Game developing can be both fun and complicated at the same time. Creating your own game is amazing, but it's only the beginning of your journey and you will need to know how to promote and market your game. First phase would be pre-production, which starts before the game is even finished. This phase is all about market research, how many people would be interested in your game based on different platforms or devices. You can get a number online by googling it and then narrowing it down. To see what your actual number of customers might be you can find sales data for similar games as yours and see how many people play them. See multiple games, those that are newer and even have poor reviews to see how you can make your game better and how much to price your game. The second phase is production. Here you will do a lot of testing, where you can see problems and obstacles and fix them. When planning testing plan with your dev team about unbiased questions. When reporting back report concisely. You will need to know your platform and how they work so you can give your game the best marketing possible. You will need to promote your games and create relationships/partnerships where you can get new and good opportunities. If you are in between platforms on where to publish your game you might need to consider some things, like where in the development is your game, your budget and time. Some good platforms would be:
Stock photos are free to use images that are created by photographers. Usually stock photos are used in blogs and for commercial purposes so most of the time the picture would have a lot of negative space, so you can add writing, and have different colors and variety. Nowadays stock images can be found anywhere online and everyday stock images are becoming better and more natural. Ebsites like Adobe Stock, Pexels and Gratisography offer a lot of more creative images that can set you apart from normal, stiff stock images. Stock photos are useful, both that they save money and are more easily accessible to everyone. If you only need some pictures it would be to expensive to hire a photographer, but stock photos despite having a subscription or royalty fees, are still a better option. When using stock photos the fear of copyright and licensing laws are lower since agencies have licenses that allow others to use these pictures. However these licenses have limitations based on what license you choose. Editorial license is mostly seen in free stock photos and can be used for news, illustrating blogs, and websites. Commercial use is more complicated and allows photos to be used for profit . These photos can include logos and brand names. Commercial photos can be used as editorial, but not the way around as commercial use has more strict rules. When it comes to using stock photos you might be prepared to see it on other websites as well, as the use is open to everyone, this means there's a royalty-free agreement, so anyone can use a stock photo, not just you. If you get a rights managed license that the stock photos you choose will only be available to you.
When selling stock photos you will need to have a good portfolio beforehand, taking pictures of what is trending and will sell well, not only what you want to sell. Based on the genre you want to focus you will take multiple pictures of a certain thing and use trendy keywords as well. When you gather a compelling portfolio you can start looking at agencies. First step is to research the agencies, seeing if you and your photos are the right fit with the agency, what's their commission rate, how do submitting pictures work, what are their prices and clients. Then when you find the right agency be ready to submit your work. Make sure to check every images for any problems, you can do this by checking every part of the images at 100%. Including keywords and metadata can maximize your sales and make it easier to find for clients. It's important to remember that this business won't make you rich and it's probably going to take some time to see profit. This kind of work is better for a side business and as a way to earn some extra money while working.
With technology on the rise digital goods have taken control of the market and are everywhere in our everyday life. Digital goods are intangible resources that are distributed online, meaning you won't touch or feel this product because it will always be online. This would include e-books, images, movies, videos and music, which are referred to as audio/visual products. Cloud-based software and as-a-service products and websites, site hosting services, internet service providers. This means that if you take selling digital goods seriously you can make quite some money easily and without having to spend a lot of time and resources. Digital goods have low expenses and can be a small investment for someone who doesn't have the funds. Since the product is digital there's no need to store or manage inventory as everything will be online and most of the time already arranged. There's no shipping to pay and the customers will receive the order immediately, eliminating the waiting time leaving both you and the customer satisfied.
Here are some ways you can earn money with digital goods:
Beside these option there are many other things you can do if you give some of your time and can gain quite an income easily. Use the technology at your advantage and start creating something today.
Business analysts isn't a role we hear much about and even we do we're confused on what the job entails and even professionals have had difficulties explaining. But business analysts don't have a specific task, but they have multiple things they do in their job. First they help facilitate solutions for stakeholders by defining their business needs and extracting their requirements into the perfect solution. It's an analysts responsibility to make sure that the requirements are understood both by the stakeholders and the team for clear communication. Besides this analysts have other important tasks like defining business cases, validating solution, project development and management, quality testing, and much more. This job is very versatile and requires a good amount of skill to rise higher. To be a good analysts you will need to have good communication skills, and a very good understanding of IT and Finance/marketing. An analysts will server as a communicator and often will have to translate for the stakeholder and the IT in the language they understand the best. An analysts will know how to use the right words and terms so the solution is as perfect as it can be.
To become a business analysts can be tiring, but shows that you put a lot of effort into becoming the best. First you will need a bachelor's degree in related areas such as finance, accounting, economics, etc. If you are at a starting position you will be offered training on the job, but if you are applying for a higher position you will need a certain number of years of experience. Certification can range as well, and there's a lot of them that can help an analysts become better at their job. The first and the one who all analyst will do is Business Analysis Certification (BAC) and it's an entry level certification as it has no prerequisites and qualifies people to work as a business analysts. Entry Certification in Business Analysis (ECBA) Is also an entry level certificate that is offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), and can serve as a stepping stool in a business analysts career, however this certification requires min 20 hours of training before taking the exam. There are more advanced certifications that analysts can take later on if they want to advance their career, like:
When thinking about modeling as a career you should take into account that it isn't as easy as just snapping a few shots and sending them to agencies. As the modeling world becomes bigger you will need to stand out and show the unique type they are looking for. You will need to know how to pose, advertise and market yourself and your physical traits to be able to gain recognition in this career field. When first starting you will need to choose a market and this can be based on what you want to follow, but there's restrictions and requirements that you will need to fulfill. You can be a catwalk model, that are usually above 5'8 and they are very thin. Plus size models tend to be around the same size but with more curves and usually wear over size 10. Commercial models have more freedom and can be more diverse, while swimsuit and lingerie models have larger chests with smaller waists. After choosing your market you have to create a portfolio, that usually contain a few head shot, a few half body and full body shot. After you have an established portfolio you can start contacting agencies and submitting your portfolio or even going in person, which is always better. Be aware of agencies because they can be a scam trying to take your money. Every established agency has worked with models in the past so you can try contacting them to see if it's legit. You should do research and look at their website and social media (if they don't have any it's a possibility it's a scam), and if they ask money upfront it's also a scam as agency makes money when you do.
