To Pay Or Not to Pay: When to Move Beyond Free

via WebWorkerDaily by Aliza Sherman on 4/29/09

Written by Aliza Sherman.

The other day I noticed that someone had posted a quick poll on LinkedIn. I thought a poll like that might be a good tool to use for informal market research, so I clicked on the link to create my own. However, I was met with a message saying that I needed to upgrade my account to access the polling feature. I perused the prices, then quickly determined I wasn't going to upgrade.

This isn't the first time I've considered upgrading my LinkedIn account and decided against it, which led me to start thinking about all of the "freemium" apps — basically free apps with premium upgrades — I've been using. I started feeling guilty about taking advantage of the "free" in freemium services, especially because I've had the opportunity to interview founders of these companies, many of whom confess to struggling over pricing. So what makes us decide to pay for an app?

My decision process works something like this:

1. Is it mission critical? Not every app or tool I use is critical to the well-being of my company, but some are. Our project management system? Critical. Our internal social networking system? Not so critical, because we've not all adopted it yet, but this could change.

2. How useful is the free version? In my WWD review, I was impressed that Deskaway's free version had more features than Basecamp's. That could have won me over, but its interface just didn't work for me.

3. Can I live without more functionality? I used Basecamp for quite a while without ever thinking about the reporting available with a paid plan. I was getting my reports from Freshbooks, and Basecamp was just a way for me to manage client information when I was working solo. I only upgraded to the $24 per month plan when I needed to manage more projects. Payment made sense because I had so much more new work to cover the expense.

4. Should I upgrade and pay or seek out a different app? Once I began adding more team members to my company, Basecamp's inadequacies for deeper project management became obvious. So instead of upgrading a notch or two further — and still not having the functionality we needed — we moved over to 5pm at $4/month more. Again, the cost was palatable because more team members meant greater productivity and more moving parts to manage, so it made good business sense.

5. Do the fee levels hit my sweet spot? I realize I have two tiers of apps that I am willing to pay for, each with its own sweet spot in terms of pricing. For apps that benefit the overall smooth functioning of my business and provide real value that I can quantify, I'll pay around $25 per month. I feel comfortable having four of these. The second tier contains apps that are useful in some aspect of my work, and I'll subscribe to up to five of these at $10 per month. That's about my limit. Right now, I don't have a real method for deciding how much I will pay — it's all from the gut. But we're working to measure the costs of doing business and the impact our apps have on our bottom line, so eventually I should have some real numbers to work with.

6. How entrenched am I? In some cases, I begin to feel "trapped" by the choice I made initially when I started with an app. If I need to upgrade and the next level is out of my price range, what then? When I left Basecamp, I couldn't easily figure out how to migrate information over to 5pm, so I just downgraded my membership to a free plan, and now cannot figure out how to access my data so it just sits there. Over time, those assets will be outdated and no longer as valuable as they were the first months of the migration, but I still feel a sense of my data being trapped. Avoiding this trapped feeling — as well as avoiding a huge learning curve of a new app — are two big factors when deciding whether to move to another service.

7. Can I afford not to pay? If an app I'm using has a positive effect on my business' bottom line–or moving away from it has a significant negative impact–then I'm much more likely to dish out the cash.

Back to the case of LinkedIn. The lowest monthly upgrade is $24.95. Per month. For me, that hits a sour note. I get so much benefit out of LinkedIn at the free level and have for years that there is no incentive for me to pay. Just missing out on that Quick Poll feature isn't enough to entice me over to a paid plan.

All LinkedIn could do right now to win my paying business — possibly — is to remove the free level altogether. But by doing that, their entire business foundation would crumble as many people migrate quickly away.

How do you decide whether an app is worth paying for? Which services do you consider well worth paying for?

Image by stock.xchng user jana_koll

Looking to Hire an Engineer? 3 reasons to Forgo the Phone Screening

You can think about replacing the word Engineer with "Project Manager" - Andy

If Sergey Brin applied for an engineering position at Google today, would he pass the requisite phone screening? Don't be so sure: While he might look good on paper, he'd probably have to brush up on his Python programming skills first. Even if he passed, would it tell his potential employer anything useful about the value he could bring to the company?

Most engineers are familiar with the initial phone interview: a short, technical interview prepared by the prospective employer, and used to verify that the programmer meets the minimum technical qualifications of the job. Lots of employers think these screenings are a quick way to weed out bad engineers, but personally, I refuse to do them. Here are three reasons those looking to hire the best engineers should reconsider the "phone screen" interview altogether and jump right to a full-length phone or in-person interview:

1. Recruiters and other non-technical people typically don't understand the questions they ask, and that leads to a one-way conversation. In addition, questions are often stated incorrectly, or without the originally intended context and as such suffer from lost-in-translation syndrome. Correctly evaluating a candidate over the phone takes longer than a typical "screening" interview, and should be done by equally tech-savvy individuals on the employer's side.

2. From the perspective of an engineer, if an employer asks a lot of trivial coding or algorithm questions, it usually means the job they're hiring for isn't going to be that interesting (activate the big-company-coding-job radar). Phone interviewers do occasionally ask deeper questions, but given the limited time of a screening interview, and the inability of a candidate to present code or design diagrams, they are often forced to ask trivial ones.

3. Intelligence assessments can be a good indicator of talent, but don't waste time asking them to solve puzzles pulled off the Internet: Look at SAT or GRE scores, school transcripts, or some other substantial proof of intelligence (or lack thereof). This kind of background on a candidate can usually be found without the need for a phone interview.

Only good engineers can accurately measure the skills of other good engineers, and it takes a lot of probing in an in-person, back-and-forth conversation to get there. A meaningful engineering interview has to be conducted in person, with multiple engineers, and over the course of several hours (if not an entire day). It's worth the effort.

