oDesk Paid For My Boracay Trip

After months of waiting, I had my first Boracay trip last from September 2 to 4. I booked my flight with AirPhil Express since last year when they had the Php 12 base fare promo in any domestic destination. Making an advance booking actually provided an opportunity for a budget traveler like me to prepare long-term for the much awaited Boracay trip. 

You must be wondering how does this relate to my online job at oDesk? 

Even if I had a long time of preparation, I honestly had difficulty saving up a portion of my allowance for this Boracay trip with what I am getting from my full-time job. But, I am just simply grateful that I have existing oDesk contracts (then and now) which gave me extra money to spend on this long-planned Boracay vacation. 

With my low rate of less than $10 per hour in oDesk, I was able to save my 2-weeks worth of project for my Boracay trip. It also dawned upon me that if I make this a full-time job, I might not just be able to send myself to Boracay but perhaps, to other parts of the world, too!

My realization: learn more skills which I can use for my future odesk contracts and increase my hourly rate so, I can just work at home on a full-time basis.

For now, my deepest gratitude to my oDesk clients. Cheers to more projects and a good working relationship.

More about my Boracay trip in another blog entry....

My Daily Routine as Part Time Virtual Assistant on oDesk

I started being a part-time virtual assistant on oDesk last October 2011. To be honest, I was only trying it out to see if it really works or if I can really earn money. It was pretty much like the same feeling of a newbie in an office except that your so-called "odesk colleagues" are on the other side of the planet.


I don't clearly remember when exactly was my first withdrawal of earnings from odesk but, I surely recall that I was able to buy a microwave oven! Haha! I earned that small an amount compared to the odesk professionals who are making thousands of dollars already. But, for a part-time virtual assistant like me, I was happy and thankful. Most blogs that I've read from full-time VA's inspired me to create my own blog as a PART TIME VIRTUAL ASSISTANT. This is simply to share what is my daily routine as a part-time VA. 

I work in an educational institution and work starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. The good thing about my office schedule is I don't have work on weekends unless I am asked to go in on a Saturday for special activities. Throughout the weekdays I used to stay in the office until around 6pm just to finish my work whether I have to meet a deadline or not and thinking that I have nothing else to do at home. Ever since I started taking writing jobs on odesk, my routine drastically changed. I felt the motivation and eagerness to go home thinking that I have an odesk project to finish. I realized that I am even more willing to spare more time doing odesk jobs thinking that I am going to earn more dollars. Indeed, a great reason to avoid overtime in the office. At 6pm, I am already at home and would relax a bit. After which, I eat dinner and watch tv for a while. Then, at 7:30pm I start on my odesk projects and would stay late until 11pm or even as late as 12 midnight if I have to beat a deadline. On Saturday and Sunday, I spend 6 to 10 hours doing projects for my odesk clients. oDesk is also the reason why I love weekends, aside from the fact that I earn money and spend time with my family all at the same time. 

Being a part-time oDesk contractor has changed my general perspective of work and time management. The months of working on oDesk led me to opportunities with a higher job offer. To be a full-time oDesk contractor is something that I want to achieve. For the meantime, being a part-time online writer merely is going well for me, and I love it!

oDesk Feedback: Just Another Experience

I seldom apply for fixed-price contracts in odesk unless the writing job is something I would enjoy researching and writing about. Recently, I accepted a fixed-price contract where the client asked me to write ten articles about Strep Throat for a minimal amount. I researched through google about the topic before taking the job and thought that it was kind of easy to do so, I agreed with the terms. My client was a Bangladeshi, I think he is maintaining a blog site and earns through advertisements because he reiterated that I had to use the keywords he noted in his instructions. I further learned that he was an SEO expert; hence, the repeated instructions for me to use the keywords as often as I can. Anyway, I finished the project successfully despite the struggle to understand his "roller coaster" English grammar. Actually, whenever the client would send me messages, I cannot help but be more than proud of how Filipinos speak and write English efficiently (hehehe!). In short, I finished the project, and my Bangladeshi client promptly paid me and ended the contract at the same time.