Website design and graphic design are one of the remote job that is rising everyday in the market and can be done from everywhere you want. This job requires a more creative mind and you will need to know a lot about art and colors to succeed in it. Website designers construct the look of a website, such as crating the graphical images and designing websites. Graphic designers, however, only specialize in producing the images, that can be used in any sort of media, not only websites. A graphic designer should know how to construct an image that gains attention and it's pleasing to the eye, meaning that they know how to get a great visual balance, patterns, rhythm, variety, and much more. Knowing how to use color correctly it's an important part as well. Color is very important to the eye and placing it wrong can push clients away. For example a graphic designer can use analogous, complementary or colors based on nature to help them with the visualization of an image. Knowing where color looks the best and with which one is the basis of being a graphic designer and should be mastered first.
More into remote jobs we have some jobs that follow a more artistic sense and can be done even if you don't posses the talent as of now.
Voice acting can be great, but of course as many other jobs it has its challenges. Despite that many voice actors say that the pros outweighs the cons. Being a remote job it gives you the benefit to work from anywhere you want as long as you have you equipment with you. You can choose your own schedule as well, as most voice actors work as freelancers and choose the company's they want to work for. This is why it's important to network a lot in this profession. Building relationships with clients and brands will help your career expand better than just asking someone you have never spoken to hire you right away. Be prepared that this career isn't a fast earning one in the beginning. It will take time to set up a studio, learn audio productions and managing how to find work on your own. It can take some auditions until you get your first gig, so don't give up. As a job voice acting can be quite isolating as most of the time you will be working on your own at home. Be sure to join communities that other voice actors frequent and maintain relationships with voice actors you have worked with before. This can help with the isolation and you gain a friend that can help you with everyday needs, but also with your job. As for the pay voice actors don't have a specific pay, it all depends on the client and the voice actors themselves, as they can choose their rates for what they believe they're worth.
If your voice isn't your best asset, your hands might be. Photography and art has always been seen as a hobby and something fun to do, but they can also be used to earn an income. Photography is very important for companies as they use it in their branding, but you can sell photos to almost everyone. You can sell your phots as prints or artwork to anyone, or you can sell them as merchandise(postcards, notebooks, t-shirts) etc. You can also sell stock photos if you know how to take them right. Despite the amount of free photos there might be paid stock photos can earn quite an income if you do it right. When taking a stock photo remove logos and brands, leave a lot of negative space, take more than one of a specific picture, and market it carefully with the right keywords. You can also sell to magazine, which is a lot harder as they usually hire their own photographers, but it isn't impossible. With the right portfolio you can do anything. You can also do more basic things like taking pictures and selling them locally, or being hired for an event, or even working with local business. You can use these work experiences to spread your name, by leaving business cards.
If you are an artists you can use your art to gain some money, while sharing your beauty to the world. If you are good at some medium of art you can either start selling it online or in person. Selling art it's not only for artists, but for people who have a keen eye for art as well. If you are an artists you can choose to sell your own art online or in person, but can also hire someone to do it for you if they're good at marketing the art. After you have figured how to market your art you will need to think about how many of your art you will sell. Making multiple prints for you artwork can be helpful, but there are forms of arts like sculptures and pottery that you can;t duplicate as easy, so you will only be able to sell them in a limited amount. When selling to galleries you might also come to a similar problems. Galleries only sell limited editions, meaning they will only have your art for a limited time with limited copies available.
Transcription isn't a job we hear a lot about, but it can be something you can gain income pretty easily if you are a faster typer and a good listener.
Transcription involves converting a video or audio into a written document. This can include different things like interviews, conversations, lectures, medical information and more. The good thing about this job is that you can work remotely from anywhere you want, but some transcriptionists also work in the company they are hired for. They also don't require a strict set of hours and as long as have a good set of skills you are able to get hired easily. There's different types of transcriptionists and it's good to know which one is right for you before you begin working as one. General transcription is the most basic form and it's good for beginners as it's more broad and easy to do that the other branches. Medical and law transcription are more complicated as they will include more advanced words, and are often faster. Both these branches require certificates or some sort of license. The average salary for this job is around $16. You can find these jobs online in sites like Crowdsurf, Go Transcript, Quicktate, etc.
Grant writing is an important job that helps non-profit organizations and corporations gain funding for their business. Grant writing can be a complicated job but if you are good at your job you will be able to get a big clientele. When writing a proposal you need to focus a lot on making your ideas clear and compelling, proving that the organization is unique and it's worth to choose. Be sure to tailor you proposal to the company you are writing it for, tailor both the format and the message so you show that you really appreciate their help and attention. Never rush your proposal. Founders can tell when you create a sloppy and rushed proposal, simple because you didn't give yourself enough time. This will also end badly because you will lose clients and then your revenue will start to decrease. You need to persuade the listener. You can do this by making the proposal memorable, by empathizing the most important parts. Use ethos, logos and pathos to appeal to emotion, logic and ethics. It is proven that this methods appeal to the listener when used correctly so use them to persuade.
