oDesk is a Global Service Marketplace for Small and Medium Sized Business
to Hire, Manage, and Pay Remote Freelancers or Teams.
If you're interested in starting a career as a Freelancer in oDesk, then this is the perfect place to find all your oDesk related inquiries.
Signing Up A New Account
Preview of Registration Process
oDesk Log-in Page (Click On Image To View Full Size)
Registration Form (Click On Image To View Full Size)
Building Your Profile
A lot of people come to online sources because it's easy and convenient - but that doesn't mean that they want to completely give up the personal experience as well.
Your profile is what will introduce you as a person as well as an applicant to the people reviewing your cover letter. Make it count.
Overview - One of the most important parts of your profile is your overview. It should introduce you to the client and establish your objective.
Use this to set you apart from other contractors. "I write fast and can get the job done quickly." So what! Chances are, 90%-95% of the other applicants can, too.
So how are you any different? "I want to be the best provider to my clients." Again, so what!? This doesn't help you at all because everyone else says the same thing.
Not to mention - it should be a given that you want to provide the best service. Your overview should answer the question "why you should hire me over the other guy"
... If it doesn't answer that question, it's not a good overview.
Picture - After all, they speak a thousand words, right? It's not a requirement to have a picture, but it does help. Make sure you follow oDesk's identity policy when
choosing a picture to post - but in general, any picture of you with a smile on your face will do wonders for you. People like to put a face to a font... So give them one.
Hourly Rate - I hate to say it, but there are a lot of clients that will look at your hourly rate. I am not talking about whatever rate you bid on a project, but the rate
that is displayed on your profile. This rate should reflect the level and quality of work that you provide and should be a fair reflection of a going rate for the field / category
you are interested in working for. Is there a difference? Of course! Can you expect to get paid the same amount of money for site scraping as you can for writing articles?
Probably not unless you are the best darn web scraper in the world (and can back it up!). If you're not sure what to set your rate at, look through at other providers,
or go through the oConomy pages, figure out how much you would be paid for the exact same job at an office, or do a search to see if you can find out what the average
going rate is for that field and adjust that average to reflect your experience level.
Click On Images To View Full Size
Resume - Also important because your resume houses all of your skills. Are you a web designer? Great! Then post your CSS, PHP, Javascript, Drupal, Joomla!,
and Wordpress skills! A lot of clients search for providers based on these skills - how will they find you if you don't have them listed anywhere on your profile?
And your resume is the perfect place to showcase these skills because it allows you to also place a brief description of how you have used this skill in the past and
display how long you have been using it.
Sample Resume (Click On Images To View Full Size)
Build a Portfolio - This may be easier for some than others... But a portfolio is a great way to display your work. If you build web sites - place some links in there
to web sites that you've built. If you're an artist, then throw together some logos and interface designs and place them up there. Writer? Post a link to your blog...
Anything that will show examples of your work without violating any terms of service is good. Also important, once it's up - keep it updated. Check the links to those web
sites to make sure they're still working and place up new examples of your work as you complete them.
Be Honest - If your English isn't a 5.0 - then don't rate it at 5.0... Clients will be able to figure it out and you will look like a liar. If you can't be honest about
something like how fluent you are in English, why should anyone believe that you're being honest about anything else?
Job Application
Bid often and Bid Reasonably Earlier I spoke about the hourly rate that is posted on your profile - now I'm talking about the hourly rate or fixed price rate
that you enter onto the little application form that will accompany your cover letter. This bid can be different from what's posted on your profile - but it
should still be reasonable. What do I mean by reasonable?
* Make sure it is worth your time
* Make sure it will cover your expenses (such as cost to withdraw)
* If it is fixed price, make sure it reflects the amount of time you will be working on that project
Remember, it looks bad if your hourly rate on your profile says that you charge $10 per hour if you then bid on a project at $1 per hour... And you shouldn't
let a client's budget dictate the level and quality of professionalism that you can provide.
And bid often! I still continue to fill out my quota of 20 applications per week. If a client is not responding to my application after a couple of weeks,
I withdraw that application so I can apply to another job. The only time I slow down on my bidding is if I am beginning to get overloaded with projects.
