Upgrade to Pro — share decks privately, control downloads, hide ads and more …

Building your Freelancing Career with oDesk

Saad Hamid
February 26, 2015

Building your Freelancing Career with oDesk

For post-followup and discussion, please join this group https://www.facebook.com/groups/freelancers.pakistan/

Saad Hamid

February 26, 2015
Tweet

More Decks by Saad Hamid

Other Decks in Education

Transcript

  1. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Building Your In Online Freelancing Saad Hamid CAREER
  2. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Saad Hamid Email: [[email protected]] Skype: [SaadGhouri] Twitter: [@SaadGh] •  Elance.com & oDesk.com •  Office hours & product demos •  Tips for online freelancing •  Events & partnerships Elance-oDesk Mobilizer
  3. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Agenda What is online work? About us How does online freelancing work? 1 Keys to success 2 3 4 5 Getting Started
  4. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. 1 What is online work?
  5. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Evolution of remote work * Telecommuting 1990’s 2000 2005 2010 2020 The image cannot be displaye d. Your compute Online Work 1980’s Outsourcing
  6. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. What Freelancing is NOT! Scheme to get rich quickly Work less & make money Always exciting work Providing services for free *
  7. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Software Development Customer Service Data Entry Writing & Blogging Accounting Mobile App Development SEO/SEM Virtual Assistance Translation Graphic Design Legal Web Development If you can do it on a computer, you can do it on oDesk
  8. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Top Writing Skills
  9. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Most In-Demand Positions │Writing Source: E-O data, Q4 2014 •  Content Writing •  Article Writing •  Blog Writing •  Copywriting •  Web Content Management Web & Marketing Writing •  Creative Writing •  Technical Writing •  Ghostwriting •  Academic Writing •  Journalism Writing •  Screenwriting Specialized Writing •  Editing •  Proofreading •  Copy Editing Editing & Proofreading
  10. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skill Areas by Income Tier │Writing Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Screenwriting •  Ghostwriting •  Academic Writing •  Business Writing High-Range Skills (+$20/hour) •  Copy Editing •  Copywriting •  Writing •  Journalism Writing •  Technical Writing •  Editing •  Creative Writing Mid-Range Skills ($13 to $17 /hour) •  Content Writing •  Proofreading •  Web Content Management •  Article Writing •  Blog Writing •  Microsoft Word Lower-Tier Skills (Under $13/hour)
  11. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skills where Demand > Supply │Writing Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Copywriting •  Business Writing •  Blog Writing •  Content Writing •  Article Writing Web & Marketing Writing •  Screenwriting •  Creative Writing •  Ghostwriting •  Academic Writing •  Journalism Writing Specialized Writing Many of the writing areas that are under-supplied are also the highest-paying, such as Screenwriting, Ghostwriting, Academic Writing and Business Writing.
  12. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Top Admin Support Skills
  13. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Most In-Demand Positions │Admin Support Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Phone handling •  Email handling •  Calendaring/Scheduling •  Excel & Google docs •  Salesforce administration •  Transcription •  CMS •  Social Media Marketing Personal/Virtual Assistant •  Phone support •  Email support •  Live Chat •  Zendesk Customer Service Representative •  Internet research •  Data entry •  Excel & Google docs •  English Web Researcher
  14. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skill Areas by Income Tier │Admin Support Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Salesforce Administration •  Technical Support •  Help Desk •  Medical Billing & Coding •  Research •  Transcription •  Email Technical Support High-Range Skills (+$10/hour) •  Customer support •  Customer Service •  Administrative Support •  Phone Support •  Email Handling •  General Office Skills •  Calendar Management Mid-Range Skills ($7 to $10 /hour) •  Telephone Skills •  Appointment Setting •  Chat Support •  BPO Call Center •  Internet Research •  Zendesk Lower-Tier Skills (Under $7/hour) Customer service positions are in increasingly high demand. Demand for platform skills such as Zendesk, Salesforce Administration and CMS/marketing automation software is high. Hourly rates for Salesforce Administrators exceed $24/hr USD.
  15. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skills where Demand > Supply │Admin Support Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Customer Service •  Customer Support •  Live Chat Support •  Email Support •  Phone Support •  Zendesk Customer Service •  Technical Support •  Help Desk •  Zendesk •  Salesforce Administration •  Medical Billing & Coding •  Transcription •  French •  German •  Excel Technical Support Personal/Virtual Assistant Customer service represents the largest opportunity for freelance admins. Demand is greater than supply, average wages are higher than general admin wages, and most clients are hiring for long-term positions - more than 6 months.
  16. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Top Design Skills
  17. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Most In-Demand Positions │Design Source: E-O data, Q4 2014 •  Graphic Design •  Adobe Photoshop •  Adobe Illustrator •  Logo Design •  Illustration Graphic Design •  Web Design •  Bootstrap •  User Interface (UI) Design •  PSD to HTML •  User Experience (UX) Design Web & Mobile Design •  3D Modeling •  Animation •  Video Editing •  Voice Acting •  Video Production Product Design & Media
