'Net Features : elance

Elance Offers More Reasons to Work Online

Amberly Dressler — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:15:00 GMT

Want employees that are happier, more productive and can fill part-time needs? Elance’s Annual Impact Report, conducted with third-party research firm Imperative, provides insight into online work’s effect on these areas and more.

“This was one of the widest-reaching and most comprehensive impact assessments I’ve seen a company invest in to date,” said Arthur Woods, Partner at Imperative. “Our study engaged Elance’s team members, freelancers and clients, leveraging academic research including the PERMA measure around well-being. The report results underscored the fact that online work can be a force for social good.”

For the unfamiliar, PERMA is an acronym for the five indicators of well-being: Positive, Emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning and Achievement.

Concerning happiness, the report indicates that 69 percent of people working online are happier when freelancing versus working in a traditional onsite job. The average freelancer estimates they have 28 more personal days than they did when working in a corporate environment. This results in 71 percent claiming they are more productive.

As for the benefits to companies, 85 percent of SMBs believe that hiring freelancers online to fill part-time needs gives them a competitive edge.

To see if online work is right for you or your business, read the full Elance Annual Impact Report.

Women in Tech Turn to the Web for Work

Allison Howen — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:35:00 GMT

Women in the tech industry are turning to the Web to escape their traditional work barriers, according to a recent Elance study.

In fact, 78 percent of the survey’s women respondents already conduct more than three-quarters of their freelance work online. The survey questioned 7,000 global independent professionals, with 80 percent of the respondents claiming that they’re optimistic about the future of high-tech professions for women, despite a lag in pay equality and encouragement from life influencers, such as teachers and parents.

"For women in tech, online work is a level playing field where merit and results win," said Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance. "Online work provides an attractive avenue to neutralize gender discrimination around the world and create flexible professional opportunities not available in traditional job markets."

Online work is appealing to women for a variety of reasons, including that it allows them to build a work-life balance where they can set their own priorities. In fact, the study found that 60 percent of women who work online say that it enables them to easily manage their personal and professional lives. Moreover, 65 percent of women who work online claim the diversity of projects provides them with learning opportunities and strengthens their skill sets, while 60 percent of women say that online work allows them to work with multiple clients and is easier than competing for a full-time job.

"After taking five years off to focus on my family, I knew reentering the tech workforce would be difficult because this sector moves at lightning speed," said Heidi Vanyo, a software developer based in Blaine, MN and owner of Solutions by Heidi, LLC. "Instead of seeking a traditional full-time job, I opted for online employment on Elance due to the flexibility it provides me as a working mom. Within a few months, I was able to build up my web development portfolio and work with a variety of businesses around the world."

That said, there are still many factors that need to be focused on in order to close the technology gender gap. For example, 66 percent of women from the Elance survey state that offering equal pay to men and women with the same skill sets can help close the gap, while 55 percent say that receiving more inspiration from parents and teachers at a young age is also influential. Additionally, 49 percent of women state that dispelling the stereotypes that boys are better than girls in math and science can help bridge the gap, while 47 percent claim mentoring support for women is beneficial, and 47 percent say that seeing more women in technology as role models will also help close the tech gender gap.

It is important to note that despite these gender barriers, 80 percent of women are optimistic about the future success for women in technology. In fact, the study found that many women are planning to acquire new technology skill sets in the next year, including 36 percent who plan to gain website design skills, 29 percent who want to learn Web programming and 22 percent who are interested in mobile app development.

Freelance Web Professionals Earned Big in 2012

Michael Garrity — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:30:00 GMT

The Internet has changed the way we do a lot of things, and now it seems to even be altering the way we find employment (or new employees, depending on what you’re looking for). That is according to the new Global Online Employment Report just released this morning by the online work platform Elance.

It seems that the demand for online talent grew considerably, with both online hiring and freelancer earnings setting new records in 2012. In 2012, Elance saw an additional 345,000 new businesses (an increase of 54 percent) posting upwards of 80,000 job openings a month. Meanwhile, 779,000 freelancers (a 44 percent increase) signed up with the site to look for work. Throughout the year, these independent professionals earned over $200 million for the first time in the service’s history.

