Tired of working 9-5? Would you like to be your own boss, set your own work times, and eventually build your online biz? Read on and learn more about jumpstarting your online career. This PowerPoint presentation was prepared for you to understand the best ways to land your dream contracts through freelance sites and other job portals. In the long run, you might also want to create your virtual team. :)
2. Objectives
Identify a particular field(s) where you can
work online.
2. Generate at least 5 qualified prospects.
3. Turn these prospects into leads.
4. Land your first online client with success.
5. If you’re already working online, strengthen
your marketing and gain continuous
gigs/jobs.
6. Strengthen your skills in organizing.
7. Tackle difficult people with flair.
1.
3. Your Virtual Career: The
Fundamentals
Career Selections (Online)
Computers: Software designer, systems
troubleshooter, computer scientist, hardware
product developer, industrial engineer,
information systems manager, manual
tester/writer, security specialist, systems analyst
Hospitality and Service: Food consultant,
relocation consultant, virtual assistant
Medical and Insurance: Billing, claims, actuary,
adjuster, cost containment specialist, underwriter
5. From Odesk: (job categories)
Web Development
Software Development
Networking & Information Systems
Writing & Translation
Administrative Support
Design & Multimedia
Customer Service
Sales & Marketing
Business Services
6. The Virtual Workplace
- Is it your niche for a career?
- Are you prepared?
- What kind of online job will you pursue?
Telecommuting – working outside the traditional
office or workplace, usually at a small office or
home office environment
- Virtual office, e-commuting, e-work, working at
and/or from home, telework
- Communication is via computer and/or other
technology, voice and picture communication
through broadband or high-speed Internet
7. Passion and Goals
•Is
the field where your job falls into your
passion?
•What do you really want out of your career?
•Do you have a long-term goal already?
•Do you work on your job because you find it
fun?
Self-Assessment
“How well do you know yourself?”
“How far are you willing to go further?”
“Do you have what it takes to be successful?”
8. Qualities of a Great
Telecommuter:
Skill Set
•Results-oriented
•Excellent communications skills
•Doesn’t require a lot of supervision
•Adaptable
•Very organized
•Solid job knowledge
•Thorough understanding of organization’s
objectives
•Strong focus on job goals and objectives
•Can establish priorities and manage time well
9. Other Considerations
•Success in current and previous positions
•Home environment (is it appropriate for
telework?)
(from “Managing the Telecommuting
Employee”)
1.
2.
3.
4.
4 Personality Traits of Successful
Telecommuters
Self-Motivated
Obsessive-Compulsive
Perfectionist
Cheerful and Optimistic
(according to: Sylvie Charrier, author of “You
Can Work in Your PJs”)
10. Your Strengths
“You cannot be anything you want to be – but
you can be a lot more of who you already are.”
Tom Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0
Effects of Not being able to Use Your
Strengths
•Anxiety when going to work
•Has more negative than positive
interactions
with colleagues
•Poor treatment to customers
•Telling friends of your misery at work
•Less achievements at work
•Fewer creative and positive times at work
12. Strength = Talent (natural
way of thinking, feeling or
behaving)
x Investment
(time spent practicing,
developing skills, and building
knowledge base)
34 Themes (Strengths)
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-assurance
Significance
Strategic
WOO (winning over others)
13. Your Place in the Virtual
Careers World
** For a detailed assessment of your strengths,
you may also take the Myers-Briggs test.
•Where do you stand on?
•What type of job suits your
personality?
•What field would you feel most comfortable?
** For a strengths assessment, you may check
this site: http://www.viame.org/
14. The Online Job
Application
Online Job Opportunities
1.
Employer Websites – direct portal on your potential
employer’s website
2.
Networking – referrals from friends of friends
(FOFs), peers, other colleagues, etc.
3.
Associations and Alumni Groups - very effective
when it comes to networking
4.
Social Media – also very effective and relatively new
5.
LinkedIn – professional hub for job searchers and job
posters alike
15. 6. Job Aggregators – collection of jobs from various
websites; effective too
7. Job Sites – effective for both online and offline job
searches
8. Recruiters, Staffing Firms, & Head Hunters – can
be quite tricky but effective when you encounter a great
recruitment firm/staffing firm/head hunter
9. Classified Ads - very effective but watch out for the
scams
10. Google and other search engines - Google and
other search engines have many hidden talents plus
excellent tools for your job search
21. 5. Take note of the employer’s previous
feedback from contractors they’ve worked
with.