If you use a backlink that has nothing to do with the topic mentioned in your website it won't attract as many click as the users won't need to look for something completely irrelevant to what they searched. Finding a backlink that is relevant to your content will help raise more search.
Traffic shows how much the link/website gets attention in its own and how trustworthy the website is. Having a backlink that is organic in traffic will help your website much more.
Usually good websites will have higher authority and you would want to get a back line to websites with a DR 30 or bigger. However the higher the authority the harder it will be to get a backlink.
Selling backlinks is another way for you to gain money and attraction to your website. To gain any money you will need a good website, with amazing content, that has authority and relevance.
When writing emails always personalize your email interaction, this brings you closer to the customer and makes them feel special. Always say thank you in your email as well. Don't withhold news from your customer, be it good or bad and always be open to create a more honest relationship. This will make the customer trust you more and be more open to buy in the future. Explain instructions in the simplest way possible. You never know if the costumers knows what you are talking about if you include complicated words or term so it's better to keep it simple and concise. If needed link to longer instructions in the email.
Writers can do much more than just write books and novels. Writing it's a broad topic and anyone can be a writer to somewhat degree. Being skilled in literature and creativity are trait that might help a writer but not always required. Blogging and copywriting and things that writers often indulge either as a hobby or a part/full time job. Copy-writing is more professional than blogging, often used by companies to get more sales and clients. Copywriting is what tells people what a business, product, or service is about. Copywriting has a lot of science and marketing added to it so it might seem to not be as focused on writing as other things, but it holds it's fair share of it so the author should be rather skilled in using the right words. Copywriting focuses on more crucial and concise wording that is easy to ready, clear, and has a call to action for the reader. Copywriting can take different forms when it comes to job opportunities and salaries. Some being:
This is the normal 9-5 job where you would write copy just for one organization
The writer here writers for several companies
Chooses to work for companies they want
To be a good copywriter you need to know how to persuade the client with a catchy title and a hook that pulls them to read more. This is where you will explain how you will help the reader achieve their goals with your product's features and its benefits. It's important to make the customer the center of the writing and make them feel connected to the product.
Blogging on the other hand is more open and broad, and anyone can create a belong easily. But if you choose to make blogging a more permanent career you might need to put a little more work in. Blogging in the most simple terms is expressing your thoughts through writing for a certain topic, usually something you are passionate about. This can be personal journals, business and teaching, selling and promoting and niche topics for a similar audience.
Making money from a blog can vary and it's good to incorporate multiple ways to gain the most income. The most obvious way is to use ads on your blog that your viewers can interact with, and this can help you gain more money. These ads can be CPC Ads(cost per click) where can click the ad an you gain some revenue, CPA links (cost per action) where you can use other companies products in your blog and when a user click on them you gain a referral fee. When you gain some sort of following your can start incorporating sponsored post that can range in earning or Direct Advertisements ads which are priced on CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or RPM(revenue per thousand impression) which is based on how many people see the ads on your blog. Other ways require for you to have some following on social media and on your blog. You can attend chats that are hosted by big companies to answer questions, or you can advertise your content by paying for facebook and google ads. You can create your own course/ product and give consulting to newer startups that want to follow on your footsteps . The thing about blogging is that you have to commit to it to see results. The most important part is to break through the hard wall that stops you from getting paid, that being gaining a good following. You have to have a unique style of thinking and talk about things that haven't been said before and be skilled in how to attract others to it.
Writing can take many forms and with the rise of technology writing has grown from being on paper to being on a screen as well. Despite technology many people are still having great paying jobs writing traditionally and digitally. Margarines and journals are an example of this. Magazine and journal writers differ from each other as they both have very important roles based on what they working on. Magazine writer focus more on short writings, that are meant mostly for entertainment or informing, and will include pictures or illustrations. Journals are more on the scientific side, meant to educate about academic and scientific research, filled with graphs and data. Magazines over all are more broad and easy going, most of the time not needing to be cited, while journals need much more research from professionals and need to be cited. If you choose to write for a magazine there's different types that you choose from. Starting from longform investigative pieces, character profiles, commentary, criticism, humor or fiction. After you find your genre make sure to get more information on the magazine and their style of writing so you can be more knowledgeable on what the magazine might want from your writing. Come up with an interesting idea that hasn't been talked about much and create a compelling story about it. Then you have to pitch your idea to the magazine and make sure you can defend your pitch from the question the editorial board might have. In addition you should ask questions yourself on what the company is looking for and offer yourself to do it. However magazines writers can be freelance or hired just for a certain company. The ones that are hired for a certain company usually have a much steadier income but are stuck with doing whatever the company tells to them to write. Freelancers might have more creative freedom, but have to work harder by contacting companies to write for them, which means there isn't any steady income.
Journal writing can be a little more tiring as it need more research and editing. As magazines, journals starts with an introduction to the topic, question, problem and solution. Then you go to theoretical framework, as it can give extra background information to the readers based on what they need to know about the journal. Then adding data and research to your journal, that have been used and calculated to come to your result. The result is what should be the main focus and these results should answer the writer's primary questions that the journal raises. The writer will end the journal with a discussion or conclusion or a mix of both.
