My experience with Onforce

Hello everyone,

I have been on Onforce for a few weeks now and I thought I would share my experiences since there is a lot of people looking for extra experience or to just make a few extra bucks.

I heard about Onforce about two years ago and tried to sign up then (at that point, I had just CompTIA certifications and about a year and a half of IT job experience). My profile never was approved due to lack of experience or certifications. They never really give you the whole excuse but the point is that I moved on and didn't think about Onforce again for some time.

Cue to about a month ago when I decided to start seriously saving for a house. I now have about three and a half years of IT experience and some Cisco and Microsoft certifications under my belt so I decided to try to apply for Onforce again. I submitted my profile and waited to see if it would be approved.... only to be declined again. I was discouraged to say the least and figured that I might as well start posting Craigslist ads for extra work when, out of the blue, I received an email two days later stating that my profile was approved. WTF? I figured I'd go with it. I had to do a phone interview with one of Onforce's people and do a quick online training on how to use their ticketing system.

Now let me quickly give you an explanation of Onforce - Other companies outsource to Onforce to do their technical work. You could get jobs that are from all ranges: AV setup, virus removal, OS install, router failures, etc and I have yet to been assigned a job that was less than $75/hr. I'm getting ahead of myself though. When you first start out, you don't get a lot of jobs. I got one for my first week and decided to try some of Onforce's recommendations to improve my odds at getting more work orders. I paid $50 for my background check, paid another $50 for a drug test, set my service area to a 50 mile radius from my location, and I completed two online training courses so I could be added to two popular vendor's Preferred Private Networks (PPNs). Thanks to doing all those things, I'm getting routed an average of 3 work orders a day. It must be the vendor's PPNs that I joined but the jobs I'm getting are usually malware removal, PC optimization, and OS install and they are all about $110/hr for the work. Another important detail is that when you are assigned an order, it's also routed to other technicians in your area so it's first come, first serve. I just keep the Onforce page up on my desktop while at work and have text message notification of new orders so I can quickly accept. I've lost maybe 10% of the orders to quicker techs but I end up getting the majority of them.

So I went from getting almost no orders to making about $200-300 extra a day. I wanted to share my experience with everyone because I know a lot of us are hard up for cash or wanting to pick up a little extra experience. Anyways, feel free to ask me any questions. I've only been doing this for about 3 weeks now but I'd be happy to share any experiences I've been having both positive and negative.

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

afcyung

What are the extra hours you are picking up like? Is it durring your work day or are the jobs flexible?

Iristheangel

I find that a lot of them are in the morning between 8-12 but if other techs don't put up the work order I get, I can negotiate a better time to go to that job. I currently work at my day job from 6am - 3pm, but my employer is flexible and I am seriously considering changing my schedule to 11am-8pm just so I can get a morning job in every day. It's usually easy jobs like installing an OS, malware removal, etc at residential. I'd say I'm getting 2-3 work orders a day but I have to pass up half of those due to my current work schedule. If I change my current schedule, I'll be making even more than I am now.

LinuxRacr

Very informative. I have never heard of that site before. I will have to check it out.

theanimal

This is an old thread with no replies, I know. I figured though seeing as how you, Iris, are pretty familiar and open about OnForce I'd post here.

I recently signed up for OnForce and WorkMarket. I only have an A+, I'm currently working on my CCNA and I have been in a NOC position for about 9 months (I know, how lucky, actually it's my smooth talking lol).

My only prior experience is stuff like being a lead tech at Staples as part of their EasyTech program. I also am a USMC reservist as a Data Network Specialist.

I still have to completely fill out my OnForce profile so I don't think I've been approved/rejected yet, but being as you were rejected and you had multiple CompTIA certs, I'm wondering if it's even worth my time to try for OF right now. I would like to get married and buy a house soon, and extra money would be great.

I have almost completed my WM profile, and I was looking at paying for the drug testing/background check, but atm I really don't want to pay for it on both sites. I had signed up for WM about 3 weeks ago and without even adding anything to my profile, I had gotten three assignments that I could have accepted, granted they were only at the $30/hr range. I haven't gotten anything since then. I hope that's not a sign that work is dry around here. If I could make half as much as some people claim they make per week that'd be great. I also feel like my work hours help me slightly. I work Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed from 5am-3:30pm and I have off Thur, Fri, Sat so I could work all day during those 3 days.

Not to toot my own horn, but here as a NOC I've worked with everything from typical NOC stuff, as well as Telecom stuff working with PBX's and Call Manager. As well as doing POS related things. We work with AD the servers quite frequently, as well as troubleshooting lots of wireless issues. We actually have quite a bit of access and responsibility. Also from just years and years of working on PC's, virus removal and OS installs, hardware repairs, are pretty basic. So though I may be under-certified, I feel as if I'm plenty qualified for majority of the jobs.

