Google Set To Launch Its Own Jobs Portal - Google Hire

Google is set to launch its own job marketplace service, Google Hire. The new project of Google seems to put the company into a market that is already filled with a number of established players.

Google Hire

Google Hire is a job listing portal where applicants can upload their resumes for potential employers or recruiters to check. It will also allow individuals to check for jobs posted by employers. Google Hire is supposed to be a job applicant tracking system that is similar to Lever and Greenhouse, according to axios.com. Aside from posting job openings, employers can also accept and manage job applications through the site.

Full Disclosure

Since users have the option to use their personal Google accounts, speculations emerged on the possibility that the new recruitment tool will give employers and recruiters access to the browsing history of applicants. But these fears were disproved by a Google spokesperson who said the online search giant will only provide information that were “voluntarily” provided by candidates. The spokesperson revealed to rt.com that Google will not share “private information such as search or viewing history” to employers or recruiters. The spokesperson added only “information that applicants input into Google Hire will be shared.” So, if are planning to apply for a job on Google Hire you won’t have to worry about a potential employer looking at what you have been searching online. Well, that is, if it will become fully launched and available in the Pearl of the Orient,

Google Hire

Job Recruitment Market

The entry of Google into the job recruitment market may provide employers another venue to look for applicants. But the market is currently quite competitive with companies such as LinkedIn, Monster and Glassdoor already leading the market. Facebook also rolled out its job listings support near the start of the year. Due to this, it will be necessary for Google to offer something new to the market. A number of tech companies appear to have started to use the job portal, including SingleHop, CoreOS, DramaFever, and Medisas.

Google Hire

Google Hire is the latest innovation offered by the online search giant through its enterprise and cloud division. The new innovation also features an email that refers to “Bebop,” which was a company started by Diane Greene before it was acquired by Google in 2015. Greene is currently running the enterprise and cloud division of Google.

By Invitation

For the moment, signing up for Google Hire is by invitation only.  If you try to sign up without an invitation, you will see a notification indicating that your Google account is not associated with any account on Google Hire.

Google Hire

What are your thoughts about Google Hire if it becomes available here in the Philippines? Tell me about it on the comments section below.

Jump Start Your Career As An Online Freelance Worker

One thing you should keep in mind if you want to become an online freelance worker is that it is necessary for you to persevere. Similar to regular day jobs, online freelance workers have to send in their application and sell themselves to their clients. While thousands upon thousands of jobs are available on different job sites, you still have to apply for them. If the client likes your profile, you may go through a Skype interview or an interview through email.

Jump start Your Career As An Online Freelance Worker

For instance it took me 40. . . yup, you read that right . . . four-zero applications before I landed my first online job. I had to keep on applying for a job until I was able to find a client who was interested in what I had to offer.

Online job sites are good places to look for jobs

And the first job I landed was researching products on eBay.  The thing is, I had no idea on what the job was all about. I had to research and watch videos to know what to do. Good thing the client also gave me instructions on how to do it and hired me.

My first job was to research products on eBay

While my next few jobs were writing jobs, I still had to go through the same process of applying and selling myself to potential clients. But you do not need to go through everything I went through. Use what I experience as a lesson if you want to start your online freelance career.

Jobs available on Upwork

Taskmasters.io

There is one website that I can refer you, that is if you are a writer. I actually found this site through one of the Facebook groups I joined. The website . . .taskmasters.io

Taskmasters.io

The website actually has a list of projects you can work on without having to send in an application and waiting for a response from the client. All you need to do is to grab the project and work on it. But you should make sure you finish the writing project within the allotted time or before the deadline.

Always meet the deadlines

Starting

When you sign up on the website, you will have to go through a series of tests to ensure you are up to the task, so to say. But you do not have to worry if your grammar, spelling and sentence construction are good enough since you will breeze through these tests without a sweat.

Passing the tests is your first step

Some of the tests delve into the features available on the website along with the processes you have to go through before you can grab a project. When you pass through these tests, you can already start working on the projects. The more projects you finish, the more you earn. In addition, you also reach some milestones that open up more features on the website.

More projects, more money

Aside from working on writing projects, taskmasters.io also features an eLearning portal where you can enhance your writing skills. While you will have limited access to the eLearning courses at the start, you will eventually open up more courses as you complete more projects on the website.

Learning never stops

Rates

Even as the rate for each writing project is not as high compared to some projects you can find on Upwork and other online job sites, they are still higher than what you would normally get from an office-based writing job. Heck, you can even earn twice or three times the income you get from the projects through the website compared to what you get from an office-based job. You also would not have to apply for the projects since the people behind the website are handling this.