VIA [gigaom]

The Five Deadly Sins of Project Management

Bernhard Kappe, Monday, April 27, 2009 @ 9:08 pm

There's a list of deadly sins out there for just about anything related to information technology. Some have seven items, some have five, some even have nine. I haven't seen one with 21 deadly sins yet, but I won't be surprised if I do. Some focus on IT departments, some on unused software, some on agile software development, and quite a few on whatever they're trying to sell you.

We've seen a lot in our ten years of developing software at Pathfinder, and the list that rings truest is the shortest and pithiest, from the Standish Group:

• Ambition
• Arrogance
• Ignorance
• Fraudulence
• Abstinence

Each of these is best illustrated by example:

Ambition (or Overambition)

Example: Trying to build something too fast with too many people and designed to be all things to all users.  This is also known as boiling the ocean.  It's something we see a lot from prospects.  We've got a saying at Pathfinder:  "If the business plan is based on replicating the best features of Google, Facebook and Amazon, the agile thing to do is to run away."

Arrogance

Example: "A prime executive who overrides user input and forces implementation of his or her mistaken perception of how things should work"

Ignorance

Example: If the requirements document states that the new system must "do everything that the old system did,"  that's usually a cop out for not knowing the details of what the old system does and doesn't do, and how that's applicable to the business problem you're trying to solve.

Fraudulence

This one certainly gets your attention, doesn't it?

Example: The most common form is underestimation of costs in order to get a project approved, or giving a dead certain estimate for something that is too undefined.  Wishful thinking is a milder form of this.  (I don't want to peek too far ahead to next week's post, but agile has some great tools for guarding against this.)

Abstinence

Example:  When key people do not participate in the project.  In an agile project, when the key decision makers  do not provide feedback and decisions, the project slows down, can get off track, and money and time is wasted.   (Hint on the solution:  Designate and empower project managers.)

Keeping this little list in mind throughout a project lifecycle, and knowing how to deal with them when they occur will help keep your project on track to success.

Next time:  Patterns and Antipatterns: The Ten Factors of Successful Software Development

Topics: Agile Development, Best Practices, project management, standish

Via [www.pathf.com] http://www.pathf.com/blogs/2009/04/the-five-deadly-sins-of-project-management/

Hire a Career Coach to Jumpstart Your Job Search [Career]

by Adam Pash

Times are tough, but sometimes the silver lining to a bad economy is that it can be a perfect time to switch up your career. Blogger Marci Alboher suggests hiring a career coach.

Photo by bionicteaching.

It's tough to say what a career coach can do for you if you've never had one; lucky Alboher has, and she's here to share her experience:

When I changed careers nearly 10 years ago, hiring a coach completely jumpstarted my process. Career changes and job searches take a long time and I'm impatient. I also had a lot of fear and anxiety about the process and I didn't want to overburden supportive friends and family with my constant need to talk about my process. I figured that working with a professional who'd seen hundreds of others through transitions was a way to speed things up. And it did. I used my coach for about 8 sessions to come up with a plan and a strategy; after that, I called her for advice now and then, but mostly felt comfortable on my own.

Pulling from her experience, Alboher walks through how to go about finding and hiring a career coach. It may seem like quite an extravagance to hire a career coach right now, but if a little coaching may mean the difference between finding a job you love and the unemployment line, it could be worth a try. If you've got any experience with a career coach, let's hear how you found your coach—and whether or not you found the experience worthwhile—in the comments. If you really don't feel like you've got the cash but would love to get a little of what a career coach might offer, you can always try to be your own career coach.

How to hire a career coach [Manage Your Life]

Side Businesses You Can Start in Your Spare Time [Money]

via Lifehacker by Adam Pash on 4/13/09

We've encouraged you to start a side business to turn something you love into extra income, but if you're not sure what might make for a good side gig, The Simple Dollar has 50 suggestions.

Photo by Scoro.

From antique refurbishment to web site design, the list offers a ton of side business ideas that don't require all that much from you in terms of start-up cost and commitment. Instead, they're jobs you can work on in your spare time as much or as little as you want. For example, here's a side gig that The Simple Dollar's Trent has tackled himself, and one that most Lifehacker readers could probably take on with relative ease:

Computer troubleshooting: I had some success with this in the past, though I've largely moved away from it now. If you have a knack for fixing computers, this is a good place to start.

Already got a healthy side business bringing in a little extra income in tough times? Let's hear about it in the comments. If all goes really well and your side job looks like it could turn into a viable business on its own, then you may want to take a look at how your fellow readers have successfully turned their side business into a full-time job.

50 Side Businesses You Can Start On Your Own [The Simple Dollar]

The Importance of Monitoring Your Online Reputation [Reputation]

via Lifehacker by Adam Pash on 4/13/09

These days, if you want to know more about someone, the first thing most of us do is Google them. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that monitoring your online reputation is extraordinarily important.

Photo by Jan Tik.

Whether you're tracking your personal reputation or your business' reputation, it's important to know what's being said—especially so that you can address reputation dings as soon as possible. To this end, we've already detailed how to track your ego online, so give it a quick look if you're interested in setting up a reputation monitoring system. In a post-Twitter world, you can also use something like previously mentioned TweetDeck to create a persistent Twitter search to keep track of what's being said about you online. (For example, we keep a fairly close eye on what people are saying about Lifehacker this way, so that if people are having issues with the site or complaints with a post, we can address them as necessary.)

Still, one of the best ways to take an active approach to your online reputation is to have a say in what Google says about you. We've been down this road before, but weblog Freelance Folder takes their own approach to your online reputation, detailing what you can learn from your online rep as well as a few of their own suggestions for what you can do if your reputation is in trouble. Got a few tips of your own? Let's hear them in the comments.

