I am certain that not all individuals have a knack for office work and some don’t have the time as well. Busy, working housewives, or those who enjoy freelance work need not fret anymore as worldwide online-based work are all over the internet. A speedy internet connection, your own laptop and an email account are the primary essentials required. As a matter of fact, I have tried all sorts of online-based job sites too (not because I don’t have a job but) because I want my spare time at home (after work) to be as productive. Have I landed one? Not yet! (LOL). You can earn green cash while at home and play around with your various skill set as well. Who knows? You might even get a high-paying online, home-based job that earns much more than your office employee friend/relative is earning (shhh…).
Here are a list of some legit sites you may check out to start off with your home-based career:
1. Elance.com (www.elance.com)
2. Freelancer.com (www.freelancer.com)
3. Writerbay.com (www.writerbay.com)
4. CEWriting (www.cewriting.com) ***local
5. Filipinowriters (www.filipinowriters.com) ***local
6. EssaysPH (www.essays.ph) ***local
7. oDesk (www.odesk.com)
These are only some of the sites I have subscribed to but there are a lot more. If you’re into writing, data entry, content management or even graphic design (and other related jobs), you can definitely check out the following sites above. Writers, proofreaders, editors, virtual assistants, email managers, graphic artists and developers are in demand in these online sites. You may research them first and read reviews on each just to double-check their safety, security and legitimacy. However, if you think you can start off now and want to end your joblessness asap, here’s a lowdown of the things you need to arm yourself with if you opt to get online careers:
1. A corporate email address. Gmail and YahooMail are reliable (and of course, popular) email hosting sites you can use for free. This is very basic! These emails will be very useful as they will serve as your communication medium/channel with the website and the clients who will avail of your services.
2. Professional Photo. Many people mistake a professional photo for just any photo you may find. They get it wrong. Go out there and find a cheap studio where you can have your photo taken and scanned. A photo with a white or blue background with you wearing something formal/corporate (and some make-up) is what’s actually considered a professional photo. You will need this to identify yourself from millions of users out there.
3. Portfolio. It’s not so easy to just apply and get hired at these online career sites. It doesn’t mean too that it will be an easy job for you. Clients are mostly international and, they are also as unsure of your reliability as you are to them. You are unsure if they are legit clients and if they will pay you fairly, at the same time, they also have uncertainties when it comes to your specialty and what you can offer. While you will put up an online resume and profile, it is best to back it up with a portfolio. These can contain varied files you have worked on before — database entries on excel files, medical files you’ve transcribed, photos or graphic designs you’ve created, articles you’ve written and published, powerpoint presentations you’ve developed and others. Whatever written work you’ve produced before using any Microsoft Office software, have a screenshot of it or a PDF file, upload it and compile it to serve as your portfolio. This way, contractors will have a better picture of what you can do for them and be able to test your reliability for the job as well, even when you are both miles apart.
4. Writing Samples in PDF. Writing jobs online are all over the place. There is always a need for writers due to the growing demand of people for information. Not only individuals use news or surveys or articles, even companies pay for good stories, publicity, ads, copies and ideas. You can make a whole lot of money out of this! However, it can be so tricky to just post any article online because some might use it for themselves, and not pay you back at all. Do not be fooled! Have your articles saved in PDF so that they won’t be able to copy it without paying you. See if you can negotiate giving half of the work upon getting half of the promised payment (if this works with the client), and give the full article after receiving the full payment as well. Remember: labor laws on online jobs do not apply as strictly as how it does in local employment (say.. office setting), so if you’ve been tricked by someone online, chances are they’re going to get away from it very easily (that is why it is very important that you check the online site first, the profile of the client and the reliability of the job and payment scheme. READ!READ!READ!)
5. Paypal Account. They will pay you through this, so be sure to have one ready! (I will discuss this on a separate blog post). You may also want to make sure that you have local cards where local online employment sites can deposit your pay (BPI, BDO are two most reliable). Make sure that the cards are under your name and not owned by someone else’s.
6. Social Media Accounts. Some of these online job sites would ask for your social media accounts as part of their background investigation on you. Some really require these as part of your job duties as well. You may also have to promote their site while you work for them or be asked to ‘Like’ their site before you start — this is all part of their marketing strategy so that you’ll visit their page online and be able to share it with others. It’s a two-way street. If you do not want to provide your social media accounts for personal reasons, create a professional one with perfect, careful and believable posts and information about yourself (note: factual info). Tip: Use one e-mail address) for all your accounts so you won’t be confused when logging in as having too many accounts may be difficult to manage.
7. A list of varied skills. Your skills will propel you further in your professional career — this is one thing you should now. Skills are to be taken seriously but before a skill is called as such, it takes practice, experience, knowledge and practical application. Job sites ask for your skills from the basic ones to the most specific ones. Writing, Editing and Proofreading are basic, sample skills of a writer; Website Development, Programming and Visual Basic are skills of a programmer, web designer. In writing your skills, match them with your profile and job titles so as not to confuse clients and contractors. You may be a jack of all trades which could be good (since it shows that you are flexible) and bad, at the same time (it can show that you try your luck at each and is not efficient nor effective at any specific skill). You don’t want this impression on you right? Focus on TOP 10 flexible yet, specific skills you possess and include them in your profile. Make sure that you can back this up with information from your resume or else…
8. Passing Score on Tests. You also have to be prepared to go through a series of tests before you can be qualified to work. These tests are unique and most of the time, related to the type of job you’ll be doing. Certification exams are also done as part of profile completion and although creating a profile is free, some exams charge a few bucks and some requires ‘credits’ you can earn through a set of instructions they post online. Take the free exams first and load up on high scores to gain points or credits. Some of these exams include: a) typing exams b) i.q tests c) grammar tests d) personality tests e) formatting exams (MLA, APA, etc.., mostly for writers/proofreaders/editors) and others.
9. Skype Account. This is the new Yahoo Messenger; a chatting platform that lets you call each other for free. Users, contractors and clients might require you to have one so make sure to download it (for free as well). Have a microphone, a webcam and whatever is necessary so they can see, talk and observe you as well. They want to know who they are talking to and they want to test your communication skills. Online jobs require work and it is best to impress clients/contractors to get the job; what better way to do this is to have them interview you through Skype! YouTube videos or your friends could teach you how and it’s very very simple. Be in a formal/corporate attire when interviewing or dress properly when working online using Skype. Virtual offices (VO) have been setup and significant communication platforms have also been created to make VO management easier for managers and executive and business owners. It’s all part of the business! Realize that some tutoring jobs also require Skype for faster communication, and meetings are also done through this so when using such, make sure to be in a quiet, conducive location where internet connection is fast and there is very little or no noise at all in the background.
10. Resume/Online Profile. Consider online jobs as though they are ‘actual’ local professional careers and treat their requirements seriously as well. Start off with a really professional-looking resume/online profile and build yourself up for the job. Dig up skills and research on how you can phrase them properly; see similar JD’s (job descriptions) and change and apply to your own the ones that are fairly/similarly related; make it as basic but as informative and useful as possible — and own up to it. Hiring is the initial process and once you get the job, you also have to perform well or else, clients might ban you or say bad comments about you, so beware. Do not put skills that you are not familiar with and focus on what you can really do. Previous career experiences are an advantage as well as education. Be as reliable and professional to clients and contractors and brush up on your English grammar and written communication skills.
Ready to take on some home-based careers? Why not!
Smiles,
P 🙂
Passion For Learning 