Freelance With ODesk
What is oDesk and how does it work ?
Many small to medium sized companies utilize oDesk to find home-based workers to perform specific jobs. Why ? It is cheaper for them than hiring in-house personnel. Freelancing is a great opportunity for you – the contractor – and the company seeking your skills.
Similar to seeking a job in the “9-5 world”, with oDesk you find work and apply to specific jobs. The main difference, however, is the fact you work at home and you are not a true employee. You are a contractor. You set your pay rate and how many hours you are available to work. You set yourself up to freelance and make money with oDesk. In a nutshell: you create a profile and determine the job categories you are interested in. You then search the available “jobs” within your categories and apply for the ones that are specific to your interest. Companies post hourly as well as fixed rate jobs, with the hourly jobs typically being longer-term.
How Do I Get A Job With ODesk ?
First let me state that you will not be working for oDesk. You are a contractor and you perform work for a client that has posted a gig on oDesk. It is important to create a compelling profile on oDesk. As the first job is the harders one to get, your profile is what sells you. The accompanying skill tests are as important as a well designed profile as they set your skill level which enables a client to determine if you are the right person for their job. From there, your reputation starts to play a role in getting the next jobs. Your reputation increases based on feedback from clients for whom you performed work.
For new freelancers with no reputation you are only allowed to apply for two to five jobs at a time. This may not sound like much if you are serious about working at home at a full time capacity, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how much work you can accumulate with jsut a few gigs. As your reputation builds, you can apply to more jobs.
Will I Really Be My Own Boss ?
Although the work is done virtually, and you do not have a boss breathing down your neck watching your every move. you are free to work when you want. That being said, many companies who utilize freelance services are weary of being ripped-off by excessive-charging contractors. If you are working an hourly gig, oDesk logs your hours worked via Team application. This ensures accurate record keeping of hours for both you and your client. ODesk also offers communication tools so you can effectively relay information to the hiring client.
How Much Will I Get Paid ?
The tricky part is determining what you are worth. If you are new to freelancing, you may not know how much to charge for your type of work and skill level. Tip: peruse oDesk and see what contractors in your field, at a similar skill level, charge. If you are like me when I started out, you may sell yourself a bit cheaper than you really are worth. Don’t worry, as you gain confidence and reputation, you can – and probably should – price yourself a bit higher.
How Do I Get Paid ?
Getting paid from oDesk is a simple process. That’s right, you are paid from oDesk, not the client. The client pays to oDesk 100% of your pay rate; you get 90% and oDesk retains the remaining 10%. Through your oDesk dashboard, you may withdraw your accumulated funds after payment is processed.