With the biting job shortages, Kenyans are increasingly turning to global gig work to make a living.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

However, experts are warning Kenyans to watch out for fake job offers that could leave them losing money or working without pay. According to KICTANet Think Tank,  1.2 million Kenyans work as online gig workers offering services such as freelancing, remote tasks, and software services.

Grace Mureithi, Director of Customer Success at DreamStart Labs, who works in the sector, says freelancers should look out for several warning signs before accepting a job from an unfamiliar client.

According to Mureithi, vague job descriptions, unrealistic pay, requests for upfront payments, and pressure to act quickly are some of the red flags that could indicate a job scam.

📌 What You Need to Know

Mureithi also warned freelancers against clients who ask them to move communication or payments away from the platform where they found the job.

“Make sure you have a signed contract before you start,” she said during a Co-op Bank Youth Forums session on earning global income safely on Friday, September 25.

She advised freelancers to keep communication and payments on the platform until they have established trust with a client and understood the protections available to them.

According to Mureithi, freelancers should also be careful about offers that promise unusually high payments for simple tasks, particularly when the client asks for money before work begins.

While seeking contracts, Mureithi said having a clear profile and portfolio can also help freelancers attract genuine clients. She advised workers to clearly explain what they do, the results they can deliver, and how they can help a client.

“For you to work in the gig economy, you must learn to package your skills. There are people who say they know how to use Adobe or Microsoft Office; that is not a skill. It is what value you can provide to a business at any point in time,” she said.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke