And I'm Back!

It's been awhile.

Yes, it's REALLY been awhile.

Nevertheless, I have GOOD NEWS to readers out there.

As you may have already known, I have been working from home (and LOVING it!) since late 2008, and since then I haven't stopped making clients happy. Not only clients, actually, but other people as well - people I've known for a long time and people I've known recently - who have finally jumped into the telecommuting world.

Having this in mind, I'd like to continue by reaching out to more clients and telecommuters alike.

Please check out our new facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/myremotecrew so you'll have more idea of what I'm talking about. If you want to know more details - details that are not on our info page - pls drop us a line (click the Send message button on our Facebook page) and type in your question and email address and we'll be glad to reply to you.

Btw, we'll have our site up soon. In the meantime, please check our teaser at http://www.myremotecrew.com

How to Become an oDesk Freelance Provider

Ever since I started my freelancing career with oDesk, a lot of people have been asking me how they should go about the registration process as a freelance provider. I figured it may not be as easy as registering for an email account that I decided to post oDesk's registration instructions here.

So, to you folks out there, this is for you:

1. Click on this link to go to start your oDesk registration

2. Click on the 'Create an Account' link in the upper right hand corner of the oDesk homepage.

3. Select Freelance Provider - I want to earn money as an independent contractor.

4. Fill out the form that appears. Double check all your entries before you click the continue button.

NOTE: Pay special attention to the Username box. It will be automatically filled out by oDesk (usually, it will be a combination your first initial and last name). You will not be able change your username after your account has been created.

5. You will see the 'Post your Profile: Checklist'. You have to complete all four sections before you can start applying to jobs.

6. Check the email address you provided in step 2 above. Look for an email with the subject: Please verify your email address. Click the link in the email, or paste the URL into your browser. When the page loads, press 'Click here to continue.'

7. Fill out your contact information. You must provide a Yahoo Messenger ID (for interviewing with buyers), phone number (in case oDesk needs to contact you about your account), City, Country, and Timezone. Although not required, we would appreciate your letting us know how you heard about oDesk - please be as specific as possible. Double check all your entries before you press the Save and Continue button.

NOTE: Be especially careful when selecting a country. It will not be user-editable in your profile (you'll have to contact oDesk support if you need to change it).

8. Now you are ready to complete the initial setup of your oDesk profile. Select the job categories you are interested in. Check the box next to Job Alerts if you want to receive job listing updates via email (you'll be able to set up an RSS/Atom Feed later, if you prefer). Select a Primary Role (the job title that sounds most like what you're looking for). Set the Hourly Rate to display in your profile (buyers will see the calculated total). Select your availability (between 5-40 hours per week). Fill in a title for yourself, and try to make it sound interesting. Double check all your entries before you press the Save and Continue button.

9. Review the oDesk Marketplace User Agreement. You may click the Printable version link for a file you can save for your records. After you've reviewed the User Agreement, you will need to check the box to indicate that you agree to our terms, conditions, and policies. Then press the Save and Continue button.

10. Now you should have a green check mark next to all four steps on the profile checklist. Press the Post my Profile button to officially list yourself as an oDesk provider.

11. You'll be taken directly to the Profile & Settings portion of the My oDesk tab. You should begin to fill out the rest of your profile right away.

All oDesk providers must pass the oDesk Readiness Test. You cannot apply to job openings unless you are oDesk Ready. This open book test is designed as a tutorial to help familiarize users with oDesk policies and practices. (effective June 4, 2008)

That's it! Congratulations! You're on your way now to earning dollars weekly! If you still have questions on how to go about the process, you are free to email me: jc.wfh.888 (AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Good luck and Happy oDesk Gig Hunting!

Related posts:

Tips on How to Get That First oDesk Assignment

Earning from Home

Tips on How to Get that First oDesk Assignment

First off, I would like to congratulate those people who signed up on oDesk recently. You are on your way to earning a good weekly income. To those who have not signed up yet I suggest you do (Here's the link).

For those who don't have any idea of what I'm talking about, you may check out my blog post about earning from home. You'll also see my weekly earnings there.

Next, ever since I posted a screenshot of my weekly earnings from oDesk, a lot of people have been asking me how I did it. I figured it would be best to post some tips that could help oDesk newbies out there to land on that first assignment.

Here goes…

1. Spruce up your profile. Remember that there are thousands of oDesk providers that have the same skills as you do. You need to be assertive enough to market yourself to get that first oDesk assignment. Check out other profiles to get ideas on how to do it.
2. This next tip is very important. Remember that the first thing an oDesk buyer looks at is your hourly rate. If you've just registered and haven't received any assignments yet, it would be best to go for a low rate first. Believe me, it works. I cannot stress enough how important this is. I guess I can only tell you that a lot of my fellow oDeskers were surprised to learn that I got my first assignment in less than a month while they had to wait for several months to get their first gig.
3. Never go tired of applying.
4. Be the first to check out the new Job openings at oDesk everyday. Although oDesk sends you a daily update thru email of the latest job openings, you would be at an advantage if you get to apply while there's still a short list of applicants.
5. While waiting, take tests that match your skills. Show scores that really prove that you have mastered your skill. You wouldn't want an oDesk buyer to see a score of 2.5 out of 5.0 in Article writing if you are promoting yourself as an article writer.
6. Prepare a good cover letter. When I say good, it must be really good. Ready made cover letters are good, but if you are really serious about your application, it would be best to come up with something that is tailored to the needs of your prospective buyer.
7. Be available on instant messengers for a chat interview. If you mentioned in your cover letter that you'll be available on Skype or Yahoo Messenger from 8am to 12pm Eastern Standard time, then you have to be online during that timeframe.
8. Once an interview is finished, send a thank you email to the buyer. It may sound redundant since you would be thanking the interviewer at the end of the chat session. But believe me, it helps. Remember, you are not the only one who's being interviewed by that buyer.
9. Build a good relationship with your buyer. Make sure that you meet his needs (don't overdo it though). Building a good relationship has a lot of lasting benefits. Not only will it help you get a good feedback score at the end of the assignment, you also increase the chances of getting your buyer hire you again for future assignments. That I guess is the most fulfilling part – establishing trust.
   

Once you've followed these tips, and have successfully ended an assignment with a good feedback score (that's 5 stars, of course), you now have the option to either stay with your current rate if you're already comfortable with it or take it a notch higher, if you think you're worth it.

Happy Job Hunting!

Related posts:

Earning from Home

How to Become An oDesk Freelance Provider