If you’re interested in getting started with freelancing full-time or looking to supplement your income with side gigs, then FlexJobs should definitely be on your radar.
With 30,000+ jobs available in over 50 work categories, they’re easily one of the best freelancing websites in terms of opportunity volume alone.
Not to mention, FlexJobs researches and hand-picks every single job opportunity listed on their site to ensure its safety and quality for you—whether you’re a writer, graphic designer, or more.
They even frequently list jobs from top companies like Apple and Salesforce.
But before signing up for any freelancing website, it’s always a good idea to do some due diligence to make sure it’s right for YOU.
To help you out on this, I’ll cover everything you need to know about FlexJobs.
So let’s jump right into this FlexJobs review.
What is FlexJobs?
First things first, here’s what FlexJobs is not: your typical classified ads website, like Craigslist, or a traditional job board site, like Monster or Indeed.
Instead, FlexJobs is a membership-based job site that’s all about sourcing flexible work options for you in the form of remote, freelance, and part-time positions. You’ll find thousands of jobs listed at any given time.
Perhaps the biggest pro for FlexJobs is the high priority they place on job legitimacy by carefully vetting every single company and job posted on their site.
They also stand apart from other sites by offering useful tools and resources to help you improve your job success and grow your career.
FlexJobs states that their goal is to provide a faster, safer, and all-around better job search.
Is FlexJobs legit?
(Short answer: yes!)
Since FlexJobs uses a paid model to offer their services, people often wonder if they’re a legitimate platform—understandably.
Let’s face it, the amount of scams and rip-offs freelancers regularly face is frustrating.
Freelancers have to be on constant alert about this, often spending extra time and energy just trying to sort out which opportunities are real and worth their time.
Enter FlexJobs. If you’ve been asking yourself, “is FlexJobs legit”—they are.
They’ve been an established job site since 2007 when founder Sarah Sutton, still a new mother, needed the flexibility to work from home but quickly realized most job boards were full of ads and scams.
So, she decided to create the safe, efficient job board she was looking for.
The site states they have a research team of qualified individuals who spend 200+ hours a day vetting potential employers for you.
To add to their legitimacy, they’ve been featured on publications like CNN, Forbes, and Business Insider, to name a few.
You can also find largely positive FlexJobs reviews, an A+ rating, and their listed accreditation on the Better Business Bureau’s site.
So yes, not only are they legit, but they actually make it their mission to only work with legitimate clients, hand-picking secure job opportunities for freelancers like you.
Who is FlexJobs for?
FlexJobs is for anyone who’s looking for a high-quality and flexible freelance or remote job.
No doubt, they boast one of the largest offerings of remote and freelance jobs out there, making them an ideal starting point for those of us who prefer the independent lifestyle.
It’s a particularly great tool if you are…
- A freelancer looking to meet new, legitimate clients
- A frequent traveler/ digital nomad who only needs a power outlet and hotspot to work their magic
- A parent or caretaker who needs the option to support their family from home
- A college student who needs to cover their bills while prioritizing their studies
Basically, anyone who’s looking for flexible work options.
Postings range from entry-level to seasoned expert, too, so your age or level of experience shouldn’t hold you back from finding options that are right for you.
What kinds of work can I find on FlexJobs?
There are a lot of job opportunities on FlexJobs—around 30,000, to be exact.
Whether you’re a programmer, graphic designer, or anything else among their 50+ work categories, it’s a pretty safe bet that FlexJobs has opportunities for you.
And if scrolling through thousands of job opportunities sounds overwhelming to you, then don’t worry—you don’t have to.
You can easily narrow your search by using their customizable filters or by browsing within one of their main job categories under the Find Jobs section.
They also offer the option to sort jobs by specific subheadings, like New Jobs, Featured Employer Jobs, and Research Gig Jobs.
A particularly unique feature is their 100 Surprising Jobs section. It doesn’t disappoint. “Director of Taco Relations” was a recent listing.
Freelancers can filter the listings to only show freelance work opportunities as well, so you don’t have to wade through long lists of jobs that don’t apply to you.
One thing that I find particularly awesome about FlexJobs is the top quality of the companies you’ll find on their site. They regularly list jobs from leading companies, like Apple, Duolingo, Capital One, and more for both freelance and remote applicants.
It’s important to note, several of the jobs listed on FlexJobs for paid members can be found on other sites. But, with FlexJobs, you’ll have the peace of mind that the job is a safe, quality bet.
How does FlexJobs work?
Simply put, FlexJobs curates tons of high-quality, guaranteed legitimate jobs on your behalf.
Plus, they also provide the tools and resources you need to find those desirable jobs more efficiently and position yourself as an appealing candidate to them.
First, let’s talk about their advanced job search tool.
This is something you can access as a free visitor on their site. I think it’s a great idea to play around with it and see what job opportunities are available to you before diving into purchasing their membership.
Their advanced job search is easily one of their best features and is probably the most customizable search tool I’ve ever seen on a job site.
Where other sites leave you to scroll through endless listings with limited filtering options, FlexJobs’ advanced search lets you customize your preferred level of location independence, freelance vs. employee, ideal schedule, career level, and much more.