Continuing further more with branding it's important to make sure you aren't stealing anyone's logo, as you will have to deal with the legal fees in the future even though you might have not known that you stole someone else's design. Do extensive research in databases of your state or by simply using google and if any of the names or logos are similar to yours it's important to change it quickly as it easier to change it before starting your business since it won't be in all the websites and business cards. When creating your business it will come time for slogan and mission statement, and these are very important as they will show your clients what your business is truly about. Keep them concise and simple, but they should provide enough information to tell clients what you stand for and what you wish to achieve. Avoid cliché and overused logos, mission statements and slogans, as they won't be memorable and clients can become disinterested easily. Your slogan, mission statement, and logo is what sets you apart from other business so it's important to put time and money into it. Think of these items as the presentation of your business, and the first impressions matter, it will decide whether you gain or lose a client. Invest on a designer for your logo or you can create it by yourself using free website, or even premium ones that can offer more features and different sizes of your logo. There's infinite possibilities when it comes to your logo, it can be simple and minimalistic, or it can be full of colors and bright, whatever feels like it represent your business. If you were to pay a designer to do it be careful of scams as in the end you would still be blamed for copyright. Make sure to see their portfolio and make sure the logos are legit by calling the companies the logos were designed for. When you have confirmed that the designer is real and legit you can go ahead and pay them to create your ideal logo. Business cards and websites are also a big part of advertising your business and they should portray your company's culture and ideals. You can create your own website easily in Wix for free and then later can purchase a professional domain so the website can be truly yours.
Business also come with employees, or the workload would be impossible. You as a leader need to think how you are going to treat your employees and how you want to be perceived. You can be a more tougher boss who shows his employees tough love, or you can be a much calmer boss who doesn't really reinforce the rules a lot. Both of these types can come with their own disadvantages so you need to be careful, and changing from one type to another can confuse your employees so maintain a set role.
Coming up with only an idea for the business is only the beginning. Business are much more complicated so you should always be ready and do extensive research to avoid legal conflict in the future. Setting up your business can be confusing at first and you might not know which choice would be the best. There is sole-proprietorship, partnerships and corporations. Now there's the question which one is the best for you. Sole-proprietorship is a business that can be known as its own entity by the law and you would have to fill paperwork that are also required by the law. These type of business are usually led by only one person and the assets of the company aren't separated from the owner, so in case of a legal conflict it's possible that the owners assets might be at risk too. The best thing about sole-proprietorship is that you can use you company's account and deposit checks immediately to the company instead of your own name. Partnerships are similar but they are owned by two or more people. Partnership has its own benefits, and it can prove easier than a sole-proprietorship because there will be more owners to take up the load. You can also have silent partners which can be good for investing and funding. Partnerships are always connected to the owners assets like sole-proprietorships and each owner would have to split the cost and do the taxes separately with their own taxes. Corporations are more extreme and complicated as they become separated from the owners but will have more taxes deducted to them each time. A good thing is that the corporation funds are separated from the owners so they don't get affected if there's legal problems with the corporation.
Branding is very important for a business as it sets it apart from each other business. Setting a domain, a logo and a business name is all part of the process that can make your own business unique. But you have to make sure that what you choose isn't taken from other business or you can get sued for trademarks if they have enough reason. So do your research beforehand extensively so you can avoid problems in the future.
As I have learned before and mentioned being a leader in your own business can be challenging and not many people are meant to do such a difficult job. People aren't born leaders they are made, so it is possible for everyone, but not everyone takes the chances. You have to practice your own skills and always be up to the challenge no matter how hard or unimportant it might seem. Being the first to volunteer when the situation call for it can be a great start, where you can learn new skills and come up with creative ideas because of it. Being an entrepreneur has always been associated with these powerful people that know exactly what to do, say and how to lead these big corporations, but this isn't true. You aren't born an entrepreneur, you are made. It just takes courage and skill to come up with a business idea you can truly call yours. These type of myths make people shy away from great opportunities even if they might want to start their own business. It's good to know that every beginner entrepreneur has had their own challenges, some with money, some with starting, etc. Know that beginning a business doesn't have to do a one man job, you can have a whole team that can support you and help you build something amazing. Factoring in risks as well, because there's nothing rewarding without the risk. Every big business comes with the risk of it failing or accidents happening even when something goes extremely well. This should not discourage you because risks are part of life and should be accounted for beforehand. That's why it's important to think about risks in your business plan.
Funding and think about money is something you will have to deal a lot as a leader. Because as a beginner you will have probably no money or little by working a low wage job. This is how most entrepreneurs start. When you come up with ideas first you will need funding to get it on its feet. You can start your project with a MVP, which is basically the most basic functional variation of your business. This plan will include basic but viable functions that clients can use and be satisfied with. This is important because the MVP isn't only for show, but to show determination and promise for the future. That's where funding can come in.This funding can come from relatives, friends, or any close network/connections you might have. When they give you funding they will get some shares of the company, in hopes for their money to rise so they can get more money in the future. After a few months and years have passed, and if you business has taken off you can get into more funding from VC or Angel investors. VC investors are investors that take funds from other people and invest it in risky new companies, while angel investors use their own money to invest into the companies, all to gain a bigger profit in the future.
