FlexJobs Review (2023): Is It Worth It?

How legit is FlexJobs? What is it and how much can you get paid?

With endless sites that tout vast lists of remote-jobs, part-time jobs, and freelance writing jobs, it’s tough to know which are legitimate and which will leave you high and dry (and hundreds of dollars poorer). 

In this FlexJobs review, we explain what this site does, how it can help you find legitimate work and if it’s worth it.

We wrote this review from the point of view of a freelancer looking for a new job and also from an employer who wants to find suitable contractors or workers for his or her business.

At the end of this article, you can also read some practical tips that will help you master remote working.

Plus, you can claim a FlexJobs promo code.

Sign up for FlexJobs today and use promo code FLEXLIFE to save up to 30%!

What is FlexJobs?

FlexJobs is a one-stop online job posting service that connects companies offering part-time jobs, remote jobs, freelance writing gigs, or work from home opportunities with people searching for them. 

A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau, FlexJobs vets each company for authenticity and offers a scam-free list of high-quality job opportunities for its members.

With 50 job categories to choose from at the time of this review, FlexJobs has a work from home opportunity for about every employment background.

The company has been in business for over ten years and is well-known in the freelancing community.

While writing this review, I completed a quick search for the term “writer”. That revealed hundreds of different types of writing jobs across a variety of industries and geographies. 

Two jobs immediately that stood out included a job writing video games for Blizzard and writing content for the tech site Gizmodo.

Who is FlexJobs For?

Today, FlexJobs is one of the largest job boards of its kind offering remote jobs, freelance gigs, seasonal work, and part-time jobs in addition to positions with alternative scheduling options.

FlexJobs is a useful prospecting system for freelancers and remote workers who want to enrich their job pipeline.

It’s also a credible alternative to sites like UpWork and local jobs boards. It’s for people who want work across areas like marketing, sales, accounting, data entry and writing.

Who Owns FlexJobs?

Founded in 2007 by Sara Sutton Fell, FlexJobs began as a natural extension of her entry-level employment service. Frustrated by her search for freelance, remote and flexible jobs, Fell used her expertise in staffing to connect potential telecommuters with companies looking for workers. 

What she didn’t anticipate was the sharp uptick in the number of people looking for remote jobs and more flexible work.

They were also surprised by the number of companies looking to reduce costs associated with maintaining a full-time workforce.

How Much Does FlexJobs cost?

Experienced freelance writers are notorious for saying, “You should never pay for job listings.” Sure, it is possible to find leads without having to shell out a monthly fee, but this commonly held belief doesn’t factor in the freelancer’s credo: Time is money. 

For every hour you spend searching for and following leads, you lose a paid hour. Having a searchable list of freelance writing jobs and a jobs board, whenever you need them could mean more money in your pocket, and less money wasted looking for work.

So, how much is FlexJobs?

At the time of writing this review, membership on the site costs $14.95 per month. There are available membership increments of three months and one year, making it an affordable way to test the waters.

Considering freelance writing jobs pay anywhere from $10 to $50 per hour, paying for a scam-free lead source makes sense considering you could spend hours looking for and applying for jobs on your own. 

The question is, how much does it cost to join FlexJobs today? Nothing. Our readers are eligible for a 30% FlexJobs discount. Just use the FlexJobs promo code FLEXLIFE. 

How to Sign Up for FlexJobs

Signing up for FlexJobs is easy.

Enter your name, email address and make sure you select a secure password. On the next screen, choose which membership is right for you. Freelancers looking for a remote job or to telecommute might find a 30 day membership enough. 

Anyone looking for freelance writing jobs might need additional time to find and complete work as they go.

However, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you will have a chance to explore the site, apply for jobs and see whether FlexJobs is right for you. Use FlexJobs promo code FLEXLIFE to get your 30% discount.

FlexJobs For Writers

Not all job board sites are created for freelance writers.

Arguably, only a few cater to the unique needs of writers. In most cases, people who are looking for freelance writing jobs do not want to sift through lists of offers that do not specify contract duration, pay, experience level, required education, or areas of expertise. 

FlexJobs has taken the sifting out of the equation by offering an advanced search tool that does it for you. Looking for a part-time medical writing gig for experts in the field? The advanced search tool can help you find it.

