The Proactive Pro

The advent of the Internet has made it possible for quite a number of work-at-home jobs to exist.  With the convenience and other advantages that work-at-home jobs have to offer, many seek to work in the comfort of their homes.  However, there some unscrupulous people who see this as an opportunity to make a fast buck by luring people with their bogus offers and empty promises.  If you do not want to be a victim of these scammers, here are some tips that you can follow:

1) DO YOUR RESEARCH - Quite a number of work-at-home jobs promise you the moon and the stars, but when payday comes, you find yourself falling head first from the sky. Some companies promise ridiculously high rates for the most menial online jobs like data entry.  Before applying for a job, try to find out the benchmark of the pay that professionals in your field receive.  Other companies will promise you that the jobs are easy, but once you work for them, you will find yourself losing a lot of sleep.  Always remember this often-mentioned adage: "If an offer is too good to be true, it probably is." You would not want to feel like kicking your behind, so do your homework first.

2) CHECK THE COMPANY'S REPUTATION - The Better Business Bureau website is the best site to go to find out whether you are dealing with a reputable company or not. Oftentimes, companies with shady reputations do not keep their promises to their employees and subcontractors.  At the BBB website, you can check the company's records or if there are any disputes or complaints about the company.

3) DO NOT PAY TO GET HIRED - Legitimate companies do not require their employees to pay so they could give them work. Some companies that need employees even spend money to find people who can get jobs done.  They need you as much as you need them.  If you are asked to pay for a job, do not do so. There are many job opportunities on the Web that do not require you to pay a single cent.

To sum up, before applying for any job, be familiar with the known scams so that you will not fall prey to them, check the company's reputation at the Better Business Bureau Web site and steer clear of job offers that require you to pay. Follow these tips and you will never be counted among the gullible job seekers that scammers take advantage of.

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VIDEOS

Work at Home, Scammed at Home
Victims of work-at-home scams speak out.

Part 1





Part 2

Good news for job seekers in the Philippines! The transcription company that I work for is in need of excellent Filipino transcribers for their Philippines-based work (Bilib sila sa Pinoy!). This is a home-based job.

Candidates should possess the following qualifications:

• Good grasp of English grammar and basic knowledge of the rules of punctuation and style.
• Good listening skills; should be familiar with the American accent.
• Typing speed should be at least 60 words per minute.
• Should be able to meet deadlines (Turn around time varies from 2 hours to 9 hours. Can be discussed with the supervisor).
• Experience is certainly an advantage but not a requirement.

Other requirements:

• Reliable Internet connection (DSL or broadband).
• Headset (even your MP3 player's earphones are okay as long as you can hear the sound files well.)
• Transcription foot pedal (If you don't have one, I could probably help you.)
• Transcription software. (You may download one for free from this site.)
  

I've been working for this company for almost two years now. The pay is good. I love my supervisors -- they are considerate, helpful and responsive.

If you're interested, all you have to do is send a cover letter and your updated resume to recruitmsp@gmail.com.

Best wishes!

P.S. Need to learn more about transcription? Read my previous post, "Want My Job?"

Update (08/01/09): They are hiring again! Send your resume ASAP!

UPDATE (08/24/09): JOB VACANCY CLOSED.

These days, a lot of people pound the pavement looking for jobs, only to be disappointed by the end of the day. But for those who love writing and have the writing chops, it's not hard to make a decent income online as a writer. There are many opportunities for writers in the world wide web. Here are some ways to earn by writing:

1) LOOK FOR AN ONLINE WRITING JOB - If you go to websites like oDesk, GetAFreelancer and ELance, there are plenty of job listings for writers. You can be a ghostwriter or a web content writer. If you have specialized knowledge (for instance, knowledge in computers, software, etc.), you can be a technical writer. Here are some sub-categories of online writing jobs:

• Technical Writing
• Website Content
• Business Plans
• Blog / Article Writing
• Copywriting / Editing
• Translation

You can find more sub-categories at ELance that your specialty can fit into.

2) BLOG - There several ways to earn by blogging. The most common way is to post advertisements on your blog so that you earn when people click on them (PPC) or when they purchase items via the link on your blog (affiliate marketing). You can also sell advertising spaces on your blog, but you can only do that if your blog has a high traffic.

You can also sign up for accounts at websites like Pay Per Post, Smorty and Social Spark where companies pay you to write blog entries to promote their products or services.

