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How to Land a Job on Pangea

Step 1: Find a Role that Suits You

How to Search for a Role

The first step to securing a job on Pangea is finding a role that suits your skill sets. There are a few ways to search for roles on Pangea.

Exploring By Category

All roles on Pangea are grouped into one of six main job categories:

Digital Marketing

Graphics & Design

Writing

Business

Programming & Tech

Video & Photo

To explore by category, first, head to the job page.

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When using Pangea on the web, select the category you'd like to browse on the Navigation bar at the top of your screen. When using Pangea on the mobile app, select one of the category icons at the top of your screen.

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When viewing categorized job posts, you have the option to further refine your search by using the time commitment and compensation filters. The time commitment filter will allow you to refine your search so you only see options that match your desired hourly commitment. The compensation filter will allow you to refine your search to only see roles that match your desired compensation.

For example, if you're looking for social media management roles that pay $18/hour, select the "Digital Marketing" category, then the “$15-$20/hour” compensation filter.

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Using the Search Bar

When searching for a role using a specific skill or with a certain company, you may find the search bar particularly useful.

Simply tap into the search bar at the top of the “Jobs” page on the web or mobile app. Then, begin typing out a specific skill or company you’re looking for. From the typeahead options, select a skill or company you’re interested in.

If you select a skill, you will be shown all active job listings looking for a freelancer with that skill. If you select a company, you will be brought to the company profile where you’ll be able to see all of their active and previously active job posts.

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How to Bookmark a Role

If you find a role that interests you but you aren’t quite ready to apply, click the bookmark icon in the top right corner of the job post card or on the detailed job post screen.

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Bookmarking a role allows you to come back to it later. The role will be saved under the “saved jobs'' section of your dashboard.

Note: Roles on Pangea are only live for 30 days or less if the client makes a hire before then. Make sure to come back and apply to the roles you saved before the job post expires.

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How to Get Notified About a Job

Push Notifications

When a role is posted that aligns with one of the skills listed on your profile, you will receive a push notification. To ensure that you receive these notifications, make sure push notifications are enabled on your mobile device.

Weekly Job Post Email

Each week, an email goes out to Pangea freelancers to notify you of roles you may be interested in. The roles included in the email are ones with only a few applicants. So, by submitting an application, your chances of receiving an offer may be higher. (A.k.a. You don’t want to miss these emails. 👀)

To make sure you receive both push and email notifications, tap on your profile photo in the top corner of the page (right corner on web, left corner on mobile) to access settings and notification preferences.

Step 2: Submit a Killer Application

Now that you’ve found a role that suits you, it’s time to smash that Apply Now button and submit a killer application. 🥳

Propose a Rate

Roles on Pangea will either have a listed hourly rate range or a fixed compensation. When you submit an application, you can propose a rate either within or outside of this amount.

The client’s rate range is usually indicative of their budget. While you absolutely can submit a rate above the client’s range, be aware that they may not be able to afford you at that rate.

With that said, if you do feel passionate about a certain role and want to propose a rate higher than the rate range, go for it! If a client feels strongly about your skills and application, they may be flexible with compensation.

If you do propose a rate higher than the client’s initial range, make sure your profile and cover letter gives them a clear understanding of why your higher rate is worth it.

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When pricing yourself, it’s also important to take into account Pangea’s platform fees and self employment taxes.

Platform Fees

The Pangea fee structure is as follows:

Bronze Status: Less than $1,000 earned, 20% platform fee

Silver Status: $1,000-$2,500 earned, 15% platform fee

Gold Status: $2,500-$5,000 earned, 10% platform fee

Diamond Status: More than $5,000 earned, 5% platform fee

Pro Status: Rolling application process to pro program, if accepted, instant access to 5% platform fee regardless of previous platform earnings

When submitting an application, a blue box will appear in the Proposed Compensation section. The box will show you your net income after platform fees. When selecting your proposed compensation, take into account the net amount you will receive after the platform fee.

Taxes

With a standard job, or when you’re a W2 employee, taxes are automatically taken out from each paycheck. As a freelancer, you are technically self-employed and operate as a

1099 worker⁠

. So, it is your responsibility to save for taxes.

It is recommended that you save 25-30% of your income from freelancing for self-employment taxes. If you need a hand calculating what percentage of tax withholdings makes sense for you check out our partner company,

Catch⁠

, for additional financial resources for freelancers.

As a result of factoring in platform fees and tax savings:

Most beginner freelancers on Pangea charge $18/hour as their base rate.

Most intermediate freelancers on Pangea charge $25/hour as their base rate.

Most experienced freelancers on Pangea charge $35+/hour as their base rate.

