How to Complete or Revamp Your oDesk Profile

Since I have been writing quite a lot of “How To” articles for one of my oDesk clients, I came up with an idea to write one about completing or revamping your oDesk profile. So, fellow oDeskers, especially the greenhorns out there, learn below some of my tried and tested guidelines on how to give your oDesk profile a face-lift and ultimately, obtain more buyers:

1. Come up with a catchy title – I notice that some of the providers’ titles are simply boring. It’s not that hard to perhaps add an adjective that best describes your role/s. If you can think of a captivating title, that’s a definite plus!

2. Write a brief and honest objective – Some people miss out this very crucial part of their oDesk profile. It’s essential to supply your purpose for registering as an oDesk provider—whether as a data encoder, virtual assistant, SEO writer or what have you. It need not be a long one, just a concise and sincere explanation of what buyers can expect from you.

3. Say something about your skills and talents – Don’t simply enumerate them; describe them as explicit as you can. A lot of buyers would absolutely want to readily determine how much you know about a specific skills set. So, don’t just use the rating system and leave the description blank. Maximize it by putting a sentence or two detailing what you’re really good at.

4. Take more tests – You should take advantage of these practical tests, especially the ones related to your role/s to show your abilities. Hide those test results that are not so impressive. Plus, remember that you can retake the exams after a month, so don’t lose hope if you scored low—there’s always a next time. Additionally, take free Brainbench tests; subscribe to be notified if they’re giving out free tests.

5. Furnish an awesome portfolio – Don’t leave this section blank, if at all possible. Most buyers would love to see some samples of your masterpieces; don’t be shy to show them what you got. If you have a blog that you manage, a website you’ve designed, etc., include them all on this portion. The possibilities here are simply infinite—get creative!

6. Watch out for your work history and feedback – While we can’t do much about this, apart from being a diligent oDesk provider, you can hide some unpleasant remarks from previous buyers. The only viable solution really is to devote your 100% commitment to whatever assignments you’re given and that is tantamount to a satisfied buyer and a positive feedback!

7. Don’t ignore the “Others.” – I see tons of oDesk profiles that totally neglect this very nice feature. Here, you can pretty much include anything that can add some spice to your oDesk profile—trainings you took, seminars you attended, special awards or recognition you received, etc. This is the place to brag about yourself, in a good way.

8. Take pride in your educational attainment – Don’t simply input your school and the years attended, like most people do. Describe it in a few words; say you graduated top 10 of the batch or you were best in Math, etc.—pour them all out here.

9. Exhibit your current or previous job/s on the resume section – If you have a current work aside from oDesk or had previous work experiences outside oDesk, be sure to include them as well. These employments positively add credibility to your oDesk profile. With that in thought, don’t forget to fill out this part.

10. Set a reasonable rate – While we have the power to put whatever rate we desire, it’s very vital to make it logical. If you really think you are excellent in what you do and you can prove it or your feedbacks and test scores show as such, by all means you have every right to demand a higher rate. And to those who offer an extremely low rate but can perform really well, I suggest not to undersell yourself just to obtain more buyers. Majority of buyers won’t really mind to pay high for quality providers. But if you are getting paid low, just work more efficiently to impress your buyers and you can eventually ask for a gradual rate increase.

11. Last but definitely not the least—attach a photo, preferably your picture and not some avatar or symbol – Your picture doesn’t even need to be super formal; as long as it’s decent, that should be fine. Besides, having a snapshot sets everything in and makes your oDesk profile more interesting to check out.

I guess that’s all folks. I have exhausted with all my might every tip I could think of. But I want to reiterate to please complete your profile to 100% to have an edge and get noticed by buyers! I wish best of luck to all of us oDesk providers who change how the world works. May we all have more buyers to come!

If you have additional tips or simply want to say, “Hi,” feel free to holler back.

Related post here.

Starbucks Philippines Slashes Php40 Off on Earth Day

Starbucks Philippines joins the campaign for Earth as we celebrate Earth Day 2009 today, April 22. Get Php40 off discount on your Starbucks beverages today and tomorrow; just bring your own mug/tumbler though.

More information here, as well as tips on how to become environmentally friendly while enjoying your Starbucks favorites.

I personally urge you to try the new Dark Mocha Frappuccino if you haven't tried it yet. It's not that sweet, just perfect for someone like me who loves the bitter-sweetness of dark chocolates. I'll try to snap a picture of it later when I drop by at Starbucks.

Happy Earth Day!

Related posts:

2008 Starbucks Earth Day Promo
Earth Day 2009

Earth Day 2009

In celebration of Earth Day, Greenpeace International launches its new video with a call to action. It hopes to inspire people to become climate activists--3 million people to be exact. It's a massive number because the Earth needs huge action this year.

Watch the video below:



Share it with your friends and loved ones.

