My favorite freelance gig so far

**edited to add extra details!**
Since remote side gigs come up a lot here, I wanted to share one I’ve liked the most so far. It’s been way more consistent than other freelance sites I’ve tried.

I’ve been a contributor with Babel Audio since July, and I’m now on my sixth project with them. I originally signed up because I needed something flexible I could do from home while my kids are at school and my husband is at work, and it’s honestly been a really good fit.

They’re actively recruiting right now for their English Generalist project. It pays $17.50 per recorded hour, and each conversation lasts about 10 minutes, so you’re doing a bunch of short conversations rather than long calls. Your home needs to be fairly quiet, and you’ll need a mic and headphones. Smaller rooms usually work a little better. A lot of people record in closets, and soft blankets or clothes can help with noise. Once you have your setup sorted out, it’s really fun and easy.

If you’re a little nervous about talking to strangers, that’s totally normal. Most people get used to it quickly, and it actually gets easier and more relaxed after a few conversations. You’re automatically placed into a private room when matched with someone else in the queue, so you don’t have to worry about finding someone to work with. I had been worried about that before I started because I thought it would be a scheduling hassle, but they make it really easy.

During the calls we’re required to keep personal identifying details out of our conversations, so your name, location, and other personal information are kept private.

There’s a big list of conversation topics to choose from. Each topic includes a bunch of questions you can use as prompts. One of you will start by asking a question, and the other will answer and ask follow-up questions, letting the conversation go wherever it naturally takes you. Sometimes it’s mostly one person sharing their story while the other listens and asks follow-up questions. Other times, both people take turns sharing experiences and asking follow-up questions, so both are actively involved. When you’re paired with someone, you can let them know which topics you’d rather skip or which ones you enjoy talking about. You can also choose to skip specific topics each time. For example, I usually skip sports. Most of the time you end up having genuinely interesting conversations, and everyone I’ve been matched with so far has been friendly and easygoing.

I’ve actually made friends through Babel, even though that might sound a little cheesy. Working from home can feel isolating, so it’s nice to connect with other people in similar situations. A lot of people have been around long enough to help new contributors, which makes the whole experience much less intimidating. This one should be around for a while since it’s fairly new, and there are potential opportunities to be invited to other projects if you do well.

If anyone’s interested, I can DM you a link that helps you get started faster and move to the top of the applicants. Let me know if you have any questions! 🙂

TLDR: After a long stretch of searching and trying many flops with other AI training companies, I joined Babel Audio. I’m currently working on several projects with them, the English Generalist project recently had more positions open up. They offer referral links through current contributors that help get your application moving faster. I’m happy to share that or answer any questions if anyone wants to give it a try 🙂