Online working offers land survey professionals in Kenya an opportunity to expand their service delivery beyond traditional boundaries. With increasing internet penetration and mobile connectivity, surveyors can engage clients from diverse locations, access specialized tasks, and collaborate on projects remotely. This chapter explores how land survey practitioners can leverage online jobs to enhance their careers, manage digital profiles, and navigate various platforms tailored for freelance or contract work.

6.1 Introduction to Online Working

The digital economy has introduced a variety of online jobs that land surveyors can perform from any location with internet access. This mode of work provides flexibility, reduces the need for physical presence, and enables access to a broader market, including international clients. Understanding the types of online jobs and the platforms that facilitate such work is essential for land survey professionals aiming to diversify income sources or supplement on-site assignments.

6.1.1 Types of online Jobs

Online jobs for land surveyors encompass a range of services that can be delivered digitally or with minimal site visits. These jobs vary in complexity, duration, and client interaction, allowing professionals to choose based on expertise and availability.

Mapping and GIS Data Analysis

Land surveyors can provide geographic information system (GIS) data processing, map creation, and spatial analysis services online. This includes digitizing field data, creating thematic maps, and performing spatial queries to support urban planning or environmental management projects.

Remote Survey Data Processing

Clients often require processing of survey data collected in the field, such as point clouds from total stations or drone photogrammetry outputs. Surveyors can perform data cleaning, coordinate calculations, and generate deliverables like contour maps or boundary reports remotely.

Technical Report Writing and Documentation

Preparing detailed survey reports, boundary descriptions, and compliance documentation can be done online. This service demands strong writing skills and familiarity with local land laws, which supports clients such as land developers, legal firms, or government agencies.

Consultancy and Advisory Services

Online consultancy includes advising clients on survey methodologies, regulatory requirements, or land use planning through video calls, emails, or webinars. This service is valuable for clients unfamiliar with technical survey aspects or requiring project oversight.

Training and Capacity Building

Experienced land surveyors can conduct online training sessions or webinars for junior surveyors, students, or clients interested in understanding surveying principles. This supports knowledge transfer and professional development within the sector.

Data Annotation and AI Training Work

Data annotation is the labelling of images, text, audio, video or map data so that artificial intelligence (AI) systems can learn from it, for example drawing boxes around buildings and roads on aerial photographs or tagging land cover types on satellite images. Surveyors and GIS technicians are well suited to geospatial annotation because they already interpret maps and imagery accurately. The work is usually paid per task or per hour through crowd-work platforms, and it suits people who want flexible, home-based work. Example: a recently qualified survey technician in Machakos labelled rooftops and roads on drone images for an annotation platform while waiting for field contracts.

Transcription, Translation and Data Entry

Transcription converts recorded speech into written text, translation and localisation convert content between languages such as English and Kiswahili, and data entry captures information from forms, field books or scanned documents into digital systems. These jobs need accuracy, good language skills and attention to instructions rather than specialist surveying knowledge. Example: a land surveying firm outsourced the typing of old field book records into spreadsheets to an online freelancer, saving its office staff time.

6.1.2 Online job platforms

Choosing the right online job platform is critical for land survey professionals to find relevant opportunities, build a reputation, and secure payments. Platforms vary in focus, fees, and client base, influencing how surveyors engage with potential employers.

General Freelance Marketplaces

Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr host a wide range of freelance jobs, including surveying-related tasks. They offer access to an international client base but often require competitive bidding and profile building to stand out.

Specialized Surveying and GIS Platforms

Some platforms cater specifically to geospatial professionals, such as GIS Cloud or GeoJobs Network. These sites provide targeted job listings, industry-specific tools, and networking opportunities within the surveying community.

Professional Networking Sites

LinkedIn and similar sites allow surveyors to showcase skills, connect with clients, and receive job offers based on professional profiles. These platforms emphasize reputation and endorsements over transactional job postings.

Government and Institutional Portals

County governments and agencies like the National Land Commission occasionally advertise contract opportunities online. Surveyors can register on these portals to access tenders and project calls relevant to public sector work.

Remote Work and Microtask Sites

Platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk or Clickworker offer microtasks that may include data entry or validation related to survey data. While less specialized, these platforms provide quick jobs suitable for supplementing income.

Comparison of the Curriculum Platforms

Availability, eligible countries, pay rates and payment methods on these platforms change often, so the current terms should always be checked on each platform’s official website before registering.

Avoiding Online Job Scams

• Never pay to get a job: Genuine platforms do not charge registration, "activation" or training fees to start work.
• Do not buy or rent accounts: Using another person’s account breaks platform rules and leads to permanent bans and lost earnings.
• Keep work and payment on the platform: Clients who ask to move payment off the platform remove the protection the platform offers.
• Protect personal data: Do not share passwords, M-Pesa PINs or identity documents outside official verification processes.
• Verify the website address: Register only through the platform’s official website, not links sent through social media groups.