Why You Need to Monitor Your Online Reputation [Freelance Folder]

Find the Best Part-Time Work for Your Time [Money]

via Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy on 4/14/09

We posted yesterday about 50 side businesses you can start in spare time, but it's not always apparent which sideline works best for your time, or career. Marci Alboher offers some advice on that front.

Career writer Alboher writes at Manage Your Life that your part-time job, or freelance gig, or even casual pick-up work should benefit you in more ways than just bolstering your bank account. Find work that doesn't conflict with your main revenue earner, and hopefully find it in a growing field. She also advises:

• Keep in mind that part-time work doesn't have to be a "job." Working as a freelancer or consultant will likely give you more flexibility than will a position that has fixed hours and a fixed location.
• Recognize that not all jobs are advertised. Often, positions are created when a person shows up with the right set of skills and the moxie to propose herself for the position (see Jennifer Bergeram's story in this post.)

What part-time job or freelance work have you found that meshed well with your career goals? Give us all a bit of inspiration in the comments.

Finding the perfect part-time work [Manage Your Life/Shine]

The Per-Diem System Is a Seriously Easy Budget to Follow [Budgeting]

via Lifehacker by Adam Pash on 4/15/09

If you've ever taken a work-related trip, chances are you're familiar with the concept of the per diem (Latin for "per day")—a daily cash stipend intended to cover your expenses.

Photo by chrisdlugosz.

Weblog Get Rich Slowly details how to apply this concept to your monthly budget, creating a per-diem budget for all your spending cash.

As a guy who just finished paying off $14,000 in credit card debt, I wanted to share one tip that helped me get over the bad debt hump. I allocate my spending money on a per diem system. At the beginning of each cycle of my monthly budget, I set aside funds for:

• Every fixed expense that I have (rent, cable/internet, groceries, power)
• Any unique expenses (a plane ticket, for example)
• And, of course, my savings (about 8 percent of my after-tax, after-401k income)

After allocating this money, I go to the bank, withdraw the remaining funds in cash, and divide it among envelopes for each day of the month. Each day, I open an envelope and add the day's cash to my wallet. For me, the physical parceling of the cash is an important psychological step.

Granted, using this method does mean a lot more cash transactions, which can be difficult to track and don't have any benefits (of the credit card rewards ilk), but since most of the spending you need to track will have been paid before you set aside your per diem cash, it's not a bad method—especially for folks who have a hard time sticking to a budget when there's no physical limit.

In college, I went on a similar (but decidedly more insane) budget in which $1 per day was all I allowed myself. Extreme, yes, but I saved some serious cash over that summer. With a more reasonable approach, I can imagine a per-diem budget could be very effective.

The Per-Diem System: An Easy Way to Budget Your Spending Money [Get Rich Slowly]

The Monster List of Freelance Job Sites - 2009 Update #jobs

Awesome resources for online job searching, for full time, or supplemental income. I would love to be able to use these sites to create multiple streams of income.

The Monster List of Freelance Job Sites - 2009 Update

via FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog by FreelanceSwitch.com on 4/15/09

Every freelancer needs clients. We rely on them, nurture our relationships with them, and provide a quality of service that keeps then coming back. And we can never have enough of them! The Monster List of Freelance Job Sites has one purpose: to massively increase your source of potential clients and potential jobs.

This list, like Isaac Newton, stands on the shoulders of giants. The original Monster List of Freelance Job Sites has been valuable and much visited since April 2007. Your hundreds of comments have greatly added to its value. This list is a thorough update, removing dead links, adding new sites, and taking on board many of the suggestions from your comments.

We start the list with FreelanceSwitch's own Job Board, which has categories for design, development, writing, illustration, Flash, and miscellaneous jobs, and at the time of writing contains a huge 200 jobs. You can see the available jobs with no strings attached, but to apply for jobs, you need to sign up, which costs just $7 a month. And you can advertise jobs at absolutely no cost.

Is this list now finished? I doubt it ever will be. Like the last list, it will become more valuable as you comment on which sites you found most helpful, inform us of sites that have been missed, and warn us when links stop working. And, best of all, get those jobs!

Traditional Job Listings

Classifieds job sites from around the web.

