20 Keyboard Shortcuts Every Freelancer Needs

Freelance writing is one of those jobs that usually pays by the amount of work you can get done, not the amount of hours you work. Thus you have to be able to do as much as you can to cut down your work time if you want to do really well in this business. That is where keyboard shortcuts come into play. These simply little devices can shave a ton of time off your typing, and they can help you work as effectively as possible. You will inevitably use some of the same commands over and over while you write. These just give you an easier way to go about executing them. Every second you save is just more money in your pocket. Here are 20 keyboard shortcuts every freelancer should know about:

• Ctrl+C: Copy
• Ctrl+V: Paste
• Ctrl+S: Save (works for documents, emails, and more)
• Ctrl+A: Select all (highlights everything on a page)
• Ctrl+F: Find (works on MS Word, Notepad, and most web browsers)
• Ctrl+H: Replace (works on MS Word and Notepad)
• Ctrl+B: Bold (turns to "bookmark" in web browsers)
• Ctrl+I: Italicize
• Ctrl+U: Underline
• Ctrl+T: New tab in web browser
• Ctrl+N: New page (works in text editors and web browsers)
• Ctrl+Z: Undo (probably my favorite command)
• Ctrl+X: Cut
• Ctrl+Enter: Page break
• Shift+Enter: Single line break
• Shift+F7: Thesaurus (only in MS Word)
• Tab: Next section of a form on a web browser
• Backspace: "Go back" on web browsers
• Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Shuts down computer or pulls up task bar
• F5: Refresh a page on a web browser

There are tons of other keyboard shortcuts you may find use out of. Those are just the ones that I us on a fairly regular basis. Here are a few links to give you an idea of the sheer magnitude of shortcuts out there: Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts, Internet Explorer keyboard shortcuts, and Firefox keyboard shortcuts.

How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Using keyboard shortcuts is fairly simple, depending on what you are doing at the time. If you are trying to copy, paste, or do something along those lines, you will need to first highlight whatever it is you want to use the command on. Then you can just hit your shortcut to execute the command. Example:

If I want to copy the word "awesome" in this sentence, I would first highlight awesome and then hit Ctrl+C. Then if I want to paste it, I would hit Ctrl+V to produce: awesome. Try it yourself and see what you think.

For keyboard shortcuts related to web browsers, you need to make sure you have clicked somewhere on the page to be able to execute the command. If your mouse is stationed in your address bar, hitting backspace will only cause you to get rid of a letter in the bar. If you hit backspace after clicking somewhere generic on a page, you will be taken back to the page you were at right before.

Play around with keyboard shortcuts in your online college courses so you get used to them. Once you make them a habit, you will be able to write much faster. I probably save two minutes an article or more just in using shortcuts. That may not sound like much, but it is when I'm writing 30+ articles a day. I literally get an extra hour of work in a day just by using shortcuts. Believe me when I say they are truly beneficial for this kind of work.

How to Format an Article for the Web

Writing for the web is a lot different than writing for a college course or an essay scholarship. With internet writing, you have to keep the search engines and the readers in mind at the same time. While there is no set formula you have to abide by, there are some things you can do to structure an effective article online. I have developed a rhythm to my writing over the years that makes constructing articles incredibly easy. If you develop a similar rhythm, you may find yourself pumping out articles much quicker than you used to. Here is a guide to help you properly format an article for the web.

Introduction

Every good article has some sort of introduction. It allows the reader to get prepared for the information that is about to come, rather than getting slammed with it right away. A lot of writers try to throw facts, steps, or other information like that in the intro of their articles, but that doesn't allow for a good flow in their writing. Try to come up with a way to lead into the body of your article without spending a ton of time introducing it. Define a term, ask a question, or do something else to bring up the topics you are about to discuss. Then you can bring on the facts in the body of the article.

I usually make my introductions about 100 words, depending on the size of the article itself. If there is a keyword that my clients want me to use in my article, I try to put it in the first sentence or the thesis sentence of my introduction. That is something I've learned from just about every internet marketer I've worked with, so there's obviously a positive SEO effect from that.

