Odesk Tricks: How To Land Your First Job

 

A lot of people have been asking me about Odesk: how to sign up, how to create a profile, how to apply for jobs, so on and so forth. I've been getting those questions a lot that I decided to blog about it and provide useful tips to anyone interested in embarking the path of online freelancing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Odesk is a very LEGITIMATE global marketplace. Thousands of successful Odesk freelancers can attest to that and that includes me.

Getting Started

 

The first thing you need to do is create an account. Now, I notice that some of the people that I've referred Odesk to complain about the sign up process. That's it's hard, that it looks so professional it's too intimidating to try, or that the process seems so long that they'd rather pass. Signing up is relatively easy. Once you click that create an account, you'll be off to a good start.

Since you're keeping your eye on finding work, choose the "contractors start here" button instead of the option for employers. Fill out the information details and get started. You'll be directed to a couple of instructions and tutorial videos. Just follow the steps and you won't be lost. Now, after getting through the basics, let's proceed to the next step.....

Polishing Your Profile

This is a very very crucial step. Your Odesk profile will serve as your promotional tool to get the attention of employers and acquire contracts from them. Treat your profile as the resume you submit to land that lucrative day job that you've been dying to get.

Start by uploading a professional-looking profile picture. Remember that you're looking for presentable jobs, not indecent proposals.

Now, proceed with building an impressive resume. Come up with a powerful objective that will highlight your proficiency and will state your purpose at the same time. Don't make an essay. Just keep it to 100 words or less. Then, proceed with skills, employment and education history. If you have acquired employment or academic certificates, you can add them to your profile to boost your credibility.

Applying For Jobs

For most people, applying for Odesk jobs are so hard that they immediately give up the moment their first job application got declined. They let that one rejection affect them, in turn, refusing to try it the second time around.

In my one year of being an Odesk freelancer, I've received plenty of rejections just as I landed numerous contracts. The most common reason is that they chose other contractors over me. I got pissed, alright. But I never let that get to me. Why? Because with that one rejection, I still have 19 job applications left, which means that I have 19 chances in getting hired. So why give up?

But if you really want to minimize your chances of getting declined , keep these important factors in mind.

- Odesk readiness test: the most basic and the most important test that you should take. Unless you take this test, you won't be able to apply to numerous jobs.

- Other Tests: taking tests related to your expertise and scoring high in them will increase your chances in getting considered for the job.

- Portfolio: most employers, if not all, require a portfolio from their applicants. So if you have something to show off (from your craft), put it on your profile to use as a work sample.

- Killer cover letter: you can skip taking other tests and having a portfolio, but if you don't pay attention to creating the perfect cover letter, expect your job application to end up on the archived section.  What you need to do is simply write a custom cover letter that specifically addresses the job and describes what makes you the perfect candidate.

Here are some oDesk's tips to help you write a good cover letter:

-Customize each cover letter according to the job posting.
-Read the job description carefully, so you will know what to include in your cover letter.
-Include a summary of your work experiences, availability, and skills that meet the employer's requirements.
-Share relevant links that will help the employer gain a better idea of your skills.
-Use a good text editor to check for grammar and spelling errors.
-It is important to note that you should not supply your direct contact information to the employer until the interview phase.


The tips for landing your first job goes on and on. But these are the basics that you can use to get on a good start. The truth is your success rate in oDesk depends solely on you. And unlike in the real world, you get a lot of chances in landing the jobs you want in oDesk. So just be patient, try harder, and always remember to give it your best shot. Once you landed that first job, the second one won't be that hard to get. 

Have any question? Don't hesitate to know me through comment , I will try to response as early as possible. Good luck and see you.