Question about Odesk and contacting clients through their website?

[zonryzita]

So I'm new to Odesk and I don't want to ruin things because I really need the work. I applied for several translating jobs on Odesk but because my profile is so new, I haven't built up feedback yet, so it's hard to get hired as an independent contractor yet. But I'm going to be patient and keep on trying.

I applied for this one translating job on Odesk. The Client's profile shows a website that I can access to check out what they're about. So I did.

I am tempted to send the Client and email.. from my personal email, not from Odesk. My intention is to inquire about translating jobs, but instead of doing it from Odesk, I'd be doing it from my email. However, I have a feeling this isn't permitted and if the Client finds out that I'm the same person applying for the job on Odesk, he could report me.

Or, what I could do is just shoot him an email and tell him I'm one of the applicants on Odesk for such-and-such job and I'd like to just ask him to please consider me for an interview (and proceed to re-iterate why I am the ideal person for the job). In this way, I'm not actually soliciting work OUTSIDE Odesk, I'm just trying to catch his attention so he will consider me for an interview ON O-desk.

I've applied for several of his jobs (and I really WANT to do a job, because it's exactly what I'm qualified for)... but I know he's ignoring my application because I'm so new and I don't have feedback yet. Other than that, I am a verified user on Odesk, and my test scores are good.

What do you all suggest? Thanks!

[Jake]

Typically communicating outside of the marketplace's channels is a violation of their terms, which you could read through, getting a track record of satisfied customers, so important for getting more customers is tough at first, I suppose you have to do what you have to do, just bear in mind the potential employer is probably the only source from which Odesk would hear of the off campus solicitation, don't be overly aggressive in your communications or so anything that might motivate them to turn you in, sounding dumb about policy might be better than talking collusion.

[G N A]

If you applied on oDesk to a particular company and then contact them stating that you found them on oDesk, yes your account with them will be cancelled because you violated the terms of service. And consider this, he may not be ignoring you because of your low rating on oDesk. It's up to the client whether he hires you or not - and he pays for his listing on oDesk. He's definitely not going to hire someone who can't follow instructions, which you will be doing if you contact him outside oDesk