1)     Do you have a skill or talent? Companies that use telecommuters are not looking home workers per se. Employers are more concerned with finding someone who has the skills and experience to do the job that needs to be done. So, how fast can you type? Are you accurate? Can you write? Do you have phone skills? Are you experienced using bookkeeping software? In essence, what skills do you have to give to a company?

2)     Do you have the resources? While some companies will provide you with equipment and services, many won’t. Do you have a computer with high-speed Internet access? Do you have landline phone service with flat-rate long distance? Do you have basic word processing and spreadsheet programs? Do you have the equipment, services and resources to do the job you want to?

3)     Are you reliable? Are you able to deliver the work at the quality expected in the time frame needed? This means if your child is sick, you can’t just slack off and work whenever. Instead you need to stay up late or get up early to meet the deadline. Work-at-home employees need to operate with the same professionalism as any other employees.

4)     Are you self-motivated and able to work independently? There are hundreds of distractions when working at home. The laundry, Oprah, kids, neighbors, the couch for a nice nap, etc. There is no boss standing behind you to make sure you are getting the work done. Its up to you schedule time to work and to get it done in a timely manner.

5)     Would you hire you? Before you answer that question, really think about it. If you were the owner of a business that needed to hire help, would you hire someone who had your work ethic or skills? If you are someone who chats a lot by the water cooler or does just enough to get by, you probably wouldn’t want to hire someone like you. If that is the case, you need to change your ways. Working at home gives you a great deal of flexibility and freedom, but its still a job in which someone is paying you to provide quality work to your best ability.

Telecommuting has been the perfect solution to balancing work and family for me; however, it does have its challenges. Not everyone is suited to dealing with the lack of structure and routine that comes with working at home. Before you take the leap into telecommuting, make sure you have what it takes to succeed.

Through my own experience and in talking with others, I have determined what I believe are the characteristics that determine who will succeed at working at home and who won’t. Before I go into the different characteristics, let me first state that I’m not saying that the people who fit the “unlikely to work-at-home” scenario are less smart or capable. Instead, as you will see, they are usually just uninformed about or fearful of what it take to work at home. But, if they are willing to learn and do the work, they too can find success working at home.

People who are less likely to work-at-home:

1. Focus only on data-entry and typing jobs in their search for work.
2. Have paid hundreds or more to off-line and online companies suggesting one can send or place ads, mail brochures, assemble earrings etc and get paid.
3. Spend only left-over time in their search for work or a home business as opposed to committing regular effort.
4. Sign up for free, spillover programs hoping to earn $1000’s off of someone else’s efforts.
5. Have a fear of doing something different or stepping out the comfort zone, which limits their choices.

Do you see yourself in any of the above characteristics? I was that person when I first started to look for work-at-home opportunities. I’m not quite sure from where the idea that working at home and getting-rich on menial work originated. It probably came from scammers who saw money in people’s dreams. What I learned the hard way was that “work” is the key word in “work at home”. I haven’t met anyone who works at home who hasn’t worked very hard either in a telecommuting position or in a home business. Here are the characteristics I have found in people who have found success working at home.

People who successfully work from home:

1. Recognize that “job” that ask for money are scams and that free work-at-home programs while they may be viable, don’t work by themselves.
2. Are proactive in their search for telecommuting jobs or researching a home business. They don’t expect the ideal situation to show up in their email. Instead, they send resumes regularly and follow-up…even to companies that might not be advertising a job but could use a contract or telecommuting worker. Neither do they expect any home business to be successful with haphazard efforts such as a single email or ad.
3. Spend time regularly, usually everyday in their search for work or a home business. This time is scheduled into their life just like all other activities because they know that life has a way of taking over unless you control your time.
4. Understand that there is no job or home business that doesn’t require work. While there may be good free programs, to earn money requires consistent work to earn a regular income.
5. Have a desire to work at home that is bigger than their fear. They are willing to step out of their comfort zone in effort to succeed at working at home.

