Meet the Champ!

In this issue we would like to present you with the results of the very first UVOconference, which took place in Nairobi several months ago. It was a very important event for our team, and we would like everyone to catch a glimpse of the meeting.

In this issue we would like to present you with the results of the very first UVOconference, which took place in Nairobi several months ago. It was a very important event for our team, and we would like everyone to catch a glimpse of the meeting.

“Hamjambo! Ni furaha kubwa kukutana nanyi hapa Nairobi,” (Kiswahili; English equivalent - “Hello everyone! It is a great pleasure to meet you in Nairobi”) says Kevin (Freelance Writers Operations Manager) and opens the very first UVOconference in Nairobi, Kenya. In the course of the next several hours, Writers Department Managers hold a meeting with the most dedicated Kenyan writers. Kamila (Writers Department Manager), Janis (Mentors&Editors Manager), and Summer (Freelance Offices Manager) are also present, so this event turns into a rare opportunity to meet all the WD managers and ask them questions, share ideas, and express concerns. The conference shows that UVOCORP cares about its writers. It is the company that always seeks to improve the life of its employees, who work tirelessly to complete a new challenging project. We listen and try to help.

Kenya was chosen as the place of the UVOconference since a lot of our writers live here. It was also a way for the company to show that in our highly globalized world, such events may take place in any part of the planet. Besides, if to be fair to all the writers from all countries, if to choose a location on equal terms, what other country suits the purpose better than the one located on the equator?

Nairobi is indeed a very vibrant and dynamic city (if you haven’t seen our guide of the city, please check it here). Naturally, its fast development attracts bright minds from all over the country, so many of them came to the conference and exchanged ideas with the management of the company. Since we have already talked about the city, let’s focus on what happened at the meeting.

Our main goal remains the same - to be a quality standard for the customer in the writing assistance industry. So it’s no wonder that a significant portion of the conference was dedicated to the discussion of how to achieve and maintain peak performance. As noted by our managers, the system favours the writers who focus on quality by rewarding them with a higher rating, more frequent promotions, and better income. In essence, we believe that high quality equals beneficial long-term cooperation.

Interesting facts raised during the conference:

  • All writers whose accounts are closed due to poor quality get a chance to reactivate them in 6 months. There is always a second chance available to everyone who is honest with the company.
  • In order to earn more, one can apply for shorter-deadline orders, which become available at around 4-6 AM (GMT +3). Besides, there are more orders on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sunday nights.
  • You can ask the Quality Assurance Department to evaluate your performance 3 months after the last quality check. However, please, make sure that your writing skills have improved. If that is the case, you are likely to get a promotion in terms of academic level, which will lead to a better rating and, consequently, higher auto-take limit and more orders.
  • Though being late is accepted in many cultures, we strive to achieve 0% lateness, since most of our customers come from the countries where lateness is not tolerated and considered a bad habit.
  • Good performance is rewarded. If you have 0% lates and disputes, you get a substantially higher bonus and a significantly better rating (which gives you access to more orders). Moreover, such stats build your good image in the eyes of the company.
  • Approximately 75% of graduates from the Mentoring Program get a promotion of their college level.
  • There are a lot of career opportunities for freelancers. All of them are listed in the Dashboards section of your account under the Career Opportunities tab.
  • The practice of selling accounts is strongly discouraged in our company. Such profiles are closed sooner rather than later, so it is absolutely not reasonable to buy or sell accounts.

It is impossible to fit 2 days of conference into several pages. What we know for sure is that this event has had a lasting impression on both the writers and the managers. It always pays to see the person behind the screen =).

Michael Approves

Michael:

Hi, guys!

I would like to yet again highlight one of the most (in my opinion) important topics relating to the writing style and mistakes we see in nearly all the papers on a daily basis. Nearly 5 months have passed since we have published two most relevant guides at our websites - “Writing Style: Primitivity” and “Writing Style: Awkwardness”.

As our practice shows, some writers skipped reading these guides and swiftly switched to available orders, which is quite a sad story since the papers written by such freelancers still flow with messy and unprofessional locutions often combining a couple of primitive statements into a single sentence. Obviously, we do not work with such accounts for long.

And now I would draw even more attention to what we call “primitivity” in formal writing. Primitive (or simplistic) expressions might be used in some circumstances, like a non-formal setting, but not in academic writing. Such a phrase is simply non-professional. In other words, primitive language is a combination of unacceptable (in academic realm), non-professional, or colloquial expressions.

Here I could list a great number of phrases, but I will stress the following five that I see every day:

  • be in a position to;
  • on how to;
  • come up with;
  • the same (referring to a noun or a process you have mentioned earlier);
  • no longer the case.

There are a lot of examples with these expressions in the writing guide we sent, so please, check it. Mind that the quality of your writing heavily depends on the absence of the above phrases in your essays.