The most commonly hired professionals were mobile Web developers and Web programmers, followed closely by marketers and Web content professionals. This “tech talent gap” showed massive demand for experts with “top skills” in various Web and mobile development areas. For instance, HTML developers saw a 149 percent earnings increase, while PHP and CSS experts saw their income improve by 108 and 103 percent, respectively. Mobile-minded Android and iOS developers also saw increases of 146 and 132 percent.

But it wasn’t just developers raking in the big bucks. Freelance content writers and blog writers both reported increases (151 and 78 percent, respectively), while Web designers saw a 205 percent increase and graphic designers pulled in 165 percent more than they had in the past. Notably, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator experts saw major increases of 165 and 131 percent, respectively. In addition, digital marketers (with a 190 percent increase) and social media marketers (132 percent) also had a significantly more successful 2012.

All of the top 10 GDP countries increased online hiring by an average of 67 percent, including China (204 percent), Japan (109 percent), Italy (70 percent), Germany (50 percent), France (66 percent) and the United Kingdom (42 percent). Eastern Europe, specifically, saw some major earnings increases, largely from Web and programming jobs that leverage the region’s technical talent pool. Poland, Bulgaria and Ukraine are among the highest earning countries on the continent.

And for U.S. freelancers, there is some decidedly positive news from this Elance report, as many out-of-work professionals in regions of high unemployment are finding work and seeing their earnings increase. For example, Rhode Island, which has a 10.2 percent unemployment rate, saw earnings grow by 89 percent. Other states with employment rates in the eight and nine percent range that saw significant earnings increases include New Jersey, Mississippi, Michigan and California.

To check out the full Elance Global Online Employment Report in full, click here.

Strong Indicators for Web Jobs' Growth

Amberly Dressler — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 19:05:00 GMT

Desktop, smartphones and tablets aren’t the only digital properties getting a cloud makeover – online employment is too.

Elance, a global platform for online employment that helps businesses hire and manage “in the cloud”, surveyed more than 3,000 independent professionals and found that 57 percent reported an increase in 2012 income. Sixty-seven percent expect their income to increase in 2013, with the average freelancer expecting to earn 43% more next year.

"In just a few short years, freelancing has gone from a last resort option to a lucrative and fulfilling career," said Fabio Rosati, president and CEO of Elance. "As a 'Business of One', your potential is no longer constrained by where you live or the corporate hierarchy – the survey results clearly show that the online work opportunities are enormous.”

Perhaps most interesting is the survey respondents predict that Web programming and Web design freelance jobs will experience the highest and third-highest growth, respectively.

“Companies are investing heavily in Web and creative talent, signaling a shift in how businesses engage customers and commitment to growth,” said Rich Pearson, CMO of Elance. “Data from our latest Global Online Employment Report show that the new ‘Creative Economy’ is particularly vibrant; demand for creative skills such as Web design (+574 percent), voice acting (+295 percent) and content writing (+256 percent) were each up significantly over a year ago.

“While Web programming and design are our strongest categories, some of our fastest growing areas are in legal and accounting jobs, categories that didn’t exist on Elance a few years ago. The diversity of freelance jobs on Elance is pretty incredible and we love that. Any work that can be done remotely can be performed on Elance.”

The survey also reports higher productivity among freelancers, claiming 79 percent are more productive and even 70 percent claim they are happier working in this environment.

Also important to note, but not surprising, is the surge of the Millennial workforce (born after 1981) in this online freelance realm. Elance reports that this group is adopting online work faster than any other age segment.

Of those surveyed, 46 percent of Millennials freelance full-time and 26 percent have a full-time job and freelance on the side. Seventy-seven percent of this generation possess a bachelor’s degree or above.

For Elance’s full survey results, click here.

Creative Jobs in Demand on the 'Net

Allison Howen — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:30:00 GMT

It’s that time again, online employment platform Elance has released its quarterly Global Online Employment Report, which reveals escalating growth in online work, including an increasing demand for creative talent and traditional jobs.

According to the Q2 results, the number of businesses hiring on Elance increased 35 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago, and more than 80,000 of the new jobs posted were in the creative category – which is up 60 percent over a year ago.

In fact, the demand for creative skills such as web design (+574%), voice acting (+295%) and content writing (+256%) were each up extensively compared to the same time last year. The fact that companies are investing in creative talent could show a commitment to growth and indicate a shift in how businesses engage customers.