  18. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skill Areas by Income Tier │Design Source: E-O data, Q4 2014 Many top-earning skills are related to web & mobile as demand continues to grow. Rates are highest for UX design skills (which may involve user research, information architecture, prototyping and testing) and UI design which anticipates how a user will interact with the product. Other high-wage skills include voice acting, and design for education such as instructional design and eLearning skills. •  Wireframing •  Voice Acting •  UX Design •  Mobile UI Design •  Microsoft Sharepoint •  Instructional Design •  UI Design High-Range Skills (>$20/hour) •  eLearning •  Photography •  Infographics •  Presentations •  3D Modeling •  Cartooning •  Responsive Web Design Mid-Range Skills ($17 to $20/hour) •  Bootstrap •  Adobe After Effects •  Adobe Flash •  Animation •  3D Design •  Game Design •  2D Animation •  3D Rendering Lower-Tier Skills (Under $17/hour)
  19. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skills where Demand > Supply │Design Source: oDesk data, December 2014 •  UX Design •  UI Design •  Microsoft Sharepoint •  Web Design Web & Mobile •  Animation •  Video Production •  Video Editing •  3D Design •  3D Modeling Video & Animation 3D Design Many web & mobile design skills are under-supplied and earn the most with high hourly rates and high project values. Video, animation and 3D design skills also need more qualified freelance designers to meet existing demand.
  20. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Top IT Skills
  21. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Most In-Demand Positions │IT Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Javascript •  Angular •  Node •  HTML5 Front-End Web Dev •  iOS development •  Android SDK / dev •  Objective-C / Swift •  Java / Core Java Mobile Programming •  Ruby on Rails •  Python •  PHP •  MySQL Back-End Web Dev
  22. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skill Areas by Income Tier │IT Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  Ruby on Rail •  Git •  Python •  Ruby •  Node.js •  AWS •  Mongo.DB High-Range Skills (+$24/hour) •  Javascript •  jQuery •  SQL •  Java •  ASP.NET •  Bootstrap •  Magento Mid-Range Skills ($17 to $24 /hour) •  PHP •  HTML •  Wordpress •  SEO •  CSS •  Drupal •  General Web Design •  General Web Dev Lower-Tier Skills (Under $17/hour) Top-earning skills are specialized around platforms that are new and in high demand. Wages for general CMS customization / editing have dropped as supply in these areas has increased in the past 5 years.
  23. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Skills where Demand > Supply │IT Source: oDesk data, November 2014 •  iOS Development •  Objective C •  Swift iOS Dev •  Android SDK •  Java •  MySQL •  jQuery •  ASP.NET •  Ruby on Rails •  C# •  Python •  Java Android Dev Other Mobile development represents the largest opportunity for freelance programmers. Demand is greater than supply, average wages are higher than general IT wages, and average spend per job is 3X of average job on marketplace.
  24. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Unbounded access to work •  Increase your income •  Work with clients across the globe •  Set your own hours •  Work from anywhere •  Find interesting projects that may not exist locally
  25. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Requirements •  Computer and internet connection •  Work-only email and skype account •  English skills •  Ready-to-work attitude •  Strong skills
  26. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. 2 About us
  27. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Top Freelancer Countries 1.  United States 2.  India 3.  Ukraine 4.  Pakistan 5.  United Kingdom 6.  Russia 7.  Canada 8.  Philippines 9.  Romania 10.  China The workplace of the world
  28. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Elance-oDesk in Pakistan •  Freelancers: >500K
  29. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Clients hiring on Elance-oDesk The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and
  30. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Access to more jobs Work without risk Great work is rewarded Benefits
  31. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. 3 How does online freelancing work?
  32. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Getting the job * MATCH EARN COLLABORATE Search Jobs Submit Proposed Terms and Cover Letter Discuss the Job with the Client Review and Accept Job Offer Start Work Collaborate, Communicate and Share Files Submit Work Get Paid
  33. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Which path to choose? Individual Agency *
  34. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Write a crisp, focused profile •  Focus on your best skill •  Upload a professional picture •  Introduce yourself and what you have to offer •  Set your rate •  Take and pass some oDesk skill tests •  Post your portfolio •  Add your previous work experiences •  Check for errors
  35. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * •  First thing clients read when looking for freelancers •  Be short and clear •  Let clients know of your skills •  Indicate what type of jobs you’re looking for Title: First thing first
  36. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * List your skills •  Focus on most relevant skills •  Prefer to list only those skills that you can take a test in to prove your competency
  37. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * •  Section to let clients know about your qualifications and experiences •  Highlight skills, interests, assets that make you an ideal freelancer to clients •  Mention types of jobs you’re looking for •  Show how your skills can solve clients’ problems Overview
  38. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * •  Start with oDesk readiness test •  Take at least 2 tests and try to get among the top 20% or above •  oDesk test scores can establish credentials of your knowledge on a subject matter Skill Tests