3) WRITE ARTICLES - Ever heard of "bum marketing?" It is a marketing method said to be so easy that even a bum can do it. Actually, there is hard work involved, but your efforts will pay off if you persevere and do things the right way. Bum marketing is also known as article marketing which involves finding a profitable niche (a target market), finding affiliate programs which has products that your market is interested in, writing articles relevant to your niche and embedding affiliate links within those articles. When your readers click the links and buy the products, you earn. I will discuss bum marketing in a separate post which is coming soon. My point here is you can use articles to market affiliate products and earn money from commissions.

But there are also sites like Helium, Associated Content and Triond that pay for every article that you submit or the traffic that your articles generate.

4) WRITE ACADEMIC PAPERS - Do you always get A's or B's in your term papers and theses? Do you have good Internet research skills and some solid background on certain fields of knowledge? If so, you can be paid to write academic papers. There are students who need a lot of help.

Here are some sites that offer academic writing jobs. Honestly, I haven't signed up for an account in any of these sites so I recommend caution to those who would like to sign up:

• iFreelance.com
• Custom Papers
• Best Term Papers
• Academia Research
  

5) WRITE LETTERS - I'm sure that many of us have written letters before such as letters of application and resignation, recommendation, etc. You can actually earn from those letters. With a few tweaks, somebody else could use it. Or you can write custom letters to suit specific needs. For more information, go to Letter Rep by clicking here.

There are many more ways to earn by using your writing skills. Writing is a skill worth developing and honing. It takes a lot practice to be able to write well, but the pay-off is tremendous.

Does the title of this post sound like a scam? Don't worry. I just would like to introduce you to a site that I stumbled upon this morning. It made me wish that I had learned of this site much earlier.

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is the site to go to when you want to earn by doing simple tasks. Yup, MTurk is a subsidiary of Amazon.com so I'm confident that it's not a scam. No job application is needed. Just view the available jobs, click on the task that you think you can do and start working. You will get paid for performing Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) -- these are tasks that are impossible for computers to do, but are really simple for humans to perform. Finding contact numbers of companies, commenting and voting on articles, rewriting sentences in your own words are but few of the examples of HITs available at MTurk. Most tasks, if not all, are easy. You decide when to work and how much work you want to do.

However, there's some bad news for those who live outside the U.S. When it comes to the payment options, you only have a choice between U.S. bank transfer and Amazon.com gift certificate. Unless you have a U.S. bank account, you definitely can't choose the first option, which means you cannot receive your earnings in cash. However, when you choose the second option, your earnings will be credited to your Amazon.com account and you can use this to purchase items from Amazon.com. It's not a bad idea especially if there is something that you want to purchase from Amazon. They have cool gadgets there...

For more information and to create an MTurk account, click HERE.

P.S. Signing up for an account is absolutely free!

I've always been singing the praises of oDesk. I honestly think it's the best job site in the world wide web. Let me tell you why.

First of all, it's absolutely free to set up an account at oDesk. This is one of the reasons why I tell people that they don't need to shell out money to get an online job. oDesk does not have paid options, which means you can take advantage of all the services in the site for free; you are not denied any privilege just because you cannot pay or you're unwilling to pay. oDesk also facilitates the billing of the buyers (employers) and the payment of the providers (employees). * You can get your pay via oDesk Master Debit Card or Moneybookers. You are guaranteed payment for hourly work. They also have free tests, which is advantageous for both the buyer and the provider. It helps the buyers choose the best fit for the jobs they require. If providers fare well in the tests, they can post their scores in their online profile thereby increasing their chances of getting hired. Plus, they have a fantastic referral program. Refer a person to oDesk and you'll get $50 when they earn their first $1,000 (cumulative earnings).

However, the number one complaint that I get from people who have signed up for an account at oDesk is it's difficult to get hired. Indeed, being a job candidate at oDesk is like being a needle in the proverbial haystack. But you may just be the person that buyers are desperately looking for. So what on earth can we do to get found?

Here are some tips to increase your chances of getting hired at oDesk:

1) COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE - When you sign up for an account, you will be asked to provide some information which your online profile will consist of. Buyers would like to know the providers as well as they can before they hire them. An incomplete profile is unattractive to buyers because it gives the impression that there are things about the provider that he or she is not willing to reveal or that the provider really has nothing to show for. So provide as much information as you reasonably can, but be honest.