You can do something for the climate this Earth Day by signing Greenpeace's online petition: Ask our world leaders to take personal responsibility for the future of the climate and attend the UN Climate summit in Copenhagen this December. But not just attend, they need to guarantee a beneficial deal for the climate.

Happy Earth Day! Let's be green and stay green!



Related post: Starbucks Philippines Earth Day 2009 Promo

NO to Bataan Nuclear Power Plant!

Lacking feasibility study, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is structurally defective and hazardous. The location also has an unacceptably extreme risk of serious damage from earthquakes, volcanism, or both. Moreover, BNPP is costly to operate and accompanied by ridiculous hidden costs. It is indeed, a blazing demonstration of the government’s continuing imprudent debt policy at the expense of the people's security. The BNPP is NOT an answer to Climate Crisis, nor an alternative to Renewable Energy.

Let's all defy the useless agenda to rehabilitate BNPP. Meanwhile, in support of anti-BNPP, here's a video of the Jerks performing, "Nukleyar" together with Noel Cabangon at 70's Bistro last March 20.



Please take action now and send an email to congress to ditch reviving BNPP. Click here.

Related Post: The Jerks

Reminiscing Meteor Garden

Meteor Garden is my sole favorite Asian TV show, which I have already watched several times since college days. I really heart Dao Ming Si and Shancai's team-up. Whenever I want to walk down memory lane and be nostalgic, I find myself watching again this show and it still never fails to make me laugh and cry.

Just moments ago, I was browsing Meteor Garden's soundtrack and came across this sort of music video with various clips from Meteor Garden. I think the song "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins perfectly fits the snippets compilation. See below:



Meanwhile, I'll surf for Filipino version of Meteor Garden for a change.

Breathtaking Baler

Baler is one of my “to visits” places this year; I’m glad that I have fulfilled it this soon. Very close to my hometown, Nueva Ecija, Baler in the province of Aurora is a surfer’s Nirvana. People primarily flock here to witness the raging waves of the Pacific Ocean and hopefully, ride them successfully.

One hot afternoon, my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and his nanny, and me decided to drive to Baler, which is about 4 hours away from Gapan City, Nueva Ecija. It was actually a post-birthday celebration of my sister.

The trip was simply exhilarating, seeing the lush countryside and breathing fresh air—very much unlike the sceneries of Metro Manila. I was just a bit disappointed with some of the rough road we took going there. My butt hurt with the many bumps here and there. So, I would highly suggest that if you plan to go there, better get on a 4x4 auto or take a plane if you’re coming from Manila. I guess you could also hop on the bus, too, since the trip from Manila is perhaps 7 hours and just sleep while on the road.

Moving on, we arrived in Sabang, Baler around 6pm and we’d just stay overnight. Sad. Sad. I wanted to make the most out of it, anyway. We had no prior reservations because when I called up some resorts, they were all fully booked—and we took our chance. Luckily, we found shelter at Kahea's Lodge, formerly Surfer's Inn. It was a fairly nice accommodation for a cheap price of Php1500. It was situated on the second floor with a sofa, dining area, kitchen, bathroom and an air-conditioned room that’s good for 4 (we rented an extra mat—I forgot the price, sorry).

We brought a few readily cooked foods, such as Pork Binagoongan (Pork in Fish Paste), Ham and Cheese Sandwich and Tuna Pasta (I cooked this one!!). We planned to prepare the rest of the meals there; however, due to lack of preparation, we had no cooking utensils. Hahaha. Good thing, we were able to borrow from the resort owner. After having a sumptuous dinner of Blue Marlin Sinigang (Blue Marlin in Sour Soup) and Chicken Barbecue, we rested a bit. While everyone was soundly asleep, my sister and me headed to the seashore, armed with a beach mat, white wine, some snacks and had our drinking session. Unlike Puerto Galera and Boracay, there were no bars galore here, great if you simply wish some serenity, devoid of thumping loud music—just the murmuring waves as your sole background—plain and simple! Although, I think you could grab a drink at Bay’s Inn and other few establishments there. But they’re not open until wee hours of the night.

After finishing a bottle of white wine and got hit by the crashing waves (Thank God for my speedy reflexes, I was able to salvage my digi cam, phone and my sister’s. My sister, who only saved herself for fear of getting wet! Duh!), we decided to go back to the resort and continued drinking there. We drank GSM blue this time. As usual, I got emotional along the way. But the conversation we had was nothing about love and such; well, at least not focused on my love life or the lack of. It was merely about our family’s not so good situation. It’s like a withering plant that without proper preventive care and maintenance or nourishment, it will soon die. I honestly want to do something in my own little way to somehow revive our family life but I can’t do it successfully if no one wants to cooperate. Everyone seemed to be very passive. Sad. Sad.

