oDesk Changed My Life

This wonderful lady here is Ana Marie Barrieses. She got married last October 2012 and is a hands-on mommy to the cutest little boy ever. We graduated from the same university and had the pleasure of working together as a web content provider for a private company. I contacted her a couple of years ago so I can feature her on my blog. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked and the interview never got published. Now that I finally found the time to write again, I got in touch with Ana so I can finally feature her success story here. Read about how she started and where she is now with her freelancing.


Name: Ana Marie Barrieses
Location: Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Odesk Member Since: June 17, 2008

What was your previous job before you joined oDesk? I was working as a telecollector.

Where did you first hear about oDesk? From a friend, she was my classmate in college.

What made you decide to become a member of the site?

I wasn't all that interested at first but I keep hearing good things about being a member and about working online so I went ahead and tried it. Luckily, it did not take me long to get hired. I landed my first oDesk job and was given the chance to show what I am capable of doing.

What was the first project you worked on? 

It was a VA job which lasted for more than 6 months.

That's great! Was it full time? 

No, just part time at first. I was required to work 4-6 hours a day. It went very well and after a few months, I took on more jobs and then went full time.

What obstacles have you encountered when you were still starting?

I had a pretty hard time dealing with some clients. The know-it-all types make it harder for me to share my ideas. The overly demanding ones, too, made my work a lot harder. I also had problem with my work schedule but thankfully things are so much better now.

What top three lessons have you learned as an oDesk freelancer? 

I learned that no matter how skilled or talented you are, you won't last long if you are not willing to learn, if you don't have patience and determination. It is also important to have good work ethics. Second, you have to be open to criticisms and third, you have to love your job!

What new skills have you acquired from the many different projects you worked on?

I learned social media marketing from my clients. I met different types of people online and learned how to deal with them especially the bosses. I had the opportunity to work on some WordPress sites and that really improved my marketability as a Virtual Assistant. I also learned a bit of SEO and have improved my English skills big time!

What jobs do you often get hired for?

Virtual/Executive Assistant (VA), Social Media Marketing, Data entry, Research, Customer Chat Support, Transcriptionist

Your story is awe-inspiring. What do you have to say to people who thinks oDesk is a SCAM?

No, it's not a scam! It is a legitimate freelancing site and there are so many projects to choose from. As long as you work hard and deliver what you promised to your clients, it can be a steady source of income. If you are good, you'll have greater chances of getting hired long term. 

I am very happy working from home. There is less pressure as compared to working in an office. I am also earning more than what I need and learning a lot from people both offline and online.

You must be really good at what you do then. Do you like being an oDesk freelancer?

Yes I do, without a doubt!

There you go, guys. I hope you enjoyed reading about Ana's oDesk experiences. Here are three other oDesk Success Stories I published if you feel like checking them out:

oDesk Success Story: Ellen Nor Sarabia

oDesk Success Story: JoAnn Del Castillo

Leslie Ann Macapagal, Another oDesk Freelancer Earned Ph71,000 Month of April

If you are an oDesk freelancer and would also like to be featured on my blog, feel free to send me a message on Facebook or to drop me an email at gentm128ATgmailDOTcom.

Ciao!

With oDesk, You Can!

Name: Ellen Nor Sarabia-Cordero
Location: Mansilingan, Bacolod City
oDesk Member Since: May 30, 2008

What she lacks in height she makes up for in skill and hard work, that's my first impression of Ellen. She's warm and welcoming and very friendly. I have known her for quite some time but never really had the chance to really get to know her. I do know that she has a good heart and has helped a good number of people get started with their oDesk freelancing career.

Here's my interview with Ellen:

What was your previous job before you decided to become a freelancer? Sorry, it's confidential. I signed a contract not to disclose any information about the nature of my work with the company but I think I'm free to say what I think and feel about the whole work set up. I worked graveyard shifts with little to no days off sometimes. You could say it was like working for a call center. Only with better pay. I just wasn't all that happy with the work hours. I didn't like the work environment either.

If I ever get offered the same job again, I'd most likely decline the offer. The only good thing that ever happened while I was still working there was the people I met and made friends with. I still keep in touch with them and yes, they are all oDesk freelancers as well. You might want to interview them later on. They have their own oDesk success stories to tell.

Where did you first hear about oDesk? From a very good friend of mine.

