Freelance writing opportunities are definitely in plenty today. If you wish to work from home, have the requisite skills and qualifications; then you no longer have to leave the convenience and comfort of your home. With Google and other search engine giving “good content” immense importance, there are a huge number of opportunities. If you have a flair for the pen or rather the keyboard, grabbing a big slice of the huge cake is not difficult.
You can start today and make the most of your time and skills. One thing to remember here is this is definitely not a quick rich formula. If that is what you are looking for, it is sure going to disappoint you. Writing online is a work from home opportunity that allows you to definitely earn some good money and use your education and talents well. The requisites for beginning a writing career online are fairly simple:
•A good understanding of the English language and the ability to express your thoughts well.
•A flair for writing and a good knowledge of the internet (how to use search engines and do research on various topics online).
•A computer and a good and reliable internet connection. You need to be available on Skype, Google talk, Yahoo messenger or any other communication lines.
•Many employers would require you to have a degree in English literature or Mass communication (however, most today are ready to give you a chance if you are good at your work).
How does it work?
The general pattern of beginning online writing would be to:
•Apply for a job with your resume and a sample of your writings. Some employers do ask you to quote your rates also. We will discuss the remuneration in the coming days.
•Most employers require you to write a test on a sample topic decided by them.
The resume is the first step that gets you the attention of the prospective employer. If your resume is well-written and is backed by good related experience or a sample, you sure stand a chance to be short-listed. Once short-listed, the test article is what finally gets you the job. Do not compromise on quality and originality at any stage whether an amateur or an experienced writer – this is the key to building a good reputation here.
I have previously mentioned two resources namely, Naukri.com and Monster.com. There are several job boards online that provide you ads regularly(will add them to the blog posts from time to time). Here are two more that would help you in your search online – timesjobs.com and craigslist.com. These sites carry several ads that would interest you. At the Naukri. Monster and Times jobs sites you can register for free, upload your resume and directly apply to the employers placing the ads. Verifying the reliability of the advertiser is however, very important. Make enquiries before you begin.
Writing or blogging online is a great telecommuting opportunity that I have enjoyed for over two years now. It provides me the satisfaction of working from the comfort of my home, a good earning and the time and opportunity to be with my family.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The online work place –content writing/blogging
The online work place is a replica or a reflection of the real world and so you can expect all kinds of people here. And why not, it is the people from the real world, their attitudes, behavioral traits and habits who make up the virtual world.
Working online can eliminate problems like commuting everyday and having to deal with a problem boss. You can choose your work and continue to work as long as it is going good. Some companies may however, require you to sign an agreement. A basic agreement for work and a non-disclosure agreement are the generally required documents. Do so after consulting your lawyer and also doing a through survey and understanding the credentials of the company under question.
At the work place, you would come across all kinds of people.
• You should be able to smartly sift the good from the not so good.
• Be aware of the trends in your field. Make the most of the available opportunities.
• Reading and gathering pertinent information is very important.
• Keeping abreast of changes and the trends in your line of work is essential. This would add to your working knowledge. Like for instance, when I started writing I used to get topics and keywords and used to write and submit the articles. I didn’t really get into finding out why these articles were written and why is it that so many employers exist and are ready to pay so much for creating content. However, sometime into writing backed by my curiosity I explored further. An interest to move further into the line of SEO based writing I ventured further to understand the purpose of the articles(which I will acquaint you with in the days to come).
• Be smart to understand the requirements and deliver accordingly. This is like a business empire that you are building from scratch. Pay attention to maintain good quality of work and ensure meeting deadlines.
• Original, quality work is very important here. After going through several articles here some people are tempted to do a bit of copy-paste. Do not make the mistake. There are powerful versatile softwares that can within seconds find any sentence that is lifted from anywhere. Copyscape is a software that your employers would be running your article through before approving it. You break the trust once and it sure is going to be difficult for anyone to trust you next time on.