When you open your own business you have to take into account a lot of different factors, to customers, funding, plans, competition and exit strategies. These are all important aspects as they will break or bring together your business in the end. Before even opening your business you need an executive summary where you will explain your business in the most concise way possible, only mentioning key details and important information. At the top of your summary should be your business name, logo and your contact information. After this your will give a short explanation of your business usually one to two sentences, this is also known as an elevator pitch where you can quickly explain what your business is meant to do, what problem it's meant to solve and how it will reach its audience. When planning a business it's always important to remember funding and its model. How will the business operate and where will it get all it's money? How many employees will you employ and what's their annual salary? All these questions should be answered in your summary, from an annual cost to machinery and employee salary should be included. Never forget to include where you excel and what expertise your team holds, this will lead people to take your business seriously and show that you really want this plan to become something bigger in the future. If you already have a clientele or machinery available it's even better. Knowing who your customer and market is it's a must as it directs where your business is supposed to take root. In fact it should be the first thing you consider when you come up with your business plan. Consider potential changes when it comes to what consumers want so you can come apart from other competitors. Remember that competition is part of the business and you should never shy away from opportunities just because there's a lot of competition. Competition should drive you to do more and better so you can prove yourself to your clients and promote your own motto. But there's always risks when managing a business and there's possibility where things might not go the way you want. That's why it's important to have an exit strategy at all times in case things go sour and you need a way out.
Entrepreneurship has always been a loosely used terms to describe many things. But what is Entrepreneurship In general? Entrepreneurship usually starts with an individual who has an idea for a new business, and this individual bears most of the risks and rewards the business will bring. Being an entrepreneur can be challenging and needs a long plan to succeed. Many people can have ideas for business, but only a few may work. It's important to think long and hard about every aspect of your business before launching it. First starts with an idea that you are passionate and even better if you are experienced in it. This will make the process easier as you known much more information and even have had the opportunity to work with it before hand. Your business should be something that aims to solve a problem or provide some sort of satisfaction that isn't brought from other business. Take something that you wanted to change in you day to day life and make it into a business. Of course make sure that this idea isn't only for you but for a large group of people that can relate. Your business should always be for your client not only for you, or else you wouldn't get any revenue. When you have developed some sort of idea it's always good to ask for other's opinions and even incorporate some their ideas. Not sharing your business idea is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make, because you will lose the outside perspective of what your clients might want and your carefully thought business might collapse before even starting. Getting different perspectives from everyday people and specialist will help you greatly in the long run. By asking their opinions you can catch onto flaws or even add new information to include a larger range of clients. When creating a business the customer should always be number one.
Lets say you opened your business, finally after a long time of planning it. It's important to not get carried away with your goals in the beginning. Setting big and complicated goals will make your business less appealing to your customers. Adding a lot of features that might not be needed will drive customers away and you will end up losing revenue. Setting high unexpected goals like earning a a big clientele and high profit immediately will result in loss of motivation and possibly even failing of your business. Start slow in the beginning, see if your business is even working and breaking even. Breaking even should be your main goal in the beginning, because you have wasted time and money for this business, the least you can earn is paying back all the money you are spending to maintain the business. After sometime when your business has gained more attention you can set higher goals, with higher profits in mind. But what happens if you business never works? It's important to consider that even though you might think your idea is great failing can always occur. Failing shouldn't seen as a bad thing, sometimes it can help you see your mistakes and fix them before too late. Failing early on can save you time and money. It will also help you fix the mistakes you did beforehand and if you decide to continue with your business you can create a new brand without the mistakes of the past, and probably have higher chances of a better business.
We have established that remote jobs have their advantages and disadvantages. One of these disadvantages would be productivity and getting along with your team, in this case even knowing them at all. Getting a remote job means that you won't be at an office surrounded by other people, so building connections and networks can be difficult. This is why it's important to have virtual meetings often and get to know each other outside of work. A good collaboration will make work run more smoothly. Having regular virtual meetings to discuss the workload and any problems it's very beneficial as well. By getting to know your co workers it's also easier to express your feelings if you feel they aren't doing their part or if they are being unfair, without being disrespectful. It can be stressful or even unproductive while working online so it's important to think about good intentions. You can also use your anger towards your work in a creative way to push yourself further. Productivity is another hard part of remote jobs. Because you will be at home most of the time work and your personal time might mix together so it will be hard to start working or even stop. This will be a problem especially if it continues to happen. It's important to have a separate place in your home as a workplace to help you focus, without any distractions. Muting your notifications during work can help null these distractions. Having a to do list can also help as it gives you a sense of order during the day, and the feeling of checking off a task feels amazing. Taking breaks regularly is also very beneficial as it gives your brain a break and refresh so you can continue working at your best of your ability.
When looking for online jobs you also run the risk of scams. Because remote jobs won't have you meet face to face or even go to the company sometimes, it will be very easy to fabricate a lie, a fake company and even a fake interview. Usually these scams will require money from you first in promise of something greater. However this can happen with anything not just remote jobs. This can happen with random products, that are listed cheaper than they should be, and this will end up with the client never receiving the product at all. When something seemed to good to be true it most likely is, and it isn't worth taking the risk. If a job is offering you a lot of money or even a place that you haven't even applied for it's most likely a scam. No company would pay more than they have to for a job, and nobody reaches out to you without you even applying first. If they don't ask for qualifications at all it is also a scam. And always be aware if they ask for a lot of personal information like your SSN in the beginning processes.
Network connections are always important despite the work that you do. In our world connections are everything. You might have skills, but even that isn't enough sometimes, and you might need a helping hand to get to where you want to be. Networking means gaining connections with powerful and resourceful people, but not only so they can help you, but you can also learn from them and be there for them as a sort of friend. Start by getting to know these people, either on social sites or in person. You can do this by attending conferences, usually you will have to pay a fee for them, or even using LinkedIn, virtual events, or Quora.
