I’ve heard tell of Search Engine Evaluator positions, but I’ve never taken the time to look into them. So today I hopped on over to Leapforce to check out their work at home position for a Search Engine Evaluator!
Pay & Employment Status
As a Leapforce at home agent you are paid by the hour, though I cannot find a rate on the site! It does say the payment is made by check via snail mail, though. And it appears you determine how many hours you wish to work as well as what times of day you’re able to work. You’ll be an Independent contractor, not an employee, so you’ll be responsible for claiming earned income (anything over $600 for the year) based on the 1099 they’ll send come tax time.
Job Description
You’ll be expected to “conduct in depth internet-based research and provide information evaluation for leading companies from around the globe.” Leapforce has customers and then contracts Independent agents to perform the work. Agents actually invoice Leapforce for the work they do. Search Engine Evaluators “evaluate and improve search engine results for one of the world’s largest internet search engine companies.”
Agent Requirements & Process
You have to be 18, self-reliant, self-motivated, and actively using the internet for more than 3 years (internet savvy). They’re particularly looking for people with a broad range of interests who enjoy online research and evaluation. You will also have to complete an online qualification process and pass an online assessment exam. Leapforce’s FAQ notes that it takes most agents a week to complete those additional requirements.
Equipment Needed:
- High speed internet access
- A PC running Mozilla’s Firefox browser (v3 or higher)
- An up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software
High speed internet access would be cable or DSL (nearly anything but dial-up). You also have to own a computer and work directly from it (not from a computer at your local coffee shop (public access). If you’re not familiar with Firefox, you can download the latest version here: Mozilla Firefox. And most of us online have an anti-virus and anti-spy software of some kind running at all times. If you don’t – you should. Check into AVG for a nice, free edition (as well as their paid versions): AVG Free
Skills Needed:
- Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities
- Excellent comprehension and written communication skills
- BONUS: Fluency in a language other than English
The Registration Application & A Quick Summary
I went through the initial registration process (located here: https://www.leapforceathome.com/qrp/core/register/1) and while most of it is fairly straight-forward, you actually do have to attach a resume in order to submit your information. Believe it or not, I don’t have a current resume! So I abandoned the effort since I’m not exactly looking for another job at the moment and was merely testing the waters to write about the opportunity for telecommuting work here on my blog.
So make sure you have a resume ready to upload in any of the following supported formats (text, word, pdf or open office).
Maybe I’ll put a resume together and then go back through to apply and see what LeapForce is all about. Then again, I’ve got more work than I can do at the moment so maybe I”ll hope that someone who is currently working for Leapforce as a Search Engine Evaluator will leave a comment here to let us all know what it’s like (and whether there are any caveats to getting paid!).
UPDATE – June 1, 2011:
Be sure to read (okay, scan over) ALL of the comments below. There are quite a few. Some folks are happy with the work, some aren’t. It seems most complaints stem from invoicing issues. And apparently robots run the place, so don’t expect to speak to a live person if you need help. It’s all automated. What isn’t these days?? Press 1 if you speak English . . .
Thank you to EVERYONE who contributes helpful comments on this post and others!
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
hmmmmmmm, looks like something i could do while i’m bored to tears at my other job. Thank you for sharing ma’am, you’re a gem. I’m off to apply.
@Nessa: Sweet! Let me know how it goes. I wish I had time to get into this one myself.
I’ll keep you posted on the Leapforce application procedure as it unfolds.
I was offered $13.50 hourly and the project is anticipated to last six months. The next step for Leapforce is a two part evaluation that you have a week to complete. They’ll send you the study material too. If you pass both parts of the Search Engine Evaluator exam, you will receive an award of $150! To qualify for the award, you must also complete a minimum of 50 hours of Search Engine Evaluation work at the normal pay rate.
I’ve done search engine evaluating at home before for another company. Evaluating search engines involves ranking and judging relevance websites. The last place wanted to increase accuracy of artificial intelligence that search engines use by comparing it to decisions made by real people.
Llorana – VERY cool! Thank you so much for sharing specific information and please do keep us posted.
Thanks for the post, it sounds like a good opportunity.
Just wondering, did you find the exam hard to do? Or was it pretty easy given they supply the study material?
@Guest: I haven’t actually taken the exam – but I suspect it’s probably not too bad since they do also provide the study material. If you end up giving it a go, stop back by and let everyone know how hard the exam was after studying the material!
I’ll be most happy to do so. I did ask on another forum the same question and someone who took the test did say it was fairly easy. If you take time to read and study, you’ll pass the exam. I will however come back and share my own personal experience as well. It certainly sounds like an interesting job.
I just found out I passed both parts of the exam. More than hard, the second part is exhaustive; using the criteria to classify and evaluate 270 URLs. It takes hours, but they give you a week in which to complete it. The Leapforce FAQ point out that the reason for the exam being so long is partly to see if you have the willingness to do the kind of task they’re asking of you…over and over. As they said, I got the hang of it after awhile, and was really kind of enjoying it by the end. Not for everyone, but $13.50 and my own hours sounds pretty good right now!
@Mary: Thank you SO much for the update. Pop in every now and then and let us know how it’s going!
Hi -
I also did the two-part exam. It is no joke! They emailed me last week saying they would get back to me with a starting date. I’d like to know if anybody has already started working for them yet. I’ll be sure to let you know how things go. Fingers crossed!
I also passed the exam last week. I got an email on 3/19 saying they would get back to me with a start date. I need to start right away. Should I contact them or do you think they are working on it?? Anybody already start yet??
I emailed leapforce after receiving the email stating they were working on a start date and I got a very quick response (same day). Anyway the email stated MAYBE sometime in April because they were waiting for more positions to become available. Can’t wait to start!!!!!
I started to work on April 1. So far so good.
I applied to the Leapforce, Search Engine Evaluator, position and found them to be legit with the CA Secretary of State. I couldn’t find any info on the BBB and never connected with a live person or received a call back when I left a message on the 800#.
It took them a couple weeks to send info. I submitted all the required documents and again waited a couple weeks for a response. I was then notified of my exam dates and the instructions therein. Once received, I was given a week deadline to complete two exams, which included an extensive set of exam guidelines (100pgs) and a predicted 10-20 hrs of my time (said to be compensated once an agent). If I passed the first exam, they said they’d send the second.
I just took the first exam and didn’t pass. In all, I’d say I gave them 5hrs of my time. I’m a sharp cookie and found the material to be quite complex and not applicable of high retention. Something you will need to study and definitely not for everyone. I’m anxious to hear from anyone who passed both exams and are working agents…getting paid.
I just went through the process, and failed the 1st exam. It was barely a 1/2 second after I pressed the submit button. The material was very exhausting and really not up my alley. I didn’t study the material, but used the keyword find feature in the PDF to search for the answer. I think if you get one wrong answer you are out. It is a lot of work for 13.50 an hour, considering the paperwork etc. You have to bill in minutes. Not a scam I don’t think. But all of a sudden I do have an new virus soon after I opened one of their links.
I’m a little worried about sending off my vital information – in this day of identity theft and all. Has anyone actually received any cash from these people?
Passed the Leapforce tests and was hired an hour after I passed second test. Easy work for good pay!
I got my first paycheck three long weeks after submitting my hours for the first month. This month I am due to receive the bonus for taking the two initial exams.
As a contractor, the terms are 30 days, which means they have 30 days to pay you for work already completed.
It doesn’t seem fair to wait so long for hours and hours of work, but it is a legitimate way that many companies do business with contractors these days.
@llorana: Nice. Thank you for sharing the details.
It is quite common to work on a Net-30 basis (or monthly invoices).