Can you Really Find Success at oDesk?

Yes, yes, YES...

This is probably one of the first questions that I get asked as a contractor at oDesk - is it possible to make a living there? The answer is inescapably, unequivocally, absolutely YES. Yes, it is possible to find success and financial security at oDesk. And to be honest, it isn't even that hard to do.

Well, at least, it isn't any harder than finding success anywhere else. If you're new to oDesk, you've probably already felt the stings of not getting hired because you have no experience. Well, how can you get experience if you can't get hired? Don't worry. It'll happen. The key is that you have to get out there and make it happen. prove that you are the best person in your field - convince that client that he would be a fool not to hire you.

Eventually, someone will take the bait - and you'll be able to prove it from there. And then, there will be no stopping you.

So what are the keys to finding success?

First, start small. Don't shoot off at the hip and start spamming every single $1,000,000 contract being offered... The chances of well established clients hiring new contractors over well-established contractors for a lot of money are very small. Find a contract that is smaller - maybe designing a blog instead of a whole web site... And start your bidding.

Do not, repeat, Do not ever lower your value. When you lower your value, you will lower your value to every client that goes through your profile. If the work truly deserves $15 an hour - then bid at $15. If you're not sure of what to bid, take a look at what the average bids are at the time you're applying. If they average out to $15 - bid at $15 ;)

Be very, very careful about where you apply. I get questions all the time about contractors not being able to find work, and bless their hearts - they're bidding on jobs and competing against 450-700 other people for the one job. Trust me, it's hard enough for me to stand out in a crowd of 700 people. And if you have no stars, feedback, or portfolio to help you stick out just a little bit more, then you probably won't even get seen. Again, no reason to panic. Just start by finding jobs that have fewer than 15 applicants - a much easier crowd to stand out in.

Make absolutely sure that you deliver on every promise - especially at the beginning. I know, things come up. Life happens, phones die, computers crash... It happens all the time. Hehee, it happened to me just at the beginning of this year - I went nearly two months without a reliable computer. And I didn't lose a single client, in fact, I gained two more!

In the online world of freelancing at oDesk, your reputation is built on your promises - and when you're new, it's all the more crucial that you do everything, absolutely everything, to deliver on those promises. Short of Solar Flares suddenly melting the Earth right beneath your desk and taking your cell phone, computer, lap top, and every single piece of paper and pen with it, you bend over backwards to protect your reputation. Get to a library, get to a friends house, walk to an Internet cafe, or even call oDesk for help in emailing whomever you need to email... Use every tool available to you and deliver.

You might not like the idea of having to walk that extra mile or three, but trust me - the karma gained from that extra walk will more than make up for it. And once you're established, you'll have a little more breathing room the next time life happens... it won't be such a panic.

Freelancing is not easy - if it were easy then everyone would be doing it, right? But it is possible and it can be very rewarding. Just keep at it, and you'll see. :)