Working remotely is a great way to earn money while enjoy time wherever you want. By working remotely you have your own comfortable space, and can work at your own pace without the noise that can be evident in the office. However because the job is online the payment methods are different too. Usually people are paid by checks that are mailed to their homes, but with remote jobs you can be paid in different ways, from directly depositing in your bank account, being paid in cash to cryptocurrency. You can use PayPal or Square for easier access to your bank. By linking PayPal or Square to you bank account the money will be directly deposited there instead of you adding the money yourself. They're also very convenient as they're always on your phone ready at your use. You can use these apps not only from your job, but from clients if you have your own business. This makes them extremely useful and easy to use. Cryptocurrency is more complicated as their value will change depending on the time period. Clients can pay with a certain rate of cryptocurrency that amounts to dollars, but there's a possibility that that rate will drop and then you end up losing money. That's why it's important to cash cryptocurrency as soon as you earn any so they don't lose their value. Getting paid in cash isn't the most common used method, because it's often not used according to the law. Some people that get paid in cash might be doing this to avoid taxes, or because they're doing something illegal and don't want to be tracked by records. Sometimes the employer can tell the government about these payments, which ends up in reducing their own taxes.
But before getting paid you need to get hired first. Getting hired can be a tiring process and sometimes it's not even rewarding. But it's important to know how to ace the interview by doing some of these steps. First you would need a resume where you highlight you areas of expertise and experience starting by the most recent/relevant to the latest. There should be a section of introduction in your resume where you describe yourself and some traits. Your resume should include your education, skills, and even hobbies. It's important to remember that resumes don't only have to be about your job experience. They can include everything that you took upon yourself to gain skills and improve yourself, like clubs you were in school, volunteering, small jobs like babysitting. All these things add value to your resume, especially if you have no job experience. Along with your resume you can have a LinkedIn account that can be used to reach companies, and you can add your resume and create a professional profile. This network is used to contact companies, or other people in the professional sense, and increase you chances of getting hired if you provide a good profile with references. Make sure to include a professional picture that shows the companies you are interested who you really are. This provides some sense of trust and professionalism to the companies. Cover letters are also an important part of the interview process. A lot of companies will ask for a cover letter to see why you would be a better fit. Resumes provide you abilities, but the cover letter should provide the reason why you would be a good fit for this specific company. In your cover letter make sure to include why you are interested in this company, what could you offer to them and a call to action.
Now that you have everything done regarding documents you might think you are ready to apply for a job. However with the rapid rise of technology you need to be careful. Now every company you might apply will probably research you on the internet, seeing your social media and your posts. It's important to remember that after something is posted it will never be deleted even if your think you did. When companies look at your profile it's good that they see something professional and that complies with their values. If you have an account that shows a more fun side of you life it would be better to keep it as private.
After you have taken everything into consideration it's time for the interview. After you send your documents you will be expecting a call for the interview(this is if you pass the inspection period- that's why it's important to have a eye catching cover letter and resume). Usually there is only one interview, but there's cases where there's need two so you should always be prepared. Interviews can vary, some might be in person but some might be online as well. In any case always be prepared, wear professional clothes, talk formally but calmly and always make sure to listen and ignore distractions. After you pass the interview and get accepted you will be shown an offer, which you can accept or negotiate for a better one. In the end even if you don't get the job it's good to send a thank you letter to the hiring manager for taking time to interview you. And is there hasn't been a response from the interview you can follow up once, but if they don't respond it's better to move on to the another opportunity.
As I finished the unit Improving your quality of life I learned a lot about how I can make a living while doing remote jobs, but also living a healthy successful life while doing so. It's important to prioritize your health before your job, because if you get very sick then it won't matter how hard you worked, and it will all end because you didn't care about your health well enough. Always make sure to be well rested, eat good food, and get help if needed by talking to a close friend/family or therapist.
Starting a career is always hard, especially if you are fresh out of college/high school, because you might have no idea what to do at all. This is a great time to have a mentor or a role model that you can look up at for advice or inspiration. A role model is better for inspiration, because sometimes they can be famous people you might never get the chance to meet or talk to. A mentor on the other hand is someone who is very experienced in the same field as you are entering, and they can offer their time and experience to you for the long term.
After the mentors have helped you, you can start you career, either remotely or in person. Working remotely gas it's advantages and disadvantages, like any other job. It's true you will get more freedom, and can have your own schedule during the day, but it's also very hard to begin or even stop working when you are in the same place everyday without needing to leave your house. Sometimes productivity and motivation will be low and you would rather be asleep, but that's why it's important to do something you love as a job, rather than forcing yourself to do something just because of money. You can work remotely on any job, but you can also do this job while traveling, not only at home. Bloggers, web designers, and travel YouTube creators have made a career by working remotely anywhere in the world. Bloggers and travel creators get to travel the world, sometimes for free because they offer to advertise the transportation or food places in exchange for free stuff. This means that you can save money while also earning, just by doing what you love.
