19 Comments
Kirsten on May 4, 2015 10:43 am
This is FANTASTIC information. It’s very interesting because the income you are reporting is very close to my “magic number” that would let me stay home and the time that you are spending on it is very reasonable. I’m definitely going to have to give Odesk a shot.
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Hayley on May 4, 2015 10:47 am
Thank you Kirsten, I’m so happy you found it useful. Do give it a shot and let me know how things work out for you!
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Tonya@Budget and the Beach on May 4, 2015 2:46 pm
This is great because right now I significantly need to boost my income! Thanks for all the info!
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Hayley on May 6, 2015 8:12 am
You’re welcome Tonya! 🙂
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Amy @ DebtGal on May 4, 2015 5:27 pm
This could be an interesting way to earn some extra money while I’m on my summer break from my “real” job…
Speaking of my “real” job, I work in a college career center, and the advice you give in this post is very similar to what I tell my students. 🙂
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Hayley on May 6, 2015 8:14 am
Thanks Amy! I like the sound of your day job, must be very interesting! Let me know if you decide to give oDesk (now called UpDesk!) a go.
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Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank on May 6, 2015 9:32 am
I have tried Odesk, which one of the best site for side hustle. I actually completed the profile section and took some tests, which there are many tests to choose from. But, I only took those what is needed such as English-related tests (Grammar), communication, administrative, and others. What I like about Odesk is that once I start working, I am guaranteed that I am paid by the client’s whose account is directly connected to Odesk.
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Hayley on May 7, 2015 7:40 am
Yes that’s right, oDesk (now called Upwork) will guarantee you’ll get paid for the work that you do, providing you charge an hourly rate. This is because your time spent on the computer is tracked by oDesk in terms of the number of mouse strokes and keyboard presses. I don’t think the guarantee applies if you charge a fixed rate per job though, unless something has changed recently!
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Kristin on May 7, 2015 6:28 am
Oh wow, I have never heard of this site! I am so glad you broke everything down in detail. I think I would get really discouraged seeing people only charge $3 for a project. How do people compete with that?! But you’re right, it’s smart to charge what you’re worth – people will pay for it!
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Hayley on May 7, 2015 7:37 am
Definitely Kristin! Many clients need high quality work and they want to find someone they can trust!
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Liz on May 9, 2015 5:11 am
I always love a how to make more money post. I have to admit you hit the nail on the head with a lot of my concerns in joining such a site. Especially the realization that not everyone is putting the the same effort to get the same job.
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Hayley on May 9, 2015 7:46 am
Glad you enjoyed this post Liz! It takes a bit of work initially but you could be up and running with a regular income from oDesk (Upwork) in a relatively short amount of time. 🙂
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Mel on May 9, 2015 12:52 pm
I love how you’ve made this work for you! My experience with the bigger freelancing websites hasn’t been so positive, but you’ve outlined a really actionable approach. I’m adding it to my summer to-do list.
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Tre on May 9, 2015 3:21 pm
Thanks for sharing! I’ve always wondered how you make money when competing against $3/hr.
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Kathleen on May 16, 2015 11:58 pm
Dear Hayley, many thanks for such a wonderful article! I too recently looked at ODesk and thought “gosh, I can’t compete here”! Now to head off and re-look at it with new eyes 🙂 Kathleen
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Hayley on May 17, 2015 9:51 am
Hi Kathleen, I’m so glad you found this information useful! Good luck! Please note oDesk has recently changed its name to Upwork, but it’s still exactly the same site.
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Dolph Hoover on June 17, 2015 11:18 am
Odesk is very innovative. My friend tried using it when we were in college and it gave him the opportunity to have freelance work opportunities for him. The problem is, the accessibility of the payment system is hard if you have no background on it. He got used to it like, half a year later.
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Latoya S on October 20, 2015 1:43 am
Thanks so much for all the helpful information! You motivated me to complete my profile today and complete two tests, one of which I scored in the top 30%! I needed that boost of confidence:)
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