Ok. Time to share a secret with y’all…. I’ve been making some extra dough this week by driving for Uber. I’ve actually enjoyed the experience and the punchline is that I think many Jobcasers should drive for them too…..

How it started:
Uber ads seem to be flooding the career/job space. We reached out to them about what’s up and how they might achieve what they want while fixing the experience for members and jobseekers on sites we power. What I found out was pretty cool. They seem to be a company that cares about empowering people, and have a team of well-meaning math/science geniuses to get it done (sounds familiar, right?). Then I found out that they anticipate a LOT more demand for rides and so they want to empower more people as drivers so that they can satisfy their rider demand. The Jobcase team started to consider how we could help match interested Jobcasers for their opportunities in a way that wouldn’t bug uninterested Jobcasers.

But I thought before we go too far down that road I needed to abide by what my parents taught me – "eat your own cooking". I shouldn’t ask anybody to do something that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. You see, if Jobcase.com is going to suggest to millions of people to think about putting in a few hours (or more) each week driving for Uber – I thought I better make sure it’s a good thing to do. So I decided to sign up and drive. Here’s what I know so far.

How I signed up: Uber’s sign up process is pretty painless and very helpful. I suppose if you change your mind halfway through the process you might not like all their follow-ups on text and email- but I found it very helpful that they helped shepherd me through a simple process. I’m pretty sure there were real humans on the other end too– not just bots – which was nice. Here’s what happened: • I clicked on a job listing on Jobcase. • I went to an Uber page and finished my registration while I was on my iphone • I simply took a picture of my driver’s license, my registration to my car and my insurance policy – (ok, my wife’s insurance policy – but I am listed on it). • Then I waited • About 4 days later they said to download the driver app and I was ready to go • Sign up took a total of about 10 minutes (8 of which was me finding my insurance/registration docs). And the wait was so they could do a background driver and criminal check.
• No interviews and simple videos makes this about as easy a gig to get as I’ve ever seen (so long as you are over 21, have insurance, and no serious driving or criminal background issues)

My first drive Ok – I’ve always been honest with my Jobcase family so I won’t stop now – I chickened out on the first drive. I confess to being a bit intimidated wondering what it would actually be like and not wanting to have my first drive go horribly wrong, get a 1 driver rating and have Uber call up asking what the heck I was doing. So.. I asked my daughter to call for an Uber as a rider. I answered the call and my first drive was my own family. It was ridiculously simple. Slide a button when I pick up. Follow the map on the phone. Slide when I drop off. Wait for next call for pickup. But as embarrassing as it is to admit I chickened out on the first drive – I also don’t think it’s a bad strategy to start with a friend/relative. Because when I did go for my first “official’ drive I had a LOT of confidence that I knew exactly what I was doing.

What I learned after a few drives: I’ve now driven a lot of people. It’s pretty fun actually. Almost like a video game. Click buttons, do actions, get star ratings – but in this game you get some serious cash. Here are some initial take-aways: • So far, everyone I have picked up has been nice in my car. Some want to talk, some don’t. But I guess because Uber knows who they are; no-one has been at all awkward or unkind. And the drivers are rated too - so you don't have to pick up a rider that has a low rating from other drivers. nice. • You get rated by each rider so you want to try and get as high a rating as you can (I think this can help in your fulltime career too – more on that later – so you want good ratings!). • Ratings go up when you remember to have your car clean, and yourself dressed fairly nicely (not talking Oscar red carpet here, but a collared shirt and maybe sportcoat go a long way).
• Ratings go up when: you speak kindly, & start the ride by asking if they want a music station; when you have some water; and when you make sure the car is clean and smells decent. then be quiet - most people don't want to talk to the driver. • The app is dirt simple to use as a driver – and kinda fun. • The cash you earn is calculated almost immediately - fun to see it rack up as you drive. • The most frustrating thing is being ready to drive but not getting anybody requesting a car. You can fix this by staying close to colleges, events, higher populated cities, etc. In my case – Natick/Framingham area = nothing, but Cambridge/Somerville/Medford = nonstop rides.

Why I think Jobcasers should think about driving for Uber once in a while.... I believe there are 3 reasons Jobcasers should think about driving for Uber.
1) You can make good money by simply doing what you do everyday anyways – drive. I figure in most areas you can probably make at least $20/hour and in some ways/places a LOT more. But lets look at the lower side. If you drove 1 hour before work and 2 hours after you probably wouldn’t have to change much in your life at all and you’d come way with over $15k/year added to your regular job. I am told with some early learning you can figure out getting it over $30/hour in which case you can add nearly $25k/year just with a few hours a day. (I’m going to experiment and write more about earning potential later this month – but already I can see it’s a ‘win’ – just not sure how much yet). 2) Uber can be a general resume builder if you are currently unemployed. Blank spots in resumes and profiles beg questions of what you were doing. These are best filled with volunteering stories or other work. Driving for Uber is a legitimate profile builder. 3) Uber driving might help get better fulltime jobs – you/we can use ratings as references for employers. I believe Employers will may look at people’s ratings as Uber Drivers as a screen for employment if you wish to let them see your rating. If you are a 4+ driver (5 point rating scale) this would tell an employer you are prompt, can handle basic technology, are agreeable with customers, etc. This might be a fastrack to that next fulltime job you want!

Well, that’s it for this morning. The punchline is that I wouldn’t advocate something that I don’t know about. I now know about Uber as a rider and driver and I’ve met the management. The leadership DOES seem to care about empowering people. They care about the environment and have visions of how ride-sharing reduces pollution and uses resources better. They have big plans. And they have created a work opportunity that can be easy, fun and money-making. I think it’s worth consideration. I plan to try a few more experiments and write more – but suggest you think about it….. Fred #uber #extradough #gigs #considerthis