Actually one get-out-trick I have used before is just being brutally honest and saying that I have better paying work and my schedule is too loaded to take on the lower paying gigs.
Sometimes the client will offer more just to get it done!
January 18th, 2008 at 3:04 am
My answer is A too.
For one thing, your reputation as a professional is at stake. Also, you never know, this same client might have more interesting projects later on. Finally, you committed and you should finish what you started.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:05 am
Wow, sometimes the timing of these posts is uncanny.
I was just in a similar situation, where I took on an unexciting job as a blog poster/promoter (normally I love these types of jobs but the topic was a snore for me), and after week of going over what to do, since I just couldn’t make myself sit down and do the work, I emailed the client and told him tactfully but honestly that the position and I were not a great fit, and I apologized for any inconveniences. He emailed me back and asked if I just wanted to post on the blogs, but I politely declined, since it was the topic I was having problems with.
He took it well, much to my relief, but this situation is a bit different from the per project one you’re talking about. In fact, I made my decision based on a post I read here a while back by Jennifer about when to break up with a blog.
I think honesty is always the best policy, and sometimes we have to deliver–and receive–less than desirable news.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Always option A. Mind the Golden Rule, send out good karma, whatever you want to call it. You never know what will happen in the future. I left an office job when I moved to another city, and even though I had strongly disliked one of the higher-ups there (who seemed bent on keeping me “quashed down”), I chose to act professionally when I resigned and developed my exit strategy. Years later, they hired me as a freelancer to work on a project for them. It was a great gig, and I even enjoyed working with my old boss.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Oh, I’ve been there. Thankfully, for this dull, low-paying assignment, there was a concrete end in sight. So, I sucked it up and finished the job.
If the client HAD come back with more similar work, I would have asked for more money or say I was too busy with other projects.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:17 am
A!
If you didn’t need the money, you shouldn’t have taken on the responsiblity. I agree that your email saying you accept is the same as giving your word that you’ll do the job to the best of your ability.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Definitely A. Like Laura said, your rep is at stake. I’ve been there and done that. Although the work was mind-numbingly boring, I finished it; luckily, the client was pleasant to work with.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:27 am
When I’ve worked as an editor I had no problem with someone either subcontracting OR coming to me and saying that she had someone interested in taking over and could we talk about that as an option. In fact, when I was first starting out that’s how I got an early gig. A friend of mine went on staff somewhere and had to bail on an assignment. She gave them my name and information, gave me all of her notes/interviews (with their blessing) and a match was made. So there’s an option D, too.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:45 am
It would be A, not just because of the obvious ethical reasons, but also because I think it would be difficult to honestly call yourself a “professional writer” if you bailed.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:57 am
I think it is option A if it is the job has a set end. Meaning, you’ve got so many articles to write or you’ve been hired for a specific period of time. Once you’ve completed your initial agreed upon job, if the client asks for more, you can say no.
However, if the job is ongoing, I think you should give notice like any other job. I have done this once, not because the job was dull but because the client kept changing what he wanted. First he wanted five 250 word blogs posts a week. Then three five hundred words. Then two 1000 words. The pay got worse, and we all know that 1000 words is a researched article, not a short blog post. But I digress.
What I did was give the client a few weeks to find someone new and offer the client the option to give the new writer my e-mail so I could answer any questions he had. The client was okay with it, and told me he would keep me in mind for future work.
So I guess that would be option E. Give plenty of notice and be available for help with the new writer.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Definitely A. If the client comes back, I can say I’m too busy and offer to help the client find another writer. In fact, in a couple of cases, I found the other writer and then explained to the client that I couldn’t do the job anymore. He was very happy that I saved him the trouble of recruiting someone new and he has since referred two other people to me.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:12 am
Option A is the right choice out of the ones provided. I agree with what has already been said here. You can’t call yourself a professional writer if you bail on a project just because you don’t like it. Sometimes we all have to do things we don’t like to get started, but standing by your word is how you build, and maintain, a reputation. If it is an ongoing project, I liked the idea of giving notice and then offering to mentor the new writer. I have to wonder about the swapping another writer in your place, though. While that is better than just bailing altogether, it still comes across to the client as you not wanting to do the work for whatever reason. It’s just not as professional as finishing the work you agreed upon.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:20 am
A.
