Finding Online Jobs Through Freelance Sites

The world has gone digital and there's no turning back. Too many people have become uber reliant on technology. Over the past few years, technology has evolved and we have become very comfortable with what technology has to offer.

One of the most useful technological developments we've seen is the growth of the internet. Almost everything is done online nowadays. More often than not, the internet is abused by cyber offenders. However, the perks are too good to ignore. I, for one, am very dependent on the web. I love browsing and doing things online. I've been working as an online freelancer for almost four years, and I must say my efforts have paid off.

For mothers who love to stay at home and earn money at the same time, you can find a number of options on the net. Online freelancing is one of the most popular trends these days. Just look for the right job that’s perfect for your skills. Moms who would rather spend more time with their kids have a lot to gain from online freelancing.

Freelancing is working independently, without committing to an employer for long term jobs. Online freelancing works the same way. You just do things through the web. Freelance practice includes writing, data entry, book publishing, transcription, copywriting, web programming, graphic design, and a lot more.

Online freelance jobs are often paid lower than your average day job. However, if you're talented and skillful enough, you'd earn much more than working at the office 40 hours a week.

There are numerous freelance sites to choose from, but only a few offers free registration. It's always safer and convenient to look for sites that don't require sign up fees. But, if you can afford the fees, might as well try your luck on these sites.

Here's a list of the most popular freelance sites I've come across with:

• Odesk.com – This is a free online freelance site. It offers thousands of jobs from data entry to web programming. Employers can post jobs at no cost. Odesk collects 10% of its contractors’ earnings. This may sound too much, but it’s just a fraction of what you can earn if you put your heart into online freelancing. I’ve been a member since 2008, and I’ve had more than 10 jobs. Your earnings are much safer if you take hourly jobs since the fees are directly posted on your account. You can withdraw your earnings after two weeks via Paypal, debit card, and other modes of payment.

• Elance.com – This is a virtual marketplace for online workers and employers. Freelancers bid for projects and employers choose based on qualifications, feedbacks, portfolios and test results. Elance collects a 10% one-time fee from businesses who post jobs on the site. This is also free, but it takes much longer time before the bids are closed.

• Peopleperhour.com – This is like the UK version of Elance. The site offers three types of jobs to providers – hourly jobs, fixed price jobs, and commission-based jobs. A deposit is needed to pre-fund your account before you can start bidding for projects.

• Guru.com – This is a freelance marketplace that offers commission-based jobs. You can choose from more or less 160 fields, but some freelancers are unhappy with the site’s apparent bias favoring employers.

• Freelanceswitch.com – This is a large community of online freelancers. The site offers a huge variety of online jobs but your chances of getting hired are pretty slim compared to Elance and Odesk.

• Freelancer.com – This is an online job marketplace for freelance providers across the globe. Individual employers or business agencies who plan to outsource their work can post jobs for free or they can choose to upgrade their membership to Gold premium, with $5.00 fee. The fee is refundable once a provider has been selected. Freelancers also get to choose from basic or Gold membership. Basic members can sign up for free but are charged $5.00 or 10% of the project fee once they are chosen for a certain job. If you choose to pay $24.95 per month for a Gold membership, the project fee is downsized to 3%.

• Getacoder.com – This is a freelancer job auction web site for programmers, web designers, and freelance writers. The fees are much lower than other job marketplaces. If you are into data entry and administrative support, you won’t find as much jobs here than Odesk and Elance.

• iFreelance.com – This is a job marketplace for web designers and freelance writers. It can be a pain to look for writing jobs because of the stiff competition. For buyers, job posting is free. But for providers, a $4.69 monthly fee is required for Basic membership. You can upgrade to Silver membership for $6.75 and Gold for $9.00. You won’t see your competitor’s bids so it’s much harder to close a bid.

If you are unemployed and just stretching your meager funds, I suggest you sign up for a freelance website that doesn’t require any upfront fee. There are various sites that offer thousands of online jobs. You just have to search for the right marketplace. Just be very careful with fixed price jobs as these are the types of jobs scammers love to post. I’ve tried working on a project that costs around $500, but I was never paid. When I submitted my work, the employer just disappeared. Hourly jobs are way better since your pay is secure and you are paid after a week or two.