With the rise of work-from-home opportunities, many companies were created to suit the needs of society. Some are focused on adding home-based jobs to their existing on-site jobs, while others offer a different perspective on work, providing only remote offers.

One of the companies in the second group is Appen. It is known by a few people who work offline and is mainly popular among remote workers for its project opportunities. This company was founded in 1996, but I learned about it in 2015 when I joined them. At that time, they were still using their old name, Appen Butler Hill, and things were quite different — the team, the projects, and even their website.

What is Appen's primary field?

Confidence to Deploy World-class AI

~ Appen's mission statement

Appen deals with machine learning and is actively involved in developing artificial intelligence. If you look at their services, it's no wonder that linguistics is a crucial subject, and qualifications in that area would ensure better positions within the company. Just to get an idea of what they actually do, here are some examples:

— Automatic speech recognition (or ASR) is when you use your voice to talk to a device, and your words are automatically converted into text that you can use.

— Training data for machine learning is when you use collected data or information to measure your results and achieve a particular goal.

— Virtual assistant enhancement is when you add value to a virtual assistant's performance and improve usability.

— Computer vision is a field related to using AI to perform specific tasks on digital images.

What types of jobs does Appen offer?

You can expect to find projects on:

— transcription → where you listen to audio and type it as text following guidelines.

— social media evaluation → where you assess text pieces according to preset criteria.

— translation → where you translate from your native language to another language and vice versa.

— data collection → where you provide the data you create per given instructions.

— mystery shopping → where you purchase products and provide feedback about them.

And the list goes on according to the correct projects and necessities.

If you are good at handling large amounts of information, quickly grasp detailed instructions, and love working alone, this is the right place to start. Most of the projects are truly fun and exciting, and you will have quite a lot of flexibility.

You can choose your schedule based on your availability and appointments outside the job if you ensure deadlines and your weekly or monthly quota are met. You can also work on weekends and holidays if that's an offer you're interested in.

What will your responsibilities be?

The tasks you will be performing daily will vary depending on the project you are involved in and will include any or some of the following:

— translating: They offer different translation pairs. Depending on your skills, you might be eligible for multiple languages if you are fluent and proficient in your translation services.

— transcribing (speech to text): For transcription projects, it is best for the language of the audio you are listening to and typing to be your native language.

— annotating: providing personal insights about texts, phrases, and content to help develop a better product or service.

— labeling: applying labels to data to make it easier to use, analyze, and distribute. This is primarily a repetitive task that requires close attention to detail.

— categorizing: deciding if a specific text falls under a predefined set of categories based on instructions.

— fact-checking: confirming if the information is correct by researching its context and verifying if the original data is accurate.

— researching: looking up information in any search engine and analyzing it to perform a given set of tasks.

— many other data-related tasks depending on the project and necessity. I am sure the list will go on as things change. We'll see.

And before you get overwhelmed by so many terms and tasks, I want to reveal that the actual work you will complete for most projects is a lot of fun. I caught myself laughing out loud at something I saw in a project or a remark from a teammate about a task. This is part of my daily routine.

What qualifications do you need?

As I previously mentioned, education or a diploma in linguistics is best for working with this company. However, this is not a strict requirement. You can start collaborating with them with a high school diploma or higher degree in a different field. I have no linguistics qualification, and some of the tasks seem more complicated to me with my economics degree, but it's primarily a question of motivation.

What is the work environment?

I have been working with Appen since 2015 (around 8 years) and can confirm that the team is amiable. Diversity is one of the company's core values, and as it matches one of my own, I enjoy working with them to the maximum. Once you join the team, you feel accepted. There is a lot of fun going on in communication regarding work-related matters, and it feels like home.

The company is actively involved in contractors' satisfaction and well-being and is putting a lot of effort into these areas. They have an entire team dedicated to creating an atmosphere workers would find comfortable. Their efforts are reflected in increased productivity and accuracy.

So far, in my professional life, I have never seen a company with better values and goals. The company is devoted to providing outstanding results for all projects it engages with and motivating all contractors to do the same. Cooperating with such people and challenging yourself to do your best is a true inspiration.

Results don't go unnoticed. A big part of the feedback provided is focused on positivity. The job you did excellently is rewarded with warm congratulations and sometimes bonuses. It is also possible for workers to grow and take on an even more responsible position within the company.

Since Appen provides work based on projects, the payment differs according to the type of tasks, difficulty, budget, and other factors. In all cases, you can expect to get at least the minimum payment per hour or month, as the company strictly follows laws related to employment. However, as you will be working as an individual contractor, you must file your own taxes and documentation. Applicable taxes and fees vary according to nationality, so checking this information with local VAT departments is best.

Appen is a large company, and all payments are handled strictly, so one should feel confident about getting paid. Even if an issue arises, they will do everything necessary to sort the problem out as quickly as possible to ensure their contributors are receiving their dues promptly and accurately.

What's in it for me?

✅ Fun and exciting job

✅ Flexibility to the maximum

✅ Potential for growth

✅ International friendly team

✅ On-time payments

If this opportunity fits your requirements and needs, apply here. Good luck, and see you there!

Originally published at https://www.theworkmaster.com on May 6, 2023.