Apr 6, 2009 7:08 pm US/Eastern
Former Full-timers Find Freelance Work Online
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
We've seen a few bright signs in the economy lately, but the employment picture still looks bleak. Companies are cutting jobs by the thousands and many people can't find work. Experts agree, online job posting sites aren't much help to most people, but that doesn't mean you can find work online.
Eva Travers was a full-time working mom until she got her layoff notice this past fall. "I kind of saw it coming with the way the economy was and changes that were happening in the company," she said. She knew finding a full-time position would be tough, so she took a friend's advice to check out a website that specializes in freelance work.
Eva posted her profile on
Elance.com, one of several sites that list freelance projects. According to employment consultant, John Challenger, more people are taking up part-time roles. "A lot of them in fact want to find full-time work but they are willing to do these during this difficult time," he said.
Over the past five months, the number of users shot up 50 percent on four leading websites including
Helium.com, a freelance writing community based in Andover. Challenger said a growing number of businesses are using these sites to outsource projects, but the competition is stiff.
Helium.com
Elance.com
Odesk.com
Guru.com
Crowdspring.com
"Going to a freelance site certainly is no short ticket to getting the projects you want. You have to fight and push for them, just like you would look for a full time job," he said.
Once you list your qualifications in a profile, you can start bidding on job postings. If you do get one, it could open a door. "For individuals going to a freelancing kind of situation is not all bad because you can take a project on, if you can find it, that might be an audition for a full time job," Challenger said.
Eva has finished 30 freelance projects since October and she loves the flexibility. "I'm very pleased and I don't see myself going back to work for anybody else on a full-time basis," she said.
Computer software developers, web designers and writers are most in demand.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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