Sorry for the rambling, just looking for some suggestions from someone with more experience.

drkat

I have 3 paid work orders.. all from 2006

shows how much I use it LOL

Untitled.jpg

theanimal

drkat wrote: »

I have 3 paid work orders.. all from 2006

shows how much I use it LOL

Why is that? lol, just wasn't your thing?

sratakhin

I signed up for Workmarket about a month ago. I only did one call and it was pretty easy and straightforward. 80 bucks to install a new printer? Give me 10 of them

Due to my schedule and proximity of work, I usually decline or try to negotiate other times but so far I haven't been lucky.

Cisc0kidd

I've been on OF since 2004 and completed 2100+ work orders there. Most work is $30 per hour or less per on site hour although there is some good work there also.

theanimal

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST

Are there chances of my profile being accepted though being I only have an A+, and a wasted 'degree' from my stupid years from ITT. I planned on completing the profile and seeing where I stand regardless, but I just don't want to waste time in it if I won't see a profitable return.

Cisc0kidd

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST

I believe there are two requirements. One, a year (could be two) of computer experience and two, that they not be over saturated in your area.

theanimal

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST
Also, any extra money is great money for me, I'm just curious why your numbers, $30/hr seem much lower than the others I have seen a lot of people quote?

Thanks for the responses btw.

Cisc0kidd

theanimal wrote: »

Also, any extra money is great money for me, I'm just curious why your numbers, $30/hr seem much lower than the others I have seen a lot of people quote?

Thanks for the responses btw.

Don't get me wrong, I don't accept the bottom dollar stuff but that is the majority of what there is. Also at first you'll only get the bottom dollar stuff if any. Piling up completed work orders, background check, drug test, and building relationships will help. I have a net-app device install for Monday.

PS If you have a CCNA or higher that would be helpful for the few higher end wo that come through.

Iristheangel

I worked on Onforce/Work Market for about 3 months total. I had to stop when I got my latest job and I'll probably start it up again in September. For those three months for part-time work, I made probably around $k. Some of my work orders would be as high as $300 and as low as $70. I'd say the average was about $110-150. What really helped me was getting my drug/background check done and joining the PPNs. I never really got paid or offered $30 work orders on Onforce (though if someone would cancel their work order within 24 hours, the fee they'd have to pay me was $40 which ended up as $38-something when Onforce's percentage was taken out). I got a LOT of weird wonky $30 work orders from Work Market though but I'd ignore them. My time and gas was worth more than that. I've attached a screenshot of a normal few days at OnForce here. I didn't really do much for Work Market. Probably only 2 work orders for them ever which were $70 and $80 so I won't bother attaching them here

Workforce.jpg

Cisc0kidd

OF's cancellation fee is $30 not $40. My biggest OF wo was $8k installing routers, switches and providing on site support for a corporate network install at a reserach facility as a contractor for IBM. Most of the low dollar stuff is break fix or scanner/pinpad installs. It use to be much better a few years ago. I've completed a grand total of 1 wo on WM.

Iristheangel

The work orders I got through my PPN's gave me a cancellation fee of $40. It might be different for the PPNs you were working with or the individual work orders you did, but I never got paid less than $40 for a cancellation. Except for one work order, I only did work orders through my PPNs

Cisc0kidd

Iristheangel wrote: »

The work orders I got through my PPN's gave me a cancellation fee of $40. It might be different for the PPNs you were working with or the individual work orders you did, but I never got paid less than $40 for a cancellation. Except for one work order, I only did work orders through my PPNs

I haven't come across any OF Buyers that had a $40 cancellation fee. That doesn't mean there isn't one out there.

OnForce - Help Topics

sratakhin

I just completed their training. The cancellation fee is $30. Still, not too bad. I used to charge less for coming out and fixing a problem.

Iristheangel

That sucks that the ones you got only paid $30. I'm in Southern California and I always got $40 or over for cancellations. One specific PPN always paid $45 for cancellation fees (see attached picture)

I think it all depends on the PPNs and the the area you're at. From the Onforce forums, depending on the area and the availability of reliable techs, techs have been able to negotiate mileage, larger cancellation fees, larger hourly, etc. As I said, I only worked one work order that wasn't a PPN work order and I didn't get a cancellation on that one.

Workforce2.jpg

sratakhin

I'm in Nebraska. The cost of living here is much lower than in Orange County, so it's not a big deal

I just started. Haven't done any work yet, but will see how it goes.