Although technology remains the top earning category for online jobs, the Q2 report also shows that more professionals with traditional careers are leaving the cubicle for the World Wide Web. For example, manufacturing designers (+241%), architects (+198%) and family attorneys (+179%), all saw triple-digit increases compared to Q2 last year. Additonally, engineering also saw a surge in online hiring, including Chemical Engineering (+182%), Electrical Engineering (+126%) and Civil Engineering (+100%).

“The ease of working online – coupled with the ability to instantly connect with a highly specialized global talent pool – is driving massive adoption of online work,” says Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance. “For the first time, demand for technical talent is being matched by equally strong demand for creative talent.”

More SMBs Are Depending on Online Workers

Linc Wonham — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Online employment platform Elance has released the results of its annual global survey on small business hiring, revealing a continued shift toward hiring contingent workers, with businesses turning to online talent as an indispensable employment strategy.

“These results are further proof that the online workforce is powering the economic recovery and support our prediction that 1 out of every 3 people hired in 2020 will be hired online,” says Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance. “Online employment is expanding as a core strategy for companies around the world as they realize the tremendous benefits of hiring talent on-demand.”

The Online Road to Recovery
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of the small business respondents plan to hire more online contractors this year than in 2011. The increase is driven by the surge in professionals available online, as 40 percent of companies surveyed claim they can find better talent online than what is available locally. By employing professionals online, businesses are able to stay agile and outperform the competition by hiring the skills they need just-in-time and on-demand.

The New Competitive Edge
According to the survey, 84 percent of businesses state that online hiring gives them an advantage over competitors, through significant improvements in flexibility, meaningful cost savings and increased productivity. Nearly 70 percent of businesses experience faster times-to-hire; overall cost savings are averaging 53 percent, and 55 percent of businesses are able to access talent not otherwise available.

Prophecy for an Online Work World
The next five years will be a tipping point for virtual work as small businesses predict the majority of their workforce (54 percent) will be online professionals. Web programming, graphic design and content development continue to remain the top three sought-after skills by businesses.

Europe Even More Bullish
European small businesses came out even stronger in support of online work, with 88 percent claiming it gives them an advantage over their competitors, and 45 percent stating they find better talent online than locally. Companies in Europe are also at the front of the curve with their prediction that 58 percent of their workforce will be online professionals within five years.

About the Survey
Elance conducted this online customer survey from May 21 to May 28, 2012, and more than 1,500 businesses participated.

Big Surge in IT, Design and Development Jobs

Linc Wonham — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Online employment platform Elance has released its quarterly Global Online Employment Report, and highlights include record numbers of 193,000 new job posts and contractor earnings of $43 million for the first quarter of 2012.

The number of businesses hiring on Elance for the first time jumped 21 percent, and new user registrations totaled 260,000 for the quarter. IT and marketing hiring managers looking for specialized talent posted more than 120,000 jobs.

Elance’s leading indicators suggest the economic outlook may be changing in the upcoming months. Demand for skills such as business card design (+51 percent), market research (+49 percent), branding (+44 percent) and lead generation (+39 percent) were all up significantly in Q1. This trend implies that companies are investing in new business development activities, possibly signaling expectations of increased growth.

Significant Rise in Creative
Creative (design, multimedia and writing) now accounts for 42 percent of total jobs posted on Elance. The rise in creative jobs has been driven by consumer demand for video, audio and visuals and by marketers incorporating this content into marketing and social media strategies. Graphic design jobs are now the second most demanded skill on Elance, and other skills in this category increased substantially in Q1, including video production (+68 percent), video editing (+56 percent), audio editing (+52 percent) and voiceover (+48 percent).

IT Continues to Dominate, Mobile is Up
Information technology remains the top category on the Elance platform in Q1 led by PHP (+33 percent) and HTML (+29 percent). Demand for mobile app developers continues, with 17,000 app jobs posted in the quarter. Job posts for Android developers rose 35 percent, and iPhone and iPad jobs increased 27 percent over last quarter. Demand for Blackberry (+14 percent) and Windows Mobile (+9 percent) apps trailed behind slightly but still experienced growth.

New Service Connects Developers to Freelance Marketplace

Linc Wonham — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMT

A new service from online employment platform Elance and application programming interface (API) management provider Mashery matches skilled developers with freelance API projects on Elance.

