What has your experience been on odesk or elance, which is better

1. 68

   younghopesposted 10 years ago

   Let me admit, i have never joined any of these two sites- Odesk and Elance. But i keep hearing that people are making some real money there and are quite happy with the way they get paid, just wanted to know from my hubber friends- is it good to join any of these or which is better?

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   1. 74

      LittleKnownStuffposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I work regularly on Elance and have earned around 10,500 there for freelance writing and editing projects in the past year. I prefer their interface and customer service to oDesk (I've worked on both sites) and recommend working on Elance as it's a more intuitive UI and I find their hourly work process to be much easier. They offer escrow protection so the client will fund an escrow account before you begin work and then both parties must agree before funds are distributed (you submit work for approval and when the client is satisfied he or she will release funds to you ... this protects both contractor and client).
      
      I recommend only applying for and accepting jobs from clients with positive feedback (things like "they offered clear direction and promptly released funds") when you're first starting out and the best way to earn ongoing work is to accept a few low-paying jobs at first in an effort to gain some positive ratings on your profile (this will make a big difference when you apply for higher paying jobs later on).
      
      Good luck!

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2. 60

   Neetsaposted 10 years ago

   Hi,
   
   I am myself registered on both sites and have used both. I found it easier to get jobs on Elance because, in my fields at least, there are fewer proposals for every project and you only need to fill in a proposal. On Odesk, there are some extra questions that can take additional time to fill out for every job you apply to. Also, my feeling is that the average bid on Odesk is lower - there are more people providing cheap service. However, Odesk seems to have a bit more job postings.... In the end, my advice is to spend a few hours looking at both websites - browse the category that you are most interested in. See which website has projects better suited to your skills and also projects that match your monetary goals...then pick the better combo!

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   1. 68

      younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the replt, i think i need to check it out depending upon my skills and projects, but do they really pay you, i have heard that many times you are cheated too

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         Neetsaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I have never been cheated. BUT it is important to follow the guidelines from the websites - i.e. do not deliver work before you get officially hired, do not work off the website, etc. I think the guidelines have been created on the basis of extensive experience of many freelancers so they actually work in your favour.

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         1. 68

            younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks Neetsa, i would surely be looking upto your advices, and may be join one of these, i was reading the review of odesk online and at one place it was written they keep a check of your time and keep taking screenshots of your work  to see how many hours you are working or not, doesnt it lead to  interference in your other works?

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            1. 74

               LittleKnownStuffposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               This is exactly why I prefer working on Elance. If you're just starting out I also recommend only applying for escrow jobs as these offer more clear-cut payment protection to the contractor and to the client (the client must fund an escrow account up-front and those funds cannot be released until both parties agree on an outcome).

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               1. 68

                  younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Thanks Littleknown, Yes i would just be starting out and definitely would be looking for escrow jobs as you said. I think it would work in the best interest because i wont be cheated then.

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            2. 75

               WriteAngledposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               This is incredible. One of the defining factors of independent contractor/freelance status, which is widely used by tax authorities, for example, is that a freelance has the freedom to determine when, where and how a job is done. The idea that some petty bureaucrat on a web site spies on the people contracting work through the site is unbelievable. I would rather do without the money than work under such humiliating conditions. I work through agencies exclusively, however any agency that tries to treat me like an employee rather than like an independent professional is struck off my list immediately.

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               1. 68

                  younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Agreed WriteAngled, freelance itself stands for freedom too but don't know why on one of the websites it was written that odesk keeps a check on your work etc. That is one factor which is making me think about joining it or not because i want to work on my own available hours

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3. 84

   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   They don't do Anything to limit where and when you do the work, and they don't spy. They just encourage freelancers to document their work. Which I do anyway

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   1. 68

      younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Oh that's some sort of a relief. And what about bids or gigs something like that, (not sure about the term) what is the best way to get the work there- how can i ask companies to hire me for content writing.

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4. 73

   jkckiposted 10 years ago

   eLance and oDesk have just merged, so the services will likely become entwined as the days past. In my experience, they are both very similar.
   
   oDesk is better for hourly pay because the website guarantees that you'll get paid per hour. However, eLance has escrow that ensures that you will get paid for fixed rate work.
   
   The jobs are very similar on both sites and both sites require a significant amount of work on proposals. There is very low paying work and very high paying work, it just depends on what you want to focus on.
   
   eLance and oDesk are open marketplaces. You have freedom to thrive and freedom to hang yourself. Personally, neither are for me. It's too hard to actually get jobs. I did well on eLance, but I found that oDesk work seemed lower paying. Other freelancers have said the opposite.
   
   The interesting thing about eLance and oDesk is that it isn't just writing. Programming, design and transcription jobs are also available for those that have other skills.

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   1. 68

      younghopesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you so much for this info, certainly need to wait then to see what new thing comes out after the two merges together. It is good to know about yet another new site- elance.

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