oDesk offers two types of jobs – fixed rate and hourly. There are pros and cons to both. A fixed rate job is one in which you and the buyer agree on a set rate for a predetermined task or amount of work. The advantage of a fixed rate job is that you know how much you will make in total. The disadvantage is that oDesk will not assist you should your buyer decide not to pay. I only work fixed rate jobs, and I have learned that they can be a bit risky. My general rule is that communication must remain open between me and the buyer until the job is complete. If the buyer stops responding to my emails, I stop working until he does. This doesn't happen very often, but it has saved me from an unscrupulous buyer a time or two. Never accept work outside of oDesk from an oDesk buyer. There is no legitimate reason to do this, so you will get scammed if you agree to it, period. If you decide on an hourly job, you will have to allow oDesk software to run while you are working. It will take screenshots that will be used as your “timesheet” and for your buyer to check job progress. You can edit the screenshots, thus remove anything you didn't want captured, but I find this to be a hassle. Most don't mind it though; it’s just my personal preference. When you are looking for a job, only bid on jobs offered by buyers whose payment method is oDesk verified. This means they have a payment method on file with oDesk. These buyers are much more likely to be reputable. Read the feedback provided by previous workers. This can reveal a lot about the buyer, both good and bad. Pick a few small jobs and go ahead with the application process. Once you have oDesk experience, you can work your way up to bigger and better jobs, but starting small will allow you to build your provider reputation.
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