Through Developer Connect, developers with experience building Web and enterprise backend systems to mobile platforms like iOS and Android can quickly tap into Elance’s growing list of API integration projects. In addition, businesses can search the extensive pool of tested and rated contract developers to find the right talent for their next API integration projects.

“By partnering with Mashery, we offer businesses access to developers who can leverage APIs and build all kinds of apps,” says York Poon, vice president of product at Elance. “At the same time, we are increasing the number of API integration jobs available on the Elance platform.”

Businesses seeking developer talent for API integration projects are now able to browse and review pre-screened Elance professionals on the Developer Connect page on the Mashery website. Developer Connect also features an API Jobs category that allows developers to review and apply to new projects on Elance.

Online Freelance Jobs to Double in 2012

Linc Wonham — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

While global economies continue to struggle with job creation, online work thrived this year with 650,000 new jobs posted and cumulative earnings set to surpass $500 million, according to Elance’s just-released 2011 Online Employment Review.

The number of businesses hiring on Elance's online employment platform and the number of online professionals working on Elance grew more than 120 percent, the report says, and earnings for online professionals rose in more than 100 countries around the world. In the U.S., earnings rose in 43 out of 50 states, including some of the hardest-hit regions for unemployment such as Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina.

Other key data from the report includes the following:

Online Hiring
Businesses are developing innovative workforce models that blend full-time and part-time, local and remote, employed and contracted workers. The practice of hiring and managing talent online is spreading and 83 percent of small businesses surveyed by Elance plan to hire up to 50 percent of their workers as online contractors in the next 12 months.

More people are pursuing independent careers and using online platforms like Elance to reinvent their careers. The 2011 Elance survey of online freelance professionals indicated that nearly 1 in 3 workers began freelancing to be their own boss and work on the type of projects they love. The top benefits of online work cited include the ability to control their own schedule (90 percent), follow their passion (87 percent) and eliminate the commute (85 percent).

Hot Skills in Demand
The number of businesses seeking to hire online workers doubled in 2011. An analysis of the jobs posted on Elance this year highlights the following skills:

•    Software development skills such as HTML5 (+238 percent), Mobile (+137 percent), WordPress (+100 percent), Facebook (+66 percent) and Twitter (+47 percent)
•    Creative skills like Graphic Design (+176 percent) and Content Writing (+72 percent)
•    Marketing skills such as Internet Marketing (+132 percent), Marketing Communications (+53 percent) and Telemarketing (52 percent)
•    Administrative skills, including Transcription (+114 percent), Administrative Support (+87 percent) and Data Entry (+69 percent)
•    Consulting skills ranging from Product Manufacturing (+186 percent), Architectural Design (+185 percent), Financial Analysis (+140 percent) and Legal (+86 percent) to Business Strategy (+76 percent)

Predictions for 2012
In 2012, the market for online contingent work is set to double as more businesses across the globe hire and manage workers online for the first time, says the report. Below are four trends that Elance's research shows may shape the world of work in 2012:

•    The rise of the global, virtual workplace. Companies will increasingly tap into the online workforce across geographic boundaries to support key business initiatives. More professionals will build independent careers by working with multiple clients all over the world. Online contractors will collaborate with each other remotely, across geographies and time zones. Technological advancements enabling better online collaboration, telepresence, skills assessment and identity verification, will make significant contributions to the new virtual workplace.

• Professional services become America’s next great export. The global demand for U.S. talent has increased steadily over the past year and is set to grow even faster as online platforms like Elance and oDesk break down global barriers and open up opportunities for collaboration. In 2011, U.S.-based contractors exported their services to more than 140 countries, and global hiring of U.S. professionals saw a significant increase in more than 60 countries.

• Increased adoption of the contingent workforce elevates the importance of compliance. To tap the power of a flexible workforce, companies around the world will turn to online employment platforms to facilitate compliance with their internal controls and evolving government regulations.

•    Promising online careers for 2012. Online hiring for specialized skills will continue to expand in 2012. Promising online careers for 2012 include the following:

o    Software Developer
o    Visual Designer
o    User Experience Designer
o    Digital Marketer
o    Technical Writer
o    Web Researcher
o    Data Analyst
o    Content Moderator
o    Accountant
o    Distributed Workforce Manager

Jobs: Tech, Cloud on the Rise

Allison Howen — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:45:00 GMT

A recent report from online work platform Elance, shows that more work is migrating to the tech industry, even including a greater demand for jobs in the cloud.

