Demystifying What is Data Entry and What are Data Entry Jobs

Technically, data entry refers to the process of entering specific data into a database using a spreadsheet or any other computer program, in order to achieve an intended purpose. When someone performs a task of entering data, in order to earn some money, it is termed as doing a data entry job. It can be done by anybody who has a basic knowledge of working on a computer.

Usually, data entry requires transcribing some form of data into another form. There are several requirements to enter data from handwritten documents to a computer. Besides, there exist other requirements of entering data such as entering sequences of numbers, symbols that constitute a program, or any other data such as names and addresses, into a computer.
Data entry can be classified into two broad categories:

• Traditional / Offline Data Entry: Traditional data entry jobs often include simple data entry work such as proofreading, translation, writing jobs, typing basic transcripts, filling simple marketing forms, etc.

• Non-traditional / Online Data Entry: Non-traditional data entry jobs include filling online forms, participating in paid web surveys, PPC data entry, paid e-mail surfing jobs, telecommuting jobs, etc.

While non-traditional data entry jobs require more training, equipment and skill, they are likely to pay more.

With the advent of the Internet, companies are increasingly posting the requirements of getting their data entry tasks done online. These are usually listed in forums dedicated to data entry jobs / services. Freelancers and organizations dedicated to providing data entry services take up these jobs listed in online forums and make an earning.

Doing data entry jobs proves to be extremely advantageous for those who wish to work from home. All that one requires is a computer with a high-speed Internet connection and good typing skills. However, data entry job-seekers need to be extra careful and should avoid spurious scam offers that promise to provide data entry jobs only to those who agree to pay a fee.

Now that you have got a fine understanding of what data entry is, you can start looking for data entry jobs or data entry services, as per your requirements.