An employer posted a job listing looking for Singaporeans willing to be paid S$7.50 for each 1000-word article they produce.
The hirer, one Sky Hoon, is the founder of a startup blog called Vertical Template. He wrote in an advertisement that he was looking for a Content Writer. He wrote: “For $7.5, you research and write about 1,000 words”.
The job listing also said that the position was not for “non-locals as we plan to help locals first”.
Mr Hoon also wrote that that position was not meant for those “wanting to get rich”, or those “expecting a part/full time salary”.
He added that it was a freelancing job and “a self hustle/project and not profitable yet”.
Mr Hoon also noted that having no experience and no qualifications “is an advantage in writing personal and great articles”.
According to a report on AsiaOne, Mr Hoon said that he was serious about the remuneration. He told the media site that, he is basing the remuneration off his past hiring experience in freelance services marketplaces like Fiverr.
“Initially, I outsourced my ideas to Fiverr and Upwork writers who wrote really fast and cheaper at US$42 ($57) for eight articles — around US$5.25 per article,” he explained.
“After working with these writers for a year, I thought I should try posting locally and see if locals are even interested at a rate I can sustain”, Mr Hoon added.
Mr Hoon also said that personally, he does not believe that S$7.50 is an inadequate payment for anyone to write a 1,000-word article, stating that people who need more money should look elsewhere.
The job listing was posted on Glints.con, a ‘Career Discovery & Development Platform’./TISG