FlexJobs also has a few perks for freelance writers that other job boards simply don’t have.

Their blog series on improving your cover letter, boosting your portfolio, resume and interviewing tips, and how to use social media to your benefit in your job search are invaluable for freelancers who are hoping to make an impression.

How To Find the Right Potential Employers

FlexJobs includes a tool that allows you to research companies and view featured job listings. That’s how we came across job opportunities with companies like Bizzard, How To Geek and Gizmodo. We also found higher level jobs like Director of Marketing at some companies as well.

Not only does this tool feature the Top 100 companies to work for remotely as selected by a series of industry experts, but it also gives you a chance to do a little digging on your own before you apply. 

For a FlexJobs member, these profiles are useful because they provide information that can support a job application. They also score the company on factors like: number of employees, full-time vs part-time opportunities and remote work options.

You can also read user satisfaction reports and testimonials from other job applicants who used FlexJobs to work with a featured employer.

With links to company websites and a listing of current and past jobs posted to the site, FlexJobs makes it easy to select the company you would like to work with before selecting the job for which you apply.

How to Use FlexJobs

In the advanced search tool, simply select the type of work, location, duration, and level of experience you are looking for.

From there, you can select a freelance job for more details. They will include the date the job was posted, the name of the company, its location, the job type, education and experience levels required, and whether it is remote, freelance, etc. 

As a FlexJobs member, you can also look at detailed job descriptions that talk more in-depth about what you would be doing, who you would report to, and how your work fits in with the company’s overall goals.

At the bottom of the page, you will find instructions on how to apply for the position. In some cases, that means sending an email with your resume and a link to your portfolio. 

In the case of the Blizzard and Gizmodo Jobs, FlexJobs took me to a dedicated page on those company websites. You could probably find these jobs without using FlexJobs, but it saves time. 

For other jobs, the company will have a specific form for you to fill out before sending your resume. You also have the option of saving the job for future applications, making notes to yourself about a posting, or reporting the job or employer as a fraud.

FlexJobs‘ role in your application or job search ends here.

The site will follow up periodically to see if you were hired by the company as a result of your search on the FlexJobs site. This is done for internal tracking and marketing purposes. 

However, FlexJobs does not store resumes and cover letters, manage the hiring process or oversee your workflow once you are hired. It is simply a job bulletin board connecting employers with freelance writers. What happens next is between you and the company you are contracting with.

It’s a good idea to spend an hour or two browsing the various jobs available and considering your ideal employer and circumstances before applying. That will help you determine the types of jobs on offer without wasting too much time on applications that don’t go anywhere.

How Are You Paid on FlexJobs?

Unlike content mills or other job sites that connect writers to clients, FlexJobs does not act as the financial middleman.

Rather than requiring companies to pay them for the content deliverables and taking a percentage as a “finder’s fee,” FlexJobs is a job posting site.

Think of it like a bulletin board. Companies that need content post detailed job descriptions on FlexJobs. Writers pay for a subscription to the site and are given full access to search results. What happens next is between the writer and the company.

If the company chooses to hire you as an employee, they will use their internal hiring process to bring you on as a member of their staff.

If they opt to bring you on as an independent contractor, they will have you fill out a form and any applicable contracts, non-disclosure documents, and non-compete agreements.

Regardless of how you are classified within the hiring company, you are paid by the company itself, not by FlexJobs. Unlike other content mills and freelance writing job sites, FlexJobs does not hold funds until the deliverables are complete. 

You are responsible for any hourly or per-piece billing, according to the hiring company’s policies and procedures. Be sure to ask questions about how you are paid when you interview with a company you find through FlexJobs. If in doubt, contact Flexjobs customer service.

How to Cancel FlexJobs

To cancel FlexJobs, simply click on your name in the upper right-hand corner, then click on “Account Settings.” From there, you can click on “Subscriptions” where you will be taken to a screen that looks like this:

From this screen, you can upgrade your subscription to a three-month or annual membership. You can also allow your subscription to lapse or cancel your membership or subscription immediately and lose the remaining time you have already paid for. 

As a job-seeker, a service like this is a tool for finding work rather than an ongoing, long-term monthly expense.