As usual, when an odesk contract ends, both parties are invited to leave feedback. Thus, I received a notification about the positive feedback, and this client was apparently, expecting good feedback from me too. I wanted to laugh upon reading the message considering his jumbled English grammar. At the same time, I thought it was a bit rude of him to tell me to log onto Skype just to remind me that I HAVE to leave him good feedback. But, out of professionalism, I did as I was asked. Besides, he was equally punctual with the payment and was always available for consultation if I needed to clarify something. Apparently, I gave him feedback without double-checking on the rating that he gave me. I did not expect that he would give me a perfect score so, I ended up giving him a lower score as compared to the five-star rating he gave me. Then, just this evening when I checked my odesk inbox, he sent me another message instructing me to change my feedback! This is simply unbelievable! It was quite funny that he is very conscious of not getting a five-star input from me. I did not give him a perfect score, though. I know you understand that grammar affects the entire sense of the message, right? But then again, out of professionalism, I edited my feedback and changed it to a perfect score so, everything is fair and square.


I just hope that he will not bother me again. It was a unique experience for me being an independent odesk contractor. The experience also reminded me how multicultural the virtual world is. Every nationality working or hiring in odesk has their own way of communicating and relating with clients/contractors. Above all, I realized that Filipinos are simply incomparable workers as online jobs start to become more popular and Filipino contractors are always in demand and trusted by foreign clients. 

An oDesk Testimonial of Gratitude

For the past 10 months I have worked as an independent contractor in oDesk, I would say that I am delighted with how things are going for me right now. I started with a very minimal amount not to shoo away clients, and I considered my first 3 months in oDesk as my "trial period" just to see the terms and how constant the projects will be. I have had more than ten clients where I did several tasks of writing for website content and SEO, research, blogging, survey creation, and forum posting contracts. I must say, I enjoyed all my oDesk contracts but as what other contractors would say, working at home with an online writing job could be somewhat erratic. But then again, for me who is working on a part-time basis, I could not be grateful enough to oDesk and my clients (past and present) for the opportunities and trust they have given me. My self-esteem and confidence in my writing ability have grown because of the several projects, positive outcomes and healthy relationship I have built during those months.

I am writing this blog entry to express my gratitude to oDesk and to both contractors and clients to carry on in widening our horizon as we serve each other through our unique talents. Currently, I am deeply in awe of how I have closed another 3 projects with 3 different contractors. Rest assured that I will do my best as we go along this working relationship which hopefully will last for the longest time. Thinking about how blessed I am with these oDesk contracts, I just couldn't help but be grateful for EVERYTHING. And I really wish that this will eventually lead me to be a full-time work-at-home professional.

Work at Home: A Realization

The past two weeks was really challenging for me because I experienced getting confined in the hospital for the second time (in my entire life!). When I was a kid, I would remember my parents convincing me not to be afraid of the nurse, doctor or the hospital, per se. But, up to this day, I do not like the thought of needles, oxygen, hospital bed and the whole idea of getting sick and being admitted. For the past two weeks, my fever had been shooting up and down so, I had to spend a few days in the hospital and underwent some tests. When I was finally released from the hospital, I felt so relieved thinking that I can finally go back to my odesk duties. Actually, it was a mixture of disappointment and rejoicing. Disappointment because a few days of additional rest would mean deductions from my sick leave which is convertible to cash at the end of the year. On the other hand, it was a day of rejoicing for me too because it would mean more hours on odesk! I must admit that the thought of staying at home and being able to get some odesk work done is a bit liberating and gives an absolute thrill. 

It has been my ultimate goal to work at home on a full-time basis ever since I learned about people working on the same terms. I have been hearing about people working at home but did not fully believe that it can actually happen not until I started attending free webinars which presented actual people who are working at home and earning double or at times, triple than the routine office job. So, my recovery period became an opportunity for me to actually try out what it really feels like to work at home on a full-time basis. Luckily, I currently have three clients who have given me many writing jobs, and I made use of my so-called "rest days" to work on the projects they gave me. I have started this part-time virtual assistant career as a writer/blogger/researcher since October last year, and it has been very fulfilling. Now that I get to experience doing work at home tasks on a full-time basis (even for just a week) made me appreciate it even more.  

Honestly, I am now contemplating resigning from my full-time job at the university and just continue with this work at home set up. Don't get me wrong because I like my job in the university but at some point, I just get so exhausted from all the office politics and stressful bosses. There is something inside me that just wants to give up everything and continue with my work at home gig. It's just a matter of finding the right opportunity on odesk and the ideal client who can finally give me a full-time VA work. And I am going to find it in the next few days or weeks...I promise.

