Searching for a work at home job isn’t going to get easier as it will always be challenging. The stress that comes with job searching can be overwhelming, but there are eight strategies you can use to keep stress at the minimum.
1. Get into the habit of planning out your day and make it a routine so you’re using your time wisely and effectively. You may be spending an hour job searching online, take a break and then network in the afternoons. Find a system that works for you.
2. Network offline too even though you’ll be working virtually. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are all top online networking sites, but there’s nothing like networking in person and making new connections. Many jobs are not advertised publicly and this gives you the chance to socialize and bring more awareness to employers who don’t offer telecommuting. Read the rest of this entry »
When you’re actively job searching online, it’s very important to be organized. How many of you have applied at the same company twice without realizing you already did? How about a company contacting you weeks or months later and offering you a position you couldn’t remember applying for? Have you forgotten or lost the employer’s name and contact information? This wouldn’t have happened if you kept proper track of your job searches.
There are several systems you can use to manage and stay organized during your job searching online. Many use spreadsheets created in Excel; use Word or a notebook with handwritten notes which can become messy, unreadable and time consuming. If these are your choices make sure you keep adequate information on them and keep them updated.
First, have all versions of your resumes, cover letters and follow up letters organized in a folder on your computer and have them backed up on a CD, external hard drive or on a web backup system like Mozy.com. You may have to make several folders and sub folders to keep track of all job posting ads from the different companies. It’ll be easier if you had sub folders labeled with the job position details you applied for. For example customer service, article writer and so on. You can copy and paste the job description on Notepad and use this as a reference or reminder of what the job entailed. This is especially helpful when the company takes weeks or months to get back to you. Read the rest of this entry »
When looking at work at home ideas on any directory, it is important from the beginning to know what you want. Do you want a work at home business or a work at home job?
Let’s examine both. A work at home business is just that: a business. As with any business, a work at home business contains its ups and downs. The best way, I have found, to go about having your own business on the Internet is to have your own website and domain name. Both of which can be had for very little cost. With the website you either design it yourself with various WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) programs or pay someone to design it for you. Whichever you do be advised that your website will constantly undergo changes.
You then will sign up with various affiliate programs on the Internet. The easiest way to find a wide variety is to find a affiliate program directory. There are many such directories on the Internet and are relatively easy to find. Once you find the affiliate program, you sign up as an advertiser. As an advertiser you are agreeing to promote the affiliate site and/or any one of the various programs offered. These offers vary greatly and they cost nothing to join. So be sure and keep some kind of list of the different sites you want to promote on your website.
Once you have established your website and the programs you wish to advertise, it is now time to start promoting your website. You can do this by free advertising on the Internet, advertising offline, or doing a pay-per click advertising on the web. Read the rest of this entry »
As a telecommuting job seeker knows finding a work at home job is only one half the battle. Getting a phone interview is one step closer to landing the job.
You really only have one shot at an interview unless the first interview is a preliminary one. Either way you want to get a second interview and here are 5 tips on how you can have a winning interview and secure the position as yours.
1. Preparation – Come prepared for the phone interview. While you can’t have rehearsed answers, you can prepare yourself to what may happen.
The two most common and toughest questions asked are, “Why do you want to work from home?” and “What are your weaknesses?” Be prepared to have an answer for both and practice saying it. Don’t try to memorize or write down your answer because reading it off a paper will sound scripted, robotic and unnatural. Read the rest of this entry »
There are thousands of work at home job seekers searching online for a telecommuting job. There are also common questions asked about telecommuting every day.
Here is a basic guide you can print out and use for your reference.
1. What is telecommuting? Telecommuting is working offsite in your home office or at a remote location other than your employer’s place of business. You communicate with your employer by telephone, email, fax or instant messenger.
2. What do I need to telecommute? Each company require different computer hardware specifications. Many prefer desktop PC/Windows over Mac and laptops. Here are some of the basics and what companies may or may not allow:
- Internet connection – DSL is fine, but not satellite – At least 1Ghz-2Ghz processor, Windows XP or higher, Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, a minimum of 512MB of RAM, sound card, speaker, antivirus and spyware protection, firewall – MS Word, Excel, Adobe Reader etc. – Other equipment may include fax machine, printer or scanner and a quiet workspace Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re looking for a job, you may see ads for firms that promise results. Many of these firms may be legitimate and helpful, but others may misrepresent their services, promote out-dated or fictitious job offerings, or charge high fees in advance for services that may not lead to a job.