Don't send out just 2-3 applications and then get disheartened that neither one has accepted you yet.
This doesn't mean sit down and apply to 20 jobs all in one day - spread them out. I read through just about every hourly job posted (I always filter out the fixed price jobs),
but I probably apply to only 4-5 jobs every day, if that many. Be discerning - if the job isn't worth your time, wait a couple more hours and see what new jobs
have been posted. It won't do you any good to apply to a job that you're only semi-interested in only to find a great job that you would love to work on
but can't apply because you've reached your limit already.
You can browse job posts in 2 ways:
Browse Jobs by Category (Click Image To View Full Size)
Browse Jobs by Skills (Click Image To View Full Size)
Preview of list of available jobs for Data Entry (Click Image To View Full Size)
Job Application Quota
oDesk sets a limit, known as a quota, on the number of job applications you can submit. Remember that the quota is the maximum number of jobs you can apply to,
not a requirement that you must fulfill.
How can I increase my quota?
Once you become oDesk Ready, your quota is earned based on the number of tests you've taken (for new contractors) or your feedback score (once you have one).
- If you do not yet have a feedback score, take more tests to increase your quota.
- If you have a feedback score, the only way to increase your quota is to increase your score.
Which job applications count against my quota?
- Active, contractor-initiated application that are 7 days old (or less) count against your quota.
- Applications that are inactive, employer-initiated or more than 7 days old do not count against your quota.
When does my quota refresh?
- Your job applications, tests and feedback are evaluated twice per day to calculate your available quota. This means it can take up to 12 hours for your quota to refresh
after a job application is withdrawn, rejected or aged out of your quota.
- For new users who take tests to increase their quota, the same refresh cycle applies. It can take up to 12 hours after passing tests for your quota to increase to the next level.
The only exception is the oDesk Readiness Test. Passing this test will immediately raise your quota to the applicable oDesk Ready level.
Preview of the Job Application Form (Click Image To View Full Size)
This is where you can check the list of Job Applications you have sent,
Active Candidacies and Invitations for Interview. I currently have none!!!
(Click Image To View Full Size)
Cover Letter
Once your profile is set, then it's time to sell yourself to the clients. And by sell yourself, I don't mean pay them for the privilege of working for them. I mean convince them
that they should hire you and pay you what you want. So, how do you do this? Cover Letters. Write a cover letter that proves you know what you're talking about,
proves that you've read the job description and explains your costs and terms. And for goodness sake - don't send the same cover letter to each and every job posting.
The clients always know. You aren't fooling anyone - so just stop.
Never beg for a job... It makes you look desperate, not professional. Never lower your hourly rate to a ridiculous amount in hopes of landing a job (or worse, offering to work for free).
Again, it makes you look desperate and gives the impression that you don't deserve whatever amount you have posted on your profile.
Sample Cover Letters
(Click On The Images To View Full Size)
Basic Guidelines About What to Include (and what not to)
- Don't include your contact information in your cover letter (your email address, chat ID, etc.). This is a violation of oDesk policy and makes you
an easy target for an unscrupulous employer. When you are invited to an interview, then you are free to share whatever contact info you wish.
- Don't start with a "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir" greeting. Neither adds any value and they may even offend some employers.
If you do include a greeting, find a gender-neutral way to say hello, say "Dear Hiring Manager" or use the employer's name (if they've mentioned it).
- Don't copy and paste the same cover letter over and over again, even if you 'fill in the blanks' with specifics for the job at hand. Just as you can tell
when an employer posts a template job description, an employer can tell you're using a form cover letter. If you don't put in the effort to write a custom letter,
they are unlikely to take the time to interview you.
- Do try to use the same keywords the employer did. This shows you were paying attention to their job post.
- Do answer specific questions or include special keywords the employer put in the job description to prove you can follow directions. That is, unless the employer
is asking for your contact info or otherwise violating oDesk policy - in that case you should flag the job as inappropriate.
- Do link directly to some relevant examples of your work whenever possible. Make sure you've added them in your portfolio as well.
