These jobs probably won’t be the highest paying you will ever have, but can be a great way to get your foot in the door and build up a portfolio of online clips. Once you gain some experience, you can make the move to better paying jobs, but until then, bid sites are a legitimate way to get started.

Here’s how it works:

Pick one or two sites to start with. Do some Internet sleuthing to investigate the reputation of the various sites — a good place to start is the forums at Absolute Write.

Set up your account. Any worthwhile bid site will let you write your own profile. Make sure it’s a good one, since prospective clients will definitely be reading it. Most sites also require you to have a paypal account to receive your wages. Now is a good time to set that up if you don’t already have one.

Consider upgrading your membership. Most sites offer a free basic membership, or an upgraded membership for a fee or for a percentage of your earnings. My advice is start with the free membership, and spend a few days getting to know the site. If after a few days it seems like a worthwhile investment, you can always upgrade. Some sites, for example, let “premium” members bid on higher budget projects — a big plus. But remember, your goal isn’t to earn a full-time living from bid sites. Your goal is to get some clips so you can start applying for better paying jobs without having to bid for them. (Save your receipt from upgrading, as you can likely use it as a write-off come tax time.)

Find projects to bid on. Most bid sites feature a range of web-based assignments, from writing to programming to data base work. Search for the writing projects, and then find the ones that most interest you. You might also want to look for projects that will give you a byline, as ghost written clips are less valuable on the job market.

Determine your asking price. Most projects will have a few insanely low bids ($.02 for 2000 words) and a couple super high bids ($2000 for 2000 words — not gonna happen on a contract site!) The rest will be within a few cents of each other, so picking a price point is important. But it’s even more important to distinguish yourself. That’s where your profile comes in handy. As you land jobs, you will get feedback from clients, which can also make you a more attractive candidate.

Complete the job. Even if the job doesn’t pay a ton (and it probably won’t on a bid site), it’s important that you do your very best work. Remember your goal here: To get clips that you can use to launch your freelance writing career. Your top priorities are therefore to write a solid piece that you are proud to use as a published clip — and that will garner a positive rating from the client.

Stick to it. To make this strategy work for you, you need to put in the time. Commit to spending a half an hour each day trolling the contract sites for good jobs to bid on. The more gigs you bid on, the more likely you are to land some. If you only bid on one or two jobs a week, it may take six months or longer to land even one. But if you bid on a few jobs each day, you can have a nice portfolio of completed clips in no time. And then you can branch out to some of these other ways to find freelance writing jobs.

Have you had a good experience with any of the contract work sites? Tell us about it!

• How to become America’s next top writer by Julie Kraut, author of the new novel, Slept Away. Julie was a featured guest poster at Lindsey Pollak’s blog and shared her advice for aspiring writers. I especially appreciate her advice to “read as much as you can, and not just from the genre you’re writing.” It’s so easy for me to focus in exclusively on the job niche, but the truth is that even for this blog, inspiration can truly come from anywhere and everywhere.   Plus, as Julie writes, “seeing how others are practicing the craft can be very motivational.”

• Career Development in a Recession @ The Career Encouragement Blog. Reposted from Ryan Bortel’s Corporate Psychologists newsletter, this article is great inspiration for anyone looking for a job these days. I especially like his 7 suggestions for improving your personal brand.

Volunteer
Join a local professional organization
Take a class focused on cutting edge technologies or solutions
Teach a class within the organization or at a local business school
Build your professional network through technology
Seek feedback
Take risks by stepping outside of your comfort zone

• Military to Civilian: 3 Tips to Career Success @ Career Realism (loving that site’s tagline, “Because EVERY job is temporary”. Great advice for “selling” military experience to Corporate America from Jessie Richardson, a former Naval Officer and Director of Resume Services at www.MilitaryResumes.com. If you want more advice along these lines, check out her Military to Civilian blog.

• Boost Your Job Search with Twitter @ Alison Doyle’s job search blog on About.com. And by the way, if you want to up your social media ante, be sure you are on Twitter… and that you are following Alison and the nine folks I profiled last Friday in 10 Career Peeps to Follow on Twitter.

