the OFF ONLINE

FILIPINO

group
FREELANCERS
EST 2015

6102 yluJ
seires ranibeW FFO ekaT
A Newbie ' s Guide To

Online Freelancing
From Former Newbies
10 eussI
table
of
contents

3 Foreword
5 OFF WHO?

6 Online Freelancing
7 What you need
8 Where to start

9 Creating a profile

10 Cover Letters

11 Getting paid

off
July 2016 issue
Take OFF Webinar series: Intro to Online Freelancing
 gnicnaleerF enilnO ot ortnI :seires ranibeW FFO ekaT | eussi 6102 yluJ
CJ MATURINO(FOUNDER)
I'M GLAD WE HAVE THIS
COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN ALL
SHARE AND HELP ONE
ANOTHER.ESPECIALLY THE NEW
PEOPLE IN OUR INDUSTRY. OUR
COMMUNITY IS HERE TO OFFER
SUPPORT AND OF COURSE,
FRIENDSHIP.
GONE WERE THE DAYS WHERE
FREELANCERS ARE ALONE ON THEIR
OWN. WE ARE NOW HERE FOR EACH
OTHER.
CJ Founded the group in January 21, 2015 only to provide a virtual
place for online workers to hang out and have fun. Soon the group
gained more traction and is now one of the fastes growing online
communities for freelancers in the Philippines.
 gnicnaleerF enilnO ot ortnI :seires ranibeW FFO ekaT | eussi 6102 yluJ
SIMON DOMINGO
(FOUNDING ADMIN)

MANY FILIPINOS ARE SWITCHING TO ONLINE

FREELANCING TO ESCAPE THE CORPORATE
ATROCITY AND DAILY COMMUTES. YOU WILL
HEAR DIFFERENT REASONS LIKE THEY WANT TO
BE NEAR THEIR LOVED ONES, TO BE YOUR THEIR
OWN BOSS, AVOID THE DAILY EXHAUSTING
COMMUTE. WHILE THESE ARE ALL VALID
REASONS, THE ESSENCE OF BEING A
FREELANCER IS TO RELEASE YOU FROM THE
CONFINEMENT AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE
BRICK AND MORTAR JOBS. THUS YOU HAVE THE
WORD “FREE”.
FREELANCING GIVES YOU THE PREROGATIVE TO
CHOOSE THE TYPE AND LOAD OF WORK YOU
WISH TO ENGAGE ON. BUT ALONG WITH THESE
PREROGATIVES ARE RESPONSIBILITIES AND
COMMITMENTS. REMEMBER, NOTHING IS
PERMANENT IN AN ONLINE-TYPE-OF-JOB. YOU
ALWAYS HAVE TO DO YOUR BEST AT EVERY
SINGLE OPPORTUNITY, WALK AN EXTRA MILE,
AND THEN SOME. AFTER ALL, YOUR
PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OF WORK WILL
DEFINE YOUR FUTURE IN THIS INDUSTRY.
WORKING HARD IS COMMENDABLE, BUT
WORKING SMART IS A TOUR DE FORCE!

Aside from being an online freelancer, Simon is also a tenured worker in

Abu Dhabi. He juggles freelancing, his full time daytime work along with
administering the group by closing awesome deals to give value to the
community and that is his invaluable and lasting contribution.
 3RD
WE ARE:

HIGHEST EARNING
COUNTRY
ON UPWORK

THE NUMBER OF
PINOYS IN
FREELANCER.COM

800K
ONLINE
FILIPINO
FREELANCERS A COMMUNITY FOR FREELANCERS
BY FREELANCERS

THE AIM OF OUR GROUP IS TO PROVIDE A DYNAMIC AND FUN COMMUNITY

AND AT THE SAME TIME EMPOWER THE FILIPINO FREELANCER TO BE
GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE. LED BY THE
FOUNDER, CJ MATURINO; SENIOR ADMINS SIMON AND APAULO AND
MODERATING ADMINS ALTHEA AND FRANCIS, WE PROVIDE A PLACE WHERE
FREELANCERS CAN FOCUS ON GETTING BETTER, SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND
HELP EACH OTHER.
NOW TO BUSINESS,

WHAT IS
FREELANCING
Is it really like networking?