Unlike the traditional employment market, the number of businesses that are hiring online workers has increased 107 percent in the last year.

Hiring trends from the past quarter include an increased need for those that have skills with 3D multimedia and video, as well as skills in mobile — including a 32 percent increase in demand for iOS skills, a 25 percent rise in demand for those with iPad-specific skills and a 14 percent increase for workers with Android skills.

Additionally, the report shows an increased focus on CRM and customer data, including a 35 percent rise in demand for Salesforce.com experts, a 9 percent increase for SugarCRM and 29 percent increase for Data Interpretation.

According to the report, the top five overall skills in demand include PHP programmers, Wordpress programmers, article writing, graphic design and HTML programmers.

Bright Outlook for Online Workers

Linc Wonham — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:00:00 GMT

Online employment platform Elance has released the results from its annual survey on small business hiring trends. The survey reveals the job outlook is bright for people working online as a multitude of businesses continue to adopt online hiring as a core strategy to remain agile in today’s economic climate.

Small and medium-sized businesses also show that adaptability and efficiency are key motivating factors for hiring online professionals with 73-percent of businesses citing the flexibility to scale up and down quickly as a key benefit and 60 percent indicating faster time to hire vs. traditional hiring approaches yielding huge time savings.

Below are some of the key findings from the survey:

Businesses Gain More Mileage with Hybrid Hiring Models
Growing numbers of companies are planning to scale up their online hiring after reaping the benefits of a flexible, on-demand team of experts. Eighty-three percent of businesses plan to hire at least 50 percent of their workers online in the next 12 months, and nearly half of all businesses plan to make 90 percent of their hires online. Only 10 percent of respondents plan to hire 90 percent onsite and 10 percent online in the next year, showing strong business interest in expanding internal teams with professionals in the cloud.

Online workers play a key role to businesses with 87 percent of survey respondents indicating that online contractors are a vital part of their business. Several key drivers that motivate businesses to hire online include cost savings (85 percent), flexibility to scale up and down (73 percent) and faster time to hire (60 percent). In fact, 94 percent experienced at least a 25-percent time savings by hiring online while 76 percent have cut their times by 50 percent or more. In addition, 89 percent of respondents have realized a significantly reduced time for project cycles while 66 percent sliced half or more off project completion times.

Experience Trumps Age and Cost in Online Hiring
While cost is commonly assumed as the number one reason companies hire online, businesses indicated that the top criteria for hiring online is experience shown through feedback/ratings (64 percent) and work samples/portfolio (63 percent). Only 30 percent of respondents cited cost as the top consideration for hiring online.

The survey also revealed that a degree from a top university is not an automatic edge for online professionals, with only 1% of businesses indicating that as a top hiring consideration. Further defying long held assumptions, none of the businesses cited age as the most important criteria for hiring online and 2 percent cited location.

Forecast Sunny for Hiring in the Cloud
With much of the country focused on job growth and hiring trends, the news from the traditional employment sector has brought little comfort. The survey revealed that 64 percent of businesses have not hired any new full-time equivalent employees in the past 12 months, and only 15 percent plan to hire a full-time employee or employees in the next 12 months.

In contrast, the outlook for online hiring shows promise: 84 percent of respondents made at least two online hires over the past year, and 75 percent of businesses plan on increasing or maintaining the level of spend on hiring online professionals over the next 12 months.

It’s Not Who You Know, But What You Do
Having a presence on the web is no longer just nice to have, but an essential business strategy. While businesses are tapping into online talent for literally hundreds of unique skills and talents, many are finding value in professionals who can contribute to the development, design and content germane to doing business online. Survey respondents cited Web Programmers/Developers (73 percent), Graphic Designer/Multimedia Experts (63 percent) and Writer/Blogger/Content Creators (39 percent) as the most valuable online professionals to their business in the last 12 months.

Working on Their Own Terms
Multitasking extends beyond the digital age as the survey revealed many professionals are moonlighting as entrepreneurs. Thirty-six percent of business respondents say they are starting or operating a business while working full or part-time traditional onsite jobs, while 57 percent of respondents own their own business as their full time job.

