Take online surveys and earn cash!

Do you know that thousands of companies around the world spend a lot money on surveys and market research just to gather consumers' opinions? Probably, you've already heard about "paid surveys" and you're wondering if you can really earn money by simply taking online surveys. Well, I've tried and I got paid!

There are a number of online paid survey sites that offers exciting rewards in exchange for your opinion. Of course, you should always be careful in joining these paid survey sites and consumer panels since some of them turned out to be scams. Before you join one, it is highly suggested that you make your own research so as to find out whether the panel is legit or not. Online forums and message boards are great places to start.

One of the legitimate paid survey sites out there is GlobalTestMarket. Since I became a member of GlobalTestMarket, I started to receive several invitations in my e-mail to share my opinions in different online surveys. Well, you can increase your chances of receiving survey invitations just by answering the profile surveys on the Surveys page of the site. Every survey that you complete will earn you points, called MarketPoints, which you can  redeem for cash. 1000 MarketPoints can be redeemed for $50 US. The number of points that you can earn in a survey varies depending on its urgency and length. There will be times where you'll be screened out of surveys because oftentimes market researchers are in need of opinions from a certain demographic. Don't be disappointed if this happens because it's very common. I've experienced being screened out of surveys for several times! Actually even if you got screened out, you'll still earn 5 MarketPoints for that.

Although it is true that you can earn cash by taking online surveys at GlobalTestMarket, you should realize that earning 1000 MarketPoints is not that easy. It can take months before you can redeem for a cash reward since survey invitations are not that frequent. In short, you'll not get rich in paid surveys. But if you don't mind spending a few minutes answering survey questions, then why not register at GlobalTestMarket? Anyway, you'll get rewarded for your time and opinion!

Here's the $50 (Php1978.63) check that GlobalTestMarket sent me after I've reached 1000 MarketPoints:

Note: The check will arrive after 6-8 weeks from the date of redemption if you reside outside of the U.S.

Translated.net Payment Proofs

Translated is one of the best translation agency to work with. They have been in business since 1999 and currently have more than 59,000 professional translators working with thousands of customers. They offer translation in 80 languages, localization, workflow automation, and natural language processing. Because of its fast and easy professional translation services, Translated was able to earn the trust of several big multinational as well as government customers like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, L'Oréal, United Colors of Benetton, and the European Commission. 

As stated in the ProZ.com blue board, Translated.net got an overall average of 4.9 likelihood to work for again (LWA) based on more 500 entries. The Blue Board is a searchable database of language job outsourcers with feedback from service providers.

Here are my payment proofs:

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Be a Certified Translator at OHT, Translate English to Tagalog, & Earn Extra Income!

One of the most satisfying online jobs is being a Professional/Freelance Translator. Several translation agencies and corporate clients are constantly seeking qualified translators to work for them. They’ll pay you just by translating files/documents from English to Tagalog.

OneHourTranslation (OHT) is one of the web’s leading professional translation agencies. They have more than 10,000 certified translators from all over the world working on different translation pairs. OHT pays translators $0.05 per source word (i.e. $500 per 10,000 words) for normal translation projects and $0.09 per source word for Expert Translation. They also pay $0.03 per source word for translation Review/Proofreading.

I’ve been a member of OHT since February 2011, but I only started working on translation projects after I got certified. After you join as a translator at OHT, you need to finish a certification process before receiving any translation projects. To get certified, you need to update your profile and provide all the necessary details e.g. CV, Certificates, Language pairs, etc. Once you’ve done that, OHT will review your profile and they’ll inform you as soon as you have been certified. It may take several months before you become a certified translator, but once you get certified, you’ll start receiving notifications about open projects that match your skills and earn credits in no time.

Here are my most recent payments from OHT:

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Translation is a global industry

How to Find Translation Work

Freelance translators should realize more clients are looking for experts in specialized subjects, so you may want to develop a niche

by Karen E. Klein

I've been a freelance translator since I graduated from university in 2004, but I'm having difficulty finding new opportunities. What new methods can I use to find more jobs? —N.A., Cairo, Egypt

For a self-employed person, the ideal situation is for you to become the "go-to" professional for translation agencies and corporate clients who have regular translation work that they outsource. Once you prove yourself available, reasonable, and reliable, and make key corporate contacts, you'll be able to decide how much—or how little—you want to work.

"The good news is that translation is a global industry, and one that is constantly growing," says Nataly Kelly, an author and a senior analyst at business globalization and language services research firm Common Sense Advisory. Her firm predicts that the language services market will hit $24 billion by 2012.

Increasingly, translation agencies and end clients seek specialized subject-matter expertise, so if you don't have a niche you may want to develop one. "Literary translation is very different from technical translation, and translating business marketing materials is completely unlike translating legal or medical documents, such as informed consent forms. Highlighting your unique skills and experience is essential to differentiating your services from those of other translators," Kelly says.

If you are new or little known in the industry, it might help if you offer some free translation work, or volunteer as a translator for charitable group, says Susanne Evens, of AAA Translation in St. Louis. "Free translation work helps you gain experience and exposure, which you can use in your résumé," she notes. Build a credible Web site (BusinessWeek.com, 6/9/08) if you don't already have one. It should list some recent projects and client testimonials if you can get permission to use them. "Include downloadable samples of your work, but if you use actual projects as samples, be sure to redact any of your clients' identifying information before posting," Kelly says.

Send translation companies your résumé and Web site information. Your résumé should be free of spelling errors and include three references and a translation sample, Evens suggests. If you list all of your specialized skills and areas of interest—even hobbies—that may catch the eye of someone looking for a specialist, Kelly says.

Finally, get registered with the American Translators Assn., and sign up for projects at online translation boards such a www.ProZ.com, www.elance.com, www.TranslationDirectory.com, and www.translatorscafe.com, Evens says. Keep in touch with the industry by reading language translation magazines such as www.multilingual.com and www.translations-news.com.

Where you live determines how much you will earn. Translators in Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, and the U.S. earn the most, Kelly says, while those in Bulgaria, China, and Moldova earn the least. Stats from Common Sense Advisory show that translators based in Egypt earn around $20,000 annually, Kelly says.

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.

Source:

Klein, K. (2008, September 9). How to find translation work. Businessweek. Retrieved December 31, 2011, from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2008/sb2008099_904198.htm