Tagged: Career

17 Nov

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An Article Writer Turned SEO Specialist – A Freelance Job Promotion

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Image credits to FOTOCROMO

Image credits to FOTOCROMO

A lot has already been said about how advantageous it is to be in the freelance job industry. Working at the comforts of your home and earning an attractive pay are some of the most famed benefits of being able to work home based. We are living proofs of this fortune in freelancing— and we hope you are, too.

Looking back  when we’re all still at the starting point of our careers, it can’t be denied that we have had faced our own share of risks— scammers, clients who would not pay and relatively below industry standard rates to name a few. We have learned to overcome all of these and are now at the turning point of our careers. However, another risk is left to be faced– and we are sure that at one point of your freelance career, you’ve come to ask yourself this: Where am I to go from here?

Admit it, no matter how good freelance jobs are, they still lack some of the offers that traditional jobs have. One of this is promotion. Well, without a regular employer, how can such be possible? The alarming fact about this is that we are all brought up to think of becoming CEO’s someday! We are thought to be competitive and to climb up the corporate ladder. Needless to say, sooner or later, a feeling of dissatisfaction will settle within us, which will eventually leave us unhappy and discontented with our freelance jobs.

We have given this a thought for quite some time and we are glad to tell you that there is hope. You need not be left to be a freelancer for long. An invisible corporate ladder is available for you to take advantage of.

Let us explain the concept through this scenario;

Assuming you are a freelance writer. You have your regular gigs from your trusted freelance job website and you are considerably at the peak of your career. However, despite this success, you feel all tired and weary of doing the same job over and over again. Routine is killing you, but you can’t just simply leave your freelance job.  What can you do?

Supposing this scenario is true, there’s really not a need to fret. As a freelancer, you are not only given the flexibility on work hours but a wide variety of options, too! Digging deeper into the world of SEO and establishing a career as an SEO specialist is a very good opportunity. After all, if you already have a knack with words, you might as well use it to your own and your client’s advantage by upping your knowledge about how you can make you content a certified king by ranking them well on search engines . Consider this as a promotion from being an article writer to an SEO specialist. Not only will it change your routine and make your freelance job more exciting, but it will also make you feel good about yourself because of your ability to level your skills up to meet more freelance job needs.

This scenario is not at all to suggest that you take a sudden shift. This is simple a demonstration of the tremendous options most freelance jobs has to offer. Finally, a promotion does not only apply to article writers— how does becoming an internet marketer from being a savvy internet provider sound to you? This is also possible. After all, it is not really about who you know, but what you know that will take you to the top in the freelance job industry. Too bad it is often the other way around for traditional jobs—another reason to celebrate your being a freelancer.

Happy Freelancing!

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Filed Under: Freelance Job Opportunities, News, seo, Uncategorized, writing

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12 Nov

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Home Based Customer Service

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The earning opportunities that freelance jobs have offered to a lot of people in this tough time of recession are limitless. These freelancing options have provided us with the ability to cope with the situation despite the lack of job opportunities in our respective locations.

A good example is the people from India or people from the Philippines who have literally lived a night life for quite a long time because of their call center jobs. They are now left to sleep day and night, without any work to do, after the announcement of the global financial

crisis late last year. This is very unfortunate as these people are already equipped with skills and strengths to be able to perform excellently in a customer oriented setting— Filipinos are undoubtedly good in communicating in English while locals from India have their inclinations in technology. There is no question that these people are a good fit for customer service positions and that losing job such this is a major nosedive not just in their individual income, but in their country’s economy as a whole.  Good thing freelance bidding sites are here to rescue—these people can now continue with the kind of work that they enjoy doing.

If you are a part of this good sum of population who have lost their jobs in a snap or if you are someone gifted with the ability to talk things over, then this guide is for you. Read on.

