Should you work for oDesk?

Those new to the freelancing world will always ask the same few basic questions. “What is oDesk? How does it work? Is this company really legit?” The short answer is this: oDesk is a company that connects businesses to remote workers. The way oDesk works is by having contractors offer remote services to freelancers at a fixed rate or an hourly rate. And yes, the companies and jobs are legit; however, you do have to look out for scam artist that may be post fake jobs on the site.

If you are looking for someone to work for you, then you are a contractor and will sign up under the Contractor Rules on oDesk. If you are looking to work, then you are a freelancer and you will click on the “Freelancing: Looking For Work” button. Since 2011, it has been reported that there are roughly 1.4 million contractors currently working on oDesk, and that more than 2,000 new workers are joining the online workforce every day.

For contractors, this is great news, because it means that you can find people with very specific skills that you need to keep your business productive. This is a highly effective method for start-up companies who do not need a employees working a full 40 hour work week and are able to work with employees on a more flexible schedule. oDesk gives contractors a chance to shine and set themselves apart from other businesses by receiving excellent feedback from their workers showing their reliability, ease of communication, and consistency of payment.

For freelancers, besides your skills, you too can stand out from other freelancers in your field by portraying lucrative values, such as: turn-around time; work ethic; effective communication; personal skills; being a self-starter; and availability. oDesk also gives you a place to display your portfolio or present a video of yourself.