1. FreelanceSwitch Job Board
   "Freelance Classifieds." Our own excellent and very busy job board. Registration at a cost is required to apply for jobs.
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, design, development, writing, illustration, flash, misc
2. Freshwebjobs
   "A job board for web pros." Has postings for freelance and full-time jobs.
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, writing
3. Krop
   "Krop is a Job Board and career resource website for creative professionals."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: design, general web, general creatives
4. Sologig
   "Sologig.com is a niche website specializing in connecting contract-to-hire, contractors, freelancers, and consultants with quality employers looking for independent professionals. Registration is free."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: all
5. No Agencies Please
   "Fee-free direct recruitment for new media freelancers."
   Location: UK
   Job types: design, general web, development, writing
6. Programmer Meet Designer
   "This is a site for programmers, web developers, designers, entrepreneurs and writers to find each other and work together to create websites that look and function great."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: design, general web, development, writing
7. Blog Posts For Sale
   "Get paid for blogging. Write about web sites, products, services, and companies and earn cash for providing your opinion and valuable feedback to advertisers. Disclosure required."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: writing, blogging
8. PoeWar Freelance Jobs
   This blog on writing has a large jobs section, including many freelance writing jobs.
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: writing
9. Aquent
   "Welcome to Aquent, the talent agency for marketers and designers."
   Location: anywhere - they have agents in a long list of countries
   Job types: design, general creatives, marketing, advertising
10. Authentic Jobs
    "An astutely savvy blend of talent & opportunity." List full-time and freelance jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web
11. Simply Hired
    "Job search made simple." They have a good range of freelance jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
12. WritingCareer.com
    "Expert career advice for writers and freelance writers."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
13. Design Crowd
    "A Freelance Job Forum, built for freelancers, run by freelancers."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, misc
14. Writerlance
    "Connecting writers with buyers." Includes hundreds of projects for freelance writers.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
15. CSS Beauty
    "A project focused on providing its audience with a database of well designed CSS based websites from around the world."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web
16. Guru
    "Find freelancers at the world's largest online service marketplace."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
17. Altpick
    "The ultimate source for creative talent."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: illustration
18. Coroflot's Design Job Board
    "The only job board that gives you access to the full creative spectrum."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, general creatives
19. FreelanceWriting
    "Helping freelance writers to succeed since 1997." Contains a job board of freelance writing jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
20. Craigslist
    Craigslist have a successful general job board. First choose your location, then job type.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
21. About Freelance Writing
    Freelance writing jobs are posted three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
22. Freelancers.net
    "Freelancers.net is UK focused and lists many jobs and projects open to UK freelancers, however clients from across the globe use Freelancers.net regularly to source freelancers outside of the UK."
    Location: UK and anywhere
    Job types: general web
23. Freelance BBS
    "Freelance BBS is a free web site connecting freelancers and businesses that outsource projects. You can search and post for free."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
24. Go Freelance
    "The freelance work exchange." Paid registration required.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
25. Sunoasis Jobs
    "Sunoasis Writers Network has two primary purposes. 1. To get a vigorous community going so writers and editors can help one another as they help themselves. 2. To provide a space where employers and agents can find talent."
    Location: USA, anywhere ("Unless specified by location jobs can be done remotely.")
    Job types: writing
26. With Cake
    "CakePHP developers looking to hire or be hired."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: development (CakePHP)
27. The Burry Man Writers Center
    "Resources for a worldwide community of writers."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
28. The CGnews JobBoard
    A computer graphic news site with job board.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: computer graphics
29. GeekUp Job Board
    "Grassroots job listings for the Design, Development, Technology and Web Industry in the UK."
    Location: UK
    Job types: design, development, web
30. The AWN Career Connections
    "Part of the Animation World Networks."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: computer graphics
31. CreativeHeads.net
    "CreativeHeads.net is the most comprehensive recruitment software solution for professionals in the Video Game, Animation, TV & Film, and 3D Technology & Software Tools industries."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: computer graphics
32. Flay.Com
    "News and resources for the 3D artist."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: computer graphics, design, programming
33. VFXTalk.com
    "Digital compositing and VFX." Includes a job board with a freelancing category.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: computer graphics
34. JobServe Australia
    An Internet recruitment service.
    Location: Australia
    Job types: all
35. Jobserve UK
    An Internet recruitment service.
    Location: UK
    Job types: all
36. Jobserve US
    An Internet recruitment service.
    Location: UK
    Job types: all
37. Jobserve Canada
    An Internet recruitment service.
    Location: UK
    Job types: all
38. Chinwag Jobs
    "Welcome to Chinwag Jobs - take a look inside for hundreds of online marketing, design, technical, business, content, usability, producer, account manager, e-commerce and search engine marketing vacancies."
    Location: UK
    Job types: design, development, marketing, illustration
39. EmploymentGuide.com
    Job seeker resources and job search.
    Location: USA
    Job types: all
40. All Data Jobs
    Job board powered by SimplyHired.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: data
41. Filter Talent
    "We connect exceptional creative and marketing specialists like you with continuous opportunities to propel your career ever upward."
    Location: USA
    Job types: design, web, marketing, advertising
42. Freelance-Seattle.net
    "Welcome to the Pacific Northwest's ultimate Rolodex of freelance and contract talent."
    Location: Seattle
    Job types: all
43. ProZ
    "ProZ.com is a translation workplace where translators, interpreters, translation companies and end clients can meet and work efficiently and profitably." Free sign-up.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: translation
44. TranslatorsCafe.com
    "Directory of translators, interpreters, and translation agencies." Registration is free.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: translation
45. People4business.com
