oDesk Contract Types

There are 2 types of oDesk Contracts.

1: Hourly Contracts
2: Fixed Price Contracts

1: Hourly Contracts

Hourly Contracts are generally larger and often preferred by freelancers. For all Hourly Contracts we have to download oDesk Team App (oDesk time calculator) and must calculate time for each hourly job. Hourly Contracts are covered by the oDesk Guarantee.

2: Fixed Price Contracts

Fixed Price Contracts are generally smaller and paid on completion. However, Fixed Price Contracts are not covered by the oDesk Guarantee and payment is at the client's discretion. So, we have to be very careful before applying on Fixed Price Contracts.

How to Pass oDesk Readiness Test

Passing oDesk  Readiness Test is very important for everyone who is searching for oDesk jobs. It gives a competitive edge and a very high possibility of being hired. It also helps to get familiar with most of the oDesk features and policies and it is strongly recommended by oDesk before applying to jobs.

oDesk Readiness Test is not hard to pass. You just need to be prepared. You can pass oDesk Readiness  test in 2-5 minutes and can be ranked as first (1st).

Odesk Readiness Test Questions and Answers

1.  Can I start my own agency on oDesk.

• Yes! You can create an agency and earn money by selling the services for your agency contractors.
• No, oDesk is for independent contractors only.

2.  Which of the following are true about your oDesk Work diary.

• Allows employers to see when and what their contractors are working on.
• Enables automatic billing for hourly contracts.
• The oDesk Team application auto-tracks time which can be reviewed in the Work Diary..
• Manual time can be added, but isn't guaranteed payment.
• All of the above.

3.  Which of the following are true about ODESK dispute process.

• The dispute process only applies to Hourly contracts.
• If you fail to respond, oDesk will refund the employer and suspend your account.
• If you reject the dispute, oDesk specialists will review your Work Diary and evaluate it against the criteria of the payment guarantee.
• Disputed hours ruled in the employers favor are refunded.
• All of the above.

4.  Which of the following is false about weekly limit on hourly contracts.

• Hours in excess of the weekly limit will not be billed to the employer.
• You should discuss any need to work beyond your limit with your employer.
• The weekly limit can be changed by the contractor.
• The weekly limit can be changed by the employer.
• Hours in excess of the weekly limit are not guaranteed payment.

5.  What happens when a contract ends.

• You lose access to the Work Diary. 
• Both users can leave feedback.
• The feedback system is double blind, so your employer cannot see the feedback you left them until after they have left feedback for you.
• Hours will be billed (and disputes may be filed) according to the usual weekly payment schedule.
• All of the above.

6.  Which of the following is false of what is not allowed when applying to job posting.

• Misrepresenting your skills, experiences, portfolio, etc.
• Submitting boilerplate, placeholder or generic bids or other spam.
• Disclosing direct contact information.
• Applying when you are not truly qualified.
• All of the above.

7.  Which of the following is required to qualify for guaranteed payment.

An hourly contract.

• Tracking your time with the oDesk Team application.
• Entering relevant memos.
• An employer with a verified payment method.
• All of the above.

8.  Which of the not permitted on oDesk

• Sharing a single account between multiple people.
• Opening more than one account on oDesk.
• Using a logo or clip art as your profile portrait.
• Using a fake name.
• All of the above.

9.  The oDesk Team application Time Tracker records which of the following?

• Screenshot of the active screen once per billing segment.
• Number of keystrokes.
• Number of mouse clicks.
• Memo entered by the contractor.
• All of the above.

10.  Which of the following statements about oDesk fees is FALSE?

• The oDesk fee is 10% of the employer's payment to oDesk.
• oDesk is free to join.
• oDesk is free for contractors to apply and work on jobs.
• The oDesk fee is $2/hour for hourly contracts.
• All of the above.

11.  Which of the following is TRUE about fixed-price contracts?

• Employer billed automatically each week.
• How much to pay and when to pay is at the employer's discretion.
• Hours worked will show on your profile.
• Time-tracking required.
• Qualify for the oDesk payment guarantee.

Making a New oDesk Profile

When you open the oDesk Website, you will see a window as shown in the image. Please Sign Up on clicking "I need a Job Button".

You can use any username of your choice. Please be sure to use 100% genuine and original data about you, like Full name, address, Phone No. etc.