As humans living in a capitalistic economy we all strive to achieve some sort of wealth that places us and our families in a comfortable lifestyle. With inflation and the low wages it can sometimes be hard to get the amount of money you need or want. However, there's a few tips that can help someone gain and save their money, while keeping a healthy lifestyle. It's important to have a stable job with a stable income, but also a side gig which takes less time but still brings money. This side gig can be investing, something that can be high risk, high reward. It's important to know where to investing, real estate and cryptocurrency being the most rewarding and popular, as they can give high rewards without losing much money, if the person knows how to work the process. Many YouTubers have shown their progress with investing and how it helped them save 100% of their income from their other job. This can put someone in a very good place financially as they can start investing more as time goes on. But with winning money, also comes spending. People buy things everyday, from essentials to luxury items. Sometimes someone might go to far and spend money on wants rather than needs, putting them in a tight place financially. To prevent this it's good to have a budget plan that separates wants from needs. Budgeting means knowing how much money you have and where they should be spend accordingly that in the end you still have some money left. First the most important payments are the needs, like healthcare, car maintenance, rent/mortgage, utilities, etc. Luxuries on the other hand are extra items that someone might buy for themselves if they have done something they're proud of and are trying to congratulate themselves. This would include the latest phones, designer clothes , a new car, etc.
As it's important to follow all these tips, health comes first. Having great health means more productivity and energy, which would lead to someone to work and expand more on what they're good at. Eating healthy, interacting with others, working out, meditating, using medical herbs, are all things that can increase someone's well being and productivity. Along side physical health mental health is also a very important part. Mental health can cause a lot of problems if left ignored, so it's good to consult with friends, family , or even a therapist when needed.
Moving on to time management. Time management is an important part of everyone's day, no matter how free their day might be. Having a plan for throughout the day can help with focus and keep the tasks more organized, in a way reducing the stress of running around trying to get everything done. Keeping notes or adding tasks to columns is enough to help with someone's busy day. Managing a busy schedule can help with productivity as it leads to a better environment to think about new ideas.
While reviewing the content for Java and it's fundamentals I learned that Java is another important programming language used from programmers everywhere. Java is used to construct applications data centers, game consoles, and much more. This language is class based and object oriented, and it's structured in a way that makes it run anywhere without worrying about the underlying computer architecture. Java alike some other languages is very simple and easy to learn, sharing syntax with C and C++. Java supports multi threading, which means applications can be converted to multiples threads and executed simultaneously. All these features and more make Java a great and useful language to learn and can be amazing for future web developers to learn. Techie youth provided me with both a game and a video to help learn information much easily. The game showed me how Java can be used to create art digitally, including fashion and architecture, and how it can affected the view perception on reality.
During my learning today I gained new found knowledge for another programming language who is very important to web developers. Python is a programming language used to build websites and software. Because of its versatile use a lot of programmers like to use Python and find it very useful. By being not only versatile, but easy to learn many other professions other than programmers have taken up learning Python. Usually python is used to develop the back end of a website, meaning the part that the viewer doesn't get to see, like sending data to/from servers, processing data, and communicating with databases, and much more. The traits that make Python so popular are because of it's simple syntax, which makes it so much quicker to learn and build projects. As I said before it's versatile and it's used for many different purposes based on what the programmer wants.
Techie youth material provided some games for Python that I found very useful and interactive. It helped me learned some fundamentals but also be entertaining while doing so. During the game I learned about strings, variables and assignments. Assignments usually tell the computer what to do, as said by in the game. As I watched the video I noticed that I can do so much with python, and I liked that I can basically make it like a game where I can type and the programmed computer can respond based on code. This made me very hopeful for what I might learn in the future. An amazing quality is also how python can do all the math, we just need to add an equation. Storting data, dictionaries, conditionals, loops, and functions are one of the many things that Python can do and that I learned today.
As a web developer there will be a lot of different languages they might need to master. Although a little similar they all have their differences that can prove a little difficult to learn, but a good web developer is skilled in many of them. Knowing a lot of programming languages can help a web developer get further in his career because they might have the skills needed that another web developer might not, securing them a job or even a raise in pay. However one of the most important language all web developers should know is JavaScript. JavaScript is the universal front-end language and is used in almost all websites that we see. So it's important that a web developer should master this language first. Other common languages are PHP, Python, Java and Node.js. All of them have their own differences, but also similarities.
Databases are organized collections of Dara stored and accessed electronically. Usually databases are separated into two categories: relational or non relational databases.
Non relational databases lumps each block of relevant content into a single monolithic record referred as "denomarlized data. On the other hand rational databases "normalize" the data, splitting it into the smallest possible chunks and then liking them together to create keys that define relations. A denormalized non relational databases purpose is to create a new record for each user on a particular website. These record would in cloud all the information of the user including name, address, order history etc.
A normalized rational database splits this information in practical chunks and place them into tables with similar data.
Databases however uses coding languages to communicate with the computer and the user. When someone is looking for a specific information they have to know the right words to use to make their search much more effective. SQL is the universal language used for rational databases. Non relational databases don't function the same way, because they all differ from each other in their languages.
As any other profession at the beginning of their career web developers have to go through a rather tough process to gain experience needed for clients to employ them. As a freshly new web developer you might have to sacrifice some of your time, motivation and money to gain trustworthy clients and great reviews. To do this might seem counterproductive, but it would help much more in the long run. To gain clients without a portfolio a web developer might provide a free service for the first time and show great motivation. This means putting time and effort that might not pay off right away. But if the web developer does a good job they gain material for their portfolio and a great review from a trusted source. This is an extreme task and some might not do it, but there's other ways web developers can gain clients. Telling your friends and family is a great start as they can spread the word to someone in need. Spreading the word in social media and local businesses is also a great way. Social media is everywhere, and making a great ad and posting it online will help with clients. Going to businesses and asking them to share your business cards to their clients in exchange of a free website is also a possibility, as both the developer and the business benefit from this.