Defining Home Based Customer Service

It is always easy to confuse this position with that of a Virtual Assistant or that of a Telemarketer because of the general nature of the job. Therefore, if your aim is to land a CSR or CCR job, then make sure to identify the differences that it has with that of the two aforementioned positions. Below are the IT IS and IT IS NOT’S of a Customer Service Representative freelance job;

WHAT A HOME BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB IS NOT;

  • Very sales oriented
  • Pay is performance based
  • Outbound calls
  • Focus is on sales quota
  • Responsibilities: Calling out prospects (outbound), follow ups and documentation



WHAT A HOME BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB IS NOT;

  • Absolutely no sales involved
  • Pay is on an hourly basis
  • Focus is on KPIs such as customer satisfaction and AHT (Average Handling Time)
  • Responsibilities: Taking in calls  (inbound) and documentation



This is a relatively short list to describe a home based Customer Service position. There’s a lot more to learn in order for you to enjoy the privilege of working home based while you are also able to do the things that you are good at. You just have to do your homework— by this we mean you conduct a self-initiated research that will help you exhaust all options available for you in the industry. You may opt to utilize the ‘search engine’ feature of www.donanza.com to help you find freelance jobs in this category. Alternatively, you can also visit the following links;

http://www.filcancommunications.biz/career.php

http://www.bsgclearing.com/riskmanagement/voicelogthirdpartyverification

http://www.convergys.com

http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/careers/index.jhtml

http://www.teletech.com/en-US/careers

http://www.overflowusa.com/jobs.html

Happy Freelancing!

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Filed Under: Freelance Job Opportunities, Freelance resources, News, Uncategorized

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05 Nov

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FREE Freelance Job Resources

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It is an understatement to describe the internet useful. In fact, it will be difficult to describe the internet through a single word— no word is enough to capture the very sense of the web and everything it can offer. It has literally revolutionized the way we live from all aspects possible— from the way we do our shopping up to the way we work towards a more rewarding career. This fact holds very true to us freelancers— and the more it would after you read this article.

As a freelancer, you are generally all accustomed of doing everything on your own— logging in your hours, scheduling tasks, handling your finances and even looking for softwares that will make your freelance job easier. If you are new to freelancing, however, and you feel a need to use a resource to make your work a complete breeze; be cautious so as to not fall on baits offered by freelance tool providers which abound the web. Here is the deal: You need not spend even a dime on a freelance job resource just to be more productive. Below are eight of the most recommended tools that will help you with your freelance job.

Google – Google is a BIG word in the internet business. This is for the fact that it has pioneered a lot of applications which made the internet business as productive as ever. Google is similar to a one-stop shop from which you can get any of your needs from the personally owning a blog up to the twisted and complicated world of project management. In fact, you can even start and manage an online business through it— totally free.

Creative Commons – Showcasing masterpieces of photographers and graphic designers have never been this easy and free! This page is run by a non-profit organization who advocates themselves to protecting a freelancer’s work by licensing them and sharing it with others.

You Send It - Now, bulk emails will no longer take up much space in your inbox and that of your client’s. You Send It allow you to be able to send a file of size up to 2GB to your client’s email. From there, they will  just have to download the file directly into their computers.

Protolize – This is a haven for web designers and developers who wish to collaborate and to rank the web tools they use according to efficiency.

Free Contracts for Freelancer – A freelancer will need to protect himself in one way or another. And, what is the best way to do it? – Through a contract or an agreement. Not good with such documents? No need to worry as it doesn’t really matter what your freelance job is, Free Contracts for Freelancers is here to the rescue. Find free templates, tips and how to’s to be able to draft an agreement that is fair and ‘impressive’ to your client.

Fax Zero - Need to send the signed agreement over to your client? A freelance job agreement will not be much secured without you and your client’s signature. Fax Zero is a free internet fax service always available to keep paper fax transactions.

Freelance Switch – Freelance jobs are all over the web. Such demand increased the number of freelancers from around the globe. Fortunately, there is enough work to keep them occupied and earning. However, these same productive people are the same people who needs support groups in order to keep their sanity despite their inevitable isolation from their closest society. Freelance Switch is one site that they trust to build them connections with fellow freelancers and supply them with their daily dose of informative, useful and inspiring blogs.