- Do state your availability (when and how much you can work) and explain what kind of commitments you have to any other oDesk contracts, regular employers, etc.
Sample of what I think is a good and bad Cover Letter
Job Description (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Bad Cover Letter (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
I consider this a bad cover letter simply because not once did the contractor mention
anything about the job and why he is qualified for it. He kept on stating a lot of information
which were not relevant to the job. This is a good example of what a spam cover letter is.
Good Cover Letter (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Not only did this contractor informed the employer about her background, she also focused
on letting the employer know how interested and qualified she was for the job.
Based on my experience, cover letters should mirror what the buyer has posted. Most of the time vague cover letters that just tell the employers that you're the best guy for the job got me the interview and/or the job. It still depends on the employer though. From my experience, I got interviews or got hired 7 out of 10 times using vague cover letters that don't really tell them much about you but suggests that you are an excellent person for the job.
You might wanna try it out. I just started applying mid april and I already finished 2 article writing jobs, currently in another personal assistant job, a telesales job, and have 6 active interviews. In my theory, a lot of buyers, especially those from the US, are very straightforward and don't pay attention to minor details. Also what you should be keeping in mind with regards to your cover letters is the attitude of "I will deliver the best results" not "I am honored to apply, or I would love to be considered etc". Of course everything I said was just based on what happened to me. It may or may not actually work for others. I could've been just lucky.
Click Here For More Tips On How To Make An Effective Cover Letter
Work History, Feedbacks and Contracts
My Work History and Feedbacks
(Click On The Images To View Full Size)
Preview of my Active and Ended Contracts
(Click On The Images To View Full Size)
Payments
Payment Methods
PAYONEER
This is the fastest payment method. You get your card loaded within two days or get the funds in your card immediately in more or less than two hours
by paying $3 for immediate load fee. You can use the card for with any Mastercard merchant purchase or choose to withdraw the funds in the card
for $2.15 per withdrawal + 3% of the withdrawal amount. You are limited to the maximum withdrawal limit in which the ATM is designed, therefore,
if the limit is P10,000 and you need to get P12,000 from the card fund, you need to pay $2.15 for every withdrawal (that is, $2.15 for the first P10,000
then another $2.15 for the remaining $3,000). If you lose your debit card, you need to wait quite a long time (a month is long enough) after requesting a replacement card.
For Other Countries - Please Contact Your Local Banks
PAYPAL (Verified Personal accounts)
Could be cheaper to use than when withdrawing funds with Payoneer. Just pay $1.00 withdrawal from oDesk and only P50 from Paypal to the Philippine bank
(withdrawal is FREE if the amount to be withdrawn is P7,000 above); Unionbank does not charge for incoming transfers from Paypal while BDO charges P200
and BPI charges 150. It takes a longer time to withdraw the money to a local bank and there is no other way to expedite the transfer (5 to 7 working days).
But in my case, it only takes a day before funds are transferred to my BPI account.
For Other Countries - Please Contact Your Local Banks
MONEYBOOKERS
I have not tried to withdraw money into my Moneybookers account so I am not able to provide information on all the details.
WIRE TRANSFER
This is another method that is possible, but I wouldn't recommend using this. Withdrawal from oDesk can be quite expensive ($30 per withdrawal).
LOCAL FUNDS TRANSFER
This is the most direct and least expensive withdrawal method for contractors with bank accounts in the Philippines. With Local Funds Transfer,
you directly deposit your earnings into your local bank account, in Pesos, for a low, flat fee. oDesk charges $1.99 per withdrawal in Philippines Peso
but it's free for your first transaction.
For Other Countries - Please Contact Your Local Banks
BPI: FREE | Union Bank: P50 | BDO: P200 | Metrobank: P76.70
ChinaBank: P200 | RCBC: P100 | LandBank: P50 | PNB: P250
For Other Countries - Please Contact Your Local Banks
Click On The Image To View Full Size
Withdrawal (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Financial Activity (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Referrals & Banner Ads (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Referral List (Click On The Image To View Full Size)
Team And Community
oDesk Team (Click On Image To View Full Size)
Download oDesk Team
The oDesk Team application is a free suite of tools to help you create a virtual office on your desktop.