22. 6. Double check the other specs. Also take note
of the average bid of applicants. Click “Apply
to this Job.”
23. Preparing Your Home
Office/Special Work Area
Special Equipment/Tools You’ll Need
•Personal
computer/laptop
•Internet connection
•Pens (for special notes you’d like to take with you while
away from the PC)
•Papers
•Printer (optional)
•Word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word)
•Spreadsheet program (e.g. Microsoft Excel)
Other useful tools for collaboration
- Communication:
•Skype
•Google Talk
•Google Docs
26. Writing Your Cover Letter
and Getting Your First
Client
- Bread and butter in job application
- Mastering the art of cover letter writing
-Passport to your online job success
Before writing:
•Check
the employer’s instructions for application very
carefully.
•Identify if there are special considerations to get considered
for the job. (e.g. special skills, portfolio requirements,
samples, previous experiences preferred by client)
•Prepare needed requirements for application together with
the cover letter.
27.
28. 1. Address your cover letter to the specific
individual who will receive your application.
It’s best to identify the name of the hiring
manager to make your application more
distinct.
2. Specify the particular position you are
applying to as well as the location where you
learned about the job opening.
3. Include a one- to two-sentence blurb
about why you are most suited for the job.
4. State briefly yet specifically your related
experiences.
5. Include links or attachments of your
samples/portfolio of related works.
6. End your cover letter with a professional
closure.
29. •Wait
for around 1 to 3 business days for the
client’s response or even some minutes or hours
after applying. That’s the usual time they screen
candidates. (depending on the number of
applicants and the number of open positions)..
•Most
online employers also try to respond at once
to qualified candidates ASAP especially if they
really need their services pronto!
•Applying
for an online job need not be
burdensome. You might not get hired during your
first try at applying. Don’t lose hope. You’ve got
lots more opportunities to uncover. Keep on
locating that job of your dreams!
30. Marketing Your Online
Services
Landing clients can be pretty simple once you learn the right
strategies. It takes less time, plus you get to attract better
clients. This formula, known as the Master Marketing Formula,
was developed by Steve Slaunwhite.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Find high-probability prospects.
Generate leads.
Get opportunities
Close the sale.
Nurture “not today” prospects.
31.
32. •Adhere
to each step before proceeding with the
next. Each step’s duration may vary, depending on
your profession as well as the prospect’s nature.
•Your
aim is to let prospects move from one space
in the funnel to another (downwards). Imagine
yourself as a traffic cop who lets vehicles move
smoothly from one area to another.
•Continually
nourish your funnel. Feeding your
funnel ensures that you keep your prospects eager
to move down. It allows you to reap the benefits of
caring for your potential clients.
Keep these principles in mind and you’ll find
landing clients easier than ever!
33. Key Terms:
Prospect – those you identify as good targets for
services depending on your set criteria
Lead – those who, in a way, indicated some level of
interest in your offer
Opportunity – a lead who gave you an opportunity to
present your services, a project or quote a job
http://www.getfocusedconsulting.com.au/online-marketingconsulting/online-marketing-seo-program
34. Finding High-Probability
Prospects
1. Come up with a list of high-probability
prospects. Set your eyes on those who often
hire freelancers/teleworkers and given the right
message, would positively consider hiring one.
2. Focus on industries and organizations where
you’ll have the highest success probability
(whether due to your background, credentials,
skills, experiences, client roster, location,
specialized knowledge, or due to industry
changes).
3. Be very specific with your target prospects (e.g.
owners of small- to large-scale writing or web
development firms, marketing managers in highperforming midsize software companies that
market in-demand software systems for growing or
hot industries, etc.).
35. Sample:
Job title: marketing managers
Industry: software
Other criteria: must be doing well financially, systems
must have high demand, and with customers that are in
growing or hot companies
The size of the list would often depend on your goals’
depth (the more aggressive it is, the larger the list should
be). A good number would be around 150 to 200 names.
To create a prospect list, use a simple spreadsheet with
columns indicating the following: first name, last name,
job title, company, street address, city, state, zip
(postal) code, country, phone number, and e-mail
address
37. Developing Your
Awesome Buzz Piece
What is a buzz piece?