About the Study
Elance conducted this survey from August 16 to August 19, 2011. More than 300 U.S.-based Elance businesses participated in the online survey. Visit Elance for more information on the survey and to view results.

Online Employment Report Shows Record Earnings

Linc Wonham — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:30:00 GMT

Elance has released its quarterly Online Employment Report, revealing strong momentum in online work during a tumultuous summer for the U.S. and global economy.

With a current run rate of 600,000 jobs posted per year, demand for talent from companies ranging from startups to enterprises have increased over 61 percent year over year. Online contractors earned a record $34.3 million, up from $30.7 million in the previous quarter. Businesses hiring online and freelance professionals sparked a 23-percent increase in a single quarter in both the population of contractors and employers working online.

The record-setting amount of work completed was fueled by increasing demand across the board, including content creators such as illustrators, designers, writers, content moderators and programmers with hot skills such as Android, WordPress and Magento. You can review the full Elance Online Employment Report here.

Notable hiring trends this past quarter included the following:

High Tide for Content Creators
The proliferation of digital businesses, in social media, search engine optimization and online marketing, continues to drive demand for high quality content that increases customer acquisition and engagement. The demand for business writers is peaking this summer with a 21-percent increase, jumping 9 spots on the charts to No. 23. Blog Writing also saw a 9-percent increase in demand as businesses look to keep customers engaged in unique ways.

Infographics are the New Black
Demand for Infographics jumped a whopping 148 percent in one quarter. This growing trend of visual representation led Illustrators to a 27-percent increase in demand, causing a 9-position climb in Q2, and Photographers saw a 30-percent growth in demand.

WordPress Leads in the Content Management Race
More people than ever are turning to robust Content Management Systems (CMS) as their platform of choice when creating a new website for business. While demand for Drupal and Joomla! Programmers both saw a 5-percent increase in demand, WordPress programmers accelerated their lead with a very strong 11-percent growth and maintained the No. 2 slot on Elance for the third consecutive quarter.

Gearing up for the Holiday Season
Even though the summer heat still lingers on, some businesses already have their sights set for the holiday season and are now expanding their online stores by hiring a multitude of e-commerce Experts. Magento, recently acquired by eBay, is one of the fastest-growing, open-source e-commerce platforms in the market. On Elance, Magento moved up 10 slots to No. 48 with a 21-percent jump in demand in Q2.

Mobile Battleground: Apple on Fire
Demand for Android skills rose by 15 percent while the demand for Blackberry skills increased slightly by 3 percent and Windows Phone declined by 37 percent. However, the big winner this quarter appears to be Apple, as demand for iOS and Xcode skills showed impressive increases of 20 percent and 35 percent, respectively. It’s possible that the recent announcements at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) contributed to the increase in demand.

Average Commute: 1,167 Miles
Unconstrained by geography, the average telecommute for U.S. Elancers is 1,167 miles. California has the highest number of businesses hiring online, with Texas and New York following close behind. However, New York continues to be the U.S. capital for online work, claiming the No. 1 spot in IT and marketing and No. 2 in creative.

Online Workers Celebrating Their Independence

Linc Wonham — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:00:00 GMT

According to a new survey from online employment platform Elance, freelancers are happier working as independent professionals (61 percent) than they are as employees (11 percent), and almost all of them (90 percent) cite the ability to take control of their own schedules as the best part of independent work.

Compensation may also be linked directly to job satisfaction as 47 percent of freelancers saw their income increase in the past 12 months, a number that will likely continue to rise as companies across the globe adopt flexible work models to meet their work objectives and grow their businesses.

"Many workers are seeking more independence in their professional lives," says Fabio Rosati, CEO at Elance. "With businesses increasingly hiring programmers, marketers, graphic designers and administrative talent in the cloud, a growing number of independent professionals who work online are finding opportunities that match their skills and talents."

Additional key findings from the survey include the following:

• Educated Faces of Freelance: Independent workers span across generations (Millennial: 26 percent, Gen X: 42 percent and Boomers: 31 percent). In addition, the typical online freelancer is highly educated: 80 percent of independent workers have a professional degree.

• Job Satisfaction: Freelancers rank high on the happiness scale: 80 percent are optimistic about their career path and 61 percent are happier working as independent professionals than as employees. Working independently is a career cornerstone for the majority of respondents, with twice as many preferring the freelance lifestyle (56 percent) over working full-time with one employer (19 percent).