    "Businesses & organisations can search for, shortlist and set up contracts with freelancers and contractors. Freelancers and contractors can post their skills to find freelance jobs in the UK. "
    Location: UK
    Job types: all
46. People4charity.com
    "Charities & not-for-profits can search for, shortlist and set up contracts with freelancers and contractors – many of them offer significant discounts on their rates."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all, charity
47. Smashing Jobs
    Job board for smashing magazine, which delivers useful and innovative information for designers and Web developers.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, programming
48. FindNetJob
    Job board for Net jobs
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: web, development, programming
49. Indeed
    "One search. All jobs."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
50. AllDevJobs
    "The design and development job board."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, development
51. Gizmodo Jobs
    Web, programming and development jobs
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: web, development, programming
52. ThinkVitamin Jobs
    "Nourishment to help the web grow."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, development, marketing, web, illustration
53. Startuply
    "Startup companies, startup jobs." Post jobs for free.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: development, design, general creatives, advertising, marketing
54. nPost
    "We are dedicated to promoting startups, with startup jobs at software and internet companies, startup interviews, and tech networking events."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: web, development, programming
55. Design Jobs on the Wall
    "A job board by Web Designer Wall where creative professionals come to find and post job opportunities." Paid registration required.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, development
56. Boxes and Arrows Jobs
    "Boxes and Arrows is devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design; including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business."
    Location: USA
    Job types: design, development, programming
57. Wired Jobs
    Job board for tech jobs.
    Location: USA (some telecommuting jobs)
    Job types: design, development, programming
58. Elance
    "On Elance, businesses find the experts they need plus the tools to manage online work from hiring to collaboration to making payment. Elance offers companies flexibility, cost effectiveness and instant access to a vast pool of skilled and tested talent. Professionals use Elance to find work, deliver great results and get paid for doing what they do best."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: web, programming, design, writing, translation, marketing
59. oDesk
    "oDesk is the marketplace for online workteams, with the best business model for both buyers and providers. Our unique approach guarantees that an hour paid is an hour worked while also guaranteeing that an hour worked is an hour paid."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
60. Freelance UK
    "Freelance vacancies from companies hiring freelancers direct."
    Location: UK
    Job types: all
61. FreelanceQ
    "Serving up over 50,000 freelance job opportunities daily."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
62. Creative Niche
    "We are a full service staffing agency dedicated to one area of expertise - matching outstanding communication, design and interactive professionals with the right companies."
    Location: Canada
    Job types: general web, translation, development, Flash, programming
63. Freelancewar
    "We put the 'free' in Freelance. Free bidding, free posting, no commissions, no monthly fees."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
64. TheFreelanceNation.com
    "The Freelance Nation is the umbrella website for 119 city-specific freelance job boards where companies post freelance jobs, freelancers find work and recruiters and staffing agencies source quality candidates."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
65. jobbi
    "Search for jobs on jobbi and Every Job Site on the Web."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
66. The Job Poster
    Job board for Web jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, design, development
67. CDM Jobs
    "Creative, development and marketing job board."
    Location: Canada
    Job types: general creatives, development, marketing
68. Writing Job Roll
    List of writing jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
69. VirtualVocations
    "VirtualVocations offers a unique service to those who are looking for high quality, credible, work from home positions. We are a job compilation service that provides our users with a convenient, time saving resource for applying to telecommute and work at home positions on a daily basis."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
70. ProBlogger Job Board
    "The ProBlogger Job Board is where bloggers looking for jobs and companies looking for bloggers to hire meet."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing, blogging
71. JournalismJobs.com
    List of journalism jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
72. Blogger Jobs
    List of writing and blogging jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing, blogging, advertising, design, marketing, podcasting
73. WhizOlve
74. Where clients find freelancers and consultants.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, general creatives, Flash, programming, development
75. SearchWebJobs
    "A job board for creative and tech pros."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design, development, marketing, tech
76. LingoTip
    "Translating the world."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: translation
77. Post a Position
    "Always free to post jobs."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, design, development
78. ContentCentral
    "If you want to commission copy for a website, article or press release, you can post your project here in the relevant category. Freelance copywriters can then contact you directly to enable the project to quickly move forward."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing
79. Outsource Your Logo Design
    "Staff posts logo design orders that need concepts designed for them, and you fill them. All you need to do is decide which order from the 'Orders Receiving Concepts' you want to work on, than create a logo concept for it based on the order detail. Once Staff has approved the concept you upload the source file, your account will be credited the appropriate amount, and your job is done. The full amount in your account is paid out twice a month via the method you choose when you sign up."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design
80. Freelance Jobs Network
    "We provide developers and webmasters the opportunity to expand their business and reduce their costs. There are no setup fees, no monthly fees, and it's free to post a project or view projects."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, design, Flash, writing, development, programming
81. I Can Freelance
    "Its absolutely free to signup and search for freelance projects. If you have a skill there is sure to be a demand for it. You can make money while you are home and best of all its easy."
    Location: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Australia and more
    Job types: general web, programming, design, writing, translation, marketing
82. ShortGig
    "ShortGig.com Is A New Place To Both POST And FIND Temp Jobs, Quick Jobs, Side Jobs, Weekend Jobs - Anything That's Not Long Term Employment - This Is A 100% Free Service! - So Enjoy And Start Posting!!"
    Location: USA
    Job types: all
83. Blellow
    Job board with a good freelance section.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all