6.1.2.1 Remo task

Remotasks is a crowd-work platform, operated by Scale AI, on which workers complete data labelling tasks used to train artificial intelligence systems, such as drawing boxes around vehicles in images, segmenting objects pixel by pixel, labelling 3D LiDAR point clouds and annotating map imagery. Workers take free online training courses for each task type and must pass qualification tasks before being given paid work, and pay depends on the task type, speed and accuracy. The platform became widely known among young people in Kenya, but in 2024 it stopped serving several countries, including Kenya, so learners must confirm whether it currently accepts workers from their country before relying on it. Example: a group of GIS students at a technical training institute studied Remotasks’ LiDAR labelling courses to understand how point cloud annotation is done, a skill that also applies to processing drone survey data.

Steps to Get Started on Remotasks

1. Check availability: Confirm on the official website that the platform accepts workers from your country.
2. Create an account: Register with a valid email address and your real name.
3. Complete identity verification: Provide the identity details requested through the official process.
4. Take training courses: Complete the free lessons for a task type, such as 2D boxes or LiDAR.
5. Pass qualification tasks: Complete the test tasks to the required accuracy to unlock paid work.
6. Work on paid tasks: Follow the task instructions carefully, since accuracy affects pay and access.
7. Set up payment: Link a supported payment account and track earnings on the dashboard.

6.1.2.2 Data annotation tech

Data Annotation Tech (DataAnnotation) is a platform that pays workers to help train and evaluate AI chatbots and models, through tasks such as comparing two AI answers and rating which is better, writing high-quality prompts and answers, checking facts, and reviewing or writing computer code. New workers sit an entry assessment that tests writing, reasoning and accuracy, and those who pass are offered projects on a dashboard, often paid hourly, with higher rates for coding and specialist projects. Because the work involves judging the correctness of answers, technical knowledge such as surveying, mathematics or programming can lead to better-paid specialist projects. Example: a surveyor with good Python skills qualified for coding projects, reviewing AI-written scripts that convert coordinates between systems.

Steps to Work on Data Annotation Tech

1. Check eligibility: Confirm that the platform accepts workers from your country on its official site.
2. Sign up: Register with your details and an email address.
3. Take the starter assessment: Answer the writing and reasoning questions carefully, without rushing.
4. Take specialist assessments: Complete extra qualification tests, such as coding, to unlock better projects.
5. Choose projects: Select available projects from the dashboard and read the instructions fully.
6. Submit quality work: Follow guidelines exactly and record time honestly, since quality reviews affect access.
7. Receive payment: Transfer earnings to a linked PayPal account, which can be withdrawn to M-Pesa through PayPal’s mobile money service.

6.1.2.3 Cloud worker

A cloud worker is a person who completes digital tasks remotely over the internet for organisations, usually as part of a managed online workforce rather than as an independent freelancer bidding for jobs. Companies known as managed workforce providers, such as CloudFactory, which has a delivery centre in Nairobi, recruit cloud workers, train them, place them in teams with a team leader, and assign them steady work such as image annotation, document processing and data cleaning for international clients. Compared with open crowd platforms, cloud worker roles tend to offer more regular hours, training and supervision, but they require applying, passing tests and meeting attendance and quality targets. Example: a graduate of a geomatics diploma joined a managed cloud workforce labelling satellite images of farms for an agricultural analytics client, working fixed shifts from home.

Features of Cloud Worker Roles

• Managed teams: Workers are grouped into teams with a leader who assigns and checks work.
• Training provided: New workers are trained on client tools and quality standards.
• Regular schedules: Work is often organised in agreed weekly hours or shifts.
• Quality targets: Accuracy and productivity are measured and affect continued engagement.
• Professional development: Workers can build digital skills and move into leadership or quality roles.

6.1.2.4 Upwork

Upwork is one of the largest online freelance marketplaces, where clients post jobs and freelancers submit proposals to win contracts in fields such as GIS mapping, AutoCAD drafting, data analysis, report writing and web development. Freelancers build a profile showing their skills, portfolio, rates and client reviews, and spend Connects (platform credits) to submit proposals; contracts can be fixed-price, paid by milestones, or hourly, tracked through Upwork’s time tracker. Upwork deducts a service fee from earnings and protects payments through escrow for fixed-price work and payment protection for tracked hourly work. Example: a surveyor in Nakuru won a fixed-price contract on Upwork to digitise and georeference 40 old cadastral maps for an overseas land information project, delivered entirely online.