The times this has occurred, I was bidding on a project that was new to me, and underbid the work. Even though I’d be willing to pay someone to take it over by the time it’s through, these projects have not had enough revenue for option D that Dawn proposes to be viable.
However, option D works if 1) you know early enough and 2)you have subcontractors you know you can work with.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:21 am
I agree with Robin — A, if there’s a specified ending point. A commitment is a commitment.
If I’d tried the (ongoing) job for a while and found it wasn’t for me, I’d feel free to give notice and leave.
If the work requirements kept increasing while the pay did not, I’d leave.
If I had discovered within a day or so that I hated the work, I’d explain that we had a poor fit and leave.
I know — that’s a lot of “ifs”! There’s a big gray area here. You don’t want to break your commitments. At the same time, you don’t want to work in a situation that exhausts you or takes advantage of your goodwill.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:21 am
By the way, will anyone not say A? (out of Deb’s suggestions, I think Dawn’s D is good, too).
January 18th, 2008 at 5:37 am
I would finish the project and decline future assignments. However, I have stopped an assignment mid-project. It only happened once, and I don’t regret the decision. The client was too picky, demanding, and his needs were unclear. The headache wasn’t worth the payout, and I didn’t feel bad about bailing out early. This was an unprofessional move, but it was well worth my sanity.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:09 am
Duh - A. B and C people are not nice.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:17 am
If I agree to take an assignment, then I do it. Not everything I am asked to work on is terribly interesting at first, but I have the mind set that since I need to do the work anyway, I might as well find something interesting about the topic. Once I decided to look at it in that way, I always manage to find some little nugget of information that I didn’t know before.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Been there, done that. Finished the project because not everything in life is fun.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Definitely A.
Depending on the client I might make suggestions about future articles. I did that with one of my clients. The project is going to last for several months. I really like them and The pay is very good, but I wanted to use a slightly different approach with the articles I was writing.
I talked with my client, and I gave them reasons to support my position. They listened and agreed to the changes. Because of that conversation I received additional work from them, and I can write about anything I want within that niche.
Of course, that won’t work with every client but this client is approachable, and I felt they would at least listen to my ideas.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Omg Lela, I read your wrong at first. I didn’t see the period next the the A and thought you were saying A, B and C people are not nice…LOL. Wewh, glad that blond moment passed quickly.
@Deb: I figure this is a no brainer. A of course; but not because at some point I haven’t wanted to do either B or C; I will admit. Normally it would have been because I didn’t trust the person. It never got to that point, but I did think of it. You really have to be professional, even if you don’t want to.
Just part of being a responsible adult. Oh my, I sounded like my mother there.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:38 am
I recently bailed out on a client with virtually no notice, but it’s the first time I did that. He was really picky for the price he was paying all along. I took on an assignment, completed it, and received an email four days later saying I had to do it completely over. He admitted that ‘he should have been more clear.’ I emailed him back and said I was going to move on. Not the most professional move I agree, but after months of dealing with it, I’d had enough.
Normally, though, I’d choose A…
January 18th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I see a lot of people are replying they’d choose option A. I wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t do B or C either.
Sure, you said you’d get the job done. But if the work is mind-numbingly boring, can you really do your best? What kind of product could you give if you do like the work? Writing isn’t something mechanical that you can just turn on and off at leisure. It’s work that requires creativity and if you’re not into the job, how creative can you be?
Personally, I don’t want someone doing a job for me unless they can give it their all. If you’re no longer interested, let me know so I can find someone who is truly interested.
Some might consider it bad form to walk away from a job when you’ve already started on it. I consider it bad form to get paid for a job when I know I won’t do is justice.
It’s in the client’s best interest to hire a writer who’ll provide the best copy/content. If I realize I’m not that writer, I’ll have to end the relationship. I don’t have to make up a lame excuse or avoid the client; being honest will work just fine.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:01 am
No one picked the obvious.