Finally, I conclude my intro with some sort of summary of what is to come in an article. "Here is a look at…" "Listed below are…" "The guide below will…" All of those little sentences make my articles easier to read. Check out my previous posts and you'll see that I do this almost every time. You probably didn't even notice it.

Body

I'm a huge fan of subheadings, so I try to use them in everything I write. I had one client long ago that actually wouldn't allow me to use subheadings, and it drove me nuts. If you have the chance to use subheadings in the body of your articles, do so. This makes the articles easier to read. If you have a keyword for the article, use it in at least one of the subheadings. If you're writing a how to guide, make sure you write "Step 1 - Bla Bla…" or something along those lines. Just break down the article in a way that it will be easiest to glance through on the reading end.

I typically make my body paragraphs 75 to 125 words a piece, depending on the content I need to cover in them. If you see yourself getting to that 160-ish word count, you may want to consider breaking the paragraph in two. Try to incorporate your keyword at least once in the body of the article, preferably toward the middle. Then you will be able to move on to the conclusion.

Conclusion

Not every web article needs a conclusion, but it is nice to throw one at the end to sum everything up. Insert your keyword one more time, and leave the reader with a farewell message to keep in mind. This will probably only take about 50 words, but you can make it up to 100. Then read over your writing to make sure everything flows well. If you structured your article correctly, you should have a reader- and internet-friendly piece of work that your clients can immediately post on the web.

How to Use oDesk to Find Work

oDesk is a great site to use if you plan to pursue a career in freelance writing. It is a place where contractors and clients can come together to conduct work and process payments. I got my start on oDesk, and I have used it to find many of my best paying clients. It wasn't until recently though that I learned how to truly use it to my advantage. I you are going to try finding work through oDesk, you need to maximize your efforts on there. Here is a look at some of the many things you can do to gain clients through oDesk.

Create an Account

Before you can do much of anything, you are going to need to create an account. This doesn't take long to do, but you will be asked a lot of personal information along the way. That is because the money that you make on oDesk is going to have to be reported on your taxes at the end of the year. oDesk needs a lot of information, like your social security number, to make that happen. You just have to trust that this is a secure site and do what it takes to create an account.

Take Some Tests

Before you can actually apply for a job, you will need to take the oDesk Readiness Test. This is a simple test that just makes sure you know how to use oDesk correctly. If you don't pass the first time, you will have a chance to take it again. All of the answers are given to you on the test though, so you should have no trouble passing it the first time.

Once you get through that test, you will have a chance to take other tests as well. You should take a few tests related to writing so you can show employers your skills. This is something I actually need to do more of because I only took one or two tests when I started this three years ago. The spelling tests and vocabulary tests are fairly easy, but you can look for others that you may do well with. The more tests you take and pass, the more applications you will be able to fill out. Doing this will also enhance your chances of getting hired for work later on.

Complete Your Profile

Try to fill out as much of your profile as possible so employers will be able to find you easier. Upload some of your past work if you have any, and fill out your resume based on your experiences. If you have a degree from Ashworth University or a similar college, put that in your resume. Try to input your skills as much as possible as that will be a way for employers to come find you. The last several jobs I received on oDesk all came from employers who found me in the system. I didn't have to apply for anything. If you have a complete enough profile, you may have a similar experience in the future.

Apply for Jobs

When you have everything in place for work, you can actually go about finding jobs on oDesk. Go to the "Find Work" tab and see which options show up on your home page. If you want to look for more, select one of the categories on the left of the page. Then you can look over jobs that were recently posted and apply for ones you like. Look at the expected pay for the job so you don't bid on something that pays too low for you. You can narrow your options based on the kinds of work you want to do, and then you will have a small list of jobs to apply to. If you look around enough, you should have no issue finding work on this site.

5 Sites Every Freelancer Should Know about

As a freelancer, there are certain sites you are going to come across many many times throughout your career. I actually didn't start making money until I came across a few of these sites, so I thought I would save you the trial and error by revealing them here. The five websites listed below may help you jump start your career in freelance writing. At the very least, they may prove to be vital bookmarks in your web browser. Here are five sites that every freelancer should know about.

