Jobs Online Toolkit

Wouldn’t it be nice to roll out of bed, slip on a robe and slippers and shuffle down the hall to your home office to work? Today over 137 million people world-wide do just that at least part time as more and more companies take advantage of the cost savings that telecommuting programs offer. One of the best places to find these companies is online, but you must beware. While more and more legitimate work-at-home jobs can be found online, so can scams. Here’s what you need to know and do if you are looking for a real work-at-home job online.

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.

April 7th, 2009 | job search, work at home job | Comments (0)

This week I got a call from someone who indicated that he was doing everything that I and other work-at-home coaches had suggested he do to find a work-at-home job, but so far he wasn’t getting results.  I could hear the frustration in his voice, and it brought me back to when I struggled to work-at-home and met with frustration and disappointment as well. Indeed, frustration and disappointment are two of the biggest hurdles struggling work-at-home wannabes face. But there are some things you can do to help deal with the challenges in trying to work-at-home.

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.

April 7th, 2009 | job search, telecommute, work at home job | Comments (0)