You finish up what you promised, but you do a really half-assed job of it.
(I’ve been there, and while that wasn’t my plan, it’s what happened.)
January 18th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Definitely A, and I’d give it my best effort until the contract comes to an end.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I agree with latoya. I can’t write what I don’t want to write. Sure, some people can view it as being unprofessional. But I’m human and I admit to being one. I got the client’s best interest at heart too. Knowing I’m going to do a half-assed job out of it, as Erik says, I would rather confront the client and tell him directly that I can’t do it.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Definitely A, of course. But like others have mentioned, there’s quite a bit of merit to knowing when/where to draw the line and to having decided you’ve had enough, and you’re not going to put up with anymore. However, I feel that’s only appropriate if it’s an ongoing job. If it’s a one-time thing, finish the project and then make your excuses if the client wants more work.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Option A if the project has a predetermined end. If it’s an ongoing project that has no set end, I would give the client notice, either two weeks or a month, depending on how much of a bind 2 weeks’ notice would put them in.
If the project had a set end, I would finish it and then politely decline further work.
However, I have quit in the past (though by telling them up front, not via methods B or C) in cases where the client is exceptionally rude or tries to demand more work than originally agreed upon.
January 18th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I have to agree with Latoya on this one… none of those options appeals to me.
If I can’t do my best work for a client, I tell them so openly, refund them if they’ve paid for anything not completed, and I refer them to someone in my network that the job may appeal to when appropriate.
I’ve found that clients respond to nothing better than honesty. If the job wasn’t what you expected based on the description you were given, the best thing you can do for the client is to explain why (if they don’t know there’s a problem, how can they fix it and decrease their turnover?). I’ve turned down work and had to walk away from gigs, and still had those clients come back to me later or refer other clients to me for more appropriate gigs because of that honesty. It’s never right to not give a client your all, and it’s never right to lie to them.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Haha, I like Erik’s idea the best!
I would obviously choose Option A if I were to be in that situation. It helps to remember the alternatives to writing for money. For me it’s either fit writing into a school schedule and deal with boring jobs or spend my breaks scrubbing people’s *ahem* out of toilets. While that may sound crude, I hope that it helps all the Option A people feel really positive about their jobs!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Nice responses all, and thanks for telling me what you’d do.
I always complete the project, no matter how dull, and I always give it my best. Once the project is over I tell the client I don’t think I was a very good fit.
I wouldn’t have accepted the assignment if there wasn’t at least something appealing to me.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Katharine brings up a good point.
“Project creep” is dangerous, which is why it’s important to spell out expectations in some detail before a project.
Not preaching here, talking from experience. A couple of memorable bad projects were bad because client and I didn’t agree in enough detail about scope of project. As each grew, it got to the point that I was grossly underpaid for what was delivered.
Though I wouldn’t say I’ve perfected the process, now I try to have some established benchmarks with new clients/new types of projects, like a three-month trial period (I try to work with clients with more than one-shot needs) or something similar to ensure that we don’t run into an issue.
On a recent proposal that was in danger of project creep because client wanted more than I could deliver myself (meaning bringing in other people and overhead), I actually went to a larger writing firm I’ve worked with before, presented idea to the firm who will handle the proposal with the understanding that I will get a good portion of the work.
I’ve worked with the firm before, which paid me all monies due even in bankruptcy (now operating under a different structure and name), so I’m confident I won’t get ***. Even if I did, it’s a project which would have had too many complications to pursue myself anyway.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I would opt for Option A and finish the project. If the client starts to take advantage of you and piles on more work and pressure… far more than originally negotiated, then I would re-evaluate the work load with the client. Some people will and do take advantage, and it is up to us to draw a reasonable guideline.
Once the project is completed, then I would review my options before accepting any further work.
January 18th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
You finish what you start. That’s the cardinal rule of any job, freelance or otherwise. That means choice A for me.
