Now is the time, think about "Work From Home"
Now is the time, think about “Work From Home”
Many
people want to work from home, but they aren't necessarily interested
in freelancing or
starting a business. Fortunately, there are many opportunities to get hired in
a home-based job. More and more people are employed from home in roles ranging
from teachers and writers to nurses and bookkeepers. Well-known companies like
Amazon, Aetna, Humana, American Express, Capital One, and Hilton all hire
home-based employees.
While
the opportunities are out there, that doesn't mean they'll be easy to seize.
Landing a work-from-home job will take persistent effort. Along the way, you'll
have to keep an eye out for scammers who prey on desperate job-seekers.
Pros and Cons of Telecommuting
Before
you commit to seeking out a telecommuting job, make sure it's really what you
want to do. While there are some perks to working from home, there are
drawbacks to be aware of, as well.
Telecommuting
can be great because it could help you have greater flexibility to
set wages or salaries since you aren't limited by average wages in your
hometown. You may also get to set your schedule or work flexible hours. For
those who live in major cities, a huge perk is not having to commute—no more
rush hour traffic jams or crowded buses.
On
the other hand, and especially if you're from a big city, you may find that
working remotely comes with a pay cut. Wages are averaged out based on the cost
of living in a variety of areas, and they may not keep up with big cities like
New York. You may make more money freelancing or running your own home
business, but that comes with a lot of extra work. Competition is also fierce—many
people would rather work from home, and you've got to beat all of them during
the job-seeking process. That fierce competition creates another downside:
you've got to prepare for a long job hunt. You can expect to spend six
months or even a year of serious job searching before finally landing something
steady and well-paying.
Dividing your time is the biggest challenge. Household chores and working together, the
line gets blurry. In traditional countries like India, Japan, Malaysia etc. the
man/woman, if they are working should go to the office, hence person working
from home is expected to do household chores, since other members of the
household do not consider it working. This leads to long hours of work, the
telecommuter ends up working late into the night, trying to catch up. Without realizing,
the person ends up working 18-20 hrs.
Lack of physical activity. Working from home requires a lot more discipline
then going to office everyday and it is easy to roll out of bed with your
coffee, in your pajamas and head to your “office”, which is right in the next
room. Next thing you know, its 2 PM and you have not showered or even eaten
breakfast, forget exercising.
Time Management. Manage your time, to do list, work projects
etc. just like you would if you were at your desk at the office. If you have
kids, please sit down and explain. Distractions at home are much more demanding
than an office colleague walking up to you with coffee and chit chatting about
the game or the dinner last night.
Search for Work-At-Home Opportunities in Your
Industry
Maybe
your boss won't let you work at home, but another company in the same industry
might. You can contact similar companies directly and inquire about
telecommuting options along with sending your resume, or you can search for
jobs in your industry.
Freelance
opportunities, Business opportunities
There
are legitimate freelance opportunities for freelancing now. There are numerous
websites promoting freelance work. You can teach, do freelance transcription,
freelance your skill at Fiverr etc. There is opportunity to do sales through
Affiliate marketing. There are lot of opportunities but none of them are “get
rich quick” schemes. You have to work hard and keep at it for a while to start
earning good income. Do not get fooled
by “make millions in a month” plans and schemes, there is nothing like that, if
there was we all would have joined it. That said, you can make a lot of money doing this.
There are good opportunities in for example
Fiverr, if you are a talented social media, graphic designer, content creator, copywriter etc. you actually
can make a good income. It can as much as you would make in a full time job. If
you are diligent with you affiliate marketing effort and spend 4-5 hours a day
doing it, you can make good legitimate income.
![]() |
https://bit.ly/3cNAS9B |
https://bit.ly/3cNAS9B Here is a video from him explaining what is Affiliate Marketing |
Perfect Your Job Board Searches
Visit
legitimate job search websites, such as CareerBuilder, Indeed.com, and
Monster.com. Use telecommuting keywords ("work at home,"
"telecommute," etc.) or filter options to find the jobs that allow
you to work from home. Note that these keywords will bring up listings that
also say "no telecommute." Also, remain vigilant about scams.
Legitimate websites help cut down on spam and scams, but they still sneak onto
the site on occasion.
Because
different companies refer to telecommuting and working from home with different
terms, it pays to be aware of some variations and work them into your search.
Examples of relevant search terms include:
- Telecommute
- "Work from home" and
"work at home" (use quotes around search phrases)
- Remote
- Virtual
- Telework (this is more common
on job sites outside the U.S.)
You
may need to try multiple words to find all jobs. For example, on Careerbuilder,
"telecommute" and "work at home" both yield results, but
they're different results. Telecommute usually brings up a more professional
level or technical jobs. It pays to try several keywords, even if the first one
you try gives you good results.
The
best sites for finding work-at-home jobs are traditional job sites such as
CareerBuilder and Monster.com, but sites like Craigslist can be a source, as
well. You'll just need to pay even more attention to potential scams and
business opportunities disguised as jobs. Job aggregators, such as Naukri, Indeed, SimplyHired, and
ZipRecruiter, can be good resources because they'll pull jobs from multiple
areas into one site. But again, you'll need to stay informed about scams and
other non-job schemes. Finally, don't forget to try LinkedIn to find work at home.
Follow Directions for Submitting Your Resume
or Application
This
seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes applicants try to stand out by
submitting more or less than what the employer asks for. Failure to send what
is asked only shows you don't know how to follow directions. Employers get more
submissions than they need, and the fastest way to trim down their options is
by immediately eliminating those who don't follow directions.
Spruce Up Your Resume
Make your resume to suit your employer's needs to increase your
chances of getting noticed. A resume is a sales document, so the more you can
show you have the skills and experience the employer is asking for, the better
your chances are to get an interview. The same goes for a cover letter—if the
employer asks for one. Both should be individually crafted to fit a specific
job (based on a general outline you use to start all applications). After
facing a slew of rejections, it can be tough to put in the work to customize your
resume and cover letter, but it's always worth the extra effort to show you
carefully read the job posting.
Avoiding Work-At-Home Scams
Scammers
are clever and it isn't uncommon to find their schemes on legitimate sites. You
need to do your due diligence to protect yourself from scams.
Legitimate Jobs Will Never Charge to Hire You
Any
job asking for money for anything other than a background check is not a
job. It might not technically be a scam, but it definitely isn't a job. You
should proceed with caution, even if the money is for a background check—most
jobs pay for this out of their own pockets.
Keep Abreast of the Most Common Work-At-Home
Scams
The
quicker you can recognize a scam, the quicker you can get back to searching for
legitimate jobs. Assembly work, rebate processing, email processing, and
envelope stuffing are all scams. In time, these scams will be replaced with new
ones. Every few weeks, search for common work-at-home opportunity scams so you
can remain aware of them as they crop up. The more you know about work-at-home scams, the easier your job search will be.
Beware: Traditional Job Titles Can Be Used to
Trick People
There
are real job opportunities related to typist and data entry work. However,
there are also lots of scams that pose as these types of jobs. If you want to
pursue a job in one of these fields, research them carefully.
Never Bring Your Bank Account Into the
Application Process
Your
bank account shouldn't be part of the application process whatsoever. These are
fake check scams that can cost you money, loss of bank privileges,
and possibly jail time.
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