Zoho – A value provider turned into a provider company? Free project management portal which is useful to almost any freelance jobs is what Zoho does. Sign up for a free account with them to start reaping benefits. As your company blooms, then that may be the time to consider upgrades.

Now, what do you think? Isn’t the internet very generous to even consider giving freelancers all these resources free of charge?

Happy Freelancing!

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Filed Under: Freelance resources, News, Uncategorized

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28 Sep

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4 Tips for Student Freelancers

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There is definitely no doubt that there has been a great decline of work opportunities these days. The global financial crisis has led to an employment recession around the globe. The scenario: employees losing their jobs and graduates leaving college in uncertainty. Unfortunately, nobody is safe from its consequences; even clueless students.

Now, you may not entirely believe this notion as you may feel that students are not directly affected by this problem unless they work part time- you are wrong. Students will face one of the biggest burdens on this issue and that will be their inability to provide for themselves yet. Students will usually be entirely dependent to their parents- and their parents are not in any way safe from employment recession. Similarly, the job opportunities and the industries for whom they are studying for is never secured from this unfavorable employment situation. Thus, their future is affected and the need for them to be even more competitive for the industry and job for which they are preparing for is augmented.

If you are a student, you may already be frowning in sadness and in doubt now, but we assure you that there is no need to fret YET. Unless you don’t do something now, you have the virtual world of freelance jobs to back you up in this relatively difficult point in your life. Freelancing will not only allow you to have a source of income, but will also provide you with work experience relevant to your studies. This prepares you for the competition that you need to face right after you graduate. Afraid to plunge into the deep waters of freelancing? Here are 4 valuable tips to help you jumpstart your freelancing career in no time.

Have a CV handy.

A lot of people think that working on freelance jobs meant working in pajamas all the time- this is so untrue. Your distance from your client is no reason to be unprofessional. It is critical that you realize that you are a worker and you need to act like one whenever you transact with clients. This doesn’t only hold true in good grooming, but in client correspondences as well. Be it a simple chat or an e-mail, you will need to be a professional communicator. In this sense, you obviously need to start with a good CV and a cover letter! No job seeker will bag an opportunity without these essentials.

There are freelance bidding sites that will require you to complete a profile instead of submitting a CV. In such cases, you will need to complete your profile in the same manner as you would your resume. You need to make it as true, detailed and impressive as possible. These documents are a way to get your name and services out there. Therefore, make sure that they speak the best of you.

Your efforts not paying off yet? – No need to fret. Simply keep trying. The virtual world of freelance jobs is as competitive as the employment arena of the real world- you will be constantly asked for a relevant work experience. However, there are always ‘excellent firsts’ and it will be entirely up to your skills how you are going to be able to convince the client that you can provide them with such a positive experience.

Value client relationships.

As implied earlier, an impressive resume and a professional cover letter are your tickets to landing your very first freelance job- and once you have already jumpstarted your freelance career; expect to enjoy a constant stream of work from then on. And when that happens, the challenge starts. How does 4 freelance jobs while studying sound to you? Exciting and exhausting, probably. You may end up serving one religiously and neglecting the other. Worst, you may end up hurting your feedback score and overall ranking as a freelancer. This is a challenge, but you may choose not to be in such an unfavorable situation. All you need to do is to simply accept freelance jobs that you can handle and those that fit your schedule. Staying organized will also help.

Have a work time and a break time.

Similar to a regular job, all work with no play is no fun! Freelance jobs can occupy so much time PLUS your studies. You’ll need some slack time off work. In the same way, you also need to have your work time. Keep your schedule balanced and stick to it. This way, you’ll be able to avoid missed deadlines and burn out.

Learn, learn and learn!