Earn online

While veteran writers may not find the rates appealing, it is more than enough for newbies or people who want to jump start their career as an online freelance worker.

Become an online freelance worker

Ranking

In addition to the cash, you also have the opportunity to rise in the ranks of the website. The higher your rank, the more projects become available for you to work on. It also opens up more eLearning courses as well as other features offered on the website.

Earn as an online freelance writer

Working as an online freelance worker is similar to working as an employee. In fact, the process of getting a client is also similar to applying for a job. But there are some ways to allow you to take out a number of steps in the process and fast-forward your way to earning money online. One way to do this is by signing up on taskmasters.io.  Sign up today and start your career as an online freelance worker.

Disclaimer: some of the links provided are referral links.

P.S. You can send me a private message on my Facebook Page or write on the comments section if you have any questions about the website.

Breaking Free - Attaining Financial Freedom

A couple of weeks ago, I received a book about how you can attain financial freedom. The book, entitled “Break Free,” was written by Don Soriano., who went through the aches and pains of starting his own business.

Break Free by Don Soriano

Financial Freedom

The topic is quite interesting, especially among online freelance workers who essentially want to be able to “break free” of corporate life and establish their own online career or business.  It is not quite easy to really become financially free, unless you have a huge kitty fund somewhere that you can dip your hands into each time you need money. And no, Don does not have the kitty fund I was referring to. The tips provided on the book are really quite practical and just about anyone with the perseverance and proper attitude can also attain the financial freedom that has remained elusive to many.

Finances

No Boss, Big Problem

One of the tips I gave in a recent blog post is to know if you want to become an online freelance worker is whether you can work on your own without anyone supervising you. You see, by being an online freelance worker you are essentially your own boss, which means no one will tell you what to do and when to do it. Similar to a business owner, you tell people what to do and when to do it. 

Stress At Work

This tip is reflected on the book of Don, who highlighted the fact that when you quit your job you will have all the time in the world. The question is whether you can put this time into good use or not. If you are used to have someone telling you what to do and you suddenly have no one hovering around checking on you, you may not know what to do.

The Boss

You will only realize that quitting your job was a wrong decision, especially when your income stream becomes unstable. Due to this, you may end up feeling the pressure of trying to find a way to make money. In this situation, money becomes your primary motivation in attaining happiness, which is not good.

Money is not Everything

Learning Is Good

Another thing Don highlighted in the book is that learning does not stop after college. Learning actually continues. It continues when you get a job, start a business or when you are simply trying to figure out how to download an app on your smartphone. Well, the learning Don wanted to convey is the type of learning that can lead to personal development. This can eventually result to you getting better at what you do.

Learning is Good for You

Real Financial Freedom

Financial freedom does not only mean getting an income stream that can cover all your needs and wants. Financial freedom also means learning how to manage your finances. For instance, you buy a lotto ticket and win the grand prize of PHP10,000,000. This may be manna from heaven for you, but can you manage your finances? As your income grows, your expenses would also grow. You will end up being able to afford the things you were not able to afford before. 

What if you can buy this with your new income stream?

But, can you make this PHP10,000,000 last for a very long time? One way to make it last is to look for ways to invest the money rather than simply spending it on the latest gadgets that will become obsolete after a year. There are a number of ways to invest your money, be it PHP10,000 or PHP10,000,000. The important thing is that you should learn how to manage your finances. 

Mismanaged finances can lead to bankruptcy

Sales Is For Everyone

These are just a few points highlighted by Don on his book. I found the book quite interesting since it essentially validated some ideas I have been ruminating on for the past few years, but have never made anything to make them concrete. One of these ideas is about the sales profession. You see, being an introvert I normally shy away from sales jobs. While I have had some stints in sales in the past, I have never really made it big in the profession. But, after going through that section of the book, I realized that sales is the best path you can follow in order for you to be able to have the opportunity to establish a business. 

Selling is Essential

Even if you have the best product in the world or a product that can solve all the world’s problems, it will be useless unless you sell it. It is not true that the sales profession is only for those who are good at it. You are actually already into sales without you knowing it. 

Break Free and have financial freedom

Do you want to know how? Check out the Facebook Page of Don Soriano and get a copy of the book to find out how.  As what Don said, “The experience of others is a better teacher than your own experience.”

10 Things To Consider Before Deciding To Become An Online Freelance Worker

With the worsening traffic situation in Cebu, many people are seriously considering work at home jobs. Working online does have its advantages over working in an office. But the life of an online freelance worker may not be for everyone. While you get to own your time, you also have to deal with a number of things that you do not normally do when you were still a corporate slave.
Here are 10 things you need to consider before you decide on becoming a full-time online freelance worker

#1 Do you really own your time?