Now, add some Title to your profile according to your skills like,  Ms Office, Data Entry, Web Research, Email, WordPress. Add some Hourly Pay Rate to your profile. like $3.00.(When you add 3.00 to your profile, it will show as 3.33 because 10% will be oDesk fee) Now, if your profile rate is $1.11, you will get $3.00 and $0.33 will be oDesk fee). Please make sure to start with low Hourly Pay Rate for a new profile.

Also, complete your profile by filling all related fields like Years of Experience, Overview, Categories (your own skills), Employment History, Education, Other Experiences etc.

After completing all these steps, now, you can check your profile. Your Job Quota will be about 5-10/Week. Make sure to take oDesk Readiness Test for Independent Contractors and Staffing Managers to increase your Job Quota about 15. Once you have taken some more test according to your skills, Your profile will be 100% completed and Your Job Quota will be 20/Week which means now you are ready to apply on jobs according to your Skills and experience.

All About oDesk

oDesk is a free leading online workplace that allows businesses to find, hire, manage, and pay talented freelancers from around the world, while giving a global community of skilled workers access to jobs that are personally, professionally, and financially rewarding.

You can Learn more about oDesk by watching this video from ODesk's CEO. 

 

7 Useful Tips to Win Your First oDesk Job

Being new on oDesk can be tough for a professional. Without any feedback or past projects on your profile, clients don’t seem to want to hire you just yet.

Being a newbie freelancer myself, this is exactly what was on my mind when I only had a simple profile and a few of my past works. I knew I was facing a very tough competition, most of which are being driven by price.  But I was determined to make my first break, and luckily I was successful.

So I know how you feel, faced with all these challenges and with no opportunity to prove yourself.  To help you win your first oDesk job, here are 7 tips that have worked for me, for many, and hopefully will work for you:

1. Review, edit, proofread, and finalize your oDesk profile.
2. Make sure you have portfolio samples for every service you offer.  Upload screenshots or PDFs of your work, link, and label them according to the service you specialize in.  Make sure to write a short but detailed description for each.
3. Give yourself a title that best describes what you do.  Simply calling yourself, “A Hardworking and Affordable Professional” with checks, diamonds, or heart symbols (seriously, who does that?) doesn’t say much about what you do.  Clients may easily brush off your profile and look at more descriptive ones.
4. Choose job posts that are best suited for you.  Your chances of winning a web design project is very slim if your only specialty is transcription or virtual assistance.
5. Customize, personalize, and proofread your cover letter before sending it off.  Make sure you answer the client’s questions, address his concerns, and pitch yourself very well.  
6. Choose a rate that’s reasonable, not the cheapest.  Good clients usually avoid the lowest bidders, keeping in mind that “you get what you pay for”. Offer the most reasonable price for your services, but make sure it isn’t because you’re the cheapest in the roster.
7. Do your best and never give up.  By putting your best foot forward in every interview, you’ll surely stand out from all the other applicants.  If you get rejected, it’s okay.  Give yourself a reassuring hug and continue applying for jobs, until such time that a good client decides to hire you for your first project.

Again, you’re not alone in this struggle for the big oDesk break.  Thousands of contractors (including the big-time veterans) have been in your shoes before.  If they can win their first and succeeding projects, then so can you.

How to Get Your 1st Job on oDesk

I started oDesk in October 2011. Till now, I have completed over 130 Contracts and almost 3000 calculated oDesk hours. This wasn’t achieved in a day or a month. I had to struggle hard when I started my career as a freelancer, but I kept trying and kept learning new techniques and kept climbing up the ladder to reach where I am comfortably placed today.

There are thousands of talented people trying on oDesk, but are out of luck after months of struggle that’s why this article is going to be a major part of your escape route from this hard luck.

Following tips were written by a great fellow Hussain on oDesk forum and I am sharing them because these are the pretty much what the whole debate is all about, so let’s start.