As you can see, the only real difference between those who succeed at working at home and those who don’t is knowledge, consistent effort and a compelling desire. I know that is what made the difference for me. The question now is what are you willing to do? How big is your dream? Is it big enough to really learn the truth about working at home and stop wasting your time looking for the job or program that doesn’t exist? Is it big enough to commit time every day to achieving it even if its just 15 minutes? Is it big enough to step out of your comfort zone to do something different to reach your goal? Is it big enough to commit to for the long haul particularly when your dream seems out of reach? If it is, then you have what it takes to work at home and the answer is, “Yes, you will work at home.”

1) Understand that you aren’t going to sign up to work at home. Telecommuting work is found in the same way that traditional work is found and usually involves an application or resume, and interview process.

2) You can’t pay to get hired. Any company that says you can work for it by sending some money is not offering a job. It’s okay to invest in a good work-at-home job database or hiring a professional resume writer, but you should never, ever, ever, pay to get hired. Let me add here that a legitimate company will never need to use your personal bank account to do business either. Never pay money nor use your bank in a work-at-home job.

3) Be open to many job types. Instead of thinking, “I want to sit home and type,” think about all the skills you have that can be used at home. Are you a good researcher? Do you have good phone skills? Are you highly organized? Are you creative? Can you write persuasively? Make a list of all your skills, experiences, talents and hobbies and search for jobs that need those attributes.

4) Learn to do a job that has a high demand for workers. There are certain job types that have many job openings right now such as copywriting, customer service, web and graphic design, medical transcription, writers, and more. If you can’t do any of these jobs, why not learn how? Most can be either self-taught or learned through an online or correspondence course.

5) Look for work where jobs are posted. Most people get in trouble because they look for the wrong types of jobs in the wrong places. Use job search sites not search engines to find work-at-home jobs. Visit reputable work-at-home websites (offer articles, tips and information beyond affiliate programs) to learn about working at home and also to get job leads.

6) Be professional. I can’t believe some of the email I receive from people who want to work at home who tell me they can type and yet their letters have typos and grammatical errors. Or they say they want to work at home, but provide no information on what they are qualified to do. You have one chance to convince a potential employer that you can do the job. The employer doesn’t care about your childcare hassles or illness. She only cares about finding the best person to do the job. All your interactions should focus on what you can do for the employer.

Today, the opportunities to get hired to work from home are endless and continue to grow. But if you are to get hired, its important to understand what work-at-home jobs are, why companies offer them, and how you can position yourself to get hired. By understanding the six telecommuting rules outlined here, you will find legitimate jobs faster and improve your chances of getting hired.

1) Have realistic expectations: We live in a society focused on instant gratification, but the odds of deciding to work at home today and actually doing it tomorrow are slim. Depending on what you choose to do, it can take 6 months to 2 years to create a work-at-home income. Not only do you need to be realistic about the time frame in reaching work-at-home success, but you also need to choose realistic methods. People don’t pay the mortgage doing surveys or reading email. Neither do they simply sign up for something and make money. Working at home takes work. Lots of it!

2) Do your research: The best way to develop a realistic expectation related to working at home is to educate yourself about telecommuting and home business. Research will teach you what it takes and how long it takes to really work at home, help you avoid scams, and keep you focused on the right types of activities.

3) Look for opportunities that fit your skills and interests: Too many people look for the fast, quick buck and end up wasting time and money as these opportunities almost always turn out to be scams or deceptive schemes. Instead, make a list of all your skills, experiences, interests and hobbies, and search for jobs or home business ideas that fit what you know how to do. You’re more likely to be successful pursuing your passion than the money.

4) Evaluate your efforts: If you aren’t getting results from a job search have someone look over your resume, and make sure you are qualified to do the job. If you are trying to build a home business, evaluate your marketing methods to see what’s not working.

5) Keep on keeping on: I haven’t met anyone that hasn’t spent a great deal of time and effort to work at home. The one thing that separates them from others who aren’t successful is that they never gave up. They kept on learning about working at home, searching and applying for the right opportunities, and evaluating their efforts until they finally reach their goal.

There is a saying about the only certainties in life are taxes and death. In the work-at-home world, there are some certainties as well and those are that you’ll be frustrated and disappointed. But these are temporary if you are able to manage the difficult times and forge ahead towards your goal.