In Freelance Blend Podcast Episode 20, I talked about the many ways you can earn from the comforts of your own home, avoiding the hassles and stress of a regular 9-to-5 worker. (Click here to listen to Episode 20: Non-Sleazy Ways of Working and Earning From Home). One of the ways I mentioned of making money online is via freelance marketplaces such as Elance.com, oDesk.com and Freelancer.ph.
So for this episode, I thought of inviting no less than the Country Manager of Elance Philippines and, now, also of oDesk Philippines, Mr. Ron Cirujano. Ron has appeared in a previous podcast episode (Episode 10: Q & A with Ron Cirujano) where we recorded a live seminar entitled “The 2014 Freelancer Career Kickoff” sometime in February 2014. (In case you missed it, please click this link to listen to the session.)
I decided to invite Ron again for an interview so that I will be able to ask some of the most popular questions about freelancing and other questions that were not raised during the event. I also wanted to find out the latest on the biggest merger that happened in our industry, the Elance – Odesk merger. Lastly, and more importantly, I wanted to find out how someone like you and me can earn BIG in Elance.com.
Here are the takeaways for this episode.
Key Takeaways
- The latest update on the Elance and oDesk merger and the benefits of the merger to freelancers.
- Who is Ron Cirujano and how he got involved in the freelancing industry.
- How he first learned about Elance.com.
- How he applied his experience and learnings as a digital and social media marketer to current his role as the head of Elance-oDesk. Philippines.
- What really is Elance.com and how can it help the lives of Filipinos.
- How to register at Elance.com and is it free?
- Why you need to choose only one category to specialize in.
- How to stand out and get clients in Elance.com.
- Importance of the skills test and how many times a freelancer can take it.
- The state and growth of freelancing in the Philippines.
- Do you need to have a college degree to get jobs at Elance.com?
- Earning money just by copy-pasting.
- What former call center agents are doing right now through Elance.com.
- How an internet cafe owner utilized her neighbors to earn big in Elance.com.
- How much the top Pinoy freelancer in Elance.com earned in 2013.
- Are Philippines businesses ready to hire freelancers?
- The future of freelancing.
Resources and Links
- Elance.com
- oDesk.com
- oDesk Philippines Facebook Group –
- Elance.com/Trends
- Elance Philippines Facebook Page
- rcirujano@elance-odesk.com
Quotable Quotes
“Siyempre natutuwa tayo para sa kanila pero sana mapalaki pa rin nila ang kanilang kaalaman, para mas malaki ang kitain nila.”
“In the future, kung titignan natin ang 2013, talagang hindi na magiging factor sa work yung location.”
“Halos wala ka nang rason na puwedeng sabihin na: “Hindi ako mahanap ng trabaho”. Kasi sa Elance palang 1.2 million jobs na yan kaagad.”
How have Freelance Marketplaces such as Elance and oDesk helped you? Please share in the Comment Box below.
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odcast: The Podcast for the Philippine’s Premier Community of Freelancers
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