Multi-Tasking

Most of the time we the contractors are dissatisfied with the jobs that we get because we are either not happy with the hourly rate we've agreed with the employer or because you only work for a small amount of working hours even though you can still work for more. The bottom line is that we don't receive much salary. So what are the options?

As oDesk contractors, we are given the privilege to work for more than employer or have more than one job. Let me give you some possible scenarios that might be applicable in your situation.

• Hourly Job(1) + Hourly Job(2) +...+  Hourly Job(n). Say you are required by your first employer to work for 10 hours/week or 2 hours per day. You can also apply for another job requiring 10 hours/week; then add another one, and another one. As long as you know you can still do it, then do so. I recommend that you limit your total working time to 40 hours/week or 50 hours/week if needed or if the offer is so good not to accept.

• Hourly Job(1) + Hourly Job(2)+...+ Hourly Job(n)+ Fixed-Price Job(1). Fixed-price jobs usually do not require contractors to log on any particular time. As I've said before, employers post fixed-price jobs because they are after the quality of the result and not the amount of time employed for the task. 

• Fixed-Price Job(1) + Fixed-Price Job(2) +...+ Fixed-Price Job(n). You can apply for as many fixed-price jobs as long as you can submit the needed results required by the employer.

• Fixed-Price Job(1) + Fixed-Pric (2) +...+ Fixed-Price Job(n) + Hourly Job(n).Similar to and the opposite of set up 2. Only this time you are focused on employing in fixed-price jobs.

• Hourly Job(1) + Hourly Job(2) +...+  Hourly Job(n) + Fixed-Price Job(1) + Fixed-Price Job(2) +...+ Fixed-Price Job(n). This is the ultimate set up that you can employ. But this is a honest-to-goodness-death-sentence set up. Although if you're the type who loves to work almost all the time, then do it and challenge yourself.

You can choose one of these set ups or design your own. The key to succeeding in any of these is time management. Know your limits. Don't overwork yourself. Or you might end up with no work at all.