Work at improving your writing skills. Reading articles of various kinds and understanding the different styles of writing is important. The tone of the writing also changes whether you are writing website content, blogging, writing promotional material or informative articles. An open mind, an eagerness to learn and experimenting are key to making it a success here. In the coming days, more on SEO writing and writing tips.
Working online can eliminate problems like commuting everyday and having to deal with a problem boss. You can choose your work and continue to work as long as it is going good. Some companies may however, require you to sign an agreement. A basic agreement for work and a non-disclosure agreement are the generally required documents. Do so after consulting your lawyer and also doing a through survey and understanding the credentials of the company under question.
At the work place, you would come across all kinds of people.
• You should be able to smartly sift the good from the not so good.
• Be aware of the trends in your field. Make the most of the available opportunities.
• Reading and gathering pertinent information is very important.
• Keeping abreast of changes and the trends in your line of work is essential. This would add to your working knowledge. Like for instance, when I started writing I used to get topics and keywords and used to write and submit the articles. I didn’t really get into finding out why these articles were written and why is it that so many employers exist and are ready to pay so much for creating content. However, sometime into writing backed by my curiosity I explored further. An interest to move further into the line of SEO based writing I ventured further to understand the purpose of the articles(which I will acquaint you with in the days to come).
• Be smart to understand the requirements and deliver accordingly. This is like a business empire that you are building from scratch. Pay attention to maintain good quality of work and ensure meeting deadlines.
• Original, quality work is very important here. After going through several articles here some people are tempted to do a bit of copy-paste. Do not make the mistake. There are powerful versatile softwares that can within seconds find any sentence that is lifted from anywhere. Copyscape is a software that your employers would be running your article through before approving it. You break the trust once and it sure is going to be difficult for anyone to trust you next time on.
Work at improving your writing skills. Reading articles of various kinds and understanding the different styles of writing is important. The tone of the writing also changes whether you are writing website content, blogging, writing promotional material or informative articles. An open mind, an eagerness to learn and experimenting are key to making it a success here. In the coming days, more on SEO writing and writing tips.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Moving on in the writing field
The entry to the world of web content writing thus, began with the client from “Naukri.com”. Here I would like to mention another good and regularly updated job site- Monster.com.
I admit that it was no cake walk from here too. Had found one good client, however, if for me the decision was to work from home then I definitely needed to find more good people and regular work. Spending hours on end on some days and not having work for some days can be a frightening and rather demoralizing part of freelancing. One day you could be loaded with work, however, the next few days may mean not getting a single assignment. The key to overcoming this problem is not putting all your eggs into one basket.
You need to have a list of reliable clients, so this way you are assured of regular work. However, one thing you need to be careful about is not taking up more than you can handle. In a 9-5 job you may end up spending a maximum of 3-4 hours extra at work to complete a pending assignment. However, when you do work from home you can end up burning the midnight oil and thus, eating into your valuable family time.
A systematic approach and yes, good discipline is important. With no boss to sit on your head, (have experienced that at times) you tend to push or postpone your work. The end result you are left with a pile and don’t know how to finish it as per the deadline. Thus, some of the important rules to working from home would be:
•A disciplined and systematic approach.
•Understand your commitments at home and work and bite off only what you can chew.
•Working regularly and meeting deadlines is very important. In the online world, you are what your work reflects. The quality of the work and the sincerity with which you handle it (meeting deadlines) is what speaks in our favor. This would further help you build a good clientele over a period of time.
There have been several learning experiences in my journey to being an experienced and established writer. This is what I intend to share with you in the coming days. Don’t claim to be a great gun, but yes, can say proudly that today have created a niche for myself. Have built a clientele that works on trust and the quality of my work. Today I feel nice when people do come up with many offers and ask if an assignment can be done as against days when I did look around for work.
I am sure there are several others like me who would like to make a beginning. In fact, when I began I really wished that there would be one single source where I could find all the information I wanted. A guide to starting work from home is what I was looking for. This is exactly what I plan here. Sharing my experiences about where to look for work and once you begin your writing or blogging career what are the important things that you need to keep in mind.