They really do a great job of tagging and organizing the listings, too, so you can jump straight to the jobs that are exactly the best fit for you.
Once it pulls the listings that meet your specifications, you can choose to sort them by relevance to your query or the date posted.
If you’re just visiting the site, you can also access a lot of the research in their large article library that covers information like “Best 100 Companies for Flexible Editing Jobs.”
Here are some other things you can check out for free:
- downloadable guides
- research statistics
- advice articles
- webinar library
So, what’s in it for you as a member?
Job application
Perhaps most importantly, you’ll need to sign up for their membership if you want the option to actually apply to jobs.
What happens when you find a job you like?
You’ll be able to click on the listing and see the full details the company has provided for that position, from experience level to salary, with any contact information.
However, when you click on the link to apply, keep in mind that you’ll be taken to a third-party site to start the application process unique to that company.
And some companies will have you set up their own applicant account as well.
So, while FlexJobs’ application process is fairly intuitive, it’s not streamlined.
Personalized dashboard
FlexJobs’ personalized dashboard is pretty user-friendly and helps you stay on top of things.
It lets you track your activity—from recently viewed jobs to jobs you’ve applied to—gives you direct access to job search checklists and other resources and automatically highlights new job listings that fit your needs.
Resume Profile
The Resume Profile creator allows you to highlight your skills, experiences, and relevant work samples, helping you get directly discovered by employers and receive more relevant job alerts.
You can also make multiple versions tailored toward specific industries and positions.
Email alerts
Members can also set up email alerts that let you know when a new match for your specifications has been posted, helping to further save you time on your job search.
The list goes on too—here are some additional other perks offered with membership:
- video courses
- skill testing
- live members-only Q&A session
- an extensive company guide
- virtual job fairs
- referrals and discounts on further FlexJobs and third-party services
How much does FlexJobs cost?
Like many membership sites, FlexJobs’ pricing is tiered based on membership duration, dividing the period choices into 1 Week, 1 Month, 3 Months, and 1 Year.
As the picture above shows, here’s how their service is priced out:
- 1 week: $6.95
- 1 month: $14.95
- 3 months: $29.95
- 1 year: $49.95
You might find that one month, or even a week, is all you need to find the right job. Though, they recommend three months as their best value option.
As a freelancer, it’s important to weigh costs to determine what makes the most sense for your business.
Keep in mind that almost all freelance sites come at some sort of cost. On other sites, that cost often comes later via commission fees.
Putting $15 upfront could very well be worth it if it lands you a high-paying project from a reputable company.
Or, it might at least save you an hour (or hours) of valuable time that you could be billing to clients instead of searching for jobs.
Plus, it’s worth considering the extra benefits and resources that come with their service. These create added value that helps to offset the membership cost.
And if you don’t end up finding the right job for you, FlexJobs offers a satisfaction guarantee as well. You can cancel at any time and request a refund within 30 days.
You can read up on more of those details on the FlexJobs pricing page.
How much can you make on FlexJobs?
The amount of money you can expect to earn through FlexJobs varies widely.
Some clear factors include whether the job you apply to is entry-level or executive, freelance or long-term employment, part-time or full-time, and all the respective in-betweens.
For freelancers, the amount will especially depend on how many projects you take on during the year and how well you present yourself to each new prospect.
If you get your foot in the door with a client and are able to establish a good work rapport, it may also lead to further contracts.
In that sense, the sky is really the limit.
Flexjobs’ freelance jobs, in particular, tend to pay either per hour or per project.
To give a few examples, some recent freelancing jobs listed include a UX designer for $70 per hour, a graphic designer for $38 per hour, and a health/ medical writer at $125-500 per article.
Not all listings include the salary for you to check out ahead of time, but clients and employers are starting to include that information more and more.
Plus, FlexJobs’ screening team makes it their business to find fair, market value, and even high-paying options.
Flexjobs vs. other freelance platforms
What sets FlexJobs apart from other platforms is its promise to curate—that is, to screen, hand-pick, and tag their job offers effectively to help save you time and headaches.
They aren’t a headhunting or job placement program, but the resources are there to help match you to the right client and vice versa.
There are several key ways FlexJobs differs from other freelance platforms. I’ll go over the main differences to give you a clearer picture of how they compare with other sites.
Membership
First, FlexJobs requires a membership fee for their services. There are some completely free job boards out there that function more like a traditional classified ads board.
Other freelance platforms, like ProBlogger and We Work Remotely, charge the client or employer to post a job, but not the seeker.
And then there are sites like Toptal that don’t even let you browse the listings without signing up first.
Pricing model
As discussed above, FlexJobs’ pricing plan is straightforward.
You pick the duration of your subscription and get access to all of the resources for that period—no matter how many projects you take on.
Many other platforms often use a commission structure instead, where they take a percentage fee based on your project payouts.
For instance, two of the most popular platforms, Freelancer.com and Fiverr, each take a 10% and 20% commission fee out of your projects, respectively.
Role
FlexJobs doesn’t have a standardized or streamlined application process, like Freelancer.com, for example.
