Data entry is the process of submitting information in the form of characters, text, addresses, phone numbers, etc. in a database for various purposes. On line data work is generally a home-based work that is carried out in the confines of one's residence or a relatively smaller place of work. Individuals working in this field are known as on line data entry operators, information processing workers, or data entry keyers.
The sudden emergence and prominence of this work type is due to the fact that personal computers and Internet connections are commonplace in most homes these days. The advantages of on line data entry work is that housewives, students and other individuals who cannot work in a full time position can carry out these tasks from home and earn a decent amount of money. Also, the execution of this work does not require highly skilled professionals, thus making it more feasible for people with decent knowledge of computers to carry it out.
Description
On line data entry operators make use of a variety of computing tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, database interfaces and specific software tools in order to carry out their work of entering data in a particular system. They have to input various kinds of data such as statistical figures, names, and additional information, which is available on printed documents, soft copies, or on line sources. Occasionally, they may need to edit existing data in a database, verify the accuracy of the current information and add more details to it whenever needed.
The data entered and edited by online data entry operators generally belong to industries where a lot of data is generated and needs to be sorted accordingly. Few examples of such industries are health care, banking, membership clubs and some low level governmental agencies. As they mainly work from home, they are given tasks that take weeks or even up to a month to complete. They have to send daily work reports to a reporting supervisor and communicate with the hiring organization via email, on line chat or telephone.
Skills and Requirements
Most organizations look for individuals who can type in a fast and accurate manner. They need to be proficient in the usage of computers along with good knowledge of software programs such as MS Excel, Power Point, Word and browsing the Internet. They need to have good grammar, spelling and punctuation skills as it is necessary while verifying and editing information on a given database system.
A high school diploma is the required minimum educational qualification for those who are interested in this line of work. Although it is not common, some data entry jobs may require the operators to take special courses that are related to the work subject. Online data entry operators are generally trained on a specific task that they are assigned.
Career Advancement
As this is not usually considered to be a full time work, online data entry operators consider this job to be a stepping stone to other jobs in the IT or online media industry. Most people consider this work to be a good source of income, especially since it does not require one to travel to work and has flexible work timings and deadlines. In some cases, they may advance to the position of a full time data entry supervisor in an organization that works on site rather than a place of residence.
Earnings and Benefits
On an average, online data entry work professionals earn around $26,000. This figure could vary depending upon the specific hiring company, the nature of the job and the skill level of the person. As this is not considered to be a full time job, they do not receive additional benefits in the form of paid vacations, sick leaves and health insurance plans.
Thus, online data entry work is an ideal way of earning money for those who do not have the time and facility to work in a full time job. With the experience gained in this line of work, one can look to enter into the field of online services, online media and even basic level IT based jobs.