Flexjobs Skills Test

Standing out amongst other applicants is always a challenge. Flexjobs makes this easier somewhat through various skill test. You can take a test in areas including:

• English language
• Web design
• Writing and publishing
• Office skills
• Graphic designing
• Personality

A typical test contains 40 multiple choice questions and takes 40 minutes to complete. I took the book writing test and it contained questions like:

• A fiction writer cannot successful write non-fiction as well. True or false.
• The stream of consciousness refers to____
• In fiction setting refers to____

After completing it, you’ll get a score and can display the results on your profile. As someone who regularly hires contractors and freelancers, the result of a test like this would help me make a hiring decision faster. Fear not, it’s possible to retake a test if you get a score you don’t like.

This feature reminded me of the LinkedIn certifications and badges people sometimes add to their profiles.

Pros of FlexJobs

A scam-free, vetted freelance writing job board is a great resource for writers who want to search for a new work-at-home job.

So many people new to the industry get taken in by scams that require upfront payment for old job lists or subscription services that don’t work. Others start their careers with so-called content mills in an effort to build up their clientele. 

What they may not realise is that in addition to paying a portion of their income to the platform, they seldom retain the rights to the content they are producing. 

Since FlexJobs is merely a bulletin board for opportunities, there are no restrictions on the kind of information shared, the pay offered, or the ownership of the content produced. Best of all, the companies that use the platform are carefully vetted for authenticity.

Having a one-stop source for job postings is invaluable to a freelancer short on time.

With thousands of job postings at your fingertips, applying for new work is simple, easy, and most importantly, fast. A few clicks to send your resume to potential clients and you are on your way.

Still, it’s also worth noting FlexJobs has a large collection of international and flexible jobs that other sites don’t offer.

While the majority of freelance writing jobs require high levels of English proficiency, there are several opportunities for bilingual writers, writers in other countries, or writers who reside elsewhere but are authorised to work in the US. 

Cons of FlexJobs

While it is a great site for freelance writing gigs, FlexJobs has a few cons that we came across at the time of writing this review.

First, FlexJobs is not free and if you’ve been looking for work for a while now that cost might act as a deterrent. In short, you can trade money for time on Flexjobs.

As a subscription service, the founders understand the value-added must be incredibly high. They provide a scam-free environment, without advertisements, where freelance writers can search for high-quality jobs with great companies. 

Second, while FlexJobs is one of the largest job boards of its kind, it is not the only one. Purchasing a membership gives you access to the companies posting on FlexJobs, but that may not include the companies you are hoping to work for. 

Freelance writers will tell you that having access to multiple job boards is the key to consistent work. That way if one employer stops sending work or a contract dries up, the freelancer has a back-up.

While FlexJobs boasts more than 34,000 jobs with more than 4,700 companies, you may need to rely on more than one job site like it to maintain your freelance writing pipeline, especially if you have a highly specialized field of expertise.

Although searchers can find jobs across industries and countries, there’s an emphasis on US-based jobs and employers. Depending on your time-zone and personal preferences, that might be an attraction or a deterrent.

For example, a GMT-based job seeker might not like the prospects of starting their work day near lunchtime and working into the evening.

Since you are working directly with the companies that post freelance writing jobs on the site, your agreements will vary based on your individual contracts. One company may require a certain number of hours worked per week, another may be looking for content on a defined schedule. 

Finally, you’re responsible for maintaining these relationships and deadlines outside the FlexJobs platform. You are able to see the jobs you apply for and the contact information you need to proceed, but managing your workflow needs to happen outside the site.

What Working From Home Is Like

Working from home means you can skip painful parts of a typical week like the commute. You can control your hours for the most part and find time for other pursuits like writing a book, spending time with family or working out. You don’t even have to worry about a dress-code!

Flexible positions come with some downsides.

Home workers must master the art of focusing on their work. That means having a quiet place to get stuff done and avoiding distractions like television or social media during a typical day.

You’re also responsible for maintaining any IT equipment and must have a reliable internet connection.

In fact, a secondary connection through a personal hotspot is a good idea in case the first one drops. Home workers also need to make an extra effort to check in with their colleagues, boss and friends as working without human company can become lonely.

That said, those who can focus are also usually more productive because they don’t have to deal with office distractions like small-talk, noisy colleagues or long meetings. They often earn a competitive salary and have a better work0life balance as a result.

If you want to work remotely, Flexjobs could help you save time and search for a legitimate job or side gig.