Job Bidding Sites

These sites work a little differently, here you will bid for a job.
WARNING: Be careful that you don't sell yourself short on these places as they do tend to favour the clients.

1. Get A Freelancer
   "We can help you find freelance programmers, Web Designers and Copywriters. We can offer freelance programmers, interpreters and graphic designers the ability to work independently. As a freelancer you can choose among hundreds of outsourced projects. Join free and pay only a small commission."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, developers, SEO, design
2. Elance
   "On Elance, businesses find the experts they need plus the tools to manage online work from hiring to collaboration to making payment. Elance offers companies flexibility, cost effectiveness and instant access to a vast pool of skilled and tested talent."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: web, programming, design, writing, translation, marketing
3. iFreelance
   "Post your profile today and get access to 1000's of buyers in need of your professional services. Advertise to buyers, bid on projects, and earn money doing what you love to do. Commission-Free!"
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, illustration, writing, design
4. Freelance Work
   "Freelance Work was created to connect freelance and contract professionals with qualified employers. Through our project and job seeker databases, freelancers can find their next great projects and list their qualifications so employers can immediately find them."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, development
5. RentACoder
   "Earn cash with your high tech skills on 2,548 currently open bid requests. Then subscribe to our newsletter and receive daily bid requests from our 117,207 registered buyers."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, development
6. ScriptLance
   "Connecting businesses with programmers."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, development
7. GetACoder
   "Find Freelance Programmers, Web Designers and Freelance Writers for your next project. Outsource projects to your home country or to countries where labor is cheap."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, development
8. ProjectSpring.com
   "Programmers, IT Service Providers (4 dollars per month - pay 12 dollars for 3 months - PROMOTION!) Bid for any number of Projects. Your Contact Information available to Buyer even before project is Awarded. NO Transaction Fee or Hidden Costs."
   Location: anywhere
   Job types: general web, development
9. Freelance Job Search
   "Browse projects and find leads. No commission or subscription fees."
   Location: USA
   Job types: general web
10. Contracted Work
    Bid on projects against other freelancers.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
11. Freelance Auction
    "Are you a web designer? Do you work part-time as a freelancer or as a contractor? Do you provide web site design, graphic design, logo design, flash, database development, related services? Get a freelancer account at freelance auctions to bid on jobs. Pay a small commission, if you are picked to work on the job."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: development, design, web graphics, Flash, general web
12. PowerLance.com
    "Your reliable source of freelancers."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
13. Freelancers.net
    "Freelancers.net is UK focused and lists many jobs and projects open to UK freelancers, however clients from across the globe use Freelancers.net regularly to source freelancers outside of the UK."
    Location: UK
    Job types: general web
14. Project4Hire
    "Project4Hire.com is the place to find Freelance Programmers, Web Designers, Graphic Artists, IT Professionals, Translators, Writers, Consultants & other Freelance Professionals. Find qualified freelancers willing to do the job within your budget! Post your project for free and receive bids."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
15. MacFreelancer
    "Project outsourcing. Simplified."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all (Mac)
16. OnForce
    "OnForce is the trusted nationwide network of over 12,000 highly-skilled service technicians, available when and where you need them."
    Location: USA
    Job types: tech support
17. Freelanza
    "Freelanza.co.za is an online outsource portal for professionals. Clients may outsource work to the available service providers by means of posting jobs on the notice board. Jobs will be awarded by the clients, to providers as they see fit."
    Location: South Africa
    Job types: web, programming, design, marketing, writing, translation
18. AgentSolo
    "Where freelance meets business - Canada's most trusted business network."
    Location: Canada
    Job types: design, web, programming, writing, translation, marketing
19. PeoplePerHour.com
    "Outsource Your Work To Rated Professionals. Save cost by using freelancers and home workers. Stay flexible by hiring remotely on-demand. Find trusted professionals and pay only for results."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: web, programming, marketing, design, writing, translation
20. BIZReef
    Freelance Marketplace with a fee per job to contact the buyer.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing, general web, design, development, marketing
21. Freelancer Store.com
    "Freelance Programmer - Freelance Projects - Freelance Websites. This site is Totally FREE! We don't charge to post projects or charge after accepting a freelancer; which other websites do. We don't take any commission from freelancers; which other freelance websites do. No sign-up fees, No monthly fees, No commission fees. It's totally FREE!"
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, development, programming
22. Freelancer Listing
    "Looking for Freelance work? Find the latest freelance job postings and bid on them absolutely FREE!"
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, design, marketing, development, Flash, writing
23. eTEQ.com
    "Offering everything that project owners and freelancers could possibly need, eTEQ.com contains auctions, job postings, and freelance ads all for free. Project owners can post their projects for free and have the site's competent freelancers bid on it while freelancers, on the one hand, can also sign up for free and begin browsing for various projects up for bidding posted in the site."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: programming, graphics, design, writing, translating, marketing, development, general web
24. ITMatch Online
    "Are you a BUYER looking for outsourcing IT or BPO projects? Are you a PROVIDER looking for outsourcing IT or BPO projects? ITMatchOnline is the easiest way to find the right partner." Free registration.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: graphics, design, writing, translating
25. DesignQuote.net
    "The best site on the Net for professional designers."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, graphics, design, development, programming
26. MondayWorks
    "International Service Providers at your Fingertips!"
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: graphics, design, marketing, writing, programming, illustration, web, translating
27. P2W2 (People To Work With)
    "P2W2 identifies the right partners, negotiates terms, establishes the outsourcing relationship and manages projects for small business "
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: SEO, writing, marketing, blogging, development
28. Project Worm
    "Builds bridges between Project Owners and Project Professionals."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: graphics, design, programming, writing, translating, marketing, training
29. rfpDB (The Request for Proposals Database)
    "Welcome to the Request for Proposals Database (RFPdb), your source for RFPs and new project leads. This site is free to join and there is NO fee. The site works on a credit system."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
30. BidItOut.com
    "Work on what you want, when you want and where you want to! The lifestyle of a freelancer is taking off and gives unparalleled job flexibility. By working as a freelancer online, you can greatly increase your client base and job throughput. Have the surety of being paid on-time with our trusted escrow system for payments. For the first time you can even work at home and tap into a global pool of suppliers across a huge range of industries!"
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: all
31. Savvylance
    Bid on web, graphics and development jobs.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: graphics, development
32. Jobloha
    "It's a new way for you to find and get work done online. Jobloha is mainly being used by freelancers (Coders, Designers, Writers,…) but offers a great variety of remote work and local job offers. Whether you are looking for the right person to do a specific job for you or you are a freelancer looking for work, Jobloha is right for you."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: writing, programming, general web, Flash
33. Jobshuk
    "Outsourcing your project to Israel makes smart business sense - ensuring a balance of high quality, reliability & cost savings. JobShuk connects English-speaking freelancers, small businesses, and service providers based in Israel with the world."
    Location: Israel
    Job types: design, general web, programming, marketing, writing, translating
34. LancerGlobal
    "Find qualified freelancers willing to do the job within your budget! Post your project for free and receive bids instantly."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, graphics, design, programming, writing, SEO
35. Freelance Projects
    "All freelance projects at one location." Contains pop-up ads.
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, development
36. FreakLance
    "Web and graphic design marketplace."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, graphics, design, Flash
37. The Superlancers
    "Fast, simple freelance marketplace."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: general web, graphics, design, marketing, writing, programming
38. United States Freelancers
    "Freelance Website to connect International, Offshore, Outsourcing Freelancers and Freelance buyers. UnitedStatesFreelancers! We are pleased to announce that we have made concessions to allow for international, offshore, outsourcing freelance work. As the United States is a huge melting pot, so should our site be… United States Freelancers is open to all international buyers and all international freelancers."
    Location: USA and everywhere
    Job types: general web, programming, Flash, SEO, writing
39. DesignBay
    "Get opportunities to be creative using the DesignBay marketplace."
    Location: anywhere
    Job types: design

Job Aggregators

As you can see there sure are a lot of job listings out there, so here are some sites that aggregate listings from elsewhere to make for handier listings.

