Question of the Week: I Have Been Applying For Months. Why Do I Keep Getting Rejected?

Here are some of the questions I received from my readers this week. I decided to include them in my post today and share them with all other freelancers out there. If you are an oDesk freelancer and you are reading this, feel free to join in and share your experience by posting a comment. Remember to put your name in the name field and your website or blog if you have one or your comment will be rejected.

Question 1: I'm an oDesk newbie and I have been applying for a job for months but have not received a single interview? I must be doing something wrong.

You're not going to get a single job interview if your oDesk profile is not that impressive. You are an oDesk newbie. You don't have work history. You don't have a single feedback that will serve as reference. What can you do? Impress your would-be employers with your profile. Make sure you proofread everything you write there before making it visible to the public. That's what I have been doing eversince I started. I check my profile now and then and edit whatever I think needs editing.

Question 2: I have completed my oDesk profile and have been applying for jobs but I keep getting rejected. What did I do wrong?

Your cover letter probably sucks. My advice? Learn how to make a good cover letter and improve your chances in getting hired.

Compare this one

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Carlito Sanchez. I am a Computer Science graduate and I am 28 years old. I am hardworking, efficient and highly reliable and would make a great addition to your research team. I also have excellent computer and Internet skills and can type 50 wpm.

with THIS

Dear Mr. Schultz,

I'm Jennifer Catalan and I'm from Makati, Philippines. I have been working online since 2004 and have over 5 years experience as an Internet researcher. If you are looking for someone who can get the job done accurately and fast, look no further!

See the difference?

Let me point you to an article that I found over at oDesk. The article should give you some ideas on how to write a good cover letter.

If you have any other questions related to oDesk and would like them posted here with answers, contact me at gentm_chat at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Question of the Week: I'm Just Getting Started With oDesk, How Do I Get Paid?

There are now 6 withdrawal methods available to oDesk freelancers.

1. Payoneer Debit Card
2. Moneybookers
3. Paypal
4. Direct Deposit
5. Wire Transfer
6. Local Fund Transfer (new)

I'll only discuss the two cheapest and quickest way to get your money and that is by using PayPal and Local Fund Transfer.

Withdrawal Method #1: PayPal

Before setting up an account, you must have a credit card or a debit card or a bank account. Do you have one? If you don't, I suggest you get a Unionbank EON card. I have been using it since 2008 and have had no problems using it to withdraw my money. If you have an existing bank account, that's fine. No need to switch to Unionbank.

The following how-tos are for those with Unionbank EON cards ONLY. I cannot help you if you are using another bank as I'm not familiar with their account set up. I only know how to do Unionbank's as I have set up mine and have helped three others with theirs.

_____

A. Applying for an EON card

First thing you should do is apply for an EON card. You have to go to the bank in person, submit the requirements and your card will be made available to you in two to three weeks time.

B. Enrolling your EON card for online banking

Once you have the card, you have to wait for three days for it to be activated. After three days, apply for online banking. How? Go to their website and look for EON Cyber Account on the upper right of the page. Another screen will pop up. Right next to the login form, it should say: Start banking online with your EON! ENROLL HERE to be able to access your accounts online. Press that one and then enter your card number and then your account number.

Your card number should start with 4404-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX and is made up of 16 numbers.

Your account number, on the other hand, is right below your name. It is made up of 12 numbers.

Never post your account number or your card number or the numbers at the back of your card anywhere online.

Once you've entered your card and account number, you'll be asked for 3 usernames. Think of names that are easy to remember but hard enough for people to guess and that's it. Wait for three more days for your online bank to get activated.

Remember, your EON card is both a debit card and a bank account. You can add both to your PayPal account. Add it as a debit card and get your PayPal account verified. Add it as a bank account and choose withdraw your funds to your bank account the minute you have funds available. Withdrawing your funds to your bank account takes only 2-3 days. Withdrawing your funds to your debit cards takes 3-4 days.

TIP: When using Paypal as a withdrawal method, make sure you withdraw your funds from oDesk at 8:00 Wednesday morning. Login to your PayPal account and withdraw your funds to your bank account right away and you'll get your money Thursday at around 6:00 in the evening.

If you withdraw your money way past 8:00 in the morning, there is no guarantee you'll get your money by Thursday evening.

Withdrawal Method #2: Local Fund Transfer

A. Setting up Local Fund Transfer

Login to your oDesk account and go to the Payments tab at the upper part of the page. Choose Payment Methods and then click the big yellow Set up now button for Local Fund Transfer (LFT) to enter your bank details.

The good thing about the EON card is that it is both a debit card and a bank account. So yes, you can use it for Local Fund Transfer.

B. Bank details

Everything else should be easy. Enter your account number. Enter the account holder's information, street address, city and province, country and phone number. Enter the BRSTN code. It's all there.