To Do
Before you spend money responding to placement firms or completing placement contracts:
* Reject any company that promises to get you a job.
* Be skeptical of any employment-service firm that charges first, even if it guarantees refunds. Read the rest of this entry »
Congratulations, you have landed a telecommuting job. All your hard work has paid off and now you can settle into the daily grind of working a job from your own home. Now that you have that job; you’ll want to keep it.
Telecommuting has come a long way over the years and has become more acceptable to most employers. The problem is, even the companies that have accepted it, are questioning whether or not it will be a success for them.
There are still issues that most of the employers worry about. If you want to be able to keep the job you worked long hours just to find; then make sure you’re doing the best you can at the job you were hired for.
Here are some tips to help you ensure that your new telecommuting job stays around for as long as you’re working for that company:
Always meet deadlines- If your job duties have deadlines attached them; be sure that you always meet them or at the very least contact them right away to let them know why you can’t meet it. If you can’t meet your deadlines, the employer might think that you’re not focusing on your job and using more of your work time to goof off. Read the rest of this entry »
Because I run a website dedicated to work-at-home moms, I get a considerable amount of email filled with questions about working from home. Without a doubt the question that I get asked most often is, “Do you know of any companies that I can work for from home?” The exciting thing is that yes, I do. In part because of the hard economic times that we find ourselves in, more and more companies looking for qualified professionals to represent their businesses from their own homes. Here is just a sampling of companies currently hiring at-home workers:
1. VIPdesk (http://vipdesk.com) – This company hires home-based workers for customer service positions. They represent numerous high-profile brands such as Eddie Bauer and BlueFly. From their website: “A proven premium service provider with 20 years of experience, VIPdesk specializes in delivering Concierge and Virtual Call Center Services for national brand leaders in several industries that include travel, auto, financial services and retail, by providing high-touch, high-tech branded service platforms that deliver real results and real return on investment.”
2. wiseGEEK (http://www.wisegeek.com) – This is just one of the many websites that pay freelance writers. These sites generally pay per article written. From their website: “wiseGEEK writers get to choose the topics to write on out of a pool of hundreds of titles. You can opt to write on categories that you are familiar with, or venture out a little to explore new frontiers.”
3. Convergys (http://careers.convergysworkathome.com/WorkFromHome.aspx) – At-home agents are nothing new for Convergys, a company who also supplies customer care services to well-known companies. From their website: “As a Convergys Home Agent, you’ll interact with customers of well-known and respected top companies. You may answer questions, determine product opportunities that best meet your callers’ needs, place orders on their behalf, provide technical support, or enroll callers in health, entertainment or other plans.” Read the rest of this entry »
I was asked recently if it was possible to find a work at home job and make a real living with little or no job experience. The answer is yes, but to qualify for the higher paying jobs the fact is you need skills and experience.
How do you get job experience if you have none? Here are four suggestions to consider and always keep an open mind.
1. Apply for jobs that require little skill or experience. You won’t get paid as much as you want and that should be expected. You will probably be offered minimum wage or less, but don’t forget you can’t expect $15/hour for a job that doesn’t require a whole of experience or requirements. On the other hand, you’re not going to slave away for pennies either so use your judgement.
Many people who work at home work several jobs at a time. These smaller side jobs are flexible and you can work them any time.
2. It’s true everyone has to start somewhere and some companies will hire people with no experience. AccuTran Global will hire people without prior experience for transcription work provided they can type well and with accuracy. People are required to have a good headset and a foot pedal. General transcription and writing jobs come highly recommended to people who have no experience. Read the rest of this entry »
You might have a current job that you love, but you’ve been hoping to find a position like it that you could perform while working in your home office.
Sometimes finding the telecommuting position is as close as the job you’re already working. It’s a matter of convincing your current employer that the job could be done from your home.
Prepare a presentation and set up a time with the person that would make that decision to explain how the telecommuting process works and why it would be beneficial to the company you’re working for.
The most successful presentations are ones that contain the following:
A lot of research
The employer will need to know more than just a few statistics. Tell them how much money they could save and other ways they could benefit. Read the rest of this entry »
Searching for a work at home job isn’t going to get easier as it will always be challenging. The stress that comes with job searching can be overwhelming, but there are eight strategies you can use to keep stress at the minimum.