It is simply your key towards hot prospects. It
can be in the form of the following:
•Workbook
•Checklist
•Survey results
•Toolkit
•Similar
overview
articles bundled together
•How-to guide
•Overview of a topic
38. •Section/chapter
•Tips
of a book
list
•Explanation of a best practice
•Great ideas guide
•Ebook
•White paper
•Templates
Usually 5 to 10 pages long, most are in portable
document form (PDF) so your prospects can
easily download them from their email or your
website. You may also print it out for direct mail
or personal prospecting techniques.
39. Once done effectively, your buzz piece can serve you well for
a long time and deliver you quality prospects knocking by
your inbox.
Example:
Are you down in distress and can’t find the perfect way to
write your web content? Check out this FREE e-book on
Creating Compelling Content for the secrets!
1. Select the right topic for your buzz piece –
something that’s related to your field or what you
do.
2. Really make sure that your prospects need what
you have to offer.
3. Begin with a captivating title.
4. Divide it into chunks (sections).
5. Try different techniques in writing: Q&A, interview
format, list of tips, etc.
6. Make it as concise as possible.
7. Take your stand.
40. Once you’ve developed your buzz piece, it’s time to link
that to your bio page. Your bio page will include the
necessities for prospects to learn more about you:
•Who you are
•What your services are
•How they can take advantage
skills
of your knowledge and
Likewise, don’t hesitate to do the following using your
buzz piece:
•Invite
readers to check out your website and sign up for
your newsletter.
•Ask them to call you to discuss the possible project or to
have a free consultation with you.
•Offer them a discount or another enticing promo.
•Suggest that they ask you for samples of previous works
or portfolio (those linked to their needs).
42. Basic Rate Ranges
Writer (web content): $2 to $10++ per 500
words (depending on experience and expertise)
Virtual assistant: $2 to $10++ per hour
(depending on depth of task and experience)
Graphic designer: $4 to $10++ per hour
SEO Specialist: $4 to $10++ per hour
45. Setting Your Personal
Work Standards
•Your
project/task + your client’s
expectations/specifications
•Why
you must do the task?
•Metrics/performance
standards
•Deadline
•How
to know that the job is already complete?
46. Project Success Factors
•Objectiveness
observable
– must be measurable and
•Quality
– the overall look/correctness/feel of
the task/project
•Quantity
– measurable unit of production
•Timeliness
•Cost
– adherence to a deadline
efficiency – staying within the
constraints of your budget or time (which is
equivalent to money)
47. Goals
(set between telecommuters
and clients/supervisors)
1. Measurable and clearly defined
Clarify with your client (if it’s not yet that clear) the
specifications of the project. How will the project be called
“complete”? (any particular specs or measurements?)
2. Challenging, but doable
To further establish clarity, see to it that you are up to the
set task. Although we need challenges at one point to
another, still, we must be able to place a line between
what we can do and what we can’t.
48. Communication
- Communication is very important. It helps
establish trust and ensure clarity in terms of the
project’s scope.
- Be careful when it comes to interpreting emails,
chat messages, etc. Lack of face-to-face interactions
might result to misinterpretation.
- Importance of daily feedback
- Clarify the required frequency of communication
(may it be through phone calls, emails, etc.).
- Set a line between personal and work
communication.
- Establish appropriate communication modes
depending on the purpose (e.g. showing
screenshots while chatting for clarity during
presentations, etc.)
49. Getting Feedback
Teleworking, since it does not permit much
face-to-face interactions with clients, entails
that you (the teleworker) receive regularly
scheduled feedback sessions with your clients.
This may be in the form of an email showing
how you fared with the project/job or a virtual
conference discussing your weekly/monthly
progress at work.
If your client wasn’t able to provide feedback at
once, try to let him/her know that you’ll
appreciate learning how you did with the
project. Any tips/suggestions for improvement
would also be welcome for you to enhance your
performance.
50.
51. Organizing Yourself and Your
Materials
•Organize
depending on your purpose: either by the date,
file color, category, or alphabetically.
•Take the time to rearrange your files, materials, folders,
etc., especially those related to current projects.
•Cluster related tasks together.
•Discard clutter. Recycle, donate, pass along, or throw
away unnecessary materials.
•Commit to your tasks and stay organized.
•Create a master appointment book or planner where you
can take note of your future meetings.
•Keep another notebook/digital hub where you can store
phone numbers, email addresses, and other special
notes.