1 - oDesk

oDesk is a free website that allows you to bid on freelance work and potentially pick up new clients for steady employment. My very first writing job came from oDesk, and that led to literally thousands of others from my past and present. While I don't exclusively use Desk to find work anymore, I do still use it as a starting ground for finding new employers. My three main clients right now actually came from oDesk at one point in time. I didn't even have to apply for work with them. They came to me asking for my services. If you build up a good reputation on there, you can easily find enough work to pay the bills.

Note that you can find more than just writing jobs on there. There are tons of customer service and administrative assistant jobs that you may like as well. You just have to look around at the job postings and see what you may qualify for.

2 - Copyscape

Copyscape is a site that you can go to when you need to check an article for plagiarism. This may seem silly to use if you know you don't plagiarize your work, but it is still nice to know about. Most likely all of your clients are going to use Copyscape on your work, so you may as well be familiar with how it works. I actually use Copyscape to check my own work if I am asked to rewire an article because it helps me see if I have accidentally used the same wording that someone else has. If something comes back copied, I can fix it before my clients see it.

You will have to pay $.05 per run on Copyscape, but that is money you can write off your taxes at the end of the year. It is a business expense after all. You will have to buy 100 runs to start, so just plan to have $5.00 if you want to use the site.

3 - PayPal

PayPal is the safest way to manage money on the web, and it is a place you will definitely need to know about if you work online. If you work on oDesk, you can use PayPal to transfer your oDesk money from your account to your bank. You could also get paid directly through PayPal if you wanted to. That is what I do with all of my clients because it's fast, convenient, and even free in some cases. It just depends on the way a client sends me money. It won't cost you anything to setup a PayPal account, and you won't regret it the second you do so. I guarantee it.

4 - Dropbox

Dropbox is a file transfer program that you can use to send large files to your clients. I use to have a client that I made a ton of YouTube videos for, and they were simply too large for me to send to him in an email. We just passed everything through Dropbox, and it saved everyone a lot of stress in the end. All you have to do is download the Dropbox on your computer, and then you can drop and drag files to it whenever you need to transfer them. You can share different folders with different people, but you can manage it all from one giant folder. There are free and paid versions of this, so just look at your different options to see what works for you.

5 - Skype

Skype is a free internet communication platform that allows you to call people directly on the web as opposed to using the phone. Skype also has instant messaging and video chat built in, so you can speak to people however you need to. Every client I have ever had used Skype to speak with people in one way or another. In fact, one of my primary clients at the moment manages all of his writers on there. Since it is free to use, you might as well have it on your computer.

I actually don't like using Skype, just because it distracts me from work. Nevertheless, I can't deny the convenience of it. Check this out, along with the other sites above, and you should be on your way to a successful career as a freelance writer.

Would You Be a Good Freelance Writer?

Freelance writing is not a career for everyone, but you may be surprised by just how easy of a career it can be for some people. Most people assume you have to have an English degree or a "way with words" in order to make money in this industry, when really all you need is an understanding of the English language. This may or may not be a career for you, but you won't know until you understand it a little better. Seeing that I am a freelance writer and have been for nearly three years now, I thought I would make a list of some of the qualities you may want to have to work in this industry. Read on to see if freelance writing is a good career for you.

Constant Communication

I probably go through 10 chats a day with web developers, internet marketers, and other clients that I work with for my writing. In this industry, you have to have a good sense of communication. This may involve anything from checking your emails regularly to being available to instant message when the time comes. Clients want to know the status of their work, and most of them have been burned by bad communication in the past. It is your job to keep them informed about your progress so they feel like their work is getting done.

Honesty

Clients don't like to hear false promises on the web. If you can't get to an assignment for three days, let your client know that ahead of time. That way he or she doesn't feel like you just threw his or her work on the backburner. If you were a CIA agent, you wouldn't tell dispatch that you caught someone that you really had no idea about. The same principle applies to internet writing. You need to be honest with your clients at all times if you want to get repeat work from them in the future.