Time is precious – image source: commons.wikimedia.org

Even as many online freelance workers work at their own pace and at their own time, there are some clients who ask their workers to be online at a certain schedule. These clients are normally companies requiring their workers to work with each other. And many of these workers live in different time zones. Due to this, the client would require their workers to be online at night here in the Pearl of the Orient. The closest experience I had with this situation was when a potential client asked me to be online for an interview. It was not much of a problem since I am normally more productive at night so I was able to stay online for the interview. So before you apply for any online job, just make sure you read all the details, especially if the client would require you to go online at a certain time of the day or night.

#2 Will you be productive?

Are you productive? – image source: flickr.com

There are some people who work best when somebody is monitoring them. There are also some people who work best when they are left to their own devices. Which type of person are you? Can you work with minimal supervision? Or do you need someone to hover behind you while you work? Well, this is actually not an issue if you need to be online at a specific time since your client would likely be online as well. 

#3 Can you work alone?

Working Alone? – image credit: Peter Parcon

One thing I miss about working in a company is working with other people. Due to this, I normally work inside a coffee shop. At least in this environment I get to see people. Heck, the baristas in the coffee shop where I work already know what I order and they immediately punch it in the moment I approach the counter. There are also some times when I work at the Workplace Café and the people there already know who I am. How about you? Are you a kind of person who can work without anyone else around you? This is one question you should answer before becoming a full-time online freelance worker since you will essentially be on your own. 

#4 How fast is your internet connection?

Is the internet speed fast enough?  – image credit: Peter Parcon

There are some jobs that require a suitable internet connection. This is normally for hourly jobs where you would have to log into an online app that will record your work. There are also some jobs that do not really require a fast internet connection since you essentially work offline and go back online to submit or post your work. Before applying for an online job, just make sure to read all the details especially when it comes to the internet connection. This is particularly important if you rely on the internet connection of a coffee shop or you are using those pocket Wi-Fi devices. Some clients would even require a wired connection, especially those that require you to work on the website of the company. 

#5 Do you have a separate area in the house where you can work?

Do you have a suitable work area? – image source: biz.uiowa.edu

This is connected to the second question since it may be necessary for you to find a quiet nook in the house where you can work without any distractions. If you will work as a customer service representative for your client, that place should be quiet. It would not look good if you call or receive a call from the customer of your client and the sound of a dog barking is in the background. I got to talk with a college friend and she said online freelance work was not for her since she is always distracted by the household chores she needed to do. It is always better to make sure you have a separate place in the house where you can work. Or you can also try the different co-working zones in the city, including Regus and the Tide.

#6 Are you comfortable with communicating through email? 

Do you like communicating through email? – image source: pixabay.com

Are you a kind of person who likes to have a face-to-face discussion on the task at hand? While some clients prefer communicating through Skype, there are some clients who prefer communicating through email. Are you comfortable with this mode of communication? You see, in this mode of communication you would not get any answer until your client checks his or her email. For me, I prefer communicating through email. How about you?

#7 How much will you earn?

Earn in dollars – image source: pixabay.com

An online freelance worker with all the necessary skills can earn way much more than any other worker. In fact, I know of some people who work online earning twice or three times the salary of other people in the same industry. But this would depend on your skill set. The more skills you have, the higher your pay. One thing I like about online freelance work is that your clients do not base your pay on what school you graduated from or if you graduated at all. They base on the results you give them. They are results-oriented. So, if you have all the necessary skills, you can probably earn much more than what you used to earn when you worked in an office.

#8 What are the benefits?

Will you get medical benefits? – image credit: Peter Parcon

While an online freelance worker earns much more than an ordinary office worker, they have lesser benefits, unless you get a great client who will provide everything. I know of some online freelance workers who received cash to buy a brand new laptop from their clients. There are also some who receive generous bonuses. But this does not happen often. So, you should consider this since you have to get your own HMO and you will likely not get any 13th month pay or bonuses.

#9 How can I pay taxes?

Bureau of Internal Revenue – image source: philstar.com

Online freelance workers have to pay their own taxes. I actually posted a procedure on how you can pay your taxes. While the process is quite tedious, it will work out to your advantage if you pay taxes. An Income Tax Return (ITR) is a very useful document, especially if you are planning to get a credit card or a loan for buying a car or house.

#10 How can I get paid?

PayPal is one of the preferred payment systems of OFWs – image source: commons.wikimedia.org

If you are looking for jobs through Upwork and other online job sites, they have a payment system where you can get paid. All you need to do is to link your bank account with these online platforms. But if you find a client outside of these websites, you can opt to be paid through PayPal or any online payment systems, like Payoneer.  For me, I use PayPal for clients who found me through my blog or LinkedIn profile. For local clients (Philippine-based clients), I usually ask them to send it straight to my bank account.