January 18th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Yep A. And then decline all future work.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
As someone who considers myself professional and that this is my business, not my hobby, my choice is “A”. Boredom is not an excuse for breaking one’s contract/word.
Finish the job, and if you find it so hateful and mind-numbing that you can’t stand it, and you can afford to cut the client loose, do so. Decline future assignments. That’s why you freelance, so you can pick and choose.
But ONLY after you’ve fulfilled your contract. And fulfilled it well, not in a half-baked way.
How we deal with boredom, gigs that aren’t as great as we thought, and days when we don’t feel like writing is what separates the pros from the wanna-bes.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I have been full-time freelancer for 26 years, sole support of my family. Handing back a project happens sometimes. I admit I have done it. But as one poster said above, sometimes it is not worth your sanity. The key is to make sure the contract is there, the money is decent, the terms are decent, and you think you know what the client wants. Then the prospect of a decent check (the whole thing or remainder minus the deposit) will pull you to the end. What you decide also will determine the client’s attitude toward using another freelancer. This can affect the rest of us–but sometimes it really dims as an issue when the going gets tough.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I wouldn’t use B or C, but there might be times when option A isn’t feasible. If I’m bored with a project, that’s one thing. Yes, I’d finish that. My editing projects are often boring because the writing is so bad. But I always finish them. But there are times when I take on a project that is over my head and I have to quit. Making up a story is pointless. I tell the truth. Most editors are very understanding when you are honest.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
For the record, I want to say that while I didn’t intend to do a bad job for that client, it was very hard for me to do work I wasn’t enthusiastic about. That’s a lot of the reason I stay with small community non-profits these days - I’m always excited by what I do and at my best. I sacrifice a lot of pay because of that, but I’d rather believe in what I do.
Now, did my client think I did a bad job? Apparently not, as they bug me once in a while to do more. I have very, very high standards - but I didn’t hit them with this really boring and commercial client. I feel that I let them down, even if they don’t seem to see it that way.
I said it the way I did out of honesty. I’ve seen too many things in my life to be anything other than brutally honest. I know I do great work work when I believe in what my client is doing, and anything less is half-assed. Maybe I’m good enough that my mediocre is good enough. Whatever. What I do know is that the Taoist practice of “wu wei” serves me well - I only like to work where there is a particular skill that I bring to the table.
That’s the lesson I’ve learned.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
My answer is D. Make the job interesting while I finish what I started. About now you are remembering that there wasn’t a choice, “D.” Well I am an artist and writer. What is the point in being blessed with extra-normal creativity if you can’t make up a solution to help yourself. Having said that I was an Art Director for a brief time and found that the world was full of talent. Talent that produced on time and under budget now that is far rarer than diamonds.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
If I hired a contractor to build an extension on my house and he quit halfway through because he found the work boring, I’d probably sue his ass. I don’t see why somebody providing a writing service should be any different.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
A - dull is not the same as lame or bad. If you sign a contract you better do the work; unless there’s a compelling reason not to. Like the editor has not paid you for back work. Actually, that’s one of the only reasons I can think of for an online client - well, or if they try and change the terms of your contract mid-project. I still work hard on the boring projects. They help pay the bills and provide good refs.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
If being boring were the only issue, I’d agree with most of you saying A. But what I was considering as far as pulling out is the “not what you expected” part.
If you simply didn’t ask for enough details up front, than you can’t really justify leaving. If however you had every reason to believe the client described the project fully, and you find it’s different when you’re involved, I completely stand by leaving the gig as long as you’re honest about it. Just as you have a commitment to finish a project you signed on for (when you knew what you were getting into), the client has a responsibility to ensure their contractors fully understand the project. If their project description is misleading, you shouldn’t feel obligated to stay… you just shouldn’t lie to get out of it either.
January 20th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I’d never make up a story or bail without word, but there have been regular/ongoing assignments which I’ve given up lately, not because they’re boring but simply because my workload has grown too overwhelming (and my health is suffering). In those cases, I give proper notice. When I can, I’ll refer another writer.
If it were a one-time job and I just didn’t like it, I’d see it through and simply decline any future work offers from the client.