How to Get Approval for Google Adsense - My Personal Experience

Way back my college years between 2000 to 2004, I attempted to construct a blog site but I ended up writing one entry only for every new blog site that is introduced. The routine has always been like that, signing up for a new account for whatever blog site is most popular and blogging about stuff reaching up to only one page and then no more. 

When I started reading Bo Sanchez's blogs, I was exposed to different ways on how to earn money through the internet. Then, I stumbled upon names of people I have no idea of (back then) like the Philippine's Online Marketing Guru Mr. Jomar Hilario. I read about his blogs and participated in the free webinars he would give from time to time. In other words, I was convinced that I can really earn extra money through the internet. Back in the early 2000, I was reading all about how to make money from blogging and stuff. Then, I researched more on the topic and eventually learned about Google Adsense. When I started out taking jobs on oDesk, I had several projects wherein I was tasked to blog for different websites. Now, I get the whole picture why people from all over the world would take time publishing different articles online. 

I'd post about how to get approval for Google Adsense based on my own personal experience. As I have mentioned, it was several years back when I tried blogging but it did not work out. In 2011, along with my several applications on oDesk, I revived my blogging habit. I was thinking of keeping a blog site as a personal portfolio ONLY and not for public consumption. But, my hopes to get paid for blogging was rekindled. Day by day, I tried to fill up pages of my blogger account with different entries that I can think of. I mean, that was one tip I got --- for beginners who do not know what to blog about, just write anything under the sun; your experiences for the day, your favorite tv show, what you ate for lunch, an inspiring message or childhood memories. It can be about anything. In my case, I love to blog about my travel adventures and experiences from oDesk projects. 


However, if you are applying for Google Adsense, here are a few of my personal tips:

1. Your blog site should have a catchy title. The title/subtitle should reflect what the reader is about to read or what the site is all about.

2. The "About Me" section is critical for readers to know who is behind every article they are reading.

3. Start blogging NOW! Remember that your blog entries should point out a particular theme. There are many blogs on "How To's" and these are usually the ones who gain attention from readers. Actually, you can blog about anything as long as your site has a specific theme that caters to a particular audience. 

4. Avoid grammatical errors. Proofread your work before publishing it. Your site will increase more credibility if it appears to be professionally done and with limited mistakes.

5. Blog everyday for the rest of your life. This is something I had difficulty doing. But, I tried my best to maintain the site and write as often as I can. 

6. Keep your site as clean as possible. Include "gadgets" which are only crucial like email catcher and share buttons (i.e. facebook, twitter and other social media sites) to gain popularity. Do not include those that will just make your site appear confusing. 

7. On a more technical aspect, when you apply for google adsense, it is most likely that you are going to fill-up forms. Make sure that you declare information that pertains to yourself as correctly as possible.

8. If it is your first time to apply, most likely you will get denied of your application (just like me!). Do not lose hope, just continue writing and posting blogs!

9. Take note that your blog contents should tackle a particular theme and should keep up with google adsense guidelines.

10. Be PATIENT in trying to apply and re-apply (only if you get disapproved). 

It took me one year before my blog site was finally approved for adsense. I think the key is to keep on blogging and be patient with the procedures. Now, I can finally say that Adsense has inspired me to write more meaningful blogs. 

Tips on Time Management Especially for those Working at Home

I must admit that taking projects on oDesk can be a bit overwhelming because you would want to earn as much as you can. However, if you are working at home on a part time basis (like me), you should be able to efficiently assess how many projects you can do. This can help you build up a good track record that you can finish projects on time rather than take on several jobs which you cannot complete. It is both a frustration for you and for the client. When I was just new to oDesk, I tried to engage in several projects but it did not work out well because I was thinking that I had to work double time to submit on time. It was too late when I realized that I have taken too much work and neglected some projects already. Hence, I was unable to produce the expected output for one of my clients. There were times when I took one project after the other because I felt that I CAN STILL handle it but, unfortunately I can only do so much. From then on, I learned my lessons well. I took projects which are appropriate for my skills so, I can give the best for my clients. Luckily, many of my oDesk clients have been satisfied with what I submit to them.

But, one of the most important things that I realized too is time management. I am not an expert on the topic but, I must say that I have learned my lessons the hard way. As an independent contractor in oDesk, TIME MANAGEMENT is essential. It is not wrong to take on several projects all at the same time as long as you know how to prioritize which task must be prioritized (considering the deadline). In this way, you will not sacrifice the quality of your work and at the same time, satisfy your clients by submitting quality work right on schedule.