1. Jobagg
   "Aggregating Web design and development job boards."
   Aggregating: 37signals Job Board, CSS Beauty's Monster, Authentic Jobs, Fresh Web Jobs
2. Job Pile
   "The Job Pile aggregates the best job boards on the web."
   Aggregates: Authentic Jobs, 37signals Jobs, FreelanceSwitch Job Board, Krop, Metafilter Jobs, FreshWebJobs, Slashdot Jobs, AllWeb Jobs, Coroflot Jobs
3. Joblighted
   "Joblighted is a single page jobs aggregator."
   Aggregates: Joel on Software Jobs, 37signals Job Board, CrunchBoard, Slashdot Jobs, Authentic Jobs Full-time, VentureBeat JobBoard, TechGigger Jobs, MetaFilter Jobs, Python Job Board, Krop Jobs, Coroflot Jobs, FreshWebJobs, Smashing Jobs, JavaScript Ninja Jobs, Ajaxian Jobs, Startuply, Ars Technica Job Board, nPost Startup Jobs, Jobs on the Wall, Boxes & Arrows Job Board, Read/WriteWeb Jobs, Hidden Network, RealWebJobs, Wired Jobs
4. Most Hired
   "There's a job here for you."
   Aggregating: Jobs and Giggs, 37 Signals Jobs, RealWebJobs, 37 Signals Gigs, Krop, Venture Beat, Authentic Jobs, GigaOM Jobs, Joel On Software, Crunch Board, MeFi Jobs, FreshWebJobs, Slashdot, CSS Beauty, MinistryCamp, Boxes and Arrows, Design Meltdown, nPost, Web Pro Jobs, coroflot, Most Hired, crispspot, Jobs on the Wall, searchwebjobs
5. YoSumo
   Job board aggregator. Had some RSS errors on the page.
   Aggregates: Joel on Software, Authentic Jobs, Gizmodo Jobs, 37signals, Slashdot, FreshWebJobs, Vitamin Jobs, CSS Monster
6. Freelance Writing Career
   "I have just put together an aggregated feed of writing jobs that are offered on the big bidding and job posting sites (currently we are tracking 25 sites). Rather than having to keep track of all sites, you can view the available jobs in one convenient location."
   Aggregates: Craig's List, Elance.com, GetACoder.com, Getafreelancer.com, GoFreelance.com, IFreelance.com, Indeed.com, Monster.com, ODesk.com, Project4Hire.com, RentACoder.com, Scriptlance.com, Yahoo Jobs, AgaveBlue.net, AuthenticJobs.com, BloggerJobs.biz, ContractedWork.com, CoroFlot.com, FreelanceSwitch.com, JournalismJobs.com, Krop.com, ProBlogger.net, VirtualVocations.com, WritingJobRoll.com
7. Lancepost
   "One feed to rule them all."
   Aggregates: "Lancepost is a feed aggregation website for freelance job posts on bidding sites such as scriptlance, GAF and RAC."
8. Freelance Job List
   "Freelance Job List features thousands of freelance jobs in web development for: Web Design, CSS, PHP, Python, JSP, Flash, AJAX, Javascript, Java, C/C++, ASP, .NET, Joomla, Perl/CGI, Drupal, ZenCart, Ubercart, osCommerce, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and more."
   Aggregates: This site seems to aggregate other job boards, including Get A Freelancer, Craigslist, Scriptlance Projects, Projects4Hire, Hot Freelance Jobs.

Sites with Occasional Freelance Positions

Mostly Full-time/Part-time, but occasionally a freelance position comes up on these.

1. nPost
   "We are dedicated to promoting startups, with startup jobs at software and internet companies, startup interviews, and tech networking events."
2. Crunchboard Job Board
   "Advertise jobs, startup services, and things for sale to the TechCrunch community."
3. GigaOM Jobs
   "The GigaOM Job Board provides info on job opportunities for hi-tech professionals at notable technology-focused startups and companies around the world."
4. TechGigger Jobs
   "The tech:gigger job board lists jobs at venture capital backed tech startups around the world."
5. Slashdot Job Board
   "Jobs for nerds."
6. Joel On Software
   "Great software jobs, great people."
7. Python Job Board
   Job board for Python programmers.
8. Perl.com Jobs
   Job board for Perl programmers.
9. MetaFilter Jobs
   "MetaFilter Jobs is an area for sharing job openings among members of MetaFilter. If you're logged in, and your latitude/longitude is stored in your profile, you'll also see how far away each job is from you."
10. Creative Hotlist
    "Job searches, portfolios and recruiting for graphic and web designers, writers, photographers and illustrators."
11. Go Big Network Jobs
    "The Go Big Network connects you with the people that can help you nurture and grow your business."
12. Myspace Jobs
    "Finding a job has never been easier."
    Location: USA, UK
13. Careerjet
    "Careerjet is an employment search engine."
    Location: USA
14. Jobs.com.au
    General job search site.
    Location: Australia

International, Non-English Sites

Thankfully not all the world speaks English, if you're looking for a job elsewhere try one of these.

1. XPlace
   "Express outsourcing."
   Location: Israel
   Job types: general web, writing, marketing
2. Freelancermap
   Location: Germany
3. Freelance INDIA.com
   "FreelanceIndia a common platform for freelancer. We help you in finding Project Work, Part-time Jobs, Assignments relevant to your field."
   Location: India
   Job types: all
4. Bumeran.com
   Location: South America
5. Laborum.com
   Location: Latin America
6. Trabajo Freelance
   Location: South America
7. Joobs
   Location: Romania
8. Pinoy Jobs
   Location: Philippines
9. Motamot
   Location: France
10. Okeli
    Location: Sweden
11. Projekurdu
    Location: Turkey
12. Circa Lavoro.it
    Location: Italy
    

The Technology Job Market is Broken! (Alec Satin says so)

If you're looking for work right now, you're not alone. While Todd Thibodeaux, president of the Computing Technology Industry Association claims that there are 300,000 well paying IT jobs available now, LinkedIn groups and online forums are filled with posts from highly skilled project managers, technical leads and database administrators who are struggling to find work. Can both sides of the debate be right? The truth is that the technology job market is broken and desperately in need of repair. You can choose to:

(a) Complain about it
(b) Work to fix it
(c) Roll up our sleeves and do whatever is necessary to find
appropriate work for yourself

This post is about option (c). Let's get to work.

