As generative AI gains popularity, so do AI-generated job posts on freelance job boards and marketplaces. Many of the jobs are fake! It is therefore important to learn how to spot AI-generated job posts on Upwork and other freelance sites. Learn this skill and save your time (and Upwork Connects)!
Here, I list five examples that demonstrate the common signs of AI use in creating job posts. Most of them are jobs you should never send a proposal to.
Please note, that it’s perfectly OK to use AI to write a job post to save time for the one hiring, but as many of the jobs also happen to have:
- Payment method unverified
- No previous hiring history or very low hiring rate
- Not enough information for freelancers to provide a proper quote
it gets pointless to apply to them. It must be a coincidence, right? But somehow, Upwork seems full of these kinds of “job posts.” 😉
The principles I present below apply to every online job site and freelance platform, so feel free to use what you learn from this article everywhere you go in the crazy world of remote freelancing.
How to spot AI-generated job posts: 5 obvious signs
In general, there are five obvious signs that give away the use of AI in writing job posts:
- Generic or templated language: After reading the job post, you realize that it didn’t really tell you anything. Buzzwords and cliché expressions that you can find in traditional job posts only, e.g. “We are looking for an experienced XYZ”.
- Lack of details: You won’t be able to provide a quotation because the job post doesn’t mention the company hiring nor does it provide the company’s website, and detailed requirements for the job are missing in the description and there are no attachment files.
- The requirements are unrealistic: AI might provide ridiculous requirements that cannot be met in any realistic scenario. A human poster would spot these immediately and correct the issues.
- Benefits are unrealistic: AI might promise unrealistic salaries, budgets, or perks representing a top job in the most prestigious companies. Few real-world freelance gigs pay $200K a year, for instance.
- Formulaic or repetitive structure: The job post looks mechanic in terms of the structure, e.g. a topic followed by a bullet list repeated 5 times throughout the job post.
Additionally, the use of default selections in the screening questions on Upwork is a potential sign of AI use. However, sometimes it’s just a sign of the client being new to the platform or just too lazy or busy.
Once you start keeping the above signs in mind, you realize that many job posts have been written by ChatGPT or similar generative AI services. Now, let’s look at examples of all of these signs.
Example 1
The first example shows obvious signs of AI use.
Example No. 1.
Generic or templated language:
- “We are seeking a talented”
- “The ideal candidate should have a strong eye for detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment”
- “This is a great opportunity”
- “We would love to hear from you”
Lack of details:
- Although the tools to be used and the goal of creating renderings are mentioned, there isn’t much more than those keywords for you to imagine what the work is really about.
The job might be legit, but would you like to work as an intern for a company that doesn’t even bother to tell you much more than a couple of keywords about what you would be doing or who they are? Would you have any realistic basis for expecting a great client relationship with these guys?
Probably not.
Example 2
This job post demonstrates all of the signs of AI use!
Example No. 2.
Generic or templated language:
- “We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated”
- “Please attach your resume, a cover letter, and any relevant portfolio”
- “And why you are interested in this role”
Lack of details:
- Although the bullet points list many details, the company isn’t mentioned. (Typically, even startups mention it… especially good ambitious ones have a website just to put their name out there.)
The requirements are unrealistic:
- It seems unlikely that one person would have all the 3 preferred qualifications: experience with a specific type of drone, familiarity with farming and livestock management, and experience in developing user-friendly applications… unless it’s a farmer’s kid who learned software development on his own — in a barn!
Benefits are unrealistic:
- The company is now seeking a true expert. However, they’ve only managed to pay less than $11 per hour to their previous hires on average. It looks unlikely that they would be able to pay properly for their machine learning expert.
Formulaic or repetitive structure:
- The job title is repeated in the description.
- The job post follows a classic traditional job post.
- Under every section, there are a couple of bullet points each time.
Really, would you bother to apply?
Example 3
This one hits a number of marks too.
Example No. 3.
Generic or templated language:
- “We are an innovative and dynamic company dedicated to”
- “We are looking for a talented”
- “We are seeking a skilled”
- “Collaborate with our product development and marketing teams”
- “Proven experience as“
- “Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment”
- Knowledge of the latest trends and techniques”
- “To apply, please submit your resume, a link to your portfolio, and a brief cover letter explaining why you are the perfect fit for this role”
The requirements are unrealistic:
- As freelancers, were are better off specializing in a narrow niche. It is therefore unlikely to find a freelance 3D animator who would also be great at video editing. The tools for these two types of jobs are different.
Formulaic or repetitive structure:
- The job post follows a classic traditional job post and is formatted in a cliché way throughout the text.
This is AI-generated for sure. However, two aspects tell us that this might be a legit job for a real company:
- There are specifics about the company, tools, and skills required, and there are attachment files for demonstrating what they are looking to achieve.
- The salary level seems to be in line with industry rates and the previous rates paid to freelancers.
Example 4
This one is a good example of a very short job description that is obviously written by AI.
Example No. 4.
Generic or templated language:
- “We are looking for an experienced”
- “This is an exciting opportunity to join our team”
- “The ideal candidate should have a strong background in”
- “Additionally, attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently are essential”
- “If you are passionate about”
Lack of details:
- No mention of the company.
- No mention of the game.
- No mention of the features to be added.
The requirements are unrealistic:
- Since their game is already developed using either Unity or Unreal Engine, it looks silly to require competence in Unity or Unreal Engine instead of naming the one they already used. It can’t be both.
Formulaic or repetitive structure:
- The job post follows a classic traditional job post although it has been written as a single long paragraph.
Additionally, they added standard questions about similar jobs and the GitHub profile.
The only part of the job post that doesn’t raise flags is the list of benefits. They look quite OK if the work is small.
Example 5
This mile-long job post is one of the most obvious examples. Nothing here indicates even a little bit of human touch in it.
Example No. 5.
Generic or templated language:
- “Strong problem-solving skills”
- “Excellent communication skills and experience with remote work environments”
Lack of details:
- Although the bullet points list many details, the company isn’t mentioned even if it’s a startup.
The requirements are unrealistic:
- In the pool of remote freelancers, finding someone with experience in door-to-door sales might be a bit of a longshot.
Benefits are unrealistic:
- The benefits haven’t been mentioned at all.
Formulaic or repetitive structure:
- The job post follows a traditional format: description, responsibilities, requirements, preferred skills
Additionally, the hire rate is the lowest non-zero figure I’ve ever seen: 7%! It is a complete waste of time to apply for jobs like these. If you bother to dig around, I’m sure you would find the exact same text on multiple other sites too. I bet my coconut on it!
The only good part of this job post is that it presents enough details about the work to be done.
“So, I should never apply to these jobs?”
As mentioned earlier, there can be a lot of reasons why a job post is created with generative AI. But this is where “doing business” with people becomes obvious. If someone has a clear need for a highly specialized brilliant freelancer, would the job be described in detail too? If the person hiring doesn’t even bother to describe what needs to be done, why consider doing it?
What you should do, is use the above principles for spotting AI-generated job posts and use a structured approach to screen your clients for all other aspects. Then, you have a fantastic chance of nailing your first gigs with ease just like I did.
With these tips, I trust you find legit jobs on Upwork and elsewhere soon. Happy freelancing!