If you are still struggling with time management, here are a few tips that I can share with you (especially for those working at home/oDesk):

1. Make a list of your "Things to do"

The typical employee always have a list of the things to accomplish for the day. Even if you are working at home, maintaining a line up of tasks that needs to be done will be helpful to identify what projects are needed ASAP and which ones can wait. By doing this, you save yourself from the stress of thinking about the projects all at the same time.

2. Avoid the feeling of panic. Just focus on one task at a time.

When you have enlisted what task needs priority, then put all your concentration on that job alone. Do not be anxious that there are numerous works waiting. Yes, there are multiple projects to be accomplished but you have to stick with what you have on hand --- the one that needs to be done ASAP.

3. Set a time frame for each project.

Think of how much time you need to finish one project and stick to the set schedule. This will enable you to make use of the time properly.  You know yourself well, so only you can tell how much time is needed or how quick of a worker you are.

4. Always aim to finish ahead of the deadline.

There will always be demanding clients especially for those working at home (oDesk, in my case). Whether you are working by the hour or working at a fixed-price contract, always aim to finish ahead of the deadline. This will provide opportunity for you to have spare time relaxing for a while and then, take on additional tasks which means more income.

5. Do not procrastinate.

This is usually the problem for those working at home. You have a lot of temptation to delay the job. Your bed is easily accessible for a quick nap (which ends up extending your sleeping hours); internet is just in front of you to check what's new on facebook; magazines and newspapers at your home to read; the television can be easily turned on and tune in to your favorite tv show. There are plenty of reasons to procrastinate and delay the accomplishment of your projects. So, try to be strong and well-disciplined as possible in getting things done (especially the most important ones).

I am glad to share with you my personal struggles ever since I started working on oDesk. I know I have a long way to go before I can make it my full time job. But, time management especially for those working at home, is one key to be successful in this unique career path.

oDesk Withdrawal Method - My Personal Dilemma

I was due to withdraw my odesk earnings today, July 18. Ever since I started withdrawing funds from my odesk account, I always use the LFT or Local Funds Transfer wherein I directly receive payment through my Metrobank ATM. Unfortunately today, I admittedly was kind of thinking it was like a default setting that when I click "withdraw", it will be just the same. In short, I was not in my proper frame of mind (hehe!). However, when I checked the transaction history on odesk, I withdrew funds and transferred it to my PayPal account! I was angry at myself for being so absent-minded. I registered my Paypal account as a backup payment plan just in case clients would ask if I have such thing. But, to actually transfer fund from odesk to Paypal, I must say is such a hassle for a newbie like me.

My Paypal account is linked to my Union Bank EON Card. I have separately set up my Paypal and EON Card accounts since last year but have not really tried if it actually works. Now, I finally got a taste of how tedious this process is. It was a few months back since I last visited my Paypal account because I do not really use it that often. Good thing I was able to retrieve my password and saw that my odesk money was instantly transferred. The problem now is when I was trying to transfer fund to my EON Card (debit card), I could not push through with the transaction because Paypal system was asking me to verify my debit card through a 4-digit number. Unfortunately, I did not have my EON Card with me and could not check these magic numbers being asked from me to successfully transfer my money from Paypal to EON Card.

Nevertheless, here are the realizations I ended up with:

1. oDesk charges a bit higher amount when you withdraw earnings through Paypal as compared to LFT (Local Fund Transfer). If you withdraw through Paypal, odesk costs $1 whereas LFT is only $0.99. You might say that there is not much difference, anyway. But, if you are going to withdraw a large amount, the decimal point does matter.

2. Paypal's money conversion seemed a bit lower as compared to the dollar-peso rate applied through LFT. Usually, when I withdraw funds from oDesk to my Metrobank account, exchange rate is around $1 equivalent to Php 41 - 42. On the other hand, I noticed that Paypal's conversion rate is a dollar lower thus, $1 is equivalent to Php 40. Apart from this, you will be deducted of the respective remittance charge from your respective bank, like in my case, Metrobank that charges roughly around Php 75 to 80 once money is transmitted to my ATM. In Paypal, different charges apply for different banks too, but the lowest  rate is Union Bank which is Php 50 based on what I have read in other blogs. For other banks connected to your Paypal it may cost to above Php100.