1. The most important thing, after joining oDesk, is to carefully read the terms & conditions and policies. These are a great information resource for newbies. You will find them in their Help section.
2. Make a comprehensive profile. Provide true information about your Education, Work Experience, Skills & any Certificates you possess. Complete your profile 100%.
3. Know your skills & abilities. You should be well aware of what you can do and what is beyond your working capabilities.
4. Take oDesk Tests to prove your skills. The better you score in oDesk tests, the better you’ve chances to succeed. (First take oDesk Readiness Test).
5. Carefully read the Job Description. Usually clients clearly mention their requirements in the job description. You should read the job description twice, very carefully & then ask yourself. Can you do it? If you can offer the client, what he’s looking for, then apply on that job, if not, then don’t bother.
6. Cover Letter, in my opinion, is the BACK BONE of the hiring process. After profile, cover letter is the 2nd thing, which will make a client contact you. Write your cover letter in response to the job description. NEVER EVER USE THE SAME COVER LETTER FOR EVERY JOB.
7. In cover letter, explain your skills & abilities in short & to the point. Don’t write long paragraphs.
8. Rate Recommendation: Some contractors may not agree with me, but in my opinion, initially a contractor should start with low rates.
9. After applying to a job, be patient. If you’ve done it right & gave the client a reason to contact you, then you’ll definitely get a response, from the client. (Hopefully Positive)
10. Even if you’re rejected from a job, don’t lose hope. Keep trying & you’ll succeed.

 I am very hopeful that these Small Tips will surely help you to Get your First job on oDesk.

MS Word 2007 Test for oDesk 2

Questions: 41

How will you change the author name in an existing document? 

a. Click on the Microsoft Office Button, select Prepare, and then click Properties. Type the author name in the Author box.

b. Click on the Microsoft Office Button, click on Word Options, and click Popular. Under “Personalize your copy of Office,” type the author name in the “User name box.”

c. Right click on the customize status bar and select Author Name from the list and then type a new one.

d. All of the above

Question: 42

How will you insert text boxes for a printed form?

a. Select the insert tab, in the header & footer group select the Text box

b. Select the insert tab, In the text group, click on Text box and then select draw text box. 

c. Select the page layout tab, in the page setup group, select the Text box.

d. None of the above.

Question: 43

What steps should be followed to replace a shape with another shape? 

a. Select the shape to be changed. Select the Format tab; use the “Change Shape” button in the Shape Styles group. 

b. Select the shape to be changed. Right click on the mouse button and choose the “Change Shape” option.

c. Select the shape to be changed. Select the Insert tab and select “Another Shape” in the Illustrations group.

d. None of the above

Question: 44

Which feature(s) should be selected in order to find and remove hidden data and personal information on office documents? 

a. Blog.

b. Ballons.

c. Document inspector. 

d. All of the above.

Question:45

Which keyboard shortcut inserts a hyperlink? 

a. CTRL+H

b. CTRL+M

c. CTRL+P

d CTRL+K

Question:46

Which keyboard shortcut is used to make the text size smaller? 

a. ALT+SHIFT+X

b. CTRL+SHIFT+>

c. CTRL+SHIFT+<

d. ALT+SHIFT+I

Question: 47

Which among the following is a keyboard shortcut to cut a table? 

a. CTRL+A.

b. CTRL+V.

c. CTRL+C.

d. CTRL+X . 

Question:48

Which among the following is a keyboard shortcut to underline blank spaces for a form? 

a. Ctrl + Hyphen(-)

b. Shift + Hyphen(-)

c. Alt + Hyphen(-)

d. All of the above

Question: 49

Which keyboard shortcut could be used to switch to Draft View? 

a. ALT+CTRL+P

b. ALT+CTRL+O

c. ALT+CTRL+N

d. None of the above

Question: 50

Which keyboard shortcut could be used to check the spelling of a text file? 

a. F7

b. F6

c. F5

d. None of the above

Question: 51

Which of the following is not a Content Control

Ans: Chart

Question: 52

Which of the following options repeats a table heading on subsequent pages? 

a. Repeat Header Columns

b. Repeat Header Rows

c. Repeat Header

d. None of the above

Question: 53

Which among the following options would you choose to automatically enter the current date? 

a. Select the insert tab and then select date and time in the text group. Choose one of the available formats in the date and time dialog box. 

b. Type the first four characters of the current day of the week.

c. Select the home tab and then select date in the text group. Choose one of the available formats in

the date dialog box.

d. None of the above.

