The Highs and Lows of Working Online

What are the advantages of working online?  I love being an online worker for the following reasons:

1.  Stay at Home.   I guess I am just a homebody.  I can also see to the needs of my family anytime and everytime. I can attend PTA meetings and watch their school programs even on weekdays.

2. Flexible Hours.  Working online allows me to choose what time I work - daytime, when the kids are at school; night time, when the kids are asleep; or anytime that inspiration overtakes me and I wake up in the wee hours of the morning to do some work.

3. No Boss.   Having no Boss to answer to puts so much less pressure on things. I guess, this is not totally true, however. The clients who give me work are still the Bosses. I must comply to their guidelines and submit work on a given deadline.

4. No Transportation Expense.  This is self-explanatory. I stay at home, I don't commute to and from work everyday. I also save on lunch money and snack money.

5. Work in Comfortable Attire.  Staying at home means wearing comfort clothes while working.

6. Several Work Options.   There are several opportunities online to choose from, like online selling, transcription jobs, ghostwriting, blogging, copywriting, web designing, translation, journalism, tutor online, virtual assistant jobs and many more. Anyone can learn about them by just browsing the net and reading through the blogs of other helpful online workers.

7. Unlimited Income.   I work and I get paid for it. The income is often equivalent to the efforts spent in work. In short, the more work done, the bigger the pay.

Just like any kind of work, online work also has its disadvantages. Maybe, it's human nature not to get contented with the way things are in life. Here are some points why working online is not for everybody.

1. No Benefits.  As a self-employed, freelance online worker, I do not have an employer who will share in my SSS, Healthcare and Housing contributions. I don't expect to receive a Christmas bonus, either.

2. Income Not Fix. Because the amount of money coming in is always dependent on the amount of work done, the monthly pay is not really fix. It could go from zero to the top, still depending on ones efforts and initiative.

3. Job is not Steady.  Work may come and go. A client may only require work for the duration of four weeks and then he may not give anymore assignments. Having a job online usually depends on the clients needs. That's why it is advisable to have many clients to ensure continuous work and pay.

4. Difficulty Landing Work.  Out of 50 applications I send in a week, it is a good week when I receive one or two replies. Finding work online however, still depends on a lot of factors, like qualifications, experience and willingness to start small. As soon as one gets the hang of working online, he becomes open to try bigger opportunities that also pays higher.

5. Plenty of Scam.  The internet offers plenty of opportunities. If there are legitimate job offers, there are also an equal number of scams. It is advised by many online workers to research the companies and people to work for and to visit forums and other blogs about what other people are saying about certain opportunities in the net.

6. No Lunchbreaks with Officemates.  One drawback of working online is being lonesome. Lonesome as in alone, but not lonely, that is. Online chat is still available, although if one loves being in a crowd of friends everyday, then working online might prove lonely.

7. Dependent on Technology.  Working online means I depend on electricity, the speed of my Internet connection, and functionality of my computer. If one of them presents a problem, work is definitely affected. It's good to know though that in case of electricity outage, there are cafes, hotels and restaurants nearby which provide wifi access. Going there is a must especially if I am rushing work on a deadline.


So there, I'm sure other online workers can add more to the above list. It doesn't really matter at all where one works - be it in the office or at home. What matters most is having work to do, doing something one loves to do, getting paid, and experiencing a sense of accomplishment in oneself.

----- dulz

FOW, or Filipino Online Worker

Let me coin a new term for Filipinos who work online. In contrast to OFW, or Overseas Filipino Workers, FOWs are residents of the Philippines who find work in the Internet and earn some sort of income to support their daily needs. I was once very skeptical about online work because of the many scams which are often heard of in association with working online. I was however, motivated by lack of funds in my pocket which made me open my eyes and really study what online work is all about.

Along with the large number of scams, are real and legitimate offers of jobs which one can really do online. This is not to say though, that one should just go ahead, and just apply to any jobs offered online. Research is often needed, lots of it, on what working online is all about.

There are so many helpful sites in the internet, most of them are free, which can truly help anyone who wants to learn more and earn more. With learning, comes more options on what to do next. For starters, here's a list of jobs many FOWs are engaged in:
-Blogging
-Writing
-Transcription
-Graphic Designs
-Online Selling

And many more. Watch out for detailed descriptions of each of these work opportunities in the coming posts.

----- dulz

Buhay Freelancer

I am a freelance writer, yes. I normally work all by myself, because being around people serves as a distraction. It can get lonely sometimes, but I have my own source of laughter. Amidst the writing rush, meeting deadlines, nosebleeds and understanding other people's own perception of the English language, I come across laughable situations. In an attempt to let you take a peek inside my world, I'll share one story with you:

I posted an ad somewhere, said I was looking for writers. I do outsourcing you see. It spares me from writing, but pummels me with editing. I had this applicant. Let's call him K. 

K: "Hi. I saw your ad and I would like to apply for the position."

Me: "Are you willing to do a test article for me?"

K: "Sure. What topic?"

Me: "Please write a 500-word review type article on the BEST MAKE UP PRODUCTS FOUND IN DRUGSTORES"

K: "Can I submit it by one o'clock? I need to do some research." (It was only 9am then)

Me: "Sure."

(After 3 hours)

K: "Hi Emjay. I just came from Mercury Drugstore. They don't sell Avon products anymore, only Ever Bilena and Careline."


I could have died then. i should have told him that the target readers are foreigners. So, umm, Careline and Ever Bilena should not be a part of the article. My bad.

Also, in this business, we rely on the internet to give us information. I didn't know that what he had in mind was FIELD RESEARCH. But I'll give him points for enthusiasm.

What ultimately closed the deal was when he said this:

"So I'm hired? I am an employee now? You are my boss? We should TOTALLY add each other on Facebook!"

Yeah. I hired the guy.


Guest Post by: Emjay Annavi Baclay