by Matt St. Amand

Created on: April 30, 2009

The elusive Holy Grail of the past two decade's tech boom has been telecommuting - working from home, mind-melding over networks, away from traffic jams, cubicles, and the overbearing glare of fluorescent lights and micro-managing bosses.

Enter oDesk.com, one of the most comprehensive Web sites for freelancers looking to obtain that Holy Grail.

The "o" in oDesk stands for "outsource." oDesk.com promotes itself as "The Marketplace for Online Workteams." It's a world divided between "providers," freelances of all stripes who promote their skills and apply for jobs, and "buyers," who buy the services of the freelancers.

From a freelancer/provider perspective, there is an elaborate, but useful sign-up process involved on oDesk.com. There is the opportunity to post samples of one's work; almost unlimited space for this. There is also the opportunity to take oDesk.com-administered online "tests" on a range of skill sets. There are currently 212 tests available, which range in subject matter from office and telephone skills to one's proficiency with PHP 5. This is particularly helpful to freelance writers because most buyers are looking for someone who is excellent in English. It's one thing to say it's your first language, but taking the oDesk.com on English language proficiency is proof-positive of those skills.

The tests are pertinent, and skill-based, and are a quick and easy way for a freelancer to show off their chops - or, to learn where they need to shore up their skills. Freelancers' scores can be publicized on their profile pages. If a test didn't go particularly well, that score can be hidden and the test retaken. For those who score in the Top 10 or 20 percent, a small icon notes this accomplishment on their profile page - another small promotional boost that may make the difference in getting that next job.

Like any other Internet gathering places, freelancers will find "all kinds" on oDesk.com. For instance, there are buyers seeking writers to compose a hundred 500-word blog articles on a given topic for the distinctly un-princely sum of $100, total - a penny an article. If you ever wondered just how undervalued your area of expertise is within the world at large, look through the oDesk .com job listings. At least those relating to writing are sometimes outrageously undervalued. One buyer seeking a writer to write an entire eBook was willing to pay $150 for the job. There is no obligation for a professional to bother inquiring or bargaining with buyers like

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