Back in Manila, I've signed up for a couple of surveys since 2010. Most of the time, I was screened out, maybe because I was in the Philippines and most surveys are for North America, Australia or the UK. When we migrated to Vancouver, I edited my profile and updated my address to my Canadian address. I am getting more survey invitations in my inbox now and 3 out of 5 times, I am qualified to answer the surveys. Since we landed, I have gotten 3 checks already and more than a dozen gift … [Read more...]
Things to avoid in oDesk
There are hundreds of job postings on oDesk each day. These range from short-term projects to long-term, full-time work. For someone who is hoping to find his first online freelance job at oDesk, here are a couple of things to look out for: 1. Not Verified Payment Method Status. You might see three kinds of Payment Method status on the right side of the client's job postings: Payment Method Verified. This means that the client has already registered a credit card and is verified. This … [Read more...]
An Introduction to oDesk: Tips before Applying
Now that you've read the pros and cons of freelancing in one of my earlier post (go ahead and check it out if you haven't :) ) and you think you are ready to join the freelancing world, you might want to check oDesk out. But before applying or creating a profile, I suggest you do the following first (some people might not agree with me on this one, a lot of people register or create a profile first to access the “registered users only area” but in my opinion, you should check out what you … [Read more...]
Tips on Writing a Good Cover Letter
*First published on June 11, 2010 on my old blog, The Digital Servant. One of the things that can get you hired on oDesk is to write a great cover letter. This is your chance to tell the buyer why he or she should hire you, out of the 100 plus applicants out there. Here are some tips: READ the job opening! – I know this sounds ridiculous for most of you but the reality of it is, not all people read the whole job opening, they just click the apply button and send a generic cover letter. … [Read more...]
Virtual Assistant Tools: The Essentials
*First published on May 25, 2010 in my old blog, The Digital Servant. Here are some of the software and programs that every Virtual Assistant should have: Email – the most obvious one. You have to have at least one email account! Since you are a VIRTUAL assistant, you will be contacting your client virtually, meaning via email. My recommended email provider is Google Mail, since it has its own integrated chat tool, most of the clients (or buyers) require interviewees to be interviewed … [Read more...]