How To Land Your First Job In oDesk ~ Your Freelance Guy

Landing your first job in oDesk is not as easy as you think it is, but devoting your time, effort and being patient is the key in landing your first job. Below are some tips on how to land that first job faster.

Make Your Profile at Least 80% Complete

Your profile in oDesk is like your online resume. This is where your clients will be looking for more information about you when you apply in jobs. When making your profile, don't forget the following:

Your skills. Determine what skill you have that are sell-able online like:

Computer programming (define what type of programming language you know)
Writing (are you a copywriter, blogger, or article writer?)
Office skills
Search engine optimization.

Category. This is where you will be search-able so your clients will know what to expect from you. You can select up to 10 categories. Make sure that your selected categories are the things you are knowledgeable about.

Education. I prefer to put just my college degree since it greatly defines what skill I have.

Portfolio and Certification. If you have past or present works that are related to the skills you have, add them in your oDesk portfolio. If you have past and present certifications related to your skill add them in your list of certifications too.

These two are the showcase of what skill you actually have thus making you more sell-able to clients.

Take Tests

Tests measure up how well you know a particular skill or application. In this way clients will expect what they see in these tests. Don't forget to take the oDesk readiness test to get 20 application quotas per week.

Create a Killer Cover Letter

Cover letter templates can be easily detected, so it is best if you create a cover letter out of your own words. Your cover letter should be straight to the point, with no other irrelevant information. Follow this guide on how to create a killer cover letter.