Steps to Win Work on Upwork

1. Create a complete profile: Add a professional photo, a clear title such as "GIS Analyst and AutoCAD Drafter", an overview and your skills.
2. Build a portfolio: Upload samples such as maps, drawings and reports, removing any confidential client information.
3. Verify your identity: Complete Upwork’s identity verification so your profile can be approved and paid.
4. Search for suitable jobs: Use filters for skills, budget and client history to find jobs you can deliver well.
5. Write tailored proposals: Address the client’s specific problem, explain your approach and attach relevant samples.
6. Agree terms in the contract: Confirm scope, deadlines and milestones in Upwork before starting work.
7. Deliver and communicate: Submit work on time through the platform and respond promptly to messages.
8. Request reviews and withdraw earnings: Ask satisfied clients for feedback and withdraw funds to your linked account.

Worked Example: Net Earnings from an Upwork Contract

A fixed-price GIS contract is worth USD 400. Assume Upwork’s service fee is 10% and the exchange rate is Ksh 129 per US dollar. Find the net amount received in Ksh.

Service fee = 10% × 400 = USD 40

Net earnings = 400 − 40 = USD 360

Net earnings in Ksh = 360 × 129

Net earnings = Ksh 46,440

6.1.2.5 One forma

OneForma is a crowd-work platform, run by the language services company Pactera EDGE, that offers language and AI data projects such as transcription of audio, translation, search result evaluation, data collection, and image and text annotation. Workers create a profile listing their languages and skills, apply to open projects, and pass qualification tests before starting, with pay rates set per project and paid through supported services such as Payoneer or PayPal. Kiswahili and other African languages are in demand for some projects, which gives Kenyan workers an advantage. Example: a bilingual teacher at a secondary school took evening transcription projects in Kiswahili on OneForma to supplement her income.

Steps to Get Started on OneForma

1. Register: Create an account on the official website with accurate personal details.
2. Complete your profile: List your languages, education, skills and devices, since projects are matched to profiles.
3. Upload a CV if required: Provide a CV showing relevant language or technical experience.
4. Apply to projects: Browse the job list and apply to projects that match your skills.
5. Pass qualifications: Study the guidelines and complete the project’s qualification test.
6. Complete tasks: Work through tasks following the guidelines, meeting quality checks.
7. Set up payment and invoice: Link Payoneer or PayPal and follow the platform’s invoicing process to be paid.

6.1.2.6 Appen

Appen is a long-established global provider of data for AI, which engages a large crowd of remote contributors through its Appen Connect portal to work on projects such as search engine evaluation, social media evaluation, image and video annotation, speech recording and transcription. Contributors register, complete their profile, apply to projects that are open in their country and language, and must pass a qualification exam based on detailed guidelines before starting; some projects offer fixed weekly hours over several months. Earnings are usually paid monthly through Payoneer or PayPal after submitting time or task records. Example: a surveying graduate working as a search evaluator on Appen used her local knowledge of Kenyan places to rate how well map search results matched what users were looking for.

Steps to Work on Appen

1. Register on Appen Connect: Sign up with your real name, email and location.
2. Complete your profile and verification: Fill in education, languages and work experience, and verify your identity.
3. Apply to projects: Choose projects available in your country and language that match your skills.
4. Study the guidelines: Read the project guidelines carefully, as they are the basis of the exam.
5. Pass the qualification exam: Complete the exam within the time allowed.
6. Complete work and record time: Work the agreed hours and submit timesheets or task counts accurately.
7. Invoice and get paid: Submit the monthly invoice and receive payment through Payoneer or PayPal.

Worked Example: Monthly Earnings from Hourly Crowd Work

A contributor works 20 hours a week for 4 weeks at USD 5 per hour. At an assumed rate of Ksh 129 per US dollar, find the monthly earnings.

Hours worked = 20 × 4 = 80 hours

Earnings = 80 × 5 = USD 400

Earnings in Ksh = 400 × 129

Earnings = Ksh 51,600

Chapter Summary

This chapter introduces the concept of online working and explores various types of online jobs that individuals can pursue. It examines popular online job platforms such as Remo Task, Data Annotation Tech, Cloud Worker, Upwork, One Forma, and Appen, highlighting their unique features and opportunities. The chapter then discusses the importance of managing online accounts and profiles effectively to enhance job prospects and maintain professionalism. It covers strategies for identifying suitable online jobs and the process of bidding to secure work. The concept of online digital identity is explained, emphasizing its role in building trust and credibility in virtual work environments. Practical guidance on executing online tasks efficiently is provided to ensure quality and timeliness. Finally, the chapter addresses the management of online payment accounts, outlining best practices for secure and reliable financial transactions in the digital workspace.