My First Freelance Contract

On July 22, 2011, I signed up on oDesk. I had no idea what kind of job I would be able to do. I looked over the job categories and realized that a majority of them were information technology type of work. I got disheartened since I had no background in IT, but I decided to give it a try. There is a category for Administrative Support and thought that maybe I could get a job there.

First, I read a forum post on how to land that first job. It broke down the list to three things: complete contractor's profile, appropriate cover letters and frequent job bids. I will detail each on a separate post, but suffice it to say that I followed the advice.

I started sending out job applications as soon as I completed my profile. I knew I had to get any job and at least one good feedback on my wall. Majority of the job posts on oDesk have requirements such as minimum number of oDesk hours, minimum feedback score and a set of skills. I do have skills I just needed to find that one job where I can show them off.

I started looking for simple, clear-cut and task-oriented jobs. And I found this post.

STUDENTS PREFERRED. This is a very SIMPLE JOB which will just require approximate 2 hours of work.
I have here some 300 scanned photos which need to be cropped to size. Resolution to maintain. File name to be saved as per the file given, can overwrite it.
Contractor with best price offer shall get this job. Fast awarding with expected fast delivery.

I did mention in my profile that I am a photography hobbyist and decided to submit a low bid for this job. I made a concise cover letter addressing my competency for the job, and his specific concerns in getting the job done, correctly and on time.

Dear Sir:

I am a photography hobbyist and I will use Lightroom to crop the photos. This is what I use in cropping my own photos. This will not alter the resolution and will ensure faster turn around for the 300 photos. 

If you hire me for the job, I will be able to submit the photos to you within 24 hours. I am available to chat on Skype or Google+ or you can contact me via email or oDesk.

Will you be sending the photos in a zip file?

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,

Two days after I signed up on oDesk, I got hired for my first job, cropping more than 800 photos. I got my 5-star feedback and got rehired by the same client for a higher rate to undertake Social Media Management, Research Work and other Administrative Duties.

Today, August 27, 37 days after I officially signed up on oDesk,

• I have submitted 61 job applications.
• I received a total of 13 contracts.
• I got cheated by 1 client.
• I received bonuses from 2 clients.
• I ended the contract of 1 unethical client.
• I got rehired by 3 clients.
• And I have 6 ongoing contracts to keep me busy.

Why did I choose oDesk?

It's the rainy season again and tourists will be hard to come by. That will be a big strain on my finances. I have to think of a way to augment my income without having to commit to a long term office job and something that can be done while working from home.

Why can't I leave my house? Well, my tour inquiries usually come from calls to my home number and if I miss a potential client's call, they will not wait for me to get back to them. They will immediately call my competitors and book with them.

Two of my friends have experience finding work through oDesk. But I was still hesitant to try it because I didn't think I can convince people to hire me without being interviewed face to face. Plus, most of the jobs were for software developers; I was never trained for that kind of work. I was intimidated with the amount of skill needed to get a job but there is a section for Administrative Assistants. I thought I could do that, be someone's virtual girl-Friday.

Two days later, I got my first job and I'm now applying for my 11th contract. No, it was not easy, but with a little bit of work and some brain power, it's not insurmountable.

Get Hired on oDesk

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk

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