2) COME UP WITH AN INTERESTING TITLE - If you're a needle in a haystack, you need to be shiny in order to get found. Remember, competition is stiff at oDesk. When a buyer posts a job at oDesk, he or she usually ends up looking at a candidate list with the names and titles of hundreds of providers vying for the job. Needless to say, you need to stand out!

A good title is a brief summary of what you are and what you have to offer. Below are good examples of titles (Please don't copy. Be creative.):

• Experienced Data Entry Operator, VA, Researcher, Fast and Accurate
• Competent and Multi-tasking Administrative Support Professional
• Data entry, MS Office, SEO specialist

I've been looking at some candidate lists and I've found some interesting ways by which providers try to catch the attention of buyers. As you can see in the above examples, some use the words "specialist" and "experienced." Be creative, but more importantly, be truthful. Make sure that the adjectives you use to describe yourself as a professional truly reflects your level of competence and skill.

3) WRITE A GOOD OBJECTIVE - A good objective helps the buyers decide whether they should invite you for an interview. It should include some specifics about your skills and the types of jobs that you've completed and the ones that you're interested in.

When I wrote my own objective, I followed the example and the guidelines given by oDesk. Here is my objective:

"My previous jobs allowed me to develop excellent communication skills, both oral and written. As a call center agent, I had the opportunity to learn and apply the essentials of customer service. Having worked with American customers, I have become familiar with the American accent. Being a transcriptionist has helped me to become very keen on details. I have also developed excellent typing and computer skills since all of my previous jobs required these competencies. I am looking for a part time job which would allow me to use and further develop the skills that I have acquired. I am interested in data entry work, medical transcription or e-mail response handling."

Before you type your objective in the space provided by oDesk, look for the link that says "Example of a good objective." It is found below the box where you are to type your objective. Click on it and study the example.

4)TOOT YOUR HORN - Do not hesitate to mention your achievements. Modesty is not encouraged here. Why? Because buyers want to know what you can accomplish and what you can do for them. It's as simple as that.

5) TAKE TESTS - oDesk has free online tests. As I mentioned above, this is one of the advantages that you can get from the site. Good test results can enhance your profile. Your test scores are an indication of your level of competence and knowledge, so if you make good, make your test scores public. If not, you have the option to keep your test scores private and you can take the same test after two months.

You can take other online tests, too. Brainbench offers free online tests that you can take advantage of. Actually, although it's not really required, to get a 100% profile completeness score at oDesk, you would need to submit at least one online certification other than what oDesk provides.

6) SHOW YOUR WARES - Store owners showcase their merchandise at store windows or showcase cabinets to attract buyers. In the same way, you should build an online portfolio if possible. If you're a writer, set up a blog and/or post articles wherever you can. If you're a logo designer, upload your work to a photo-sharing site like Shareapic. (The nice thing about Shareapic is you earn while people view your graphics or pictures. Click here to set up an account.). If you're web designer or developer, build your own website and direct the prospective buyers by providing them the link. You can use sites that offer free webhosting like Bravenet and http://www.000webhost.com. Look for every opportunity online to show off your talents and direct the buyers to the sites where they can take a good look at your work.

7) WRITE A GOOD COVER LETTER - When you apply for a job at oDesk, you will be asked to write a short cover letter. The first paragraph should be a concise summary of your relevant experience and/or qualifications. Two to three sentences are enough; more than that would be too long. The succeeding paragraphs should indicate your availability -- how many hours per week you are available, the links to your online portfolio (if any) and how and when the buyer can contact you. However, you cannot put your contact information in the cover letter; oDesk will provide that to the buyer.

Before writing your cover letter, click the link that says "Example good vs. bad cover letter" below the box where you are to type your cover letter and study the given example.

8) MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PRICE IS RIGHT - I'm not saying that your services should be dirt cheap. In fact, I think you should never allow yourself to be shortchanged. However, you need to check two things -- the average rate of candidates (under Job Facts) and the buyer's budget (usually under Preferred Qualifications). Set your price according to these two factors. You may want to start with small projects first to gather feedback from buyers before you go after big ones. And one thing to consider: oDesk gets 10% of the total charges paid by the buyer and the rest of the payment is guaranteed to the provider (It's guaranteed for hourly work).

9) APPLY FOR AS MANY JOBS AS YOU CAN - Don't stop at one application. Put the law averages to use; the more jobs you apply for, the greater your chances of getting hired. But don't rely on the law of averages alone. It is never enough. You need to apply the first eight tips I mentioned above before this one. And of course, you should apply for the jobs that are well-suited to your qualifications and skills.

