Freelance SEO writing, my story...

[GenYguy]

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[Jester]

What is ZOG?

Zionist Occupational Government.

And what's that..? Conspiracy theory..?

Google it.

YouTube it.

Or just watch a talk show on Fox News Channel or CNN, and count how many Jews there are. Usually on BOTH SIDES.

No theory.

[GenYguy]

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[Winston]

If I was back at that age and free, I would go the online route and do that as much as possible. Even if you're working 40, 50, 60 hours a week, sure beats working for someone else's benefit (while getting a paltry paycheck in return.) And by the time you're my age (26), you could move there permanently and find a nice little Filipina and stay with her, enjoying a fairly safe, stable, secure life that is - most importantly - happy. If only I had known then what I know now...that's what I would've done. I'm 26, have a bachelor's degree, have work experience, and am currently living and teaching in China. And I'll be taking my first trip to the Philippines in a month. I wish I had applied myself before and done it so much sooner.

Yeah, I've never liked the idea of working for someone elses benefit either. I'd rather build MYSELF up than build up some other guys presence, and I don't like being totally disposable. Though I know to work for myself, I need certain skills and attitudes. This forum is great for finding like minded people.

So that's another reason I've never had or wanted a traditional job. You're only 26, we're both still young .

Get skills, build skills, make yourself valuable in some way. Once you do this, the rest will fall into place. Until you have something to provide of value, don't go anywhere.

Come on. He has skills. He knows English. That's a skill he can always use. If you network with other expats, they will point you to an English school that you can apply at.

Also, there are cases where people with no money and no skills find a way to make a living somewhere, even in the US. Sometimes, God, the universe, or guardian angels will help someone carry out a destiny they were meant to carry out. You can't rule that out. It does happen in some cases. Try to broaden your mind. Logic can't predict everything. Some people do defy the odds.

[GenYguy]

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[Digit]

So I'm learning that setting up a profile on Odesk is not like creating a Facebook Profile lol. I have to find a way to sell myself.. this is the Odesk guidelines for setting up a profile, which I am reading now:
https://d1u2uhea8ugy8e.cloudfront.net/o ... l_2013.pdf

I have no idea how to sell myself, help forumers! For my "title" I am just going to put that I'm a college student. I have nothing else positive to identify myself with.. since I have no experience or skills...

For the overview of myself, I have no idea what to put? I've never applied to a job before?

Honestly, unless you are prepared to work your a** off, I don't know that I would bother with Odesk or Elance. I know some will disagree with me but...I've written for magazines and newspapers and for the most part, Odesk and Elance are not worth the trouble. I think there might be one or two guys on the forum who write for them regularly so they might be able to give you some specifics, but...personally, I think you'd be better off trying to break in writing for magazines if you want to do so. Generally, you don't write for the money. You write because you feel the need to write or the desire to express yourself. Writing is like any other art, you do it for the love and if you have the talent, you might get paid. Even if you do get paid, you are going to need/want to break out of the $10-$50 per article range. It's a real grind to make a living writing for this much.

Basically I agree with you, in the long run you want to break into writing for real businesses or magazines.
But odesk/elance and the like are a great starting point. Yes most clients there are crap but there are some great ones to be found as well. You just have to sift through all the lowpaying guys.

Breaking into business writing / magazines is NOT easy, you need a portfolio, you need to do the leg work and find the proper persons to contact and then you need to come up wtih some pitches for articles, do cold-calling and whatnot.

With freelance sites you can start from nothing, get some low-paying gigs and work your way up. It doesn't take much time to write out 5-10 applications a day on these sites, but it takes a lot more time to to find out whos in charge for marketing, find an angle to approach them, write personalized emails or pitch them on the phone...
There is more money in this game but its a lot more work too and there are people doing just fine living off freelance jobboards.

@GenYguy its really important that you start doing something ASAP. Doing anything is better than doing nothing. Even if it doesn't work you end up collecting valuable data and getting clother to your goal. In my experience you can MAKE most things work if you just stick with them and course-correct on the way.