• Career Reinvention: Nearly 1 in 3 workers began freelancing to be their own boss and work on the type of projects they love. The top benefits of freelancing include the ability to control their own schedule (90 percent), following their passion (87 percent) and eliminating the commute (85 percent).

• The Digital Work Revolution: 92 percent turn to online job sites as their primary method for finding work, and 41 percent indicate they are using social media outlets to land jobs. Only 22 percent use staffing agencies or recruiters and less than 10 percent rely on college job postings or job fairs to find work.

• No Paper Cuts: 65 percent feel that a digital profile, where independent contractors can showcase their talent online with verified work history, multimedia portfolio and tested skills, is more effective than a traditional resume (35 percent) in finding a job today.

• Closing the Commute: 65 percent state that telecommuting is a critical part of their career goals, while less than 7 percent want to work onsite at a company a majority of the time.

Elance conducted the survey from April 29 to May 10, 2011, and more than 1,500 Elance freelancers participated.

Working on the Web and the Millennial Effect

Linc Wonham — Tue, 17 May 2011 01:00:00 GMT

A new study released by online employment platform Elance examines job seekers born after 1981 and their attitudes and approaches to working on the Web.

Elance’s Millennial Contractor Survey revealed that technology and independence are critical for the next generation of workers, and also showed that Millennials are turning online to find employment, citing freelance work as a cornerstone of their career strategy.

Survey results also indicate that the traditional resume may be on its way out, with more than half (56 percent) of Millennials stating that they prefer a digital profile to the traditional resume.

Millennials also believe the best route to work is through the cloud, with more than half (54 percent) stating that telecommuting is a critical part of their career goals, while less than 13 percent want to work onsite at a company for the majority of their time.

The survey also revealed that 39 percent of Millennials characterize their work style as that of a freelancer, with the ability to choose their projects, employers and hours, versus that of an employee (15 percent), team member (20 percent) or entrepreneur (26 percent).

Ink-stained hands and circled ads may also be a thing of the past, as more than half of Millennials find 50 percent or more of their work online.

The laptop (62 percent) and desktop computer (34 percent) are still the most important tools for Millennials in business, while smartphones (3 percent) and tablet devices (2 percent) have a ways to go before replacing them as the critical technology for getting work done.

Online Jobs, Freelance Earnings Continue to Grow

Linc Wonham — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Demand for Web contractors grew 32 percent in the first quarter of 2011, according to Elance’s most recent report. More than 135,000 jobs were posted with the online employment platform, and earnings grew 12 percent from the previous quarter.

Earnings for online workers increased in 40 out of 50 states, and more than a dozen cities with double-digit unemployment ranked in the top 50 earning cities on Elance. Businesses on Elance are posting nearly 50,000 new jobs each month, and online workers have earned a total of over $360 million on the platform.

Notable hiring trends of the first quarter of 2011 include the following:

Help (Definitely) Wanted
After cutting headcount to the bare minimum over the past few years, businesses are gearing up for growth in 2011 and adding resources to their teams. Many businesses are adopting hybrid hiring models, filling select positions on staff and supplementing with skill-specific hires online. New York tops the list of hiring cities, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco and Brooklyn.

Show Me the Money
Leading the list of the Top 50 earning cities on Elance are New York, Austin, Texas and Los Angeles. Demonstrating that high earnings are not limited to urban metropolises, the Top 50 earning cities also included Plant City, Florida (No. 30), Chaska, Minnesota (No. 35) and Littleton, Colorado (No. 50).

What Unemployment Rate?
Nevada, with currently the highest unemployment rate in the U.S., saw online earnings grow 16 percent in the first quarter. California, with the second highest unemployment rate, grew 12 percent in online earnings. Oklahoma and Maine grew a whopping 118 percent and 65 percent, respectively, while Illinois grew an impressive 48 percent.

Most Creative City
Amarillo, Texas has retained its number one position for contractor earnings in the creative category on Elance. Austin, Texas jumped 10 spots in contractor earnings for IT skills in Q1 of 2011. San Jose, California leapfrogged three traditionally strong operations cities in Texas to become the Most Organized City, and New York City holds the No. 1 spot in Marketing.