Graduates who have benefited from the online job opportunities say some are well paying and stress-free. Photo/FILE
Looking for a job is an uphill task for all.
But it is also true that after getting one, reporting to work and the actual assignment may become too routine to the extent of ushering in contempt.
By the day, the new cadre of employees, who are known as Generation Y, is becoming more restless in search of fun at work.
For those who find the eight-to-five five work schedule boring, a new window is opening.
It is for the Internet-savvy who have the right education — say who have a degree — and the discipline requiring no supervision.
Some of the opportunities are in research, writing, editing, proof-reading, design, web development, and translation.
It is called telecommuting; a citizen’s form of business process outsourcing (BPO) that requires minimal investment and no business premises.
The tools of trade, those who have been in it say, are a computer, Internet connection and an online account for access.
Sheila Makena, an economics and information technology graduate from a local university, is one of the nation’s new ‘telecommuters’.
As a ‘virtual assistant’, she conducts research on behalf of clients, consolidates the findings, and sends a report for a review. And gets paid.
In some of these jobs, it is possible to earn up to Sh62,000 ($750) a week.
“Any person who has written a college or university project can be an online research assistant for a living. Essentially, one should have a clear knowledge of the different writing styles used in research,” says Ms Makena.
Over the last 10 years, conditions for telecommuting in Kenya have greatly improved, with more people having access to computers as well an affordable and reliable Internet connection.
All that potential entrepreneurs need do is have an online account on one or even many of the websites offering these opportunities.
Most of the online telecommuting sites allow suppliers to register for free.
On Elance.com for instance, a simple three-step registration process to a free account opens the door to thousands of opportunities in web development, programming, proofreading, graphic design, as well as score writing (music) with a free basic account.
Dispelling the notion that one has to have an office job to earn a decent living, Ms Makena says she had a job at a local subsidiary of an international bank, which she quit on realising that her side venture was giving her the freedom to control her schedule and was paying better than the day job.
Junglepage.com is another site that offers work for writing student thesis, essays, book reports and proof reading.
The jungle page system puts an applicant through rigorous vetting before they are allowed to join, but the rewards are rich. One can earn up to Sh62,000 a week.
On allwriting.net, the writer is contracted to do research papers, term papers, essays or dissertations for clients in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other English speaking countries and are paid for work delivered at between $5 (Sh415) and $20 (Sh1660) per page depending on the complexity of the assignment.
Writers are paid bimonthly, either at the end of every month or on the 15th through channels like Western Union, bank wire transfers and PayPal .
Graphic designers can earn as much as $500 (Sh41,000) per project in work that ranges from creating logos to naming brands.
These opportunities are posted on geniusrocket.com with fresh alerts appearing four times a week and open to the registered.
Coroflot.com is for industrial, graphic, fashion, interior, textile and interaction designers.
People who can speak at least two languages across Spanish, English, French, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, German and other majors can register on many translation portals for assignments.
E-mail opportunities
Online translation agency tolingo.com is hired to provide translation and in turn offers such assignments to people with a degree in languages.
The accredited or the experienced also have a chance.
Other translation sites are translatorsbase.com and translatorscafe.com.
The sites e-mail opportunities directly to registered translators.
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