Currently, people are looking for part-time work or side hustles to supplement their income.
A dozen companies are advertising their job positions with excellent work conditions. Appen is one of them.
But, is Appen a legit company?
Appen company, or simply Appen gets a mixed reception. Googling “appen job reviews” or “appen employee reviews”, you may read various opinions.
The authenticity of the reviews is up to debate.
But, if you examine the company and their offer – You can get a unique perspective on their work.
Thus, you get an answer on the legitimacy of Appen company.
What is Appen?
Appen is a data and AI company that tests and sells data. Their scope of work falls somewhere between testing and creating AI solutions.
The reason why they employ testers is to get real-time results based on human interaction.
The problem with artificial intelligence and machine learning is their lack of human-like interaction.
While a machine may analyze the content, it lacks an understanding of the context.
To better understand Appen’s work, take a look at this example. When you put a piece of content in front of the machine, it looks like a block of text.
It lacks the ability to understand the tone and underlying context of the block of text.
Human interaction works on a different basis.
When a human looks at a piece of content, they look at the tone and context first.
That is why they need and employ people on a regular basis. .
How Does Appen Work?
Appen has two departments.
You can say that the first department works on the business processes of the company.
The other department works in the research processes of the company.
For part-time and freelance work, you want to know about research processes and purposes.
Of course, you can work at Appen without any programming skills. Here, your job is all about testing.
AI and Human Behavior
While there is a possibility to test data and apps with tools, for crucial tasks, you need humans.
The thing about programming and human behavior is that machines lack the interactive parameter of a human being.
For example, a machine reads the content in seconds. You can create specific commands for the program to follow.
The missing part here is in the length and form of the interaction. Human beings would never assimilate the content within seconds.
Instead, it takes time to read and understand the results.
And then form all other actions from that position.
That is what your job is all about if you decide to work at Appen.
Working at Appen
Your typical day at Appen is all about evaluating search results and helping with natural language processing. You could say that translates into two jobs, and these are testing search engines and recording voice.
Search Engine Evaluation
For search engine evaluation, you get a set of keywords to type in the search engine.
Most of the time, you work with Google search engines and type in queries. Then, you go and record the results.
That way, Appen gets the information of how long it takes you to perform the task.
And, it evaluates the time to perform the task along with your reaction to the research.
Voice Recording
While that may be mundane, there is also voice recording. Voice recording is a part of the NLP or natural language processing research.
The purpose of this technology is to prepare the companies for the next technological transition.
And that transition is to voice commands and voice-operated search.
Thus, machines have to record and compile various searches and commands.
It is your job to record the searches and send them to the testing team.
Other Jobs
There are other jobs like writing reviews, checking social media profiles, translation, and microtasks.
However, these jobs offer lower pay rates, and you should skip them. To get a decent rate per hour (jobs that pay 20 dollars an hour or more), apply for search engine evaluation and voice tasks.
Of course, you may have to wait for those jobs. With that, you are ready to apply for a job at Appen.
Applying for Job
To apply for a job at Appen, create an account first. Go over to their website and fill out basic information.
Sometimes, you can do that from a Google Form if a recruiter allows that. Then, you may wait a few weeks before you get an email from the recruiter.
Then, the recruiter sends you a task you have to finish within a set time limit.
Once you do the task they send you an email with further instructions.
If you pass the test, you sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) and start your freelance work at Appen.
Using the Platform – Is It Safe & Legit?
Now, you may still wonder, is Appen legit?
With an abundance of online reviews, both positive and negative – None of that brings you closer to answering the question: is Appen a legit company?
Appen company, regardless of Appen job reviews or Appen employee reviews, is a legit company.
However, the real issue here is whether or not Appen company fits your job needs.
That is another matter altogether.
Work Conditions at Appen
As far as work conditions go, these jobs relate to freelance positions.
As a part-time employee, you won’t get any equipment from Appen.
So, you have to ensure a proper internet connection, computer, and a mobile device for work.
Of course, that is a minuscule issue.
On another hand you get flexible work hours.
And, you can work as much as you want. You can log in at any time, pick your projects, finish them and earn.
After the initial work period, you get access to more projects that are worth more money.
Aside from that, there are no other specific issues with working at Appen.
Pay at Appen
Appen pays around 10-14 dollars per hour.
While that may not sound like much, keep in mind that this is a freelance position.
Some employees record that it is possible to earn around 2000$ of extra income per month! That’s even more than some methods that we described in our guide on earning Paypal money.
Another excellent thing about Appen is that they pay twice per month! So, if you need money fast, you can get them twice per month.
The additional peculiarity about Appen is that they pay through PayPal.
Luckily, PayPal is a global network for payments, so you can get your payments anywhere in the world.
Appen Reviews
Finally, there is the issue of Appen reviews.
The reason why so many people think that Appen is a scam is due to reviews.
The problem here is that anyone can leave a review.
That includes ex-employees and people that fail to get a job at Appen.
Thus, they go online and leave bad reviews to sully the reputation of the company.
Also, some competitors may think that is an excellent idea to hurt the Appen as a brand.
However, the best thing you can do is to give Appen a try.
Give Appen a Try
After all, trying to apply for the job is the only way to get actual work experience.
And, it makes things even better if you want to make some extra income.
So, avoid reviews. Apply, take the test and start earning. Then, you can say for sure that Appen is a legit company.