That’s it for me this dreary Friday afternoon. What are you reading that’s inspiring and informing your job search? Leave a comment and share you links please! Have a great weekend.

That translates into 20 million blogging Americas, with 1.7 million profiting from their work in some way — and almost half a million earning their primary income from blogging. Wow.

Penn also reports that as the number of bloggers has increased, there has been a seemingly inverse relationship to the number of journalists. Penn cites the number of newspaper employees in Washington, D.C. has declined 79% in the last few years.

Bottom line: If you are considering a career in freelance writing, it would seem that traditional print journalism is out — and blogging is IN. Of course, not everyone agrees with Penn’s conclusions. Pro blogger Penelope Trunk, for example, recently posted this reality check: 8 reasons you are not going to make money from blogging.

Whether or not blogging is easy money, you can learn plenty about freelance writing jobs in JobMonkey’s section on work at home jobs. Be sure to read this interview with pro blogger James Walker, to learn first-hand about the blogging life.

We have talked about freelancing many times here at the JobMonkey blog, including posts about the benefits and challenges of working for yourself. (Do you read, for example, this recent post about how to avoid Work-at-Home scams?)

The Green Bay Press Gazette ran a great little advice column today with tips for freelancers, including ideas for marketing your services, handling the accounting red tape, and making sure you have adequate health insurance coverage.

If you want to learn more about freelancing opportunities, check out JobMonkey’s section on Work From Home jobs. Included are articles about freelance writing, Forex trading and starting your own business.

Dear JobMonkey,

I am a Stay at Home mom looking to earn some extra money, while still staying at home with my kids. I need to find something that I can do during nap times or at night, once my kids are in bed. I have looked at some Work at Home sites, but truthfully, they all seem like a scam to me. Most of them ask for money in order to even give you a list of jobs. I did that once, but the leads were pathetic. Can you point me in the right direction? I would be happy with a few hundred dollars a month in “pocket cash” at this point.

Thanks,
Cheryl in Wisconsin

Dear Cheryl,

Thanks for your letter. You have perfect timing, it would seem, because I just read a great article on AOL with a list of seven legit work from home gigs that are hiring now.

The list includes staffers for a virtual call center, virtual assistant, pro-blogger, mystery shopper, website designer, transcriptionist and on-line English teacher.

Many of these jobs are discussed in detail in JobMonkey’s section on Work at Home jobs. Have you checked it out yet? If not, let me give you a brief run-down:

>> Mystery Shopping is a market research tool used by companies large and small. As a mystery shopper, you pose as a normal customer at stores, restaurants, banks, hotels, casinos, etc. Your job is to perform a variety of assigned tasks — from purchasing products and ordering services to filing a complaint — and then report back to the company on your experience.

>> Data entry and transcription jobs are ideal for people who type quickly and have a computer already set up at home (with high-speed Internet). The job is fairly easy and does not require specific career experience or educational background. It can quickly become tedious, though, as it demands hours of rather monotonous work.

>> Freelance writing, editing and professional blogging is a hot field, thanks in large part to the Internet.  A growing number of companies are jumping on the blogging bandwagon. They want writers to post to their company blog several times a week about new products and other related news. Blogging rates vary widely, so be sure to have a frank discussion about salary before you jump in with both feet. For more info on freelance writing, check out this recent JobMonkey blog post on how to break into the field.

As far as potential scams go, you are right to be concerned. My top three suggestions for avoiding the work at home scam artists?

1.    Don’t ever pay to get paid.
2.    Beware of exaggerated salary claims. (No, you probably won’t be earning six figures from data entry… not even if you do it 80 hours a week)
3.    Avoid ads that ask you to sign up for a service before they tell you more about the job.