Wordpress is a website that helps creates web sites, but without all the coding that goes in it. This website is really useful as it can be a great starting place for inexperienced and experienced web developers to gain some insight and find creativity. Wordpress has everything you need to built a website, but the free subscription doesn't offer a specific domain to your liking. This means Wordpress will be shown on the domain and the website is at risk at being deleted at any time. This can be fixed by buying your own domain and downloading Wordpress.org instead. But if someone only wants practice the free version is very diverse and offers a big variety of tools. You can add multiple pages, your own pictures, coloring, buttons and many more to make the perfect website.
Creating websites is a big part of web developers job, where they show their skills and creativity in different pages accessible online. The common languages for web design are HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and all these languages have many traits within them that can create beautiful websites from scratch. When we first open a coding program we are faced with index.html and our CSS and JavaScript file, and these files are we put our code. The layouts of these languages hold a lot of information that a web developer should know, like Flexbox, which can help with the alignment of content when specified which way. Images, links, and multiple pages play a big part of web sites. In every website we see different images to give a more creative side to it, links to socials or different pages, and of course the multiple pages that can be seen on a nav bar. CSS is mostly associated with images and it regulates how they look, where they're placed, their size and shape. Multiple pages serve the purpose of a cleaner look and keep the information separated in their respective pages.
Wed development roles have a big range in the tech industry, and though some might seem similar they each have their own specialities. Starting with web designer and development, these two jobs coexist and depend on each other, however they're serve different purposes. A web designer's purpose is to showcase creativity and problem solving, making the website look presentable and clean. Web designers give their ideas to the web developer who then codes the website to what they received. These two jobs create the website we all stare at everyday. Web developers are also separated into different categories, front end and back end developers . Front end developers focus more on creating the website using HTML,CSS and JavaScript, basically what user see and interact with. Back end developers however work deep within the system, building and maintaining data, security, and other serve side functions users can't see. There's many other jobs that make web developing that focus more on the back end side like web architects, system administrator, quality assurance engineer, etc.
Monetizing app is something every developer would want to do, not only because it provides an income, but it also shows that all their skills and effort are worth it to their client. When a developer creates an app they can either make it completely free with no app purchases, make it free but have app purchases (freemium), make it a once subscription(pay once for forever), or a constant subscription with in app purchases as well. Now three of these options provide monetary value on their own because clients spend their money on the app, but this can also lead them astray as they don't know if it's worth it. Therefore a developer should spend time making an attractive app, gain attention by showcasing all the great features either by a video, screenshots or ads. Ads are a great way to gain more attention for apps and also raising revenue. Full screen adds are usually the most successful as they are presented during a pausing point and have had more clicks than other adds. Developers can also add ads to their free apps to get monetary value, while still keeping the app free. Partnering with other companies or having sponsors also help because people can find the app while browsing something completely else. It is important for the developers to keep track of engagement and what clients prefer to get most out of the app and revenue. Big purchasing clients, known as whales, are necessary to developers as they are the percent who gives the most money , so developers should be accommodating to them by giving new updates or features so the clients don't lose interest.
Web development on the other hand is a career that has taken raise with technology and continues to do so. Everywhere we look online we see web pages filled with creative ideas that also showcase information. Being a web developer is a great career for people who enjoy spending time on computers, who like having a flexible schedule and spending time alone. The salary doesn't disappoint as it can reach six figures after a few years of experience.The most common languages used in web development are HTML,CSS and JavaScript. HTML is the basis language where all the information is written and is displayed on the screen as such. HTML can be described as the backbone of the web page. CSS, however, serves the purpose of making the website stand out and beautiful. Stylizing is what CSS is known for, because while HTML has the information CSS can make it beautiful and creative, which attract more people to the website. JavaScript is more complex and it's purpose is to make the website interactive. It gives a new life to the website and can help make it more special. However, basic beginner web sites usually included HTML and CSS.
Being a app developer means having a diverse range of skills that go way past programming to marketing and creativity. Apps are everywhere nowadays, as technology has taken rise and many new ones continue to pop up everyday. These apps can be seen both on IOS or Androids, which means there's two different platforms where we can create apps. IOS uses Xcode or Swift, whiled Android uses Java and Kotlin . However, there's hybrid apps that can work on both platforms, the most recognized being Xamarin. Using Xamarin means there's only one app being created instead of two, and it can work on both IOS and Android, as well as Windows. Along with the skills that are needed to develop apps developers also need to know how to sell their app or upload it on the App Store/ Google Play. First marketing an app can be challenging as it posses skills from marketing and business, why it's important for a developer to have diverse skills. A way to advertise an app is to gain meaningful connections with both people and companies, which can help in the long run to share the word and gain clientele. Giving promotions and sales can also help gain attraction with the app, and using social media is a must. With the big attraction social media has on the world is the most useful tool, especially for a developer. It's important to use the right social media in order to achieve the right attention. Focusing on who we want to attract we choose where to advertise our app. Moving to releasing the app on App Store/ Google Play. This process can be stressful at first and might take some time. The most important step is to see the guidelines and requirements needed for an app to be accepted. These platforms are very strict with who they accept because they want to give the best apps to their clients. Reading the rules and following them can save a developer to time and stress of getting rejected and spending more times on updates. A developer has to make sure the app is in its best shape with no to minimal bugs and no offensive content, or spams. It might take up to a week to be accepted and after that the develop can begin updating their app on their terms. Updating an app shows people that the developer still cares and is always trying to make their app better. As a developer they also need to focus on their client's feedback constantly so they can fix any issues or simply gain another perspective.