Question is: Can I use someone else's EON card? How about my mom's bank details? Or my boyfriend's? I already asked this same question and got a positive reply from oDesk.

Just make sure you enter the right info and there should be no prob.

Compared to Paypal, the transfer of money from oDesk to bank via Local Fund Transfer takes around 5-7 days. With Paypal, it takes just two banking days.

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.

Why oDesk?

Who are the founders of oDesk?

Greek students, Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis founded oDesk in 2003. The company is located in Menlo Park in California and is currently one of the most successful job sites on the Internet.

What is it about?

Basically, it is a global job site where employers and freelancers can connect. With the use of oDesk tools and software, employers are able to outsource jobs to freelancers from all over the world and freelancers get hired based on their skills, certifications, work history and reputation.

How do you get paid?

Pay methods are via Local Fund Transfer (LFT), Paypal, Moneybookers and Payoneer Visa Debit Card (These are the available pay methods for Filipino freelancers)



How much can you earn as an oDesk freelancer?

That all depends on you. The factors you have to consider are:

• Do you have the time? How many hours are you willing to put in? 
• Do you have the skills? Data entry workers start as low as $1 per hour. Virtual assistants, on average, work at $2 per hour but may charge higher rates depending on the tasks at hand and the role the person is being hired for. Web designers and graphic designers charge at a much higher rate, some start at $10, some charge $15. That's because they have an expertise. Programmers, too, charge higher hourly rates.

oDesk freelancers earn at least Php 4,000 per week, could be more if you are willing to put in the required hours and if you have the right skills to back you up.

Where did you first hear about oDesk?

From a friend who is also an oDesk freelancer. Her name is Ellen Nor Sarabia, now a Cordero. Read about her oDesk Success Story here.

When did you first start working as a freelancer for oDesk?

I signed up September 2008 but I did not complete my resume until late 2009. I started applying for jobs and taking it seriously only last February 27, 2010. I got hired the following day and have been working as an oDesk freelancer eversince.

When you started on oDesk how much were you earning?

I got hired to do simple data entry for $0.50 an hour. Now on my third month, I am getting hourly jobs at $8.00 an hour which is more or less at P350.00. Better yet I am only working 5-8 hours a day. As soon as I move to our new house, I am increasing my work load and hopefully, earn MORE.

Did you say you are getting paid weekly?

Yes, I am getting paid weekly.

What kind of jobs are being posted on oDesk?

There is a variety of online jobs posted on the oDesk job feed. Web design, graphic design, data entry, web research, computer programming, call center jobs, live chat operator jobs, admin support and many more.

Can we see your oDesk profile?

Sure, just click the blue "Hire me on oDesk" banner at the bottom of the page.

Can you help me become a freelancer at oDesk?

I would love to help but I have a couple of conditions. I will help you ONLY if you are willing to help yourself and only if you are SERIOUS about working from home.

How much do you charge Gen? Surely, there is money involved?

Nope.

If you just want to ask me a few questions, that's fine. Leave a comment on any of my posts.

If you want to get your feet wet and try freelancing all by yourself, that's even better. It means you are confident and don't mind trial and error. That's what I did.

If you feel you could use some help and would like to ask for mine, there really is no prob. I started this blog solely for that purpose - to help oDesk newbies get all settled in the world of freelancing.

Earning Money Online as a Freelancer

Is that possible? Can I work in the comforts of my home?

You may have heard about people working at home and earning BIG BUCKS. Did you think it was all a hype? It's not.

So can you really work at home and earn US dollars??

The answer is YES! You can.

I have been a freelancer for over 5 years. This August 2010 will be my 6th year working as a freelancer.

I started as a text operator for a UK-based telecommunications company. The work was online and it used to be in an office but after I had my skills assessed, I was allowed to work at home in just less than a year.

I was earning P30,000-P40,000 a month since August 2004 when I first started. Since then, I started learning all I can about working from home and the many perks that go with it!

I LOVE working from home. Let me tell you WHY.

When you work from home you get to work in your pajamas!

No traffic.

No money spent on gas.

No money spent on public transportation.

Make your own lunches and snacks.

Limited gossip at work.

Very little work politics.

Different work environment.

And most of all, you'll earn MORE than what most of the companies in Bacolod can pay you.

What are the requirements? How do I start?

First, make sure you have your own computer at home.

You must have high speed Internet with a reliable Internet service provider.

Make an assessment of your skills. What do you have in terms of experiences and education background?

• Are you a call center agent? Your training with your current company will come in handy. 
• Do you have a flair for writing? 
• Have you any programming and web design skills?
• Are you proficient in Microsoft Office applications?
• Are you active on Twitter? What about Facebook?

You don't have to have all these. Just find out what skills you have and write it all down. You can put them all to use later on when you create your online profile.