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Shinta 15 Comments
A few weeks ago, I did something I havent done for a long time: I started applying for a new online job. My current client who I work full-time for, has decreased my working hours. She said she is a little cash-strapped and needs to trim down on some expenses. But she doesnt want to abandon all our projects, so just asked me to work for a few hours everyday until her sources of income become more stable.
I normally dont want to have more than one full-time job, but I dont know how long this part-time work setup will last, so I decided to find another job. And the first thing that I did was update myoDesk profile and my cover letter.
Your oDesk profile and cover letter are the two most important things you need to consider when looking for a job in oDesk. Together, they must always highlight your skills to attract the attention of potential employers. And based on the recent changes that I made, I came up with simple and, I hope, effective ways on how you can beef up your profile and write a compelling cover letter.
A. Writing Skills
1a. knows how to write SEO articles 2a. can write 6 articles in a day
B. SEO Skills
1b1. can make 20 blog comments in an hour 1b2. can make 20 forum posts in an hour
Step 2: List down all the tools and applications that youre familiar with. If youre a graphic designer, being an expert in Photoshop is a must. But if youre a virtual assistant, knowing how to use Photoshop is a plus. The more applications youre familiar with, the more plus points you acquire. Step 3: Group your general skills (i.e. writing, SEO, organizing, etc) and write a short paragraph, 3 to 4 sentences for each general skill, and briefly discuss all related specific skills. Example:
I am a writer and I know the power of words, especially when it comes to writing SEO articles. I can produce 6 quality articles in a day and I can assure you that they will be original, unique and will pass copyscape. I have written articles for so and so. I am familiar with both on-page and off-page SEO techniques. With off-page, I can generate 100 links in a day, 10 from blog comments, 10 from forum posting Or
I am familiar with both on-page and off-page SEO techniques. With off-page, I can generate links from blog comments, forum postsWith on-page, I know how to optimize the tags to make your site SEO-friendly Step 4: Arrange the paragraphs in order of your proficiency, the top being the skill that you excel in most. For example, if youre more of an SEO assistant, then put the SEO paragraph before the others. Step 5: Read the resulting article and make sure that everything is clear, concise and well-written. Every paragraph must flow through to the next in a coherent manner. When youre satisfied, use this in your oDesk profile. You may opt to add another paragraph at the bottom, describing your other qualities that will be useful at work or, a goal or objective, or anything that you think clients will find interesting about you.
But in both cases, I make it a point that my cover letter answers ALL the questions raised by the client in the job description or in the private message the he/she sent to me. From my profile, I take the skills that I feel will suit the position that Im applying for, and edit them depending on the situation (as I mentioned above). I will also arrange my skills based on the job requirement.
For example, when Im applying for a virtual assistant job whose main task is to setup and maintain blogs, I will place the paragraph mentioning WordPress, blogging, Web 2.0 platforms, HTML, CSS and other related skills above the other skills. Then maybe SEO and writing skills will come in the succeeding paragraphs.
When creating a cover letter, it is important that it doesnt appear canned. It must read in a way that it speaks directly to the client/employer. I will discourage using a generalized cover letter because some client dont find using such impressive.
If its too taxing to create a cover letter each time you apply for a job, you can create a guide or a template. A guide or a template will tell you what should be included in your cover letter, and in what order they come. But you have to vary the text and make sure that no two cover letters will look exactly the same.
My cover letters almost always contain: 1. Introduction (includes salutation/greetings, name I am Juana dela Cruz, title a freelance web designer, country from the Philippines and brief work history Ive been working as a web designer for so and so years, creating and designing websites for various so and so companies). If the client was the one who invited me to apply for the position, I always begin my cover letter by thanking him/her for considering me for an interview. 2. A brief summary of the job description. This is important because it shows that you have actually read and understood the job description. 3. Skills. 4. Availability, schedule and other work-related details. Most of the questions/items raised in the job posting or in the message sent by clients are about skills and competencies, availability and rate, so make sure you cover them in 3 and 4.
5. End note (Thank you, Looking forward to hearing from you again, etc) and signature. You dont have to follow this guide exactly, but at least youll have an idea of the structure and you can be creative with your own cover letter.