Many people would love to find a legitimate online opportunity to work from home, but for every one legitimate online prospect, the scams outnumber the real opportunities by sixty. This may sound very discouraging; however, there are many ways to earn a living online because reputable companies do exists, and they offer good opportunities. It’s just a matter of doing some honest research to determine which companies are genuine. Going directly to company websites is the best way to find out if they are hiring for work at home jobs. So, if an unsolicited offer just happens to pop up in your inbox, and the offer is too good to be true, then it is time to hit the delete button.
There are legitimate opportunities to work from home in a number of fields, such as:
- customer service
- marketing
- call centers
- writing
- transcription
- web search evaluators
- virtual assistants
- recruiting
- sales
- writing
- data entry
- email response
Even the U.S. Government has joined the ranks of becoming an off-site employer by offering its employees opportunities to work from home as remote workers.
According to a report by the International Telework Association and Council that appeared in MarketWatch, it is estimated that 28 million Americans do some form of work outside of the office, and 21.7 percent of these folks work from home. With the advances in such software programs, like Skype, Google Docs and the most recent version of Microsoft Office, the capabilities for collaboration and communication over computer networks is significantly enhanced for work at home jobs.
There are multitudes of benefits that come with finding legitimate work from home opportunities. Instead of the dreaded daily commute, along with the stress of routinely being jammed in traffic, working from home allows employees the luxury of living an environmentally friendly life. It provides fewer distractions and more productivity because of a quieter atmosphere. It cuts down on out of pocket expenses, such as gas, clothing and expensive luncheons, and it offers people more opportunity to spend time with the family. Working from home is the perfect work-life balance that so many people desire. However, having an at home job also means being disciplined enough to separate the business and the personal side of life on a daily basis.
In order to get your search off to a good start, you should dedicate a specific amount of hours per week searching through the listings for employment. This type of job search is no different from any other, so it’s important to recognize that you have to be diligent when you’re searching the multiple online sites. Also, check out the many job boards as a source for searching out work at home opportunities. Having a good attitude and recognizing that finding a job takes time and effort will go a long way on how you approach this endeavor.
To find work at home opportunities in the job search engines, you should select key terms, such as telecommute, freelance, and work at home jobs. Search engines like Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkUp, HotJobs, Craigslist, Indeed, Workopolis and SimplyHired are all good locations to search for work at home opportunities. Many of these sites offer you the option to setup an account with a profile and resume so that you can apply online. It’s a goodidea to attach a cover letter with the online applicationand resume. Some sites offer email alerts relating to specific keywords entered into the inquiry box for certain types of jobs, so take advantage of this feature.
Remember that the skills employers are looking for with telecommute workers are similar to those that employees must possess when working in an office. Your chance of being a candidate increases if you have the skills and experience to do the job. For most at home job opportunities that are listed, you will likely require to have some basic office equipment, such as high speed internet, phone, fax, computer, printer, headset, microphone and perhaps specialized software that is used by the company. Some companies require designated phone lines for the job, so check the requirements in the listings before submitting an application.
As with any traditional on-location job that requires an interview, a work at home job is no exception, except in the manner in which it is conducted. Most online interviews take place using some sort of video conferencing tool, such as Skype, so have the right equipment installed ahead of time. Also, it’s just as important to be as organized for an online interview as with a one-on-one. Have the work area around the camera free of clutter, research and prepare questions that you would like to ask beforehand, and be certain that you appear calm, confident and professional with the correct attire.
As always, networking is still the best way to find out about job prospects. You should reach out and develop contacts with friends, family and alumni. Set up a LinkedIn profile and make connections and join the various discussion groups that pertain to the type of work you’re interested in finding. Ask anyone that you know to provide leads for a work at home position. There are lots of jobs that are never advertised because they are filled through networking techniques and relationships. Word of mouth still remains a great way to find out about a job that can ultimately turn into the very work at home job opportunity that you are seeking.