10) WHEN YOU GET HIRED, DO YOUR JOB WELL - If you want the same employer to hire you again for other projects or if you want to a long term job, you need to win your employer's confidence. You can do this by being trustworthy and competent. You also need to gather good feedback so that other buyers become interested in you and confident in your capabilities and character.

The tips that I have just shared will certainly help you increase your likelihood of getting a job. Getting hired by a buyer takes some effort, but it will surely pay off.

If you don't have an oDesk account, click on the banner below:



Good luck and best wishes.

*oDesk touts itself as a "global service marketplace, " which is why employers are known as "buyers" and employees as "providers."
Update: Payment via PayPal is now one of the payment options at oDesk. If you have a PayPal account, you may add your oDesk email address to your PayPal account.

Some people have actually told me that they want my job. That's because I don't have to get dressed and wear makeup to go to work. I don't have to worry about transportation and getting late for work since my work station is but a few steps from my bed.

And best of all, I don't have a degree, but I make more money than most college graduates here do. So how much do I earn? Suffice it to say that I earn more than most office employees in my province. I pay all the bills at home. And I do have some money left over to buy some of the things I want -- like this laptop that I'm using right now.

As I have mentioned before, I've been a transcriptionist for two years now. I started working as a medical transcriptionist in 2007 for a medical transcription firm in Manila, but I came home and decided to work at home. I was able to find a job through Craigslist. I've been a media/business transcriptionist since August of 2007 and so far, I'm happy with my job although I'm planning to shift to web development because I'd like to try something new.

What exactly is transcription? Wikipedia defines it as "the conversion of spoken words into written language." If I were to be asked what I do for a living, I'd say that, essentially, I just type what I hear. But for some, it may not be as easy as it sounds. It requires certain skills and knowledge which are as follows:

1) GOOD LANGUAGE SKILLS -- This includes a good grasp of English grammar, the ability to listen and perceive nuances of pronunciation, and basic knowledge of the rules of punctuation and style.

2) BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS -- One does not have to be a computer genius to be a transcriptionist. A basic proficiency in MS Word, Excel and Internet research will do.

3) GOOD TYPING SKILLS -- Most people say that transcription is not about knowing how to type well. But for me, speed and accuracy in typing is essential if you would like to be a productive transcriptionist. Simply put, the faster you type, the more transcripts you produce in a day and the more you produce, the more you earn.

4) SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE -- Transcription necessitates the ability to understand what is being said through context clues. In other words, a transcriptionist needs to know what is being talked about in order to correctly transcribe what is being said by the speaker. For instance, a medical transcriptionist has to be familiar with medical terms and drugs' generic names and brands and has to study the basic concepts of anatomy and physiology in order to be able to transcribe doctors' reports accurately. Legal transcriptionists have to be familiar with the legal terms, especially the Latin ones. Even media transcriptionists like me have to be familiar with the names (especially the pronunciation and spelling) of TV personalities like George Stephanopoulos (whew!) and Lola Ogunnaike.

Now, for more information on how to develop the three skills that I mentioned above and for free resources online, read my previous post, "Basic Skills that Every Online Professional Should Have." You can read that post by clicking here.

As for specialized knowledge, you need to determine in what area or field of transcription you are well-suited for. Some graduates and students of medicine and nursing get into medical transcription. Law students and graduates may work as legal transcriptionists. Wide readers and erstwhile couch potatoes like me are well-suited for media transcription. You may take up special courses like I did. I studied medical transcription for six months.

Aside from a computer and an Internet connection, what else does a transcriptionist need to have?

1) A GOOD WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE -- I use MS Word, but alternatively, you can use Writer, a free word processor from Open Office. It's free and it's compatible with MS Word. To download the Open Office suite, click here.

2) A TRANSCRIPTION SOFTWARE -- A transcription software is a program that plays back sound files. The best transcription software I have ever used so far is Express Scribe. Other transcription softwares make the speaker sound like Darth Vader when you slow down the speed. Not Express Scribe -- you can adjust the speed without affecting the pitch of the speaker's voice. And did I mention that it's free? To download Express Scribe, click here.

However, as a media transcriptionist, I transcribe video files. Sometimes, there are captions that I need to type. Express Scribe can only play the sound in video files. I have not tried any free video transcription software. I use StartStop which was provided by the transcription company that I work for.