Efficiency

Freelance writing is very much a volume-based career. You get paid more if you can do more. It is as simple as that. If you can handle a large volume of work in a short amount of time, people are more likely to give you work in the future. This is only true if you do quality work of course, so you cannot sacrifice quality for speed. Doing so will only anger your employers and make them assume that you are rushing through your work. Even if you work on hourly jobs, you need to try to get as much done as you can within an hour. That will make your employers happy, which will ultimately keep you in business.

Time Management

In freelance writing, you have to manage your time well. This will keep you on schedule and ensure that your bills get paid every month. It is easy to forget about your schedule when you work on the web because you assume you can work at any time. That is not always the case though. You need to manage your work just like anyone else would if you want to go a long way in this business. Staying on schedule sucks at times, but it is something you just have to do in this industry.

Marketing

In many ways, you have to market yourself in this business. The only way you will make more money as a freelance writer is by continuing to look for job opportunities that may come up. If you can do that and keep your current customers happy, you will have a better shot at making this a long term career for you. You are the one that determines how lucrative of a career freelance writing can be for you. If you market yourself well, you are almost guaranteed to make good money this way.

How Much Money Do Freelance Writers Make?

Freelance writers are people who write for a living without being employed by one specific company. These people may work on the web or in their home towns, depending on where they decide to have a career. I'm a freelance writer, and I've been doing this for almost three years now. This job has the potential to be one of the most lucrative careers you will ever come across, but only if you know how to become a success with it.

Perhaps the biggest question I get asked about what I do is, "How much money do freelance writers make?" As tough of a question as that is to answer, I'll do my best to give it a shot. Here is a look at what you might make if you decide to work as a freelance writer.

Hourly Rates and Fixed Prices

One of the biggest factors in determining how much money freelance writers make is the way in which they get paid. Some writers get paid by the hour, logging their times online and getting paid based on that amount of time. Other writers get paid per article that they write. For slower writers, hourly rates tend to work out better because they are not penalized for working slower than other people. For efficient writers though, fixed price jobs tend to pay more for them in the end.

Let me break down that concept a little more for you. As a starting writer, I was probably able to get through two 500 word articles an hour. I got paid $.01/word when I first started freelancing, which means that I made roughly $10 an hour. If I had found a job that paid $12 an hour to do the same work, it would make more sense for me to take the hourly rate. Nowadays, when I can write four to five 500 word articles an hour, it would make more sense for me to take the fixed price pay. Then I'm making $20-$25 an hour, rather than $10. Get the idea?

Hourly Pay Expectancies

Unfortunately, a lot of clients want to pay really low hourly rates for online writers because they know they can get people in other countries to write for $1 to $5 an hour. You can usually find places that will pay at least minimum wage online, but it may take you a bit. If you have some experience to show people, you may make significantly more than that. Just don't expect to get paid a lot for an hourly job if you're new to the game. You won't be earning a software engineer salary right off the bat.

Fixed Price Pay Expectancies

It is hard to say what the average pay rate for freelance writers is because that all depends on the client and the type of writing involved with a project. Technical articles (like drug descriptions and scientific tutorials) typically pay more money than "fluff" articles (articles used just to get a keyword on the web). You may get paid $10 for a 300 word technical article, where you only make $3 for a fluff article of the same length. You won't truly find out what you can make until you get involved with the job.

On overage, I would say that starting pay for freelance writers is about $.005 to $.01 per word in an article, meaning that a 400 word article will pay between $2 and $4, depending on the client. Once you have a little experience under your belt, you'll make more money. Most writers will bump up from $.01/word to $.015/word. Then they move up to $.02/word. That is roughly the industry standard for most work online, but there are clients that pay higher. I have seen a few jobs that pay $.03/word to $.05/word, but most of those were for technical jobs. If you work with a company long enough, you can earn more money based on raises - just like you would with any other line of work.

That Still Doesn't Answer the Question…

As I said before, there is no definitive answer as to how much money you will make as a freelance writer. There are too many variables in play to pin that out. If you're good at your job and you actively seek out clients, you should be able to make very good money in this profession. You just have to dedicate yourself to the career. Otherwise, you may want to make this a side job until you get enough work to sustain your living habits.