Freelance means you are self employed and you are not committed to a
-

particular employer long term. Freelancers are like contractors. They jump
from one contract to another and often viewed as project based workers.
-

Though it is possible to find a client who s looking for a long term

’

engagement or is satisfied with your work and would like to extend your
stay, this is not the case all the time. This is the harsh reality that hopefuls
need to understand right away. On the other hand, not being tied to work
eight hours a day, five days a week means you have time for other aspects
of your life like travel, hobbies and spending time with your family. It is
possible to get as many projects as you can for a short period of time, once
you have cashed the money from it, take a vacation and go back to work
when you want to. Some freelancers even work while traveling.

While many people seem to mistake online freelancing to PPM and

networking, it is very different. Online freelancing needs no payment to start
nor does it force you to sign up new members.

Since freelancers are not employed like regular workers, they are not
covered by usual deductions like SSS, PhilHealth, and even Taxes. You will
have to pay for it on your own. Check with the nearest office how. You are
also not covered by Medical benefits and HMO s of your clients, remember
’

that the contract that you have is more like a direct trade of your services
with their money. They don t necessarily have to be your boss.
’

The importance of having a stable internet connection and investing in a

PC Laptop setup. Working means you ll have to finish the job or be
/ ’

productive in order to get paid. Our professional lifeline rests on our ability to
do and finish the job.

OFF | 05
WHAT DO YOU NEED? • PC or Laptop an i3 laptop for data entry and
–

entry level jobs. An i5 or up for most

( )

administrative and VA roles.

TOOLS • Stable internet Constant communication with

-

clients, research and light down uploads already

/

require at least 1MBPS internet. For people who

& STUFF
would like to take in calls or works with big file
uploads, 3 5MBPS may be more than enough.
-

• Headset For Skype meetings, interviews and

–

calls. Call center type tasks may need special

headsets like noise cancelling ones
The importance of having a stable internet
connection and investing in a PC/Laptop • Webcam For meetings and interviews. Not all
-

setup. Working means you’ll have to finish meetings or interviews need to have video on,
the job or be productive in order to get but it s better to be ready at all times.
’

paid. Our professional lifeline rests on our

ability to do and finish the job. • Backups backup internet and power source is
–

a good investment.
OFF | 06 NOMADIC | 24
 • Google Chrome -  Almost all types of
work need some form of research. We also
encourage newbie freelancers to explore
online and learn from different tutorials. You

Apps
need to know how to navigate through the
internet.

• MS Office -  Particularly Word and Excel.
Like internet research almost all types of
& jobs will have you use Word or Excel

useful skills • Google Apps - Docs, Sheets, Forms

• Cloud Drives like Drop Box, One Drive,
Google Drive.

• CRMs -  Zoho, InfusionSoft, SalesForce

• Others – MailChimp, Xero, Quickbooks,
Photoshop, Lightroom, WordPress,

• Marketplaces -  Shopify, Amazon, Ebay,
Etsy

Note that most of the Apps we
shared aren’t exactly for newbies.
But most tasks and projects has
something to do with those, it
would be great for you to start
checking them out. Almost every
tutorial on how to use software is
in YouTube so when you apply
for a job, you can show your
prospective client that you have
basic knowledge of those.
 WHERE TO START
AND HOW
CLIENTS, MARKETPLACES AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, GETTING PAID.

Before we actually start let’s talk

about 2 different type of clients there
are two: Direct clients and Platform
clients.