A work experience in your resume alone is not enough to prepare you for the challenges of employment that you will have to face after you graduate. Acquired skills and good references are more important than a visually appealing CV. Therefore, take each freelance job as a learning opportunity. In fact, your ability to apply, to land and to keep a freelance job is already a valuable education that you get to keep for a lifetime.

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Filed Under: News, Students

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31 Aug

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Types of Clients and How to Deal with them

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How to deal with clientsFreelancing and a regular work may be different in a lot of ways. One thing is common between them, however— you need to be able to effectively deal with a client at all times. Sure, you have got no boss, but fact is; you have a client that watches over your work and pays you according to the job done. Similar to dealing with a boss, clients are from all walks of life; hence, they require varied treatments. Below are the 4 most common types of clients you encounter in your freelance career. Read on in order to be able to identify which amongst is your current client and learn how to better deal with them.

THE ‘I-AM-ON-A-TIGHT-BUDGET’ CLIENT

Deciding to plunge into the waters of handling freelance jobs will definitely require you to learn the art of negotiation; clients are tasked to do the same. Clients are usually from the business sector and so they may be always a little on watch over how much they spend. Additionally, they also wanted to make sure that they get the most out of the money they invested on you.

Clients of this kind will usually set their budget expectations upfront. They are very clear of how much they plan to spend and what kind of work they expect from you, budget wise. These kinds of client require careful handling especially with regard to delivering quality work. Bear in mind that if you decide to agree with their terms, you should make sure that you are able to meet their requirements so as to keep a good record and reputation as a freelancer. A note of caution: Never bid below your standard or below the industry value of the work that they require done.

THE ‘I-AM-NOT-INTERESTED’ CLIENT

These are your busy clients. They are the ones who don’t communicate a lot to do constant follow ups on freelance jobs they need done. They have very little patience over your questions and will usually ask you to go beyond your support boundaries. Simply put; they are too busy to care and just wish you do your job the best way you can.

These kinds of client are a little frustrating to work with. Admit it! No matter how expert you are on your work; an input from them will still lighten your job. Additionally, some personal touch is always essential for you to arrive to what they will consider quality outputs.

These kinds of client are advantageous if you are working on a lot of projects at the same time; they can offer you flexibility by not always needing you to get in touch with them. They are fairly easy to deal with if you are able to identify them at the very start of the assignment— simply ask them of exactly what they wanted done and (if possible) ask them to at least set a schedule for a weekly follow up.

THE ‘I-WANT-TO-BE-INVOLVED’ CLIENT

They are the exact opposites of the ‘I-am-not-interested’ type of clients. They are very hands on and would always want to be involved in the project. They are very supportive yet meticulous on approving works. They can also cause you pressure and stress sometimes because of their presence and constant follow ups. Generally, however, they can be very good clients if dealt with well.

A client of this type is one that is both easy and not-easy to please. They are easy to please because you will know (will be constantly reminded of) their expectations and standards. The difficult part comes in when you are unable to deliver them with the work they expect. Since they are always around for support, they will surely expect you to deliver your best output at the end of the freelance job. The best way to deal with them is to be always pleasant as you can be and to be very attentive to details. Prevention is still better than cure, so make sure you really know the requirements of the project and that you qualify for it prior to applying. This way, you will be able to avoid unsatisfied customers who are serious about finding the best candidate for their freelance jobs.

THE ‘ALWAYS-VERY-GOOD’ CLIENT

The best amongst all the kinds of clients— they are easy to work with. They maintain a balance on watching over the project and keeping you motivated. They are very cheerful people. They are born leaders and are aware of the magic of constructive criticisms. Make sure to keep clients of this kind as they’ll surely make your freelancing career a lot enjoyable. Simply do your job the best way you can to give them what they deserve and you’ll surely be in for a work and play scenario in your freelance job.

A final note to make— no matter whoever your client is and to which category he may fall; always make sure to keep a professional relationship with him. It is never bad to try to extend your patience over some of their shortcomings as you surely have your own as well. After all, a freelance job is still similar to a regular work— it still requires you to be do best in your job and to be people oriented enough to be able to cope with any kind of situation— and client attitude— for that matter.