Anyway, after the dramathon, we slept and promised to wake up really early to catch the sunrise. Oh well, sleepyhead that I am, I was up by 7am. The family went ahead to stroll by the beach and take a dip in the ocean. I had a quick breakfast and immersed myself in my usual after-waking up daydreaming. When they were back, I urged my sister to come with me to the beach and surf. She agreed to accompany me; I was so happy! I rented a board and a lady instructor for Php300/hr. To be perfectly honest, the instructor was not as motivating as the one I had in San Juan, La Union or in Club Manila East and even the skimboard instructor in Boracay. Oh well, I just tried my best to enjoy every moment of it. As always, I had a very challenging moment standing up. I blamed my heavy body and weak arms! With all the adrenaline rush surfing gave me,
I promised to exercise, get really fit and come back soon. I just wonder when I will I have a full day just learning to surf? I’m torn between getting white and learning to surf. I know I’m rather vain, as much as I hate to admit it.

Past the surfing fiasco, I decided to stop and get ready for lunch. We dined at Bay’s Inn, which really really had great food for a very affordable price. It had panoramic views, too, of the ocean. I will stay at this resort next time around.

After lunch, we packed away. We visited the famous Baler church and the Museo de Baler and had some usual photo shoots. I was just disappointed that apart from missing Charlie’s Point, Cemento Beach and many other recommended spots, we also missed the Millenium tree! My brother-in-law didn’t want to drive the minimal 3 km distance to reach the legendary tree because it’s out of the way, as what he believed! Ugh! Sad. Sad. But what could I do?

I just ignored my frustration and slept. We side tripped to my brother-in-law’s house in Talavera, Nueva Ecija to have dinner and some chats with his family. The food was definitely delish, especially the Pinakbet (Sorry, I’ve no idea how to translate this in English—but it’s a mixed local vegetables cooked in shrimp paste).

After storming their generous dining table, we continued our journey back home. But because of my tiny heartbreak not being able to see the Millennium tree, I resolved to continue my trip back to Manila. They dropped me off at a bus stop and I bid them goodbye. That was a tiring one, yet a wonderful experience just the same. I will come back to Baler, that’s a promise!

Summer Lovin'

Busy as a bee, I’m already anticipating that these coming months will be sizzling hot for me. This summertime, I will be wearing several hats aside from already being a writer—I’ll be a student (again) and an intern / volunteer. Oh, lately, I’ve been doing some “charity” works as a tutor, proofreader / editor, tour guide and virtual assistant, too, to some friends.

But what I’m really looking forward to is going back to school, yay! Having a voracious hunger for learning, I’m exponentially excited to relish the school campus ambiance again and unlock my brain to absorb like a sponge every tidbit of fresh information from my would-be professors.

In the class that I will be taking up, I will be learning an ocean of knowledge about World History, International Relations and Politics, Economics, Philippine Literature, to name some. And I will be studying in Ateneo de Manila University, one of the top-notch universities in the Philippines, where I also plan to send my kid/s in the very distant future.

On to becoming an intern / volunteer, this is actually for a local travel magazine that promotes alternative traveling. I learned about this position through my friend, Mitch. I’m not really sure how many people passed their resume or how many helping hands they needed, but I’m grateful I was chosen. This is going to be another “charity” work or free service that I will be providing. It makes me ponder sometimes that I’m too kind. Anyway, I’ll be doing this internship stuff to learn more about the travel industry and travel writing, too, while I supply them with my exceptional service. I just might be included as well in their trips around the country, which I will no doubt love and not resist at all—except if I have school. Also, I will certainly have an edge to be part of their team as a full time travel writer. It’s a win/win situation, don’t you agree?

With regard to the extra and kind of outlandish jobs that I do for my dear friends, I find contentment in doing various tasks for them or at least in helping them. I take those as challenges / exercises for me to overcome and hopefully make them happy as well. Modesty aside, I want them to learn from me, too. Hahaha. And, perhaps I like the idea of being needed sometimes. Hahaha. KSP na kung KSP [lacking attention]!

However, despite my kindheartedness, I sometimes feel abused by some insensitive person/s. Well, I guess Mr. Up-There will take care of that/those person/s. But I never regret whatever type of help I provide. It’s always an achievement for me to be able to assist people, see them learn and stand on their own. Naks!

So, seeing these pursuits that I’m currently doing and will be doing, the approaching summer days will truly be hot and hectic for Fifi. I just hope I’d still have some spare time to visit my family in the province, have coffee and watch gigs with close friends and… that’s all about it basically.

Oh, dang! I can’t find a song appropriate for this post, not that it’s required. Here you go:

Beautiful Day - U2

Why this song? Let’s just say that after all the difficulties I’ve been through previously, there’s always another beautiful day waiting for me. I can definitely see more coming.