It has 4 primary tools and a variety of additional features to make your work life on oDesk easier.
Tools
Team Room: See who's working, what they're doing, and chat in real time.
Time Tracker: Log time to your Work Diary.
Screensnap: Take, upload, annotate and share screenshots.
ShortURL: Shorten URLs to share.
Features
Memo: Tell the employer what you're working on.
Meter: View time/earnings on hourly contracts.
Camera: Enable webcam snapshots while logging time.
Cache: Continue logging time even when your connection is interrupted.
Error Log: Help our support reps to better diagnose any problems.
Who uses the oDesk Team application?
The oDesk Team application is for everyone! All employers and contractors can take advantage of the Team Room (chat), Screensnap and ShortURL tools.
The Time Tracker is primarily used by contractors logging time on hourly contracts (required to receive guaranteed payment), but any user with team room
access can use it to record a Work Diary (only hourly contracts are billed and included in reports).
What is the app's Team Room tool?
The app's Team Room tool is an extension of your team room on the oDesk web site. It shows you all the team members online right now in any team
to which you have access. You can chat with them live, see their latest work activity, and access information about them with a single click. Click the status icon
and a menu will pop up where you can start a live chat conversation, view their Time Analyze report, Work Diary, or open tasks. It is recommended
that all users - employers and contractors, fixed-price and hourly - run the app while they're at work. Even when you're not logging time, it's good
to keep in touch through the Team Room. Just don't forget to turn on the Time Tracker to upload your activity to the Work Diary and qualify for guaranteed payment.
What do all the status icons mean?
In the app's Team Room tool, and on the app's icon in your system tray, you'll see a number of icons that tell you the time-tracking, chat,
and connection status of users. Please pay special attention to your connection status. The app can only cache a limited amount of time of Work Diary screens
that will be uploaded as soon as your connection resumes. In addition to these icons, balloon notifications will pop up to help you track important changes
in your status like switching to caching mode.
What is the app's Time Tracker tool?
The Time Tracker tool tells the app to start and stop logging your activity for your team's Work Diary. It is primarily used by contractors on hourly contracts,
but anyone with team room access can run the Time Tracker to keep a track of their own activities. Only the time logged on hourly contracts will be included
on reports and accrue as oDesk hours on the contractor's profile. On hourly contracts, start the Time Tracker when you begin work and stop the Time Tracker
when you're done (or taking a break). Your activity is automatically uploaded to the Work Diary, enabling automated billing and our payment guarantee.
This time is also used to create weekly Timelog reports for which the employer is automatically billed. When the Time Tracker is on, you'll be asked to enter
regular memos describing your work.
What does the Time Tracker record?
The Time Tracker records:
- Work diary screenshots - a screenshot of the active monitor 6 times per hour - so anything visible on your screen may be captured in a screenshot.
- Activity levels - the application counts the number of mouse clicks and keystrokes, but does not record where you click or what you type.
- The name of the active window and application at the time of the screenshot.
- [Optional] Camera snapshot along with the screenshot 6 times per hour if enabled. Camera snapshots can even be deleted separately from your other recorded activities.
For maximum privacy control, the application allows you to delete any screenshot when it is captured (click the trash can before uploading) or afterwards
in the Work Diary (until the end of the work week). Time and activity are deleted together with the screenshot. So keep in mind that your employer will not be
charged for the time you delete, and you won't get paid for it. Only the optional camera snapshots can be deleted separately. You can delete the camera snapshot
from your Work Diary but still get paid for that time segment.
What does the Time Tracker not record?
- What you click on.
- What you type.
- Files and applications you access.
- Video surveillance footage through your webcam.
The oDesk Team application and its Time Tracker are not a surveillance system. You have full control over what it records, can turn it on and off at any point
and you can choose whether or not to share screenshots and activity levels. Its main purpose is to act as your hassle-free automated billing system
and log your Work Diary as your proof of work (Verified Work = Guaranteed Payment)
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