Question: 54

Which among the following options will be used to select a paragraph at once with the help of a mouse? 

a. Double-click anywhere on the word.

b. Triple-click anywhere in the paragraph. 

c. Click at the start of the selection.

d. None of the above

Question: 55

Which among the following options is not true regarding a macro? 

a. A macro is used to automate a complex series of tasks.

b. The macro recorder is used to record a sequence of actions, or to create a macro from scratch by entering a code in the Visual Basic Editor.

c. To work with macros in Word 2007, the Review tab needs to be opened. 

Question: 56

Which among the following options should be used to start a bulleted list automatically? 

a. Type * (asterisk) and then press spacebar or the Tab key. 

b. Type # and then press the spacebar key.

c. Type # and then press Enter.

d. None of the above

Question:57

Which among the following is an “Orientation” type of Page Layout? 

a. Image

b. Picture

c. Portrait

d. All of the above

Question: 58

Which among the following charts do not have axes? 

a. Bar charts

b. XY (Scatter) charts

c. Doughnut charts

d. Area charts

Question : 60

Which of the following charts display “Error bars” for x values, y values, or both? 

a. XY (Scatter) charts

b. Bubble charts

c. Both a and b

d. None of the above

Question: 61

Which among the following options will you use to add a command to the Quick Access Toolbar? 

a. Click on Customize Quick Access Toolbar and then click “More Commands” and choose the command from the list to be customized.

b. Click on the Microsoft Button and then select Word Options. Click on Customize.

c. On the Ribbon, click the appropriate tab or group to display the command that you want to add to the Quick Access Toolbar. Right-click on the command, and then click on “Add to Quick Access Toolbar” on the shortcut menu.

d. All of the above

Question: 62

Which of the following is/are true about phishing? 

a. Office 2007 has a feature to display a security alert about a suspicious Web address.

b. It is an online fraud technique used by criminals to lure users into disclosing their personal information.

c. It is an online help to check text errors.

d. All of the above

Question:63

Which of the following is not true about “Format Painter?” 

a. Format Painter is used to apply text formatting and some basic graphics formatting, such as borders and fills.

b. Format Painter works best with drawing objects, such as AutoShapes.

c. Format Painter can copy the font and font size on WordArt text. 

Question: 64

Which of the following is not correct regarding “Hyphenation Zone?” 

a. The hyphenation zone is the maximum amount of space that Word 2007 allows between a word and the right margin without hyphenating the word. 

b. The hyphenation zone cannot be changed to make it narrower.

c. The number of hyphens can be reduced by making the hyphenation zone wider.

d. None of the above

State whether true or false:

Question:65

A building block can be added to as many galleries as you want. 

a. True

b. False

Questions: 66

ASCII-formatted text contains no formatting information such as bold, italic, or fonts. 

a. True

b. False

Question: 67

Any changes that are saved to “Normal.dotm” will be applied to the documents that you create in the future. 

a. True

b. False

Question: 68

Changes that are made on the Worksheet are automatically updated in the chart. 

a. True

b. False

Question: 69

Gridlines do not print when a document is printed. 

a. True

b. False

Question: 70

In Microsoft Word, a diagram can be converted to individual shapes. 

a. True.

b. false. 

Question: 71

Microsoft Office programs store some additional information within the digital signature automatically that might not be visible in the current view document. 

a. True. 

b. false.

Question: 72

New text animation effects can be applied in Microsoft Word 2007. 

a. True

b. False

Question : 73

Once a macro is running, it is not possible to stop it. 

a. True.

b. false. 

Question: 74

Placeholder citations appear in the bibliography. 

a. True

b. False

Question: 75

Switches and parameters are not case-sensitive. 

a. True

b. False

Question : 76

The “Add Assistant” shape option in a SmartArt graphic is available only if an organization chart layout is chosen. 

a. True. 

b. false.

Question: 77

Unlike the other types of styles (paragraph, character, linked, and table), predefined list styles are available when you first create a document in Word 2007. 

a. True

b. False

Question : 78

When you save a document as a Web page, the textures and gradients are saved as JPEG files and the patterns are saved as GIF files. 

a. True. 

b. false.

Question : 79

Which of the following types of charts are not supported by either Lines or Bars, as shown in the picture? Or Which chart type does the given picture represent? 

a. Surface charts

b. Stock charts

c. XY(scatter) charts

d. Area chart