3. For the price that you are going to pay, I would recommend the oDesk LFT withdrawal since the end result gives you a slightly lower odesk charge and remittance fee which in my case is Metrobank. I think the deducted amount is fine since I get to receive payment after 2 to 3 days only. Say for example, I withdraw my odesk money on a Wednesday therefore, I would receive it by Saturday of the same week.  Paypal has a 5 to 7 day allowance before your money is transferred to your debit card which is a bit longer waiting time.


Lessons learned: Withdraw my oDesk fund through LFT, ALWAYS! And most of all, always double check on what you are clicking before finalizing any withdrawal transaction.

Goodluck to others (out there) who are experimenting on oDesk withdrawal methods!

My First oDesk Contract Ended

My first two months of having a dull oDesk profile did not do me any good. I was waiting and waiting for jobs to come in but there's nothing, zero, zilch, nada! Sure, I got a few interviews here and there but did not make it simply because of my dull oDesk profile. Now, after realizing what I needed to do and that's basically dazzling up my oDesk profile with all the skills test and good scores, I finally got 4 contracts with different employers all at the same time. It was crazy and overwhelming at first. I'm on my second work week, by the way, and I am getting the hang of it. But, what I realized also is that if this is only a part time job, it's not good to have 4 employers all at the same time because it can be quite demanding of your time.And so, as a consequence of being "overly employed", one of my contracts ended --- the easiest one which is blog commenting job. I may have neglected it simply because I knew it was an easy task where all the rest of my job requires me to really write articles that will be used for website contents. After checking my oDesk profile and saw that notification that one of my employers ended my contract, I got a bit disappointed but realized it was actually my fault since I am a newbie, I got so overwhelmed and took the job but did not put much effort on it. Anyway, the remaining three contracts, I hope to retain because I really want a part time online job. oDesk is the most reliable source of online job I know. :-)

My First oDesk Dispute Ticket

It was just yesterday when I blogged about my first odesk writing jobs. I did not think I was going to be "reprimanded" by my employer THIS SOON like after a week and a half of working . Well, it was my fault in the first place. Currently, I have 4 employers for which I am writing up different articles altogether. So, with all the excitement and enthusiasm to finish all the necessary tasks, I did not notice when I logged into the time monitoring odesk feature, I clicked on the wrong employer and was charging hours on the wrong one! It was such a bad feeling because all my effort in writing this particular topic was lost. Apart from that, I received a sort of "memo" for the discrepancies in my log in time (which I honestly did not mean).




Ergo, I got my first "dispute" ticket from odesk. I felt bad but after that, I still felt thankful that for a newbie like me, everything was settled and I'm back to work! This time, I swear, I'm going to be more careful. Now, I have to get back to writing more articles! I love this part-time job!

Tips on How to Get Hired at oDesk.com

odesk.com

I have not written any blog post for the past few weeks now. I'm just so jammed up with all the office work plus the school requirements because I have a deadline to beat. Due to this busy schedule, my frustration to get a part-time online job as a stepping stone to flexible time, got me so hyped up. One of the most popular way of getting an online job is through oDesk.com. I have long signed up and maintained my account but never took the time to actually "overhaul" my public profile. It actually took me some time before getting the tricks on how to get hired by oDesk employers. Finally, last week, I had several job offers and job invitations coming in my inbox and got so giddy about it! I am very thankful that as of now I have 4 ongoing contracts with different employers which require me to do article writing, blogging and writing up for website contents --- something that I really enjoy doing.

Here are some tips on how to get hired at oDesk:

1. Create a profile by putting in a valid email address and a formal photo of you.

2. Take many oDesk skills test as much as possible.

3. Do not overcharge. Given that you are newbie to oDesk, do not expect that employers will pay you $10 per hour without any experience. For beginners, it is ideal to start at $1 per hour.

4. Having a personal blog site can help you get started. If you are up for writing jobs just like me, maintain a personal blog site which you can use as a reference on the level of your writing skills, in case the employer will ask for a sample article.

5. Reply promptly. Time is gold for these people seeking employees over the internet. So, if you can check your email regularly so that you can send your response right away to potential employers, that would be better.

6. Lastly, and I will repeat, make your resume concise and glamorous by taking A LOT of oDesk skills test and scoring very well on these exams. Believe me, this is your key to numerous job offers.

So there, I hope I have helped you in my own little way especially those who are like me, finding my way to a more flexible schedule by working at home on a full time basis. I'll post some more of my experiences on oDesk. But, for now, I have to get back on writing articles!