Platform Clients Direct Clients

These are clients you meet through online
freelancing platforms or websites that offer a
marketplace for online workers like us. Some
well-known sites are Freelancer.com,
GoLance.com, Upwork.com, Guru.com,
onlinejobs.ph, peopleperhour.com, fiverr.com
and much more. They will hire and pay you
through the platform and can leave feedbacks
and ratings on your profile after the contract is
done.
Most newbies don’t get direct clients as fast as
getting platform clients. Mostly because direct
clients will still look at your platform profile
before hiring you, which brings you back to
getting platform clients first. Though there are
some who are referred by friends or you got
from LinkedIn and skips the platform
altogether though that’s not. Some challenge
that everyone, not only newbies are, not
getting paid on time or the risk of not at all.
 off
Your profile is your
online presence.

It's a reflection of you.

Start with having a professional looking photo. No need to have it taken by an expert
photographer, just make sure it is “office appropriate”. No selfies, no pictures from a
party or beach or at home. Take a well-lit photo of you smiling. It makes you look
trustworthy and inviting.

In your overview, talk about yourself, a bit about how you work and your ethics.
Remember that the overview is not for you, it’s for the client. Add as much relevant
information as possible. Your skills, educational attainment, previous work, awards and
certificates if applicable.

For people working in design, a portfolio is a very important thing to have. No need to
discuss your personal reasons for finding work online, people don’t like that and
clients may feel that you may not have the proper focus on the job.
 COVER
LETTERS
WHEN YOU APPLY FOR A JOB, YOU ARE ALMOST
ALWAYS REQUIRED TO SEND A “COVER LETTER”.
THAT IS WHAT YOU WRITE TO THE JOB AD POSTER.
IT’S LIKE THE “LETTER OF INTENT” THAT YOU
INCLUDE WITH YOUR RESUME AND CURRICULUM
VITAE.

Always make it look like you are answering an email that was
addressed to you. Don’t send general or templated application letters,
80% of people who post on marketplaces are not new, they’ve seen
generic cover letters before and most of them hates it.

Sending out a general cover letter will make you look like you’re only
throwing stuff around with the hopes that someone will pick it up.
Hiring managers know well-crafted cover letters from general letters.
Having a well-crafted profile will be for nothing because they don't get
to see it as they have ignored your application.
 GETTING PAID

MONEY
MATTERS.
WHETHER YOU WORK WITH A DIRECT OR A PLATFORM CLIENT, YOU WILL
SURELY NEED A WAY TO RECEIVE THE MONEY FROM OVERSEAS. FOR
MARKETPLACES AND PLATFORMS, HAVING AN ATM WITH YOUR NAME ON
IT IS ENOUGH. NO NEED FOR A CREDIT CARD. ANY BANK ISSUED ATM WITH
YOUR EXACT NAME WILL BE ENOUGH. A LOT OF DIRECT CLIENTS PREFER
TO USE PAYPAL AND PAYONEER IN SENDING MONEY SO IT IS BEST TO
MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THAT AS WELL.

1. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE YET, GET AN ATM, MOST FREELANCERS USE:
BDO, BPI AND EON.

2. SIGN UP FOR PAYMENT GATEWAYS.

 FROM THE ADMINS
TIPS & TRICKS
1. RESEARCH. Learn on your own. Freelancing is
a never ending learning process.
2. Be professional. You may do your work at
home and you may have perks, freelance work
done is the same as work done in the office. Be
on time, do what you say, communicate
properly.
3. If it’s too good to be true, maybe it is.
Scammers have also found their way online, so
always keep a look out. DO NOT MAKE ANY
PAYMENTS. The only one who should receive
money is you, not the other way around.
4. English matters. No matter what people
say, a candidate with better a communication
skill is more desirable.
5. No one will help you but you. This may
sound ironic coming from us who is
cultivating a helping environment, but in the
end, even if we offer all the lending hands in
the world, a person with no prerogative and
determination will not survive in this cut
throat environment.
6. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Don't
just focus on one platform there are several
out there.