Now look, I could have said “...heavily depends on how you use this or that phrase and on how you avoid the same.” But that wouldn't be English, right?

I emphasize that the importance of avoiding these statements immediately influences the quality of your essay. And as you know, the better you write, the faster you get the PhD level.

Keep calm and stay motivated

Being one of the shortest sections of this magazine, this column is nonetheless one of the most motivating. Last time we’ve seen the story of Elon Musk, a modern space visionary who is about to open the door to Mars exploration with his projects. Today we are going to come back to Earth and take a look at one of the most famous speeches of another entrepreneur who is famous for numerous breakthrough products, which often reorganized their respective industries. Without further ado, please, enjoy the speech of Steve Jobs.

Around the UVOworld

Many of you asked us to include the photos of cities in our articles. Challenge accepted! This time around the UVOworld brings you some colorful pictures. Today we are traveling to the capital of Ukraine and one of the oldest capitals of Europe - Kyiv. Let’s get it started!

Name:
Kyiv
Population:
2 942 000
Country:
Ukraine

Kyiv is one of the important European cities. With its history spanning many hundreds of years, no wonder there are numerous historical sights in the city. Naturally, this and other factors, such as strong economy (relatively to Ukraine), make it a magnet for people, both tourists and Ukrainian migrants.

The city has been experiencing a rapid growth and expansion over the recent decades. For instance, while the population of Ukraine declines year by year, the population of Kyiv and its suburbs expands. More and more Ukrainians live in or near the capital. Therefore, if you wish to catch a glimpse of Ukraine, come visit Kyiv. It hosts Ukrainians from every corner of the country.

As usual, let’s take a look at the places of interest:

  • Historical center of the city

    Within a radius of a 30-min walk from the Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station, a tourist may find a lot to see. Are you a fan of beautiful cathedrals? Then make sure to check out St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery or the National Sanctuary Complex "Sophia of Kyiv". If you like art, you’re welcome to the National Art Museum. Those enjoying museums should definitely visit the National Museum of Natural History of Ukraine. There are simply so many places of interest in downtown that it is hard to squeeze them all into just 1 point.

  • Hryshko National Botanical Garden

    Located close to the city center, this garden occupies 120 hectares of land, which is quite a big area for a modern city. The garden is very popular with tourists and residents, so be prepared to see lots of people. However, views and the garden itself are quite unbelievable. A must-see!

  • Shopping Malls

    You name it! Kyiv is a heaven for shoppers. Feel free to visit Dream Town, Lavina Mall, Ocean Plaza, and other shopping malls and trade centers. The only drawback is that usually the prices are pricey, even for westerners.

  • What Else to See?

    1. Podil - historical area of the city. Enjoy old low-rise buildings and a lot of cafés.
    2. Velyka Vasylkivska street - another historical street of the city, dotted with beautiful buildings, cathedrals, and even a major sports complex.
    3. Dnipro River - be sure not to miss this beautiful river. It is visible even on a metro ride (metro lines go above it connecting the city parts located on different banks of the river).

  • Where to Eat?

    It’s typical to expect a capital city to have global food restaurant chains, and Kyiv does enjoy the abundance of such. Domino’s, McDonald’s, KFC - you name it, they all have it in Kyiv. However, if you are looking for something different, be sure to visit:

    1. Puzata Hata - Ukrainian “McDonald’s” that serves typical Ukrainian food.
    2. Salateira - another food chain that specializes in salads and supplementary meals.

    Must-try meals to get acquainted with the Ukrainian food tradition are:

    1. Borshch (in essence, a vegetable soup);
    2. Varenyky (something similar to ravioli; the main difference is that these come with seemingly endless variety of fillings - ranging from those fitting the main course to those good enough for the dessert)

  • How To Travel?

    1. Kyiv offers a true variety of means of transport. Trolleys, trams, and buses operate under one standard fare of approximately 15 cents per ride. Metro costs slightly more: around 20 cents per ride. As one may expect from such low prices, not all buses and trolleys are new. However, there seems to be enough routes, especially for tourist attractions.
    2. Just be careful and don’t mix up the route numbers =)

Clearly, Kyiv has a lot to offer. It is a very dynamic and rapidly expanding city, with a rich history spanning hundreds of years. If you are into history, if you enjoy the architecture of different time periods, then you should come to Kyiv.

The UVOworld would like to send special thanks to the contributor of this guide, who made it possible and lively. Thank you, Alla 229076!

Got a Question?

Some of you have asked recently, “Have rating factors changed? I’ve noticed a change in my average rating.”

The answer is quite simple: Yes, considering numerous pleas from the writers, we’ve decided to factor out revisions from the rating calculation. They no longer affect it.