FREELANCER #2 : An Essential Guide To Data Entry Operators

Data Entry Jobs : 

  Data entry jobs are exactly what it sounds like, entering of data into an electronics devices through various input devices like keyboard, scanner.

A precise and accurate data management provides the company a strong foundation on which future decision can be considered and implemented. A wide range of companies such as call centres, financial firms, large retailers, heath care centres requires data entry job position but for a temporary period of time so they hire data entry operators from an external source (freelancer). These companies outsource their large jobs among freelancers and gains profit from such crowd-sourcing network models.

  

The data entry job requires ability to focus for a prolonged period of time with the necessity to eliminate all possible error. With negligible technical knowledge required, this job is categorised amongst the lowest skilled jobs.

History of Data Entry Jobs:

The data entry jobs were introduced to market in late 1890's, when the invention of punched card gained popularity. Initially data entry operator for keypunch machines were called as punched card operators, mainly employing women. Punched cards were used for storing digital information, which were required by automated machineries in the manufacturing industries.

IBM26 Tie Clip

   “Imagine the uproar when Uber’s cars start arriving without drivers.”

                 ― Martin Ford, Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future 

Now that punched cards have become completely obsolete and has been replaced successful by Computer Numerically Controlled(CNC) machineries, the punched card operator became jobless. Later on with industrialisation these operators were eventually employed into various financial and management sectors of the industry.

Data entry job sometime can be repetitive and boring, so it the clerks duty to analyse different strategies to optimise his work with short breaks or creating an change in entry  style the data. While setting up a freelancer data entry workstation, proper care must be taken of the ergonomics and its design. A proper workstation must have comfortable chair with a proper height table best suited for fast typing.

An advantage of being a data entry clerk is that you can work from home, based on companies’ necessity.The equipment required for this is just a laptop and based on companies system you may need net connection to upload the work to companies’ database or a printer machine to document the data in physical form.

How the system work?

The industry (client) who wants to transform data into to desire format contacts the freelance data entry clerk through third party sites like fiverr, Upwork, freelancer; fixes the payment based on the workload. Then they provide the job material in the form of images, handwritten documents or sequencing of codes forwarded through courier, post or emails. The data entry could be through various input devices such as keyboard, data recorded or the optical scanner.

Once the work is complete you can submit the work in the form of electronics file such as word, excel, database formats through email or you can courier them the physical copy.

Data entry jobs are also called as data entry specialist, data entry clerk or information processor. So next time you see an opening for information processing job you just apply for it.

Note :

Many financial and confidential details have to be dealt with by data entry operator including companies financial reports, medical reports etc. So the operators’ character and discretion is an important factor in acquiring and maintaining this jobs.

Key Skill required for Online Data Entry Clerk :

Software Skills : Data Entry Clerk must be proficient in using Word Processors, Spreadsheet and other database handling software.(Complete MS Office for a Windows based OS)

Fast Tying Speed : Data Entry Clerks must be good at typing skills generally with a typing speed above 30 - 40 words/minute. Touch typing is an ability to type without looking at the keyboard.It ensures to gain faster typing speeds with lower errors as the typist is constantly looking on his monitor. 

Language Skills : The data entry operator must read and write the work language. Candidate must also understand the language for longer retention for faster typing speeds. Good Writing and Communication Skills

Prolonged Concentration in Work with Accuracy : This job demands a high patience and high concentration with a negligible degree of error.

Interpersonal Skills : The employer look out for a candidate who is good at communication and has flexibility of work nature. Sometimes data entry clerks need to be transcriber, so flexibility in work is an important feature while selecting a candidate.

Types of Data Entry Jobs :

Online form Filling : Online form filling jobs is the best way to reduce office load and provide the industry with better management tool for data mining and research.

Accounting Data Entry : Most of the industries loss majority of the tax benefits due to lack of financial data management. Digitisation of financial records is useful for various tax benefits and for future expansion of the industry.

Transcriptionist : The data entry job in which the sole work is to convert audio ( live or recorded ) into written or electronics document. Most transcriber are necessary for medical and legal purposes

Word Processor : Industry need to maintain a regular relationship with their clients through mails, letter or reports. So these works are handled by word processor. You might need some technical stuffs like creating graphs or charts.

What you get as pay?

On a global scale the data entry jobs are paid on an hourly basis or words per document.

Sometime the job is not data entry but to cross verify the data & edit if the mistakes are done by other operator. But on an average basis data entry operators will be paid around $19300 - $34990.

My Experience as Data Entry Operator:

Back in my college days, I with some of my friends rented in a house where lucky we had a good neighbour who runs a small business. In our stay there for four long years we were many times been approached by this business man cum neighbour for data entry jobs.

He lacked workforce in his office and we were in need for some extra cash. So he used to hire us for data entry jobs and used to pay us somewhat near $15 - $20 /job. This jobs used to favourable for us as we had lot of spare time after our lectures and could easily earn some cash by working from home.

Word of Caution:

Many fraudulent online site have come up, faking to provide high salaries for data entry jobs. They also ask for registration charges. My kind request to all my wonderful readers please don’t go for such paid registration unless verified from a relevant source.

Check Out : FREELANCER #4 : An Essential Guide For Transcriptionist