Beware: Some transcription "firms" promise to train you for free and guarantee you a job, but they will actually charge you an astronomical price for the transcription software (like $600). I almost got duped; fortunately, my uncle didn't lend me money for the software. Why pay when you can get one for free?

3) A HEADSET -- Actually, a pair of good earphones or headphones will do. Sometimes, I use my MP3 player's earphones.

4) A FOOT PEDAL -- You can actually do without this one -- if you're just practicing. Anything that the foot pedal can do, the mouse can also do. Express Scribe allows the use of "Hot Keys" -- F keys that have the same function as a foot pedal. However, if you would like to be a productive transcriptionist and earn more and would like to concentrate better on what you're transcribing, then you should get one.

You can purchase a foot pedal from Executive Communications Systems, Inc. I believe that Executive Communications Systems is a trustworthy company. The transcription firm that I work for ordered a foot pedal for me last year. I found Executive Communications Systems' website address on the sticker affixed on the underside the footpedal that was sent to me by the transcription firm. It was delivered via FedEx from the U.S. to Kalibo, Aklan, my hometown. It is still in excellent condition; my first foot pedal lasted only 10 months. To buy a foot pedal, click on the banner below.



Transcription requires some basic skills that may be acquired through constant practice. The knowledge part is easy; I studied medical transcription for only six months. Well, I don't even use what I studied because I transcribe news reports. The investment is minimal and may be recouped within months. This could be a lucrative job depending on one's level of skill and productivity. It could be rewarding and it is certainly worth-trying.

To find transcription jobs, go to my resource page titled "JOBS" by clicking here. You will find a list of websites where you can find job postings from people who need transcription services.

Good luck!

Update: Want a transcription job? The company I work for is hiring! Be sure to click on the banner above my blog posts.

I haven't written here for quite a while. I've been under a great deal of stress. Something terrible happened the day after I wrote my last post. I won't bother to write about it. All I can say is that when something bad happens, cry if you have to, then learn from the experience, look for the blessings behind it and move on.

As I’ve already mentioned in the ABOUT section of this blog, I’m a full-time work-at-home professional. I’m a college dropout but I earn more than most college graduates in our province do. I pay all the bills at home and support my whole family — my mother, my brother and my sister.

It’s hard to believe that less than a couple of years ago, I was struggling with financial difficulties. I had just resigned from the medical transcription firm that I worked for in Manila and I had just moved back to our province. For a couple of months, I was no better than a bum.

Fortunately, I had my PC. I called my uncle in the U.S. and asked if he could send me some money so I could have Internet connection. I didn’t have a single centavo to my name, so I needed his financial help badly. He sent me money right away and off I went to an Internet service provider to have my Internet connection set up. I thought that it would be the end of my troubles, but I was wrong.

I thought finding an online job was easy. Just use Google, right? Wrong. It took me another two months to find a job. I was even almost scammed — people from a “medical transcription firm” promised to re-train me for free and then hire me. After two emails, I found out that I would have to purchase the transcription software which they were selling at $600! (I could easily get a transcription software for free, legally.) They were even pressuring me to buy the software because “training would start in a week.” I was so desperate for a job, but I didn’t have the money they required me to send. It turned out to be a good thing; otherwise, I would have been their victim.

Then, I found some job websites that offered to put my resume into their “resume database” for a steep fee. Plus, there were those bogus “data entry positions that needed to be filled. No experience or special knowledge required.”

I scoured the Internet for employment opportunities. I answered every want ad for transcriptionists, writers and data entry professionals. I have lost count of the companies that I sent my resumes to. All I know is they were more than I could count on my fingers and toes.

Then, I got an email from a U.S.-based transcription firm that asked me to take the employment exam. I was skeptical at first, but then, I gave it a go. I passed and the rest is history.

Here are some important things I learned while looking for an online job:

1) NOBODY HAS TO SHELL OUT A SINGLE CENT TO GET A JOB. In fact, you should be wary of those who ask you for money in return for a job. Scammers abound in the World Wide Web. So beware!

2) WORK ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF AVERAGES. The more applications you send, the greater your chances of getting hired; and

3) FLAUNT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT. Don't be too shy to mention your educational attainment, the honors that you've received, your accomplishments, your skills and your experience. Remember, you're selling your services and your prospective employers would like to see some proof that you are the man or the woman for the job. Be honest though.

Not sure where to find a job? Go to the JOBS page by clicking here.

It will save you a lot of time. Good luck and best wishes.