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Expert FAQ

What is Aligned?

Aligned is a community of freelance subject-matter experts that are paid to support AI projects at the world’s leading research institutions. Our expert community creates high quality data to train, align, and validate cutting-edge AI models.

How can I sign up?

You can sign up by clicking here.

How do I get approved?

Priority approval is always given to experts with easily verifiable expertise. We encourage you to share your LinkedIn profile, professional website, portfolio, or published work. This helps us quickly verify your qualifications.


When signing up, make sure you provide clear and detailed information about specific areas of expertise within your field. For example, a software engineer might list specific programming languages, while an economist would specify their research focus.


Your account approval depends on our ability to verify both your identity and expertise. If we can't publicly verify your expertise, your application is unlikely to be approved.

How much will I be paid?

All experts on our platform set their own hourly rates. Your earnings will be based on your hourly rate and the total hours worked per pay period.

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When a new job becomes available, we assign the work to our highest quality experts with the most competitive hourly rates and review times.

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As a newer expert, we generally recommend to select the lowest hourly rate at which you would be happy to work, and adjust your rate as you get feedback on your performance.
 

When am I going to be assigned new jobs?

You'll receive an email notification as soon as projects matching your expertise become available. The timing varies by specialty area and current project availability. While we're continuously adding new projects across different domains, there may be a gap between signing up and your first assignment.

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To make sure you don't miss any opportunities, please check your email regularly (including spam folders), keep your expertise profile up to date, and verify that you've completed all onboarding requirements. If you haven't received any project notifications within two weeks, please contact our support team for a status update.

Is this full time work?

No. As an expert, you decide when and how much you work based on project availability. There are no minimum or maximum hour requirements - you have complete flexibility to set your own schedule.

I don't have a LinkedIn account. Does this mean I'm not eligible for work?

Jobs are prioritized to experts on our platform with easily verifiable experience. Without a LinkedIn or a link to a website or portfolio of your work, we have no way to confirm your experience or credentials. If it is easier, you can email your credentials to our team at support@alignedhq.ai.

Who is qualified to become an Aligned expert?

Anyone with deep domain expertise in a given field. This generally includes professionals with one or more of the following qualifications:


- Advanced degrees (MD, JD, PhD, etc.)
- 10+ years of practical experience in industry or academia
- University teaching experience
- A strong portfolio of published work.

What does the application process look like?

The application process requires you to share your professional qualifications and verify your identity.

 

Our team generally takes 1-2 business days to review and approve your expertise. Once approved, your account will automatically become eligible for paid jobs.

Is it safe to provide my information when signing up?

Yes. We maintain privacy standards and ensure your personal information is never shared with unauthorized parties.

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In order to maintain a safe platform and ensure legal compliance with national governments and our AI research partners, we require all experts to verify their identity before being approved for paid work. Identify verification is carried out by our trusted third-party partner, Persona, who is GDPR and CCPA compliant, employs bank-grade security measures, and is SOC 2 Type II certified.
 

How much time should I expect to work?

All experts on our platform have the freedom to work their own schedule. Experts range from a few hours of work per week up to 40 hours per week depending on expert and project availability.

How does Aligned mitigate fraudulent accounts and ensure expert quality?

We maintain rigorous security and quality standards, including, but not limited to:

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  1. Identity Verification: Every expert undergoes comprehensive ID verification and background screening.
     

  2. Expertise Validation: Our team carefully verifies professional credentials and expertise before experts can join any projects.
     

  3. Ongoing Quality Assurance: We continuously monitor project quality and expert performance through detailed QA processes.

Can I get paid through something other than Stripe?

Today, the only option for payment is to connect the bank account of your choice via Stripe. We are planning to add PayPal as a payment option over the coming months!

I just signed up. When do I start getting paid?

Generally our team takes 1-2 business days to review your application and approve your expertise. Once approved, your account becomes immediately eligible for paid work. As a new expert, you will generally be assigned small batches of paid work to test your expertise and attention to detail. If you perform well, you will be assigned to large scale projects.

What subject matter areas are supported by the Aligned community?

The Aligned community includes experts across several core domains spanning medicine, law, engineering, math, science, the social sciences, humanities, writing, and literature.

Is there an interview process?

At Aligned, we do not carry out traditional interviews. Once your account is approved, you become immediately eligible for paid work. As a new expert, you will generally be assigned small batches of paid work to test your expertise and attention to detail. If you perform well, you will be assigned to large scale projects.

What happens after I sign up?

Generally our team takes 1-2 business days to review your application and approve your expertise. Once approved, your account becomes immediately eligible for paid work. New experts typically start with smaller projects to demonstrate their expertise and attention to detail. As you consistently deliver high-quality work, you'll gain access to larger volumes of work on major AI projects.

How do I get paid?

Payments are processed through Stripe and deposited directly into your chosen bank account. Payouts occur every two weeks on Tuesdays by end-of-day Pacific Time (PST).

What type of employment is this?

As an Aligned expert, you work as an independent contractor, not an employee. As an independent contractor, you have the flexibility to manage your own schedule and choose which projects to accept. Independent contractors are responsible for determining their tax obligations and complying with applicable self-employment laws. We recommend consulting with a legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation.

Are there minimum hour requirements?

No, there are no minimum hourly requirements. When you are assigned to a new project you have complete flexibility to claim or refuse the work based on your own schedule. However, once you claim a job, you are expected to complete it in full to ensure your account remains in good standing.

I thought I could search for jobs like other freelancing websites rather than waiting for one to be assigned to me.

Unlike traditional freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr, you will complete all freelance work directly on our site rather than being matched with a client. You will receive an email from us as soon as you have been matched to a project that requires your approved areas of expertise.

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