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Filed Under: News, Uncategorized

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26 Aug

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How to Build a Freelance Career in Graphic Design

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Freelance career It is a fact that freelance jobs have blossomed quite well since its timely advent with the sudden need for use of computers and internet some few years ago. Today, money making opportunities already abound the internet -some are considerably instantaneous (such as that of Google Adsense for bloggers) while others require some hardwork; especially if it is a stable freelance job career that one is looking for.

Having these said, it is also undeniably true that most jobs are already being outsourced. An in-house writer is almost no longer necessary for some small and medium sized businesses as skilled writers for hire already abound the web. This same fact holds true for customer service representatives, programmers, web designers and a lot more. Needless to say, almost any kind of job can already be outsourced, and this is a great advantage for people who are skilled enough to make it through the world of freelance jobs.

Plunging into the waters of freelancing is never easy though; there are a couple of hoops and loops that one has to go through in order to succeed. And as part of our advocacy of bringing you the best freelance jobs all over the web, we will be providing you with your monthly dose of ‘how-to-get-started’ posts that which will help you (especially if you are a newbie) jumpstart your career on the particular freelance job that you chose to do. This month’s highlight will be on new freelance graphic designers. In real life, the how-to’s may not be that easy at all, but they are not that too complicated either. Read on and up your knowledge on your new career a notch higher.

Preparations for a freelance job pursuit

As in most jobs, you will be required to do some preparation in order to be able to be competitive in your chosen field. You are not the only freelance graphic designer in town; and you are still a newbie! What needs to be done?

As a freelance graphic designer, you are expected to be able to deliver quality outputs. This freelance job requires skills on art and its basics. Computer literacy and knowledge on updated design software are also necessary. Therefore the first step is to make sure that you have the required skills to do the job. If you are a self taught designer and you feel you still need to formally attend a short term course or a degree course on graphic designing, then do so! Not only will it help you with future projects; a formal education is also an eye catching qualification that clients look at. However, this is not to say that a formal education is your sole chance to learn— watching free video tutorials will also help. These are available on websites offering online courses on graphic designing or on websites recommending graphic design softwares. Take advantage of them.

After ensuring that you are already equipped with the knowledge and skills to do freelance jobs in this field, it is now necessary for you to do some hardwork and create samples for your portfolio. Your portfolio may be displayed in a hard copy, but the best and more result-driven is a portfolio that is displayed online. Building a website for your work samples is therefore a necessary investment in your pursuit for a career in this kind of freelance job.

Finding freelance job opportunities

Perhaps the best way to jumpstart your career in freelance graphic design and on any freelance job for that matter is to apply on freelance bidding sites. oDesk, Elance and Scriptlance are some of the choices you may consider, but there is a whole lot more. You may also check out www.donanza.com for some search engine feel (and efficiency) in your search for projects.

Your website may also help you gain business. Since your portfolio is already on display there, interested clients may contact you anytime if they like your work. Therefore, make sure to have your contact information posted on your site and also make sure to check your page daily.

Everything is actually as easy as how I made it appear here. It may take some time and effort, but any business and career of any kind will require the same investments anyway! One final note to make— those who are able to make it big in the world of freelance jobs are those who are available for any project possible. Freelance jobs for graphic designers vary, so you might get hit by a feeling of incompetence— never underestimate yourself! All of them are surely still within your scope. Bear in mind that freelance jobs may really be all too customized based on the industry needing it. Jobs which may appear indirectly connected with your expertise such as being a creative director for a publishing company may not ring a bell on you, but it may be a possible project. Therefore, take time to go through each freelance job and to read their descriptions. More choices will always give you better options and better possibilities.