Read More ...

50 Ways to Get Your Employees to Quit

from Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life by DLM Writers

I know some of you are list hounds, so if you'd rather skip the monologue, scroll down a bit.

A month ago I shared some specific ways to get ahead at work. For me it worked, I got promoted within my IT group and was actually bumped up 2 spots. As I mentioned in that post, I was promoted directly by a VP (my boss' boss), which was unusual. Since then my boss was let go basically because anarchy broke out in the group and people were quitting daily. However, it got me thinking. What if I didn't have a VP that recognized my efforts? When does the atmosphere at work get so backstabbing and bureaucratic, that there is no good process to overcome it? What if a star employee wants to grow but management doesn't know what to do or how to take advantage of the enthusiasm and motivation?

Those are all questions that I will address over the next few weeks because they are best answered individually. However, there are several things that mid-level managers can do to keep employees happy and there are even more things they can do to irritate them to the point of quitting or becoming a virus.

I polled the other guys in my group and we built a damn good list of things that our IT manager did that led to him losing his $100K/year job. Note that I left a few specific things out because I don't need anyone getting pinched. If you repeat these things successfully, you too will get your team to hate you. If you are a reporting to someone that does these things, print this and do the old Office Space under the door routine.

• Assign enough projects with tight deadlines so that your team has no choice but to work a 60 hour week while you only work 30 hours


• Cap overtime pay.


• Do not offer project pay.


• Constantly underestimate the time it takes to get things done and then penalize employees' bonuses because they didn't hit the goal.


• Talk more than you listen.


• Tell the team to begin planning for tons of deployments but never obtain the budget to actually implement any of them.


• Don't trust written time cards. Make employees email you when they get to the office so you can see a timestamp when they get in.


• Always take sides in disputes instead of moderating.


• Avoid looking people in the eye.


• Reprimand employees in front of the entire team.


• Hire someone that is very weak to take the place of a veteran and expect the same results from the team.


• Reprimand Mark but don't reprimand Tony when he makes the same error.


• Consistency is good. Never ask you employees if they are challenged enough or want to take on more responsibility.


• Make promises to internal customers but have no idea on the elements involved in getting the task done.


• You know that Tony is a slacker, but he is really cool to hang out with so keep him around and give him good reviews.


• Suzy can take 20 minute breaks instead of 10 because she's a little cuter than Paul.


• Give your employees 2nd tier systems to work with but expect top tier results.


• Never cross train anybody on anything. The skills they walked in with are the skills they are leaving with.


• Mandate a new policy without consulting a single person that will have to live with it.


• Give employees low raises because the more you save, the higher your bonus.


• When talking to an employee on the phone, type away at your email. That's a great time to catch-up!


• When someone comes to you with an issue regarding another employee, use a lot of big words to explain the situation but really take no interest or action.


• Create a desk cleanliness policy.


• When Suzy comes in late and leaves early, and we complain, do nothing about it.


• Instead of offering to help hands-on, watch from a distance and provide support over email.


• Mandate that the entire team use a single to-do list application simply because you think it's best.


• Make your best employees train the newbies for weeks at a time but insist that all deadlines be met.


• Never answer your cell phone.


• Never be the on-call guy to share in the team burden.


• Have a group of employees that you get a long with and go out to lunch with while those that you don't like get left out.


• Send employees lots of chain letters, poems and other crap spam when they are hard at work.


• Constantly give your employees vague project plans and get pissed when the result is not what you wanted.


• Refuse to upgrade a system after the entire team asks for it and then be sure not to give a valid reason.


• Blame everything on your boss because no one will ever call you on it.


• Make all men wear ties.


• Do not let employees expense cell phone use but require a cell phone number for the on-call guy.


• Shut off access to Google and Ebay because it's not "required for work".


• Never let employees hangout and use the corp. network to play games after hours.


• Tell employees to do plan B because you will save $11 even though plan A is the safer, more efficient way to go.


• I don't care what they are working on. No one should get a monitor larger than yours


• Insist employees come to your wife's silly Barbecue.


• Give advice on topics you are only partially educated in.


• When the kudos are handed out, you should take the credit because you managed the team. Do not give credit to anyone else.


• Monitor all phone use.


• Charge someone .25 days off for a dentist appointment.


• Lecture the team at least weekly.


• Hold team meetings to provide updates even though the updates only pertain to one-third of team.


• Buy the team lunch and always forget that Vegan in the corner...he'll come around.


• Make the team fill out self evaluations but provide very vague feedback on what they type.


• Sleep with that girl Suzy on the team. No one will suspect she's getting preferential treatment.


• Call the redhead guy on the team Rusty. Everyone will laugh and you are sure to win their hearts.


• Make sure the cubicles are as close to each other as physically possible. The open areas surrounding the group will be used eventually.


• Make the entire team read a book and then set aside 3 hours to discuss it. This is sure to increase productivity.


• Let a couple people work from the house, but provide no reason for it or ways for others to obtain the right.


• Insist that employees complete projects that even you admit are worthless.

Like I mentioned, I had more but it was too close to home. If you have any intention of becoming a manager, don't do these things. I don't care if you are in charge of the frozen foods at the grocery store...don't make people feel worthless and don't undermine their abilities. If you are just starting out as a manager there are 2 books that you should consider reading. One is Becoming a Successful Manager and the other, which is my favorite, is The First Time Manager.