  39. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Set up withdrawal methods •  Variety of withdrawal options such as Payoneer Debit MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, Local Funds Transfer, etc.
  40. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Find the right jobs for you •  Do I have the right skills and interest for the job? •  Can I prove that I have the right skills? •  Do I have time for the scope of the project? •  Does the job description look complete and thoughtfully written? •  Is the offered rate acceptable? •  Vet client!
  41. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Vet your client Past spend Payment verified Hires & hiring ratio Detailed job description
  42. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Fixed-price vs. hourly jobs Fixed-price •  Generally short-term projects paid upon completion •  Terms agreed to before work begins Hourly •  Often preferred by freelancers •  All time logged through the Team App •  Covered by oDesk Hourly Payment Guarantee
  43. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. •  Use professional and friendly tone •  Relate back to the job post, 
 demonstrate you’ve read the description •  Respond to questions, follow directions •  Ask clarifying questions •  Reread, edit and consider •  Don’t copy+paste! * 7 steps to an excellent cover letter
  44. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Prepare for the interview •  Be flexible with time zones and communication preferences •  Make sure to understand the job requirements •  Double-check your equipment •  Be professional and honest – don’t mislead the client •  Ask for details about the job •  Ask if there is a deadline for hiring and thank them for the interview
  45. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Pricing and negotiating •  Pricing •  Research your market •  Consider the client’s point of view •  Factor in time, complexity, effort •  Negotiating •  Maintain a professional tone •  Be willing to withdraw if you can’t get an agreement – 
 early conflicts can be a red flag •  Working outside of oDesk eliminates all your protections – and it’s against the rules
  46. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. •  Create a workspace with minimal distractions •  Set regular work hours so that clients know when you are available •  Set up a kick-off meeting with your client •  Communicate regularly •  Keep the oDesk Team App on * Making it work
  47. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. •  Download the Team App to log hours •  Log in and start tracking time •  Enter a memo and/or activity •  Work-in-progress snapshots and memos guarantee you’ll get paid •  Can also track offline time when allowed by client * Using the Team App and Work Diary
  48. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Earnings are available 10 days later You and the client can review time-logs The workweek ends every Sunday Hourly billing cycle
  49. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. 4 Keys to success
  50. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. 4 tips and tricks •  Be your own boss and take responsibility for delivering excellent work on time •  Set expectations and give your client regular progress updates •  Resolve issues quickly •  Use a project management tool *
  51. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Communication is key! •  Agree on work hours, deadlines and delivery mode •  Establish regular check-in meetings •  Ask when you’re unsure of something •  Inform your client immediately when something goes wrong or is delayed •  Plan for your off-time •  Use sharing tools: Work Diary, Google docs, Evernote, Dropbox, etc.
  52. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Dos and Don’ts of written communication Don’ts •  Don’t use all caps •  No emoticons •  No slang or text shortcuts Dos •  Be professional and polite •  Be careful with jokes •  Be concise *
  53. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. Protecting yourself •  If client asks to pay outside of oDesk, report it to our customer support team •  Avoid any client who requests free work •  Never pay to get a job! •  If a job looks suspicious, report it to our customer support team *
  54. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. * Get rewarded for great performance •  Send thank-you email to client and let them know you’re available for more work •  Ask the client to close the contract and provide honest feedback •  Get approval to display your finished 
 project in your portfolio •  Adjust your hourly rate if necessary •  Add any new skills you’ve acquired 
 to your profile •  Move on to the next job!
  55. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. 5 Getting Started
  56. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. You’ve got the skills – we’ve got the jobs Opportunity Ease Freedom Success Pick and choose your projects We handle payments and paperwork for you Join the millions of professionals who build a career they love Work with top companies around the world
  57. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. 7 habits of successful freelancers •  Communicate early, communicate often. •  When in doubt, ask. •  Set clear expectations. •  Respond quickly. •  Hit deadlines. •  Be a pleasure to work with. •  Under-promise, over-deliver. *
  58. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. “Remote work is here, and it’s here to stay. The only question is whether you’ll be part of the early adopters, the early majority, the late majority, or the laggards. The ship carrying the innovators has already sailed, but there are still plenty of vessels for the early adopters. Come on board.” – Jason Fred & David Heinemeier Hansson Authors of Remote: Office Not Required
  59. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not

    Distribute. © 2000-2014 Elance-oDesk, Inc. Elance-oDesk proprietary and confidential. Do Not Distribute. Saad Hamid Email: [[email protected]] Skype: [SaadGhouri] Twitter: [@SaadGh] •  Elance.com & oDesk.com •  Office hours & product demos •  Tips for online freelancing •  Events & partnerships Elance-oDesk Mobilizer