Working from home can indeed be a satisfying experience (especially for a work at home like me). It means work, money and being at home all at the same time – you just need to know how to.
I admit that it was no cake walk from here too. Had found one good client, however, if for me the decision was to work from home then I definitely needed to find more good people and regular work. Spending hours on end on some days and not having work for some days can be a frightening and rather demoralizing part of freelancing. One day you could be loaded with work, however, the next few days may mean not getting a single assignment. The key to overcoming this problem is not putting all your eggs into one basket.
You need to have a list of reliable clients, so this way you are assured of regular work. However, one thing you need to be careful about is not taking up more than you can handle. In a 9-5 job you may end up spending a maximum of 3-4 hours extra at work to complete a pending assignment. However, when you do work from home you can end up burning the midnight oil and thus, eating into your valuable family time.
A systematic approach and yes, good discipline is important. With no boss to sit on your head, (have experienced that at times) you tend to push or postpone your work. The end result you are left with a pile and don’t know how to finish it as per the deadline. Thus, some of the important rules to working from home would be:
•A disciplined and systematic approach.
•Understand your commitments at home and work and bite off only what you can chew.
•Working regularly and meeting deadlines is very important. In the online world, you are what your work reflects. The quality of the work and the sincerity with which you handle it (meeting deadlines) is what speaks in our favor. This would further help you build a good clientele over a period of time.
There have been several learning experiences in my journey to being an experienced and established writer. This is what I intend to share with you in the coming days. Don’t claim to be a great gun, but yes, can say proudly that today have created a niche for myself. Have built a clientele that works on trust and the quality of my work. Today I feel nice when people do come up with many offers and ask if an assignment can be done as against days when I did look around for work.
I am sure there are several others like me who would like to make a beginning. In fact, when I began I really wished that there would be one single source where I could find all the information I wanted. A guide to starting work from home is what I was looking for. This is exactly what I plan here. Sharing my experiences about where to look for work and once you begin your writing or blogging career what are the important things that you need to keep in mind.
Working from home can indeed be a satisfying experience (especially for a work at home like me). It means work, money and being at home all at the same time – you just need to know how to.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Writing opportunities - the quest begins here
The search for job options began…went on and on and in the process I guess I have contributed a great deal to making many millionaires. The website owners running adsense and other advertsing programs sure must have been happy seeing the click results that came in:). I did click on every interesting looking ad that stated "Writing jobs", "Freelance writing jobs", "Write for us" and so on....
From one site to the other my exploration then led me to some of the more famous and popular job sites. At the time in India, the internet was not a very popular concept and “working from home” was not an option that many employers even considered.
The job sites did have writing opportunities, however, the openings of “work from home” were hardly visible. However, I decided to just try my luck. I send out my resume and a mail to the employers who had advertised for writers. Thought there would surely be someone out there with a experimental frame of mind. Work from home employees were definitely beneficial to employers considering they didn't need to provide office space, no fixed overheads and no PF and other benefits to be provided. You outsource your writing job and pay the writer for the work done....end of deal.
A good internet connection and a home office that can cater to the needs of the employer is a pre-requisite and thus, I had it ready. I was ready to begin work as soon as I found a good client.
Many ads and replies later I was glad to receive a positive response. Here I would like to make specific mention of the job site with which I was able to start my writing career. Naukri.com is where I began. Yes, one of the ads on the site to which I applied did reply positively. That's how I made a beginning and after over two years in the writing field still continue to write for the client. The Naukri site has a complete section dedicated to writers. You will find all you wish to under the category, “Content/Journalism”. The openings are updated regularly.
Today, the number of writing opportunities for "work from home writers" have definitely increased. It is a trend that has picked up pace. There are also several other reputed job sites which I would name subsequently in the coming days. So keep a look out for it.
One word of caution before you begin. Keep in mind that that not all the jobs listed in any of the job sites are 100% reliable. In the online world, you cannot really ascertain the credibility of an employer till you get the first pay packet. It thus, helps to keep in touch with other writers, be registered on writing forums and find out details about the prospective employer. It is best to benefit from the knowledge of others and be safe rather than making a big mistake and pay the heavy price.