Write an Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter

Your cover letter is the place to convey your interest and excitement for the role. It’s best to keep your cover letter short and to the point, around 3-5 sentences.

Your cover letter should include the following elements:

An introduction. Make sure to address the client by their first name. (ie. Instead of “Hey, Pangea!” say “Hey, Adam!”)

A sentence or two about why the role intrigued/interested you

A sentence or two describing how your skills and experience would be an asset to the client

A conclusion/final high-impact statement

What this looks like in practice:

Hey Daniel!

I love the mission and concept of Sparrow and would love to help Sparrow support financial wellness and education for students through this role. Recently, I worked with a commercial loan startup to write blog posts that required extensive research on topics related to financing. I believe I could apply this experience in conjunction with my personal passion for financial freedom and wellness to develop engaging, informative content for Sparrow.

Blog and newsletter writing is an area I am eager to develop, and I look forward to discussing how I may be able to apply my interest and skillset to this role with Sparrow.

Best,

Grace

Answer Screening Questions (if applicable)

Clients may ask additional screening questions to gauge your knowledge or thought process. Some common screening questions include asking for sample work, specific details about your experience, or why the role interests you.

Aim to answer the screening questions in around 1-5 sentences.

How to Respond if a Client Invites You to a Job

On a client’s homepage, they are able to browse through Pangea’s freelancers’ profiles and invite people to apply to the roles they’ve posted. If a client invites you to a role, you can choose to apply or reject the offer. If you want to reject the offer, but keep the door open to potential future opportunities, submit a proposal with a message thanking them for the invitation but expressing why it isn’t a good fit at this time.

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Step 3: Nail the Interview

After submitting a proposal, the client may invite you to an interview. The interview provides you with an opportunity to get to know the client better and show them your knowledge and personality.

Questions You Should Ask

Come to the interview prepared to ask the client a few questions. While you can ask the client anything you’d like, here are a few ideas:

What sparked your team's decision to hire additional support for this area of the business?

What are the ideal outcomes or goals for this role, and how does a freelancer fit into this?

What problem does your ideal client/customer have that you’re looking to solve?

How do you typically structure your projects?

How will you evaluate the success of the project/work?

Questions the Client May Ask

Clients typically use the interview to get to know your skills and thought processes better. Some common questions are:

Tell me about yourself

Tell me more about your experience

What is your availability? Do you have other commitments?

How do you plan on approaching breaking down your tasks?

Follow Up

After the interview, make sure to follow up with the client and thank them for their time. Sending a quick thank you message to the client can help you stand out from the other candidates and reinforce your excitement for the role.

Keep in mind that clients may interview upwards of 10+ freelancers for a role. If you haven’t heard back from them for a few days, this is normal. If a week passes and you still haven’t heard back, you may want to send a check-in message. This can look something like:

Hey [client name]!

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me last week. I appreciated our conversation and the opportunity to learn more about [company name].

Do you happen to have an update on the timeline for selecting a freelancer for the [title of the role] role?

Thanks!

Best,

[your name]

Step 4: Onboard onto Stripe

Prior to accepting a contract offer, you’ll need to onboard onto Stripe if you have not done so already. This will allow you to receive payments.

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Stripe⁠

is a well-known and reputable payment processor integrated with numerous other platforms such as Amazon, Lyft, Instacart, and Shopify. Pangea has chosen to integrate with Stripe as our payment processor specifically to help keep you safe when receiving payments. By providing your SSN (or SIN if located in Canada) & banking info to Stripe, you'll be able to receive direct deposit when Pangea invoices are paid. If you earn over $600 on Pangea this year, Stripe will generate, file, and send a

1099⁠

to you to help when it's time to file taxes.

If you are an international student, you should speak to your school’s career services department before applying for roles on Pangea. You may need to meet certain criteria to be able to work such as applying for a Visa, CPT, or OPT.

Because Stripe and Pangea handle all payment processing, you will never, and should never, need to provide sensitive personal information to clients on the platform. Members of the Pangea team will never reach out to you asking for your SSN or bank account information directly.

Step 5: Accept the Role

After the interview, if the client decides to move forward with you, they will send you an offer. You will see the offer in your Dashboard.

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To accept the role, simply click “View Offer” then “Accept Offer.”

To decline the offer, click “View Offer” then “Decline.”

If you do accept the role, you will receive an email connecting you and your client. This is a perfect opportunity to start the conversation with your client around getting onboarded.

What if I get rejected?

On average, it takes Pangeans 20 applications to receive an offer. Even Pangea’s top earners have received several rejections. This is not to discourage you, but to remind you that rejection is simply redirection. Each rejection brings you closer to a role that’s a perfect fit. Be persistent!