A freelance career can be fun and rewarding, as well as relatively lucrative, but there are some general problems involved in finding freelance jobs online. Every freelancer has their own business plan consisting of a mix of job hunting methods, from bidding sites like ifreelance.com or industry-specific job boards, to a full web site that explains a freelancer's services to a customer base. Many freelancers do rely on looking at job ads sent out over the Internet.

Some problems with getting freelance jobs from Internet job ads are the limitations of this kind of communication, and the relatively low amount of useful data in the ad itself.

1. Internet Job Scams

Scammers on the Internet will try every available angle in order to get personal information from web users. Some of these con artists have found that they can get people to send personal information, even Social Security numbers and bank account information, by posing as companies offering jobs. Many of the job ads that freelancers reply to come back with things that look like scams: pre-templated sites that have nothing to do with the ad, or generic calls for personal information. The subtler scams are harder to catch, as scammers pretend to be collecting routine paperwork.

2. No Contact Information

Some freelancers have reported that in rare cases, ad placers and job seekers can't even find each other because of problems with an email or other technical issues. More frequently, those offering freelance jobs online leave out contact information on purpose so that freelancers can only email them to get in touch. Companies and recruiters do this because of the flood of applications they are liable to get for a decent job offer. However, the lack of contact information can keep freelancers interested in pursuing a job from doing appropriate research about a company or business, and that sometimes ends up getting them in trouble later, if a job offer isn't all it's supposed to be.

3. Sudden Contract Changes

Too many jobs offered over the Internet do not even include a contract at all, but even when they are contracted, the document usually stipulates that the work can end at any time, for any reason. When freelancers talk to project managers and are assured of a broad need for their services, they might not always keep in mind that things change from day to day. Those with experience in freelancing over the web can testify that many online offers are the equivalent of a job where you come in Monday and work your heart out, only to come in Friday to find that your desk is gone. The chimerical nature of online freelance job offers has led many freelancers to be a little cynical about some types of ads, and has even influenced more than a few job seekers to hang it all up and look for a local 9 to 5 job.

These are a few of the major pitfalls that go along with online freelance job seeking. Most of this can be solved by getting solid contact information and researching a job offer fully.