Finding freelance work used to be a shot in the dark. There was a fifty-fifty chance of finding legitimate, paying work. Today, freelance workers can use services like Elance to help find real, virtual work that pays. For beginners with Elance, navigating the website can seem a bit confusing. Knowing what to expect and do is the first step to a successful virtual career.
First Time Users
First time users choose from a free account or a basic account when they sign up. They can change this anytime at their discretion. Providers who opt to join using the free option are given 3 free connects per month. Connects are similar to tokens and are used to pay for bids.
One step up is the individual account for $9.95 per month; this account comes with 20 connects and some upgrades. Extra connects can be purchased at any time with this account.
After signing up, providers set up their profile, which contains their work history, portfolio, skills and other important information. They also choose the work category they would like to search. Providers can choose one category or for an added fee choose two. This can be changed at any time.
Searching Jobs
Searching the job listings is fairly simple. A brief overview of the required task is listed along with the maximum amount the client is willing to pay. The employer seeking the work is listed with a link to any information they have provided about themselves. This is helpful in getting a feel for legitimacy about the client.
Elancer’s can also see how many people have bid, how much longer the job will be posted and the average high and low bid for the job (hover your mouse over the number of bidders to see this information). These tidbits of information are helpful in deciding on what or if to bid.
Bidding
Providers place their bid on the job and write a brief qualifying response to the proposed job. There is a private area to add work samples if they would like to do so.
The job description will inform bidders of two important pieces of information: are the bids sealed or open, and is the job escrow funded or not. These facts go a long way in deciding on whether or not to bid on a job.
Sealed bids are only seen by the provider, open bids are visible to all providers. Open bids allow for too much underbidding and potentially losing jobs to people who are giving their work away for nearly free.
Escrow is more important. Being paid is the end goal and working for free is not an option. Jobs that are escrow jobs indicate that payment will be in escrow with Elance until the job is complete. This is a great safeguard for providers.
Doing the Work and Getting Paid
Upon winning a job an email will be sent stating so and what steps to follow next. Elance provides all the information needed, from how to accept the job to how to share files and send a final invoice.
At the end of the job, Elance will request that the funds in Escrow be released. Once released to Elance, these funds are transferred to a bank account or other deposit option that was set up during the initial membership setup.
Elance has established a reputation for freelance work that is legitimate and trustworthy. Like any other company, there are fees involved but they are not exuberant. Freelance workers who are steadfast in their search and learn the nuances of bidding and retaining clients can generate a steady flow of income.
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