I met with a client for what I thought was just going to be an interview for an internship, but when he came in he immediately started talking about a brochure project he needed to be done.

Client: I need a brochure to help me pitch real estate plans to investors. 

Me: When do you need it by?

Client: I needed it yesterday. 

Me: Okay, so here’s the thing, I have a couple job opportunities hanging in the air right now that I expect to hear back from in the next week or two. If this is something we can get done in that window of time, that’s great, and I can help you.

Client: Great, let’s get started!

I work for a whole day sprucing up some blueprints that he gave me to include in the brochure.

Client: Oh no, don’t use those blueprints, they’re outdated plans.

Internally, I was thinking WHY WOULD YOU NOT TELL ME THAT. WHY WOULD YOU GIVE ME THESE.

Me: (externally) How about you give me current information then.

Client: Oh, I don’t have any current content for it yet.

Me: Okay…I guess we can put a hold on the blueprints, for now… do you know what you want the brochure to look like?

Client: Just make things and I’ll tell you if it’s what I’m looking for. 

For two weeks I try things and he doesn’t like what I’m doing, but still won’t tell me what it is he does want. Even though he said this project was SO time sensitive. My window of time was up, I had received a job offer, he was impossible to work with. I had warned him about my time limitation, but he still seemed surprised and upset when I told him I needed to leave the unfinished project that was going nowhere.