•Back up your data.
53. How to Avoid Overwork
and Procrastination
1. Have frequent stretch breaks, at a minimum of
once per hour or two.
Aside from easing muscle strain, it also helps clear the brain.
2. Get some fresh air at least once a day.
Working at home need not be plain house arrest. Go out and take your
well deserved break by hanging out with your buddies, taking a walk at
the park, or whatever fills your hearts’ desires.
3. Consider your personal clock.
Take note of those times of day when you are most alert. During such
times, try doing the most difficult projects. Accomplish easier tasks such
as answering/composing emails when you have lower energy.
4. Rate your tasks based on priority.
To make the most out of your time and work, label your tasks from one
to three (with one as the most prioritized and three as the least, but not
indefinitely). Accomplish those with “one” as soon as possible, prioritytwos must be done as time allows, while threes can be postponed for
the time being.
54. Keeping Yourself in Work
Mode
1. Consider your home as a typical office.
To prevent yourself from falling into the “laziness trap,”
treat your home as a standard office. Wake up early, get
dressed, and commit to your work for the day. Have lunch
for an hour, take a stretch break, and continue with your
work’s pace or even beat the clock to take that longawaited time off from work after.
2. Keep yourself in the loop with other teleworkers
or teammates (if you have some).
Avoid burnout and get yourself some support systems
through the help of your teammates or other teleworkers.
They can give you that needed boost.
55. 3. Give yourself deadlines.
If you have a large project to accomplish, break
down the littlest milestones into chunks. Allot
ample hours/days to achieve these milestones
without going past your daily schedule. In this
way, you will gain the luxury to dwell on
priorities without burning out yourself.
4. Reward yourself.
Acknowledging your own accomplishments is
also one great way to keep the fire burning at
work. Treat yourself to the spa or eat out with
friends after a hard day’s work. You deserve it!
57. This matrix developed by Pete Savage, co-author of the
book “The Wealthy Freelancer,” aims to help freelancers,
telecommuters, and other professionals develop their
winning mental edge. We just need to take note of two
things: our performance level and stress level.
Quadrant 1: Low Performance, Low Stress
Invest. Try to invest on relevant books, training materials,
programs, etc. to enhance your productivity and charge
you up.
Quadrant 2: Low Performance, High Stress
Develop. You now need some inspiration. Rekindle your
soul and light up your utmost potential as a person. Learn
from countless self-help books, coaching
programs/mentoring sessions, and others to perk up your
mood.
58. Quadrant 3: High Performance, High Stress
Expect. Expect for tests that challenge your
beliefs. During these times when you might be
questioning your abilities, preparation would be
ideal. Spend your time preparing for the worst
but still hopeful for the best.
Quadrant 4: High Performance, Low Stress
Absorb. Savor the feeling of success as you
experience it happen. This is the most ideal
scenario to be in. However, note that you will
still be moving from one quadrant to another,
so just enjoy this moment while you can.
59. Dealing with Difficult
Clients and Workmates
The Web also sports different kinds of individuals.
Just like in a traditional work area, you’ll encounter
all sorts of personalities sure to test your patience
and character. Now how do we combat conflict? With
the notion that conflict happens when the emphasis
is on the differences between people, how do we
cope with it?
Naturally, because it’s the opposite, we’ll consider
similarities between these people to get along
better with people. To be more successful in
communicating with your clients and workmates, it’s
important that you find a common ground.
60. Blending hence allows you to reduce these differences and
soon reduce conflicts. In virtual communication this is also
true. Aside from establishing good rapport with your clients,
you can inject a bit of personal touch to your
communications.
Likewise, here are some more tips to prevent difficulties in
interacting with your clients and even virtual workmates.
1. Stick to an ethical set of work rules and your
contract. These are your fixed grounds by which
to base your agreements with a client or
workmates.
2. Be polite yet firm. During an argument or
confrontation, you might want to hold your
horses in the meantime to prevent spur of the
moment debates with your employer/client or
even workmate.
61. 3. Use a therapeutic form of communication whenever
you deal with them. Just like any other human being,
they are prone to mistakes. However, you, being more
tact, would also benefit from executing powerful yet
tender words towards these difficult people.
4. Accept responsibility with open arms. Although your
client or workmate may be wrong when they emailed
you in ALL CAPS that you are this and that, don’t go to
their level. Besides, you don’t have all day to wear
that angry look at your face.
