Paid Service: Yes

Membership Required: Yes

Website Address: www.guru.com

Like Elance, Guru is a pay-per-lead job network that seeks to pair freelancers with clients through a competitive bidding system. Membership plans range up to $194, and all projects are also charged an additional fee of 5% of the total compensation.

Here is something to think about: there are currently 100,000 active freelancers on Guru looking for work, and currently only 5,300 projects accepting bids. That is a ratio of 18 freelancers for every 1 job offering. The problem here, like other pay per lead sites, is that most of those 18 freelancers are willing to do that one job for an insultingly low rate just to land the gig.

Worth it? We say “Non Merci”: no thank you. The problem with these pay per lead sites is that you are essentially gambling with your monthly allotment of bids: just because you are the best writer for the job doesn’t mean you will get the job, especially if you stick to reasonable rates. It is easier and less insulting to be rejected by jobs you didn’t pay to apply for.

Have you worked with Guru before? Leave a comment and share you experience with your fellow freelancers!

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