Beware of frauds. There are many out there who are waiting to cash in on your writing skills and not pay you your dues. When I began it was a major struggle trying to locate the right places to find work. My endeavor here is to help you with your search and provide suggestions that are backed by my experience. However, checking out the reliability or the authenticity of the specific job opening is one that you need to make sure before making a beginning. Get started and write your way to success.
From one site to the other my exploration then led me to some of the more famous and popular job sites. At the time in India, the internet was not a very popular concept and “working from home” was not an option that many employers even considered.
The job sites did have writing opportunities, however, the openings of “work from home” were hardly visible. However, I decided to just try my luck. I send out my resume and a mail to the employers who had advertised for writers. Thought there would surely be someone out there with a experimental frame of mind. Work from home employees were definitely beneficial to employers considering they didn't need to provide office space, no fixed overheads and no PF and other benefits to be provided. You outsource your writing job and pay the writer for the work done....end of deal.
A good internet connection and a home office that can cater to the needs of the employer is a pre-requisite and thus, I had it ready. I was ready to begin work as soon as I found a good client.
Many ads and replies later I was glad to receive a positive response. Here I would like to make specific mention of the job site with which I was able to start my writing career. Naukri.com is where I began. Yes, one of the ads on the site to which I applied did reply positively. That's how I made a beginning and after over two years in the writing field still continue to write for the client. The Naukri site has a complete section dedicated to writers. You will find all you wish to under the category, “Content/Journalism”. The openings are updated regularly.
Today, the number of writing opportunities for "work from home writers" have definitely increased. It is a trend that has picked up pace. There are also several other reputed job sites which I would name subsequently in the coming days. So keep a look out for it.
One word of caution before you begin. Keep in mind that that not all the jobs listed in any of the job sites are 100% reliable. In the online world, you cannot really ascertain the credibility of an employer till you get the first pay packet. It thus, helps to keep in touch with other writers, be registered on writing forums and find out details about the prospective employer. It is best to benefit from the knowledge of others and be safe rather than making a big mistake and pay the heavy price.
Beware of frauds. There are many out there who are waiting to cash in on your writing skills and not pay you your dues. When I began it was a major struggle trying to locate the right places to find work. My endeavor here is to help you with your search and provide suggestions that are backed by my experience. However, checking out the reliability or the authenticity of the specific job opening is one that you need to make sure before making a beginning. Get started and write your way to success.
The writing world - making a beginning
This blog is all about the experiences and adventures of a work from home mom in the writing world. Learn all you need to know about starting your writing career working from home.
Dreams…dreams and …more dreams …that’s what life is all about. This is definitely the driving force in our lives. Imagine a scenario wherein we had all that we wished for and there is nothing more to aspire for. A boring dead place, that's what the world would be with all our needs met without any effort. It is the struggle to the destination, the beautiful journey that makes the end truly worth it.
This blog is all about my journey from a stay at home mom to a work from mom. Explore the world of freelance writing and blogging with me. I promise to walk you through the lanes that unfolded to me the secrets of starting a writing career right from home. All you need is a computer, a good and reliable internet connection, some knowledge of what lies in store for you in the writing world (the immense possibilities) and of course last but not the least the will to succeed.
Getting married very early meant a world that was all about hubby dear and all things bright and beautiful. The good Lord was kind enough to bless me with all this. The arrival of my beautiful baby made life complete in all respects. I enjoyed being at home, cooking, the weekend trips and spending time with my little one.
However, with time and by little one slowly learning to be independent and hubby being busy with work, I did find time and the desire to do something more began to slowly raise its head. This beckoned me very often to do something for myself. Yes, all that I was doing for my family and my home was in effect doing for myself. However, there was an inner urge to do something more...just for satisfying my inner urge. Something that let me connect with myself, put my education to good use and make me feel good about my own skills and talents and of course make some good money. This is where my explorations of what and how to make a beginning started.
