Five Steps To Finding a Work At Home Job

Work at home jobs have become more prevalent with the growth of the Internet. Hundreds of jobs can be found on any given day. So its always a surprise to me when I receive email from people asking if telecommuting is a myth. Its not a myth. In fact, approximately 15 million people telecommute in some form. The key to finding work at home jobs is know how and where to search, taking the time to learn about companies, and submitting a quality resume.

Step One: Learn about Telecommuting

Despite what scammers would have you believe, you dont sign-up to work at home nor will you get paid to stuff envelopes or assemble miniature dollhouses. One of the first things people need to understand about work at home jobs is that they require skill and experience just as any job would. You may get paid to type but most likely you will also be responsible for doing the research, synthesizing and organizing the data, and then typing it. You might find a job doing data-entry but you may need experience in keying or you may be responsible for gathering the data, entering it and creating queries.

Another fact about telecommuting is that you dont have to pay for a work at home job. Legitimate employers never charge to hire you, ever. Learn that rule and dont forget it. Because anyone who says you can have a work-at-home job for any amount of money is selling you something and it isnt work.

Step Two: Inventory Your Skills

In step one you learned that work at home jobs require skills and experience so step two is to inventory what you have to offer. When listing your skills and experience, dont limit yourself to jobs. Include any thing you have learned or can do that is related to a hobby or interest or volunteer experience as well. Skills that translate well into a work at home job include researching, writing, computer-related skills, phone and communication skills, and sales experience.

Step Three: Search for Work

The key to finding work at home jobs is to search where people post jobs. Employers are not looking for home workers. They are looking for qualified people to fill a position. It is the position they advertise and they advertise it on job-related sites. That doesnt mean that scams are not posted in job sites but for the most part you can be sure that work at jobs wont be posted in search engines.

You need to realize that most likely you wont find your perfect job on your first search attempt. People complain to me all the time that they find hundreds of jobs they dont want to do or cant do. I always ask how many jobs listed in the Sunday classifieds would they be interested in doing? Probably only a handful out of hundreds. Why should a work at home search be any different? It shouldnt and isnt.  A work at home job search requires the same amount of effort and diligence.

Step Four: Submit a Quality Resume

I want to work at home. I have a computer and can type. Would you hire someone who sent you this? Probably not. Why? Well for one, there isnt enough information to determine if this job applicant can do the job. And two, the job applicant hasnt put forth a great deal of effort in getting the job. I am surprised sometimes how informal people are when trying to find a work at home job. This sort of note would never be sent in a traditional job search but for some reason people do it all the time in a work at home job search. The fact is that you must submit professional quality resumes and applications. Your written submission is the first and only chance you have to make an impression. The competition for a work at home job will be fierce. You need to set your submission apart from the rest. Here are some tips:

Learn about resumes and cover letters

Submit your resume to a person.

Follow the directions indicated in the job announcement.

Gear each resume to the job you are applying to.

Step Five: Dont Give Up

I believe everyone can work at home. But its not easy. It requires a great deal of effort and often a willingness to venture into something new. Many people give up too early or when the effort becomes too much. If you have been looking for more than six months, you need to re-evaluate your efforts. Are you looking in the right places? Are you willing to consider a variety of jobs? Have you been submitting quality resumes and applications? Have you been working on your goal on a regular basis for six months? (Wishing to work at home for six months isnt the same as actively looking for a job for six months).

You can turn your work at home dream into a reality. By following the five steps above, you can bring yourself that much closer to finding a telecommuting job.

Copyright 2003 Leslie Truex, Work-At-Home Success, Jobs At Home. Leslie Truex has telecommuted for online companies as well as offline in the areas of education and social work. She is the author of Jobs At Home: A Complete Guide to Finding or Creating a Work-At-Home Job which provided step-by-step details for finding and obtaining a work-at-home job including over 150 telecommuting job resources.

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