A few more Work at Home resources:

>> You may want to check out this recent article from MSNBC about a new mystery shopping scam. The common denominator of all these scams seems to be their request for money. With this latest one, the scammers have gotten a tad more sophisticated — they send you a check and then ask you to wire the balance back to them. Of course, the check is a fake, and once your bank realizes it, you will be out the value of your wire transfer plus a whole mess of fees. So definitely keep exercising your common sense when you approach Work at Home opportunities.

>> A few weeks ago, we got a letter from a reader in a similar spot to you. She is a full-time mom, looking for a part-time job from home. You might find some of my suggestions to her helpful as well.

Dear JobMonkey,

I am a full-time stay-at-home mom to three little kids under the age of 5. Next year, my oldest will be in kindergarten half days and I am thinking about starting to look for a part-time job that I can do from home. In all honesty, I’m also motivated by the fact that my husband works in a very insecure industry (finance, ugh!) — so I think we may soon need some added income. I started looking in my local paper for some leads, but they all seem like a bunch of scams. What kind of legitimate opportunities are out there for someone in my situation?

Thank you,
SAHMommy

Dear SAHMommy,

Thanks for your question. I have a feeling that you speak for a lot of our readers. This terribly shaky economy is definitely encouraging/forcing a lot of stay-at-home-parents to consider returning to the workforce.

You mentioned the Work-at-Home scams and boy, are you right! You have to be very careful these days. If anyone offers to give you job but requires that you pay them a commission first, run — don’t walk — in the other direction. As added protection from the less transparent scams, you might want to think about opening a new email account (get a free one from gmail or hotmail) for all your job applications.

As for where to find legitimate work-from-home opportunities, here are some suggestions:

Contact past employers — Did you work outside of the home before you decided to stay at home with your kids? If so, do you still have a good relationship with your past employers? Give them a call. They might be interested in sub-contracting to someone for a few hours a week. Or they might know of someone else who is.

Consider consulting — Depending on what you did for a living before you decided to stay at home, you may be able to outsource your services as a consultant. Not sure you worked in a outsource-able profession? Here are some suggestions: Marketing, advertising, graphic design, information technology, computer programming and accounting. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Freelance — Like consulting, freelancing lets you utilize your professional skills, but with clients of your choosing, on a schedule of your choosing. You will need to invest some initial capital on marketing and perhaps relevant equipment, but going with a skill you already have should keep your overhead down. By the way, if you think you might want to become a freelance writer, be sure to check out a post I wrote on Monday about how to break into the writing industry. And read JobMonkey’s article on where to find writing, editing and blogging jobs.

Become a mompreneur — A growing number of stay-at-home moms are opening home-based businesses. They are selling goods they make at home, like cloth diapers, diaper bags and embroidered kids’ aprons. If you don’t already have a skill or hobby that lends itself well to online sales, don’t spend a lot of time learning one now. But if you are already making all your kids’ clothes, you might well have a highly marketable product on your hands. (You might also be able to make some money as a freelance seamstress!)

Do data entry, medical transcription, etc. — If none of the above options appeals or applies to you, there are still non-scammy options out there.  JobMonkey’s Work at Home section is chock-full of ideas for people like you who want to work at home. Be sure to read the articles on data entry jobs and mystery shopping. These gigs may not be high paying, but they will put some cash in your pocket and give you some time to decide if working from home is the right choice for your familiy.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful, SAHMommy. I know, personally, how difficult it can be to balance full time motherhood with a part-time (or more) job. The rewards are worth it, though. Hang in there and good luck to you in your search!

One of the most popular jobs for stay-at-home workers is freelance writing. In fact, some of you might be thinking right about now, “Hey, I can write! I should be a freelance writer!”

Well, if you’re considering trying to break into the field, hear this: Freelance writing isn’t some bogus stay-at-home job that just anyone can do. It takes a special combination of talent, skills, connections and marketing to be a successful freelance writer.

Not so sure you have the chops to make it as a freelance writer? Consider this allegory.

When I was in high school, I wanted to get a part-time job as a waitress. I went to the nicest restaurant in town, figuring that the tips would be good. I was told, by the very condescending manager, that I couldn’t get hired by his restaurant without “significant waitressing experience.”