5. Learn more about the person you are dealing with.
If he/she is being too harsh with their words through
email or phone call, don’t try to think too much that
you are really worth shouting at (at least virtually). It
may not just be your fault why they turned out that
way. Learn more about their daily experiences.
Perhaps they just don’t have their much needed sleep
yet.
62. 6. Be an attentive listener. Listen with your
two ears wide open. Never take it as if you
really know what they want when they
themselves have a different want.
Understand their need, as well as the other
circumstances that come with it would also
work best.
7. Validate! During times of conflict, instead
of being defensive, ask. Clarify how they
might have reached the point of confronting
you. Aside from being polite, you may also
consider asking them how you may be of
help to them.
63. 8. Set boundaries when you need to. This calls
true especially when you feel like your personal
space has been intruded by your client or
workmate. Instead of fighting back, you can take
a step back and prevent further damages.
9. Think twice, thrice or even so many more
times before sending that hate message. You
don’t want to cross the line between being plain
too emotional and being sensible.
10. Agree with them. This becomes really
beneficial as you try to win your battle with a
client or workmate. Aside from making them feel
like they’ve really won, in reality, you did.
Acknowledging how they seem to be right will
stop them dead on their tracks and prevent any
further arguments.
65. Working online doesn’t mean that you have to
keep yourself out of the usual competency
trainings needed to boost your skills, knowledge
and attitude. In fact, in this highly technological
world, you’ll already find relevant opportunities
to enhance these. You have lots of choices
when it comes to training grounds/modes:
•Webinars
– (web seminar) Similar to an on-site
seminar, webinars have already been used by a
lot of trainers, coaches, and others to facilitate
learning sessions. Users get to login via a
secure server and access the live webinar
through a virtual platform such as
gotomeeting.com, anymeeting.com, etc.
66. •Mail
Groups – With the popularity of groups
specially made for their participants using
emails, these training facilities also allow
members to interact with one another, while a
facilitator sends in group or individual messages
to instruct.
•Video
Modules Trainings – With the advent of
online videos spreading like wildfire, video
modules also paved the way for a trainertrainee relationship via such videos. The trainer
just needs to create a step-by-step module to
guide the learners well. These just need to be
well developed to maintain clarity.
67. •On-site
trainings – Of course, although
teleworkers may be working online most of the
time, there are still opportunities when they can
interact with workmates and clients through onsite trainings. In this way, they will be able to
get to know each other further and enhance
their camaraderie, cooperation, and other
important work-life skills.
68. Support Groups
Working online need not be lonesome. With support
groups available (from Facebook groups and others), you
have the opportunity to network, seek for
work/professional support, and basically interact with
other like-minded individuals from your field.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PinoyOnlineProfession
als/ - Pinoy Online Professionals
https://www.facebook.com/groups/191946950908193/ Filipino Web Content Writers/Copywriters
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SEOOrgPh/ - SEO
Organization Philippines
https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialsyndication/ Social Syndication
69. Sneak Peek at Leveraging
Your Online Career
http://www.deaneanderson.com/sneak-preview
70. Once you’ve got the hang of working online,
you might soon find yourself up for more
creative professional challenges. What’s next,
you may ask? Can you still accommodate more
opportunities knocking at your doorstep? If so,
here’s the possible line of work you can dive
into: forming a virtual team/online company.
Now here’s why forming such team/company
reads G-R-E-A-T:
71. G – ets your feet off the ground for a great adventure
R – eveals your inner power
E – xcites your nerves to stay on top of the professional game
A – dvances your thinking and actions to lead others towards
their aspirations
T – eaches you how to be patient, kind, and persevering
72. Continuous Earning
Potential
Creating your own virtual team/virtual company
can be your passport towards a steady stream
of income. Just practice excellent management
skills, hone your related work skills, and take
care of your virtual staff just as you’d like your
clients/bosses to take care of you.
It also fosters growth as you get to enhance
other people’s skills, attitudes, and knowledge
even when you’re far from each other.
76. Acknowledgment
•To
all those who listened, participated, and
made time for this special gathering…
•To
the sharers (Jaeda, Ate Karen, and Ayie) for
imparting their knowledge and experiences to
the attendees…
•To
my family, who has supported me all the
way…
•To
HIM, who has granted me the courage and
the talent to share with those who need me as
HIS instrument.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