FlexJobs helps you create a profile and find the jobs, but it’s up to you to go through a client’s application process, win them over, and communicate with them from there.
Likewise, where receiving payment is concerned, FlexJobs has no control over the payment arrangements you make with your client, but they can guarantee the job is legit.
Job categories
FlexJobs also differs from other platforms in their range of industries offered.
They list a ton of opportunities regardless of your field, while some platforms focus specifically on certain job types.
For instance, Contena is one of the best freelance writing sites out there but obviously can’t help you out if you’re a programmer.
With the wide range of job categories and the ability to accurately filter your searches on FlexJobs, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a job in your field with ease.
Competitiveness
Thanks to FlexJobs’ extensive list of jobs and industries available, as well as job listings separated by experience level, you’ll also face lower competition than you would on other freelance sites.
And because FlexJobs serves as a job search site instead of a freelancing marketplace, you won’t have to try to outbid other freelancers to land a project (which can sometimes create a “race to the bottom” effect).
Ads, Spam, and Scams
FlexJobs is also ad-free, which is somewhat novel in the traditional job board world. This not only makes for a less stressful browsing experience but also keeps things unbiased.
And of course, their key commitment is no spam, no scams.
Both of which are still unfortunately prevalent across freelancing and job board sites. You might’ve experienced this firsthand—I’ve definitely come across both spam posts and listings full of red flags on several different sites.
This is where FlexJobs really stands out. The time it saves you from having to worry and question the legitimacy of any given opportunity is huge in and of itself.
Tips for getting the most out of your FlexJobs membership
So, once you’re subscribed to FlexJobs, how can you set yourself up for success?
I’ll walk you through a couple of tips that can help you make the most out of their membership benefits.
Sign up for email alerts
FlexJobs’ personalized email alerts are a great tool to make sure you’re among the first to see and apply to new listings that fit your preferences.
Setting up these alerts makes things one extra step easier for you.
It allows you to focus on other tasks without lifting a finger to hunt for jobs, and the right job opportunities (that is, the ones that meet your specifications) will come straight to you.
Create your Resume Profile
Make sure to fill out your profile completely so clients can find you directly. FlexJobs even takes you through this step-by-step to make sure you get the most out of your profile.
They also don’t limit the number of versions you can create, so you can tailor each one to highlight your various services.
Also, be sure to link any of your relevant website portfolios and social media accounts.
Make use of the advanced job search feature
FlexJobs’ advanced job search is one of the best job search tools out there. Make sure to take full advantage of it so you can save time and energy on your search.
Spend a few minutes playing around with the filter options to see what works best for you. I find that it’s better to start broader—getting too specific too quickly can really limit the options that show up for you.
Check out their career resources
You’d be surprised at what just a few expert tips can do to give you an edge over any competition.
I definitely recommend taking advantage of their resources to help you ace your cover letters, applications, and interviews. The goal at the end of the day is to land great clients, after all.
They offer tons of content like articles, webinars, and over 200 skills tests to help you improve your current career skill set and learn new skills as well.
Their one-on-one career coaching, mock interviews, and resume reviews do still cost money, but they’re offered to members at a large discount from the going market rates.
View the company guide
Another resource FlexJobs offers is an extensive company guide that tells you more about each company listed on their site.
This is great to use to get an idea of the size, quality, culture, and accolades of a company listing a job you’re interested in.
Use the partner discounts
Finally, members can also take advantage of discounts and deals with FlexJobs’ long list of partners.
- Sittercity
- Audible
- TurboTax
- Grammarly
- Skillcrush
- Costco
- And more
Is it worth paying for FlexJobs?
The question of whether or not FlexJobs is worth it is pretty subjective. Ultimately, it depends on you and your career needs.
Let’s go over the pros and cons.
FlexJobs Pros
- Subscription means finding the rights jobs first + lower competition
- One flat fee for as many gigs as you can land
- Opportunities for beginners and experts
- No ads, no spam, no scams
- Career coaching + great customer service
- Wide range of job opportunities
FlexJobs Cons
- Membership cost
- Application process isn’t streamlined
- No feature for portfolio building
- Same jobs can be found on other sites
- No in-platform payment processing
So, do I think FlexJobs is worth the price?
Overall, I’m a proponent of FlexJobs. I think it’s a great service to help you find top-notch, secure jobs with tools to make the search process all-around easier on you.
There are, however, some instances where a FlexJobs membership might not be worth the expense for you.
For example, if you’re in a very specific niche, and you already have contacts and a job lead source that comes through for you regularly, the cost may not be justified.
But otherwise, giving it a try at just under $15 for easy access to high-quality, legit jobs for a month isn’t a lot to spend. Plus, there’s the money-back guarantee.
Keep in mind that there are no job guarantees for you on any freelance platform, so it’s still up to you to win over clients at the end of the day.
However, the ability to expedite your job search and ensure you don’t run into any scams can easily make the price of FlexJobs worth it.
So, let my review of FlexJobs leave you with this: if you’re currently on the hunt for quality freelance clients, interested in career growth, and an ad-free, scam-free, curated experience appeals to you, then I’d have to say, yes, FlexJobs is worth the price for you.