Starting a career as an online freelance worker is a very big decision for anyone. It is always important to take into account a number of things before you quit your offline job and join the world of online freelance workers.

Oven Toaster Chronicles

As an online freelance worker, I essentially own my time. All I need to do is to meet the deadlines set by my clients. Due to this, I have time to do some . . . umm . . . experiments. These experiments bring out the chef in me or, should I say, frustrated chef.

Since I was limited to using my oven toaster for cooking, I had to be creative. This was before my brother gave me a butane-powered stove. So here are some of the things I was able to cook using my humble oven toaster.

Breakfast anyone?

Yes, my dear. You can cook meat with an oven toaster

My own version of the ubiquitous Pork Adobo

Pescado Picante con Cebollas

Pescado con Ajo y Salsa de Soja

Filete de Cerdo con Maíz

Pollo y huevo empanados

Pollo empanado con salsa de chili dulce

Cheese Sticks

Vegetable Lumpia

Well, that’s all for now. If you are interested on how I was able to cook these using an oven toaster, hit the comment button below.

Cruising Down The River in Aloguinsan

One of the perks of being an online freelance worker is the fact that you own your own time. You essentially pick the time when you work and where you work (just as long as there is a good internet connection). As an OFW, you can have a vacation while you work. One of my jaunts outside the big city brought me to a town somewhere on the western coast of the island of Cebu. The place . . . Aloguinsan.

 Aloguinsan

Aloguinsan is a fourth class municipality located in the western coast of Cebu. It faces Negros Island and was formerly a part of the town of Pinamungajan. The town is home to a number of tourist destinations, including the Balwarte, Hidden Beach, Hermit’s Cove and the Bojo River.

Bojo River

The Bojo River in Aloguinsan is one of the more popular tourist destinations in the town. The river is 1.4 kilometers long and is home to around 70 bird species. The locals have been able to identify twenty-two mangrove species in the river through the help of experts. The word “bojo” actually has two meanings depending on the language being used. The word means “river ceiling” in Spanish and “hole” in the Visayan language.

Bojo Rive Cruise

The Bojo River has been gaining attention due to the river cruise conducted by the Bojo Aloguinsan Eco-Tourism Association (BAETA). The river cruise initially started on June 19, 2009 and takes around three hours to finish. The tour starts off with a short lecture about the river and its denizens along with the organization managing it.  

The Bojo River was also named as one of the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations in the World for 2016 during the World Tourism Day. The list is an initiative of Green Destination along with Destination Stewardship Center, Travel Mole’s Vision for Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Travel International, Asian Ecotourism Network, and Quality Coast. It was also a recipient of the 2015 UN Tourism INsPIRE Awards in 2015 for being the Best Community-based Tourism Initiative in the Asia-Pacific region.

The association managing the river cruise actually offers two packages to visitors who want to join the cruise. The first package is the walk-in package, which costs PHP 400. It only includes the cruise of the river itself and the chance to swim close to the mouth of the river. The second package is the full package, which costs PHP 650. The full package requires a prior reservation and would require a minimum of five people. It includes the river cruise, opportunity to swim, lunch, welcome lei and a demonstration on handicraft-making.

Since I was only joined by three other friends, we opted for the walk-in package. It was actually a blessing in disguise since we were able to save a good amount. We had lunch at the place that provides the food for the full package. In effect, we only paid a small amount for the food included in the full package. And since we had another place to visit, we would not have stayed long enough to watch how handicraft was made by the locals.

Tips to consider:

• ·         One very important thing to consider is that you need to pass by The Farmhouse before you can go on the river cruise. All payments, be it for the walk-in or the full package, are made at The Farmhouse. If you go straight to the river cruise without passing by The Farmhouse, you would end up backtracking since they will not allow you to go on the cruise unless you present the official receipt from The Farmhouse.

• ·         Getting the walk-in package may be a better deal for penny-pinchers. You can take your lunch at the Aloguinsan Public Market. One of the stalls there supplies the food for the full package of the cruise.

• ·         If you are not bringing your own vehicle, be aware that there is a specific amount you need to pay when you hire a motorcycle to the place. This prevents any unscrupulous individuals who may take advantage of visitors who may not know the fare.
• ·         Bring suitable clothes for swimming. There is an area close to the mouth of the river where you can take a dip.

The Bojo River Cruise in Aloguinsan is gradually becoming one of the major tourist destinations in the island of Cebu. With the increasing focus on green tourism, the river cruise is definitely the next big thing in the tourism landscape in this part of the archipelago.