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My uncle told me to never take a job for less than my rate, even when I was broke
He said this about 8 months ago when I was really struggling and almost took a writing gig for 5 cents a word. I told him I needed the money, but he was firm and said it would trap me. I listened, turned it down, and spent that week looking harder. The next week, I landed a regular client at my full 12 cent rate. If I had taken that cheap job, I would have been stuck in that cycle and too busy to find better work. It felt scary to say no to money, but he was right. It's about survival, not just quick cash. Has anyone else had to walk away from a bad offer when things were tight?
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robinson.quinn6mo ago
Turned down a gig that paid in "exposure" once. Who pays their rent with a pat on the back?
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phoenix_campbell886mo ago
What kind of gig was it, and how did they try to sell you on the exposure being worth it? I've seen some wild pitches.
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blair_allen5mo ago
Honestly, I gotta disagree on this one. When you're broke, any money is better than no money. That five cent gig could have kept the lights on while you looked. Turning down real work for a maybe is a luxury a lot of people don't have. Your uncle gave advice from a place of security, not survival. I took the low pay jobs to eat, and still found better ones later.
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