Not having worked at all and no exposure to the working world proved to be a stumbling block, but not for long. Online research and explorations brought me results that showed it is possible to realize my dreams and that too without leaving my home. I could be at home and also do what I wishes to do. I realized that if you have it in you there are opportunities out there, you just need to know what and where to look. Even the word "Impossible" says I'm possible.
I soon realized that the first step was to search within. Had to understand my own strengths and weaknesses and decide the best line of work for me. I do admit that it was not easy at all. Identifying your niche is the tough part and then begins the long journey to finding the right path to achieving your goals. Working from home was the sole option at the time that would work for me considering how young my little one was. I was ambitious, but not ambitious enough to leave my sweet heart to a daycare and pursue a career. The initial searches revealed that there were opportunities online however, they all needed me to make a payment to start work. This didn’t sound too good. Someone out there wants me to work for him and also me to make a payment to get the job. I decided to go on...and time delay was killing. At last....after many hours of search the gates finally opened to a whole new world, I guess when you want to do something with all your heart, you surely find the way.
Going through my skill sets, writing it was for me. I began with writing letters to the editor,writing small articles for women’s magazines. The positive response was motivation to make me stick on to the writing world.
I am sure that there are many housewives, retired persons and even students out there who wish to make a beginning working from home. This blog aims to provide you all the resources you need to get started.
Dreams…dreams and …more dreams …that’s what life is all about. This is definitely the driving force in our lives. Imagine a scenario wherein we had all that we wished for and there is nothing more to aspire for. A boring dead place, that's what the world would be with all our needs met without any effort. It is the struggle to the destination, the beautiful journey that makes the end truly worth it.
This blog is all about my journey from a stay at home mom to a work from mom. Explore the world of freelance writing and blogging with me. I promise to walk you through the lanes that unfolded to me the secrets of starting a writing career right from home. All you need is a computer, a good and reliable internet connection, some knowledge of what lies in store for you in the writing world (the immense possibilities) and of course last but not the least the will to succeed.
Getting married very early meant a world that was all about hubby dear and all things bright and beautiful. The good Lord was kind enough to bless me with all this. The arrival of my beautiful baby made life complete in all respects. I enjoyed being at home, cooking, the weekend trips and spending time with my little one.
However, with time and by little one slowly learning to be independent and hubby being busy with work, I did find time and the desire to do something more began to slowly raise its head. This beckoned me very often to do something for myself. Yes, all that I was doing for my family and my home was in effect doing for myself. However, there was an inner urge to do something more...just for satisfying my inner urge. Something that let me connect with myself, put my education to good use and make me feel good about my own skills and talents and of course make some good money. This is where my explorations of what and how to make a beginning started.
Not having worked at all and no exposure to the working world proved to be a stumbling block, but not for long. Online research and explorations brought me results that showed it is possible to realize my dreams and that too without leaving my home. I could be at home and also do what I wishes to do. I realized that if you have it in you there are opportunities out there, you just need to know what and where to look. Even the word "Impossible" says I'm possible.
I soon realized that the first step was to search within. Had to understand my own strengths and weaknesses and decide the best line of work for me. I do admit that it was not easy at all. Identifying your niche is the tough part and then begins the long journey to finding the right path to achieving your goals. Working from home was the sole option at the time that would work for me considering how young my little one was. I was ambitious, but not ambitious enough to leave my sweet heart to a daycare and pursue a career. The initial searches revealed that there were opportunities online however, they all needed me to make a payment to start work. This didn’t sound too good. Someone out there wants me to work for him and also me to make a payment to get the job. I decided to go on...and time delay was killing. At last....after many hours of search the gates finally opened to a whole new world, I guess when you want to do something with all your heart, you surely find the way.
Going through my skill sets, writing it was for me. I began with writing letters to the editor,writing small articles for women’s magazines. The positive response was motivation to make me stick on to the writing world.
I am sure that there are many housewives, retired persons and even students out there who wish to make a beginning working from home. This blog aims to provide you all the resources you need to get started.
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