“But how am I to get experience if you won’t hire me to get that experience in the first place?!” I bemoaned. I felt sorry for myself for a few days and then I went down the street to the 24-hour diner and got hired on the spot. I had to wear a hairnet, but I got my experience. And I earned pretty decent tips along the way.

If you want to break into the field of freelance writing, you need to go get yourself a hairnet. Meaning, you need be able to show a prospective employee that you have what it takes. That you can, in fact, write — and write well.

Even without years or months of experience, you can still impress perspective clients. How? By letting your words speak for themselves. What you need is a portfolio — a series of clips, also known as writing samples. These clips should preferably be published somewhere (online is fine). And they should preferably be related to the topic you are applying to write about.

But wait a minute, you’re thinking: Doesn’t that bring me right back to the waitress story?

How am I supposed to get a portfolio of published clips when no one will hire me to write these clips without a portfolio?

It can seem like a bit of a catch-22, but don’t lose hope. Instead, grab a hairnet:

>> Offer your services to a local non-profit organization. Especially in this economic climate, many non-profits desperately need volunteers to help with fundraising and marketing materials. (And hey, your efforts may even turn into a paying job.)

>> Write a color piece for your local paper or magazine. Most towns have parenting magazines and these are a great place to make your start. Smaller towns are always eager to hire local talent to write up local events. (Pay will be low, perhaps even “symbolic”. But remember: You are earning more than just money. You are earning your hairnet!) Even a published letter to the editor can make a great clip, assuming it is well-written and on-point.

>> Accept a low paying job to get some experience. And no, I’m not talking about content farms, that pay their writers $1 for 1000 words. But maybe earning $10 or $15 for 500 words isn’t such a bad idea, if you can gain some valuable clips in the process. Be sure to accept assignments that will publish your content with a byline, as ghost written clips are looked down upon in the industry.

>> Start a blog. You probably wouldn’t want to link potential clients to posts about your dog’s dietary habits or your kids’ first day of school, but blog writing can be a great way to flex your literary muscle. If you are trying to break into a particular niche, blog writing can be immensely helpful in establishing your credibility and recognition within that field.

On the way to earning your hairnet, you will have plenty of time to learn more about the business of freelance writing. I’ll cover some of those topics in future posts — including where to find paying freelance writing jobs, what education freelance writers need, and how much freelance writers earn. (If you can’t wait for my posts, be sure to check out the above links from JobMonkey’s outstanding section on freelance writing.)

So, do you want to be a freelance writer? Tell us how you’re earning your hairnet in the comments section!

JobMonkey just launched its newest job category: freelance writing jobs. A decade ago, freelance writing jobs were the exclusive purview of $1/word writers for glossy mags like Cosmo and Sports Illustrated.  An even more elite few wrote actual books. Today, however, with the proliferation of Internet content — websites, blogs, e-newsletters — there is a rapidly expanding market for freelance writers.

Pay ranges from pennies per word to hundreds of dollars per hour, although most beginning writers earn closer to the former than the latter.  Most freelance writers are college graduates (many with degrees in English, though most certainly not all), although some did not attend school.

Many freelance writers always knew they wanted to write — just take a look at their resume: Editor of their high school paper, editor of their college paper, English lit major, a handful of published short stories before they turned 20.  Even more freelance writers, however, turned to this career path after working in other industries and craving the autonomy of a freelance career.  Still more freelance writers were able to polish and market their writing skills while staying home with their young children.

JobMonkey’s newest section on Freelance Writing Jobs is the perfect place to start if you want to learn more about this growing field — and whether it’s right for you.  Articles cover topics such as how much do freelance writing jobs pay, what is the difference between writing for the web and writing for print publications, what’s the big deal about Search Engine Optimization, and where can I find out about freelance writing jobs?

Also, be sure to check in with the jobmonkey blog for some in-depth pieces on the ins and outs of freelance writing (after all, it’s a career choice I know a little something about