Cisc0kidd

Iristheangel wrote: »

That sucks that the ones you got only paid $30. I'm in Southern California and I always got $40 or over for cancellations. One specific PPN always paid $45 for cancellation fees (see attached picture)

I think it all depends on the PPNs and the the area you're at. From the Onforce forums, depending on the area and the availability of reliable techs, techs have been able to negotiate mileage, larger cancellation fees, larger hourly, etc. As I said, I only worked one work order that wasn't a PPN work order and I didn't get a cancellation on that one.

Actually the cancellation fee is pretty universally $30 on OF. (I am not saying you haven't found 2 exceptions.) What PPNs are they? As to negotiating higher fees that is pretty unusual with the exception of a couple techs that will drive long distances (ie Chris and Don in Wisconsin) and just a few of the Buyers. Most of the Buyers want to pay bottom dollar no matter what it costs them in poor quality work. I wish it weren't so.

Iristheangel

That's just the way it was with the PPNs I was working with. It could be because of my location since the cost of living is highers or the PPNs specifically. I was lucky enough to only have 4 or 5 cancellations over the course of 3 months and they all popped out between $40-45. As far as naming PPNs, you know I can't answer that on here. Part of our contractual obligation with these PPNs is to not share the company's names and specific pricing. I've been general so far but if I started naming PPNs publicly and their pricing, I risk the possibility of saying goodbye to any extra work I may take from them in the future when I reactivate my profile.

sratakhin

Iristheangel, how did you get invites to PPNs?

Iristheangel

A couple required that I do some free Dell certifications online but most just required that I complete Onforce's training for that PPN and have my background/drug test completed.

I don't know how many PPNs will be available in Nebraska. I have a friend up in Portland who signed up for Onforce and he gets half the volume of work orders that I ever received. It's hard in those more remote areas.

Cisc0kidd

Iristheangel wrote: »

Part of our contractual obligation with these PPNs is to not share the company's names and specific pricing.

I have to admit I haven't seen that in any of the PPNs I belong to. I also must say that most PPNs expect you to do more for less. Forget that.

Cisc0kidd

Iristheangel wrote: »

I have a friend up in Portland who signed up for Onforce and he gets half the volume of work orders that I ever received. It's hard in those more remote areas.

That's because I suck up anything decent in Portland! I leave the low priced junk for others.

There use to be 2 of us here that did 95% of the work orders before pricing got so cheap. He eventually left and now I try to pu most of the decent stuff. There are about 5 or 6 guys picking up the remainders.

Iristheangel

The area I'm in, we have hundreds of techs around. I worked probably 6 work orders a week and declined about 60-100 weekly since the hours or days didn't work for me. While I've ran across a few techs in the area that use it as a primary source of income, I used/will use Onforce for extra house savings money.

Cisc0kidd

Oops I forgot about ATT. They have a $45 site not ready fee. I use to run some calls for them but their terms got ridicules. They also route outside their PPN if no one accepts it at their too low rates. In addition I hate HP tattoos.

ptilsen

I signed up for Workmarket about six months ago, and I've only had a couple offers even worth looking at. It seems 80% of it is basic PC/printer nonsense, usually paying under $30/hr. I haven't put up a picture, drug/background check, or really invested too much time into it, but it just doesn't seem practical for someone working a 50-hour M-F job already doing weekend work and going to school.

My thought process is that I make enough money in my day job, and that my spare time should be focused on studying for certifications and school. Now $75/hr is enough to make me look twice at Workmarket, but I'm still hesitant to really invest anything in it. What would you say was the most important helpful addition to your profile, Iris? The drug/background check?

Iristheangel

I only had my background check done on WorkMarket (they had a half off sale) and I found that the majority of work orders that were offering any money were gone before I signed into the site to accept them. I got a lot of $30 TV and printer repair ones on there that I just ignored.

I had the drug test and background check at the same time on Onforce since it was required by the PPNs I wanted to sign up for. I can't really tell you which one helped me more due to that but before both cleared and I joined the PPNs, I was getting 1 work order a week routed to me. It was pretty pathetic. After I joined the PPNs, I was getting hit hard with work orders (about 20-30 a day during the week and 5-10 on weekends). The good thing about Onforce was that everyone that viewed the work order had to wait three minutes before they could accept the work order. I got on the Android app beta. I would view a work order on my phone to start the timer before most people would get a chance to view it and then view the complete work order on my computer to see if I wanted to claim it. If I didn't have the mobile app, I would have probably missed out on a lot of work orders and wouldn't be able to be picky.

sratakhin

Ptilsen, there are probably many techs in your area, that's why rates are so low. I've seen a few jobs that pay about $100-150, but was unable to accept them because of my schedule. The cheapest gig I saw was like $50, and it was to connect a printer to a wireless network.