Tag Archives : oDesk

Call centers in the Philippines, India or any other outsourcing destination bring a new breath of hope for a decent earning employment. And yes, I am one of those people who’ve been blessed to have worked for over three years in this thriving industry. But I left the call center completely and never looked back again. At first, I was hesitant to leave my job at Aegis People Support, one of the biggest call center here in Cebu City. With two growing kids in tow, a house rental to think, no [...]

I have been frequenting the LinkedIn oDesk group lately because I am monitoring a discussion that I’ve started regarding freelancing challenges. And I was surprised to see an entirely different look and feel of the groups section. For one, there is now a slide gallery of recent posts that were made, a bar with tabs where you can give a thumbs up, comment, like, pass or flag for a post. Plus a Hootsuite/Facebook like status update console where you can attach a link and provide more detail [...]

Life as a freelancer is not a bed of roses and you know that, I’m sure. It’s challenging. It’s sometimes disappointing and frustrating. And what better way to learn than to ask those who’ve been in the business, and have gone all through what we’re just starting to cross. So I started a group discussion in LinkedIn and asks: What Are Your Biggest Freelancing Challenges? Here’s what LinkedIn members has to say: Ashish Mishra • [...]

Have you planned on buying a brand new laptop but passed it on for next month’s goal because you didn’t get the expected amount? Let me guess, you were getting some good income lately like a regular job, but the exchange rates have been as erratic as woman’s fickle mind. Well don’t pull your hair off. I know that’s frustrating specially if you’re expecting it and have almost ironed out your budget. But chances are, a good exchange rate today, may not be as good [...]

Being too reliant on only one payment option has proven to have serious consequences.  And if you are working in oDesk, you know [tweetmeme]exactly what I mean. I’ve seen the forum filled with dismayed people, frustrated providers and helpless freelancers who couldn’t do anything about their payouts because they only use Paypal for payment transactions. Let’s face it, technology is not foolproof. Paypal, Moneybookers, Payoneer or whichever institution you are using, gives you [...]

There is a lot of spam going on right now with oDesk providers who are part of the gDev team. The original message which started from a [tweetmeme]simple “hi” turns out to carry more than what meets the eye. UAE based company, gDEV FZ LLC who claims to be the biggest employer in oDesk started sending out invitations and hiring providers for a fixed rate fee to undergo several tests and a Skype interview that’s intended for various technical and customer service positions. Well, [...]

It was just a few days ago when I celebrated my birthday and reaching this age (no need to guess, i’m 31) is surely a miracle and a blessing beyond words. Yet it didn’t end there, I just received a notification that as of March, I was included in the Top VA’s in oDesk. “Congratulations! There are hundreds of thousands of providers on oDesk, but you were one of the top performing ones in your category this month. Rankings are based on a combination of the dollar amount of [...]

If getting a job is a challenge, keeping a client is a feat. That’s what I’ve learned from the seemingly horrible experience of financial crisis. Many strive to get a job, but few has the wisdom to keep those clients. Many get hired for weeks or months but few last for years, nor get a repeat transaction. If you are having this same problem you are not alone. You’ve probably thought life is so unfair and employers are opportunists, taking advantage of the employment drought. But [...]

I have reached my first milestone as freelancer just before the end of February by hitting my first 1000 hours on oDesk. Who could have imagined that i’d last this long. I don’t think that even my friends in the call center would actually think that it was possible. But by God’s grace, it’s now 1000 hrs and counting. It’s 1000 hours of learning, and exploring the different facets of working at home, online. I’m very grateful to the first person who hired me and [...]

I’m not a guru when it comes to freelancing. I have only been in this field for about 2 years. But, I have learned a handful of lessons that’s been helping me realize my dream of a successful freelance career. I must say that working at home as a freelancer is like a balancing act between success and failure. It’s like walking on a thin wire that a bad move can mean disaster. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to succeed. Is there any secret mantra to success?I don’t think so. [...]