If you already have a website you can take those texts into a word file and use them as your first portfolio pieces.

[GenYguy]

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[Winston]

Come on. He has skills. He knows English. That's a skill he can always use. If you network with other expats, they will point you to an English school that you can apply at.

Also, there are cases where people with no money and no skills find a way to make a living somewhere, even in the US. Sometimes, God, the universe, or guardian angels will help someone carry out a destiny they were meant to carry out. You can't rule that out. It does happen in some cases. Try to broaden your mind. Logic can't predict everything. Some people do defy the odds.

Thanks for chiming in Winston, so what do you think I should do..? There are so many options out there, but I don't have enough experience to know what's right for me yet. I just gotta try something right? I think I'll try SEO writing. Like I said earlier, I don't think I'd make a good English teacher, because I'm afraid my APD might make it difficult (I was never diagnosed APD, but I suspect I have it since when I was younger I suffered constantly from horrible ear infections), but I'm not sure...My hearing is fine, but sometimes my brain interprets speech differently, like Wikipedia said "dyslexia for ears". I don't think it's real serious, but it could be a limiting factor for me.

If I am successful at SEO writing, I can create a profile on Odesk and put my experience from that on there. I can't start there now though, because I don't have experience in any of the categories to choose from on Odesk.

Your welcome. I can't tell you what to do. No one can. Only you know what's right for you and what your calling is. All we can do is present options for you.

Explore all the options and eventually one of them will feel right for you. You are still very young and have plenty of time. No rush. What is APD?

How about being a private English tutor? Our advisor Ladislav has posted a thread about how to teach English on Skype too. Have you seen it? He is offering a free ebook too.

viewtopic.php?t=17274

Do you have writing skills? If so, there are freelance jobs for writers and editors.

[Taco]

You can find a rich Filipina in Makati and be her sex slave. This is not a bad option if your feeling up to it, no pun intended. I know one Filipino guy that has this kind of arrangement. His girlfriends husband is dying in the hospital while he's banging her.

[GenYguy]

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[Jester]

Would even the lowest paying guys hire me?

Yes.

At the low end your competition on O-desk is non-native speakers from India etc.

There is a forum specifically for this, btw.

[GenYguy]

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[GenYguy]

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[Hero]

From an email I just received:


"Dear New Fund Your Life Overseas Reader,

What if you had a flexible income that could fund your life abroad? You'd gain the freedom to live where you want, be your own boss, travel when the urge strikes.

You could pocket $10,000... $20,000... even $100,000 a year from the beach... a big city... a mountain hideaway... anywhere you want to be...

Well I have good news: That day could be a lot sooner than you probably think.

You see, in our very global world today... you have many more income options than you may realize. It's just that from your vantage point at home... it can be hard to spot them.

After all, the news we hear from around the world is hopelessly one-sided. Reporters don't go around pointing out amazing opportunities for entrepreneurs. They spot tragedy, instead. It's no wonder so many folks feel trapped at home.

But you shouldn't. Because the truth of the matter is: There are lots of ways you can embrace the flexibility of an income that'll go with you anywhere in the world you want to be.

So if you want to go rent a place in Paris a few weeks or months a year... or if you want to live at the beach in Panama, you can.

And you could get paid...

Only instead of being lashed to a cubicle and answerable to a boss... you'd keep control of your own income and your schedule.

And I'm not just talking about "portable" careers here.

I'm talking about ways and places you could embrace opportunity on the ground in all kinds of communities. Could be anything from a big-city bagel shop to a country B&B or a coffee house, an art gallery, a book store...

If you like the idea of getting paid to live somewhere you love and earn doing something you really enjoy, then you'll like this new project we've just launched.

https://secure.internationalliving.com/ ... 8&r=MC&g=0

Sincerely,
Jackie

Jackie Flynn
Publisher, International Living"

[GenYguy]

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