Tired of making bids at Odesk? Sell your skills at micro-job sites
By Eppie2010
@Eppie2010 (509)
Philippines
August 14, 2012 11:13pm CST
Are you one of the many internet users that were searching for part-time online work, got some PC and internet skills, and knows that if given a chance can also work and earn well at oDesk.com or other online jobs freelance sites?
With the "bidding" system at said sites, it would take time before you can make a decent income from your online efforts. Employers are taking advantage of the system because competition are so high in these freelancing sites that in order to make money, some workers are bidding lower than $0.50 per hour for their services and I think it's just unfair. And I also think that these sites should have a minimum hourly rate - imagine some are working for $0.30 per hour as Virtual Assistants? I'd rather post here at MyLot than bid that low.
So this post is to give you an alternative to oDesk, Freelancer, Elance, and other freelancing sites. It can be a good part-time source of income and it's about offering your skills at micro job sites like fiverr.com and jobsfor10.
I Just recently got a gig sold at www.Chaos2creative.com (a new micro job site). With micro job sites you have the upper hand because you dictate your own price. The gigs I were able to sold were blog commenting and forum posting services worth $5 each.
You can join the site (www.chaos2creative.com) for free. They pay via PayPal with $10 as minimum cashout requirement. Nothing to lose and maybe something to gain. Register for free and create your own gig, visit the site and see examples of gigs being sold.
Have a nice day!
14 responses
@estremms (324)
• Philippines
29 Aug 12
I happen upon amazon mechanical turk, the site was interesting, it's also a micro job site but I didn't join because if I am not mistaken they don't pay thru paypal. I haven't tried any online jobs yet and is still looking. I hope I can get a job online cause right now I wanna stay home to take care of my child. It's more convenient and economical for me because I don't have to hire a nanny to look after my 3 month old son.
@ayeeesha (1127)
• Philippines
13 Mar 13
Thank you for sharing this!
I am a newbie when it comes to online jobs and to be honest, I have no idea how freelance sites work. I recently registered in Odesk and sadly, I still haven't landed my first contract yet. I only reach the interview or active candidacies phase but that's it! Most of the clients prefer experienced contractors who have lots of working hours or at times, they just hire their previous contractors. Unfortunately, newbies like me are not given enough opportunity to showcase our skills.
I will definitely check the site you posted and hopefully, will be successful. Thanks!
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
13 Mar 13
Hi ayeeesha, as you mentioned you're still a newbie so please stay patient and continue to bid for jobs at oDesk. There are oDesk jobs that welcome newbie workers but they pay very low but still it's a way for you to get the needed experience and feedback too. So again be patient, don't lose hope and don't forget to complete your profile and portfolio (have you done this?) and make an impressive (and original) application letter, and keep on bidding.
You can try micro jobs freelance as a sideline while waiting for jobs at oDesk. ^_^
Thanks for your response here and welcome to Mylot dear.
@pink_passion (279)
• Philippines
13 Sep 12
Its so sad to hear people who work for such low rates out of great need. I personally think it's unfair but for people concerned it's good enough than to wait for a well-compensated job for a long time.
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
14 Sep 12
Me too, I think it's a little degrading to know that you can offer quality service and yet you still have to offer it at such a low price just to get pick from the pool of bidders. But it's a must for beginners to be able to build your reputation and eventually clients will seek you out to get your services then you set your preferred rates. :)
@ellenjane90 (15)
• Philippines
22 Sep 12
With the "bidding"system at the said sites,it would take time before you can make a decent income from your online efforts.
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
22 Sep 12
There's a negative and positive side to the bidding system - on the positive side, it gives you a challenge or the competitive mindset in improving your oDesk profile as well as your cover letter, because we have to admit that there are some employers who are more concern on the quality service that a worker can give, and they can more or less see this on one's profile and/or submitted cover letter. :)
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
14 Sep 12
That's good to know, micro job sites are a good alternative and/or additional only to freelancing sites. From experiencing, oDesk is where you can still find good employers. Just keep on bidding and write good cover letters. Good Luck! :)
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
19 Aug 12
You mean how can you get your gigs sold faster? I guess you have to discuss your gig in detail so that prospect buyers will know if the service (or gig) they're going to buy is really worth it. :)
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
Same here... I also don't bid when there's lots of applicants already, and not even trying to outbid super low bidders, can you believe someone offering services for $0.35/hour? I'd rather earn it here at MyLot. :)
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
1 Sep 12
I can totally relate, there's so much competition at freelancing sites.
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
1 Sep 12
Hi Jazzyme, micro job sites are very user friendly, I think they develop it that way to attract newbie internet users too, just give it a try :)
@romzee (937)
• Philippines
13 Sep 12
I just recently heard Odesk from some of the various VA and online marketing seminars sprouting like wildfire in Metro Manila promising big income while working home. With an exploding population of part time online workers, bidding rates in an online freelancing sites will surely go down the drain and Micro job sites are a welcome relief!
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
14 Sep 12
Yes, I noticed that too :) that's why micro job sites is a good alternative for some freelancers, a new venue to showcase your skills and rid yourself of the bidding pains. Thanks for sharing :)
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
8 Sep 12
Yes, if we want to maximize our online earning potential we should look for every possible way to earn from the internet and micro job sites like this is one good alternative. Thanks for your response and welcome to MyLot!
@tonimapua (18)
• Philippines
9 Sep 12
I am new to this stuff and it seems really catchy especially if you have ample time to use on this online micro-job sites. I would love to learn more about this!
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
11 Sep 12
Hi Toni, just visit the site to learn more, it's very easy to explore the site as it was developed with newbies in mind. The site's simplicity also give employers easy time to look for needed workers/services too. :)
@ofzhernandez (278)
• Philippines
11 Sep 12
Sorry I do not have accounts on Odesk so I don't know how to respond to this discussion. I think I will not try signing in on this site.
@Eppie2010 (509)
• Philippines
13 Sep 12
Yes, not all are inclined to work at freelancing job sites like oDesk, we all have our own preferences when it comes to which sites to join to earn online and freelancing or micro job sites are just 2 of the many options to choose from. :)