Is Your Handyman Pulling In More than You Are?

It's no surprise that this economy blows chunks! That's right, I said it and it looks like there is no relief in the horizon. Everybody I know got a bailout except for me! The job market is awful and the price of everything has skyrocketed. Real estate on the other hand has taken a nosedive. Do you see where I'm going with this? Who comes out on top in this economy? You guessed it - the multi talented handyman.

Both my husband and I are recent graduates of Kaplan University, he with a degree in corporate paralegal training and mine in software developing and are both well-employed.  But in spite of graduating with online accredited courses, the economy still has us tightening our purse strings. But guess who is walking away with a big chunk of change - the handyman.

With people hanging on to their appliances longer through repairs and staying on in smaller houses for fear that they may sell at a loss, people are looking more and more towards the handyman to make this possible. Fixing that old microwave works out much cheaper than replacing it with a new one. It was unheard of for Americans to fix anything that cost more than $50 in repairs; it is so much smarter to buy a new one with all the bells and whistles that the latest model offers. Not anymore! This economy has most Americans going back to our grandparents’ ways where frugality was the order of the day.


Today, handymen are in great demand considering that they can fix the dishwasher, change out the lighting fixture, swap out the heating element in your rusty hot tub and even change the oil in your jalopy. With this wide skill set, it is no wonder then that the handyman is making a killing in this economy.

Even five years ago, nobody held onto a starter home for more than 3 years, but today the starter home has been reconfigured with the help of the handyman to meet the needs of a larger family. New additions are being put on to starter homes, when just a few years ago the hassle of obtaining an expansion license and not to mention the dust and other inconveniences of construction would have not even been considered too much. But today a good handyman can mean the difference between taking a big hit with appliances and real estate and financial independence. So don't resent your handyman, take him along for the ride and everybody wins!

Lucrative Careers in a Bad Economy

In this fast waning economy, jobs are few and far between. Few job industries have shown no growth whatsoever in the last decade. This is in spite of people getting transferred, retiring or quitting. This makes choosing the right career vital to employability in the future along with getting paid handsomely. So which jobs pay the most money in America today? This is not the easiest question to answer. Instead of looking at specific jobs, this list will focus on specific fields that feature the best jobs.

Medicine: This field is never going to go out of style, that's for sure. Nurses are always high in demand and make upwards of $85,000 a year. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a projected 27% increase is anticipated in the future. Especially with the baby boomers retiring, the need for good health care professionals can only increase. The changing demographics are always indicative of the fields with the most job growth. This sent me on a path to seeking online colleges for nursing to join one of several accredited online nursing programs

Technology: Information technology has had a meteoric rise in the last two decades. This makes software architects and systems engineers, a highly employable group. Median salaries of this sector range in the $90,000 bracket. Their job growth potential is projected to be over 34%. Even an entry-level software engineer will make upwards of $60,000.

Money management services: If you're good with numbers there is no other place to be. Certified public accountants or CPAs are increasing in demand with companies getting rid of pension plans. Accountants are able to help employees with planning for retirement. The median salary for a financial advisor is over $100,000.

Teaching profession: A side effect of a poor economy is people heading back to school. This drift is accompanied by an increase in the demand of college professors. On an average, professors make about $70,000 a year with a projected increase over the next decade of 23%. However, this profession requires at least a graduate degree in a field of study.

Sales jobs: If you have the gift of the gab and can make your employer money by selling his brand, then you can be rest assured that your job is secure. It does come with a high stress level but the money is well worth it. And average salary of a sales supervisor is close to $130,000 a year.

Engineers: Civil and structural engineers will see a tremendous job growth in the next decade of over 24%. Due to poor enrollment in engineering programs across the country, there is most definitely a high demand for good engineers. Engineers easily make over $75,000 a year and for more senior associates the number is exponentially higher.

With companies continuing to cut funding and jobs, it is important to gear your career towards a more sustainable field. But in order to remain truly relevant, one must constantly be working towards keeping abreast of the newest technologies. Even a degree in the coolest field can't rescue you from ignorance of what is considered cutting-edge!