Is she an oDesk freelancer as well? Yes, but she stopped and moved to another country.

What made you decide to become a freelancer? I heard that the work hours were better so I decided to give it a try. I worked part time for a few months and later on switched to full time. I really enjoy working at home. I get paid better. I get to spend more time with my husband, with my family and friends. I can now even find time to travel.

Wow, that's awesome! When did you start working full time? Jan 2009

What kind of jobs do you usually get hired to do? Wow, a lot really and Odesk was able to help me discover my potentials. I do research, data entry, social media, link building and other admin support tasks. With Odesk, you are always given a chance to learn new things and you only get better and better as you go along. I think that is the best part of being a freelancer.

What obstacles have you encountered when you were still starting? I guess I'm one of the few lucky ones that has never really encountered anything too serious. I always get invited for interviews and most of the time, I end up getting hired and at a good hourly rate, too! I have never had any problems with my employers either. Most of the people I had the chance to work with had been very clear with their instructions and were always there when I have questions. I'm so thankful that they never gave me a hard time even when I was still an oDesk newbie. Would you believe it? I'm still under contract with some of them until now. That's three long and successful work years with the same great people. I cannot thank them enough for the trust and opportunity they gave me and of course, the many rewards and bonuses they give me during the holidays.

You must be really good at what you do then. Do you like being an oDesk freelancer? I would like to think that I have improved a lot since I first started. My employers had been very kind and understanding. They trained me and molded me into what I am today. I DO love being an oDesk freelancer. It's a blessing.

Ellen, you've inspired me and lots of other oDesk freelancers. Your oDesk success story is amazing. Thank you for doing this interview with me. No problem. Anytime.

Why Join oDesk?

Let me inspire you with another oDesk success story. This time from Joann Del Castillo of Murcia, Negros Occidental. oDesk Member since April 21, 2008. She should be able to tell you WHY.

This bubbly, super-friendly chick is one of the most hardworking people I've ever known in my whole 6 years as a freelancer. We used to work in the same office but I think she stayed with the company for another year while I jumped ship and started exploring other work opportunities. We lost touch with each other but got reconnected again on Facebook. We chatted for a few hours and there I found out that she's also in oDesk.

Without wasting any time, I grabbed the opportunity and interviewed JoAnn about her experiences as an oDesk freelancer. She shared with me her story - a truly inspiring account of her struggles and frustrations as a freelancer and her journey towards success now that she has learned the tricks of the trade and has gained a really good reputation as an article writer, social media marketer and as a data entry specialist.

What was your previous job before you decided to become a freelancer?
I was a text chat operator for 4 years. The pay was good but there was no security and it was starting to create unnecessary stress in my life.

Where did you first hear about oDesk? From a very good friend of mine.

Is she also a freelancer on oDesk? Yes, she is.

What made you decide to become a freelancer?
I like the idea of being able to work in the comforts of the home. I like the freedom and the flexibility of schedule. And of course, the earning potential. As an oDesk freelancer, I have better control of my finances. I can work as little or as much as a I can. I can decide when to work and when not to work.

Another thing I enjoy about being an oDesk freelancer is the opportunity to get better acquainted with other people from different countries, compete with other freelancers and work on different assignments. There is also the opportunity to acquire and develop new skills.

Very well said! When did you start working full time? August 2009

What jobs do you do best?
Thanks to oDesk, I have discovered what my strengths and weaknesses are. I found out I have a flair in writing. I also improved my typing speed and my computer and Internet skills so I think if there are jobs that I do best, that would be data entry. I also do great in email marketing and in social networking.

What obstacles have you encountered when you were still starting?There's the fact that very few people hire newbies. When I was still starting, I had to send dozens of job applications almost everyday. I did get lucky and got hired eventually but boy, did I go through a lot just to land a job. I hated all those times I opened my inbox and found only email notifications from oDesk letting me know that my application got declined, that I did not meet the qualifications, that I was not one of the shortlisted applications BUT I did not lose hope. I kept on applying and kept on praying for an interview and it just happened.

Your story is truly touching. Is there really MONEY in oDesk? I would not be working it full time if the pay is not good. I am making around Php 40,000 a month, sometimes I even get bonuses from my bosses.

You must be really good at what you do then. Do you like being an oDesk freelancer? I don't just like it. I LOVE it.