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Filed Under: graphic design, News

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13 Aug

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The Rewards of Being a Freelancer

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Happy FreelancingA lot has already been said about how cool it is to earn without having to deal with a boss or a fixed work schedule; these are the commonly mentioned rewards of being a freelancer. These two are very true for most freelancers. Freelance jobs, after all, are not as demanding and redundant as those of the paper works you handle in the office. Indeed, these two reasons (and the attractive freelance income) are the motivation of most freelancers. The catch, however, comes in after a couple of months and years of an almost complete isolation which might lead any freelancer to decide to go back to their traditional work and leave their freelance jobs— If you are one of these people who is already feeling a bit of burnt out on the home based job that you do, try to look at the lighter side. After all, freelancing is not just about a no-fixed-work-schedule and not having a boss to please. Below are the other rewards that you get to reap as a freelancer.

You are able to practice better financial management. A traditional work will usually take care of most of your financial accounts and responsibilities for you— a freelance job will require you to handle these matters on your own. Additionally, it is also a known fact that there are times when you will encounter dry days (read: no work, no pay) in freelancing. Therefore, freelance jobs do not only teach you how to effectively distribute your income, but also help (or force) you to stock on your savings.

You are able to practice resourcefulness. Diversify. This is one of the major rules that you will need to follow if you wish to make it big in freelancing. A single website can’t provide you all the freelance jobs there is to take advantage of— you need to think out of the box in order to work your way to penetrate other sites. Visiting www.donanza.com will allow you to see all the freelance job opportunities that abound the web.

Freelancing makes you learn continuously. It is frustrating to not be able to qualify for a freelance job just because you lack one of its requirements. In most freelance writers’ case, a lack of knowledge in WordPress, SEO and article directory submission might hit their incomes big time. Therefore, most freelance jobs will require you to continuously learn and specialize on your craft thus promoting self development in the long run.

You learn to balance of work and play. A non-fixed work schedule is no guarantee that you will not be required to stay in front of your computer for hours. Most often than not, freelance jobs can be demanding and might require you to spend an entire day in your home office. Isolation is one of the burnt out triggers in freelancing. Therefore, if you are really into staying in the freelance world for long; you will be required to come up with your very own coping mechanism. This will allow you to keep a balance between work and play, and will keep your sanity in the long run.
Finally, you should never forget that a total positive experience in any kind of work is only possible with a good mind set. Try to always look at things in a lighter perspective. After all, no work is all play at all. You are equipped with everything you need to keep any kind of work fun though.

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06 Aug

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LaidOffCamp

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LaidOffCamp What happens when tech nerds experience our slippery economic downward slope and sky-rocketing unemployment rates? LaidOffCamp of course!

Recent lay-offee, Chris Hutchins, founded LaidOffCamp with the initial goal to provide an opportunity for out-of-work programmers, consultants, IT pros and web designers to give advice to one another, network and maybe find a new project or start a new company.
Chris Hutchins has a refreshing viewpoint on unemployment. Instead of grumbling and feeling sorry for himself, he saw it as an opportunity to find out what he was passionate about and leverage that passion to sustain himself. He expects that at a time like this, everyone should view it as such.
Creating LaidOffCamp enabled Hutchins to discover his own passion, which is organizing community events and spreading them around the world.

So what is LaidOffCamp exactly? Their official wiki page describes it as an ad-hoc gathering of unemployed and self-employed people (including entrepreneurs and startups) who want to share ideas and learn from each other. They also state that you do not have to be unemployed to attend.

The first ever LaidOffCamp was assembled in San Francisco on Tuesday, March 3 which presented a fun, free, day-long conference for the recent victims of the embittered economy: the unemployed, the self-employed and the freelancers eager to entertain their newly freed schedules.

Several LaidOffCamps have been and are still being planned in other cities, such as Dallas’ March 6 event and New York’s two-day affair back in May.
If you’re interested in creating your own LaidOffCamp, visit LaidOffCamp.com

By the way, Hutchins didn’t make any money off of LaidOffCamp, but the experience has energized him to follow this new path.

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