Questions about telecommuting (general)
I
want to work from home. Where do I start?
If you are currently employed, start with
your employer. If you feel your job could be done from home,
approach your employer with a proposal. An excellent resource
for providing telecommuting proposal templates and an amazing
amount of information about how to approach your boss is WorkOptions.com.
If that's not an option, then evaluate your
skills and experience and determine what type of work you
are qualified for and would like to do.
Maybe you need to brush up on certain skills
or learn some new ones. Check out the Workaholics4Hire.com
database of internet courses, which are all free.
It helps if you're willing to learn new skills and open to
exploring new avenues of work, so don't limit yourself. There
are opportunities out there that perhaps you are unaware of
or have not considered before. Think about expanding your
horizons. If you're determined to find a typing job at home
and expect to find it on the internet, consider the fact that
there are thousands of others just like you. If you don't
stand out from the crowd, and aren't willing to put a lot
of time and effort into your search, it could be a very long
time before you ever find work.
Finding a telecommuting job is much the
same as finding an on-site job. Start by preparing and perfecting
your resume and cover letter. Don't expect to submit your
resume somewhere, however, and have employers knocking down
your door. While some people are lucky enough to have a telecommuting
job fall into their lap, don't expect that to happen to you.
If you want a job, you are going to have to make it happen
yourself. It takes time, effort, and some creativity to find
a job, but it can be done. There is a lot of competition,
so you have to be qualified, patient and persistent.
Is it possible for me to get a telecommuting position for
my first job out of college?
That would certainly depend on your qualifications
and skills. If you've worked through college you'll have an
employment record for your resume, if not you'll at least
have the degree. Many employers still look for that rather
than specific work and life skills. You'll have to sell yourself
and be extremely disciplined for working independently, but
if your grades are good, they show your capabilities to accomplish
goals and be self motivated. That's exactly what an employer
needs to know if they allow you to work at home.
Where
do I look for a telecommuting job?
- You can start by joining
Workaholics4Hire.com. There are many resources
to help and inform you here, not the least of which is the
free jobs database. Take some time to explore the site and
avail yourself of everything Workaholics4Hire.com has to
offer.
- Submit your resume to as many
places as you can find. Use this search box for
a quick search on the internet for free resume submission
services and places you can submit your resume online.
- Your local newspaper is the best place
to find telecommuting work. You can even apply for on-site
jobs, offering your services in a telecommuting arrangement.
- Job Banks - see work
at home search tips here. Use terms such as
telecommut*, "at home", freelance, off site, etc.
To get the best results, take the time to learn how to use
each site's particular search features.
- Auction Sites - Here
is where you'll find contract jobs that you can bid on.
Study the bids made by others to get an idea of how to place
your own bid. Look at it from the employer's standpoint,
i.e., which contractor would you hire/not hire. Use this
easy search box to locate freelance auction sites you can
use to get contract work from.
- Search Engines - see
work
at home search tips here. Don't expect to type
in "work at home" and get a list of jobs. What
you'll get is a list of scams and people wanting to sell
you job lists and lists of companies hiring homeworkers.
Use search engines to find info on telecommuting, job banks
and auction sites, and use keywords specific to your type
of work to find job listings.
- Newsgroups/Message Boards
- Join a newsgroup or message board relating to your type
of work.
Is
this for real? I can work from home and get paid?
Yes it is for real.....However there are
many many scams out there. Just remember a real employer never
asks for money.
Are
telecommuting and freelance auctions legit? How can I trust
a job I get online?
You have to consider the source of the auction.
Make sure you do your research both on the site and on the
employer (buyer) you're bidding on. Most of them are legit
but you do need to use caution. Use a trusted freelance contract
source for best results.
What
kind of jobs lend themselves to telecommuting?
To name a few:
Writing
Programming
Web design
Data entry
Customer service
Sales
Internet community jobs
Data collection
News monitoring
Editing/proofreading
Database administration
Accounting/Bookkeeping
Research
Transcription
Graphic artist
Telemarketing
Recruiting
Translation
Any work that does not require you to be
in the office for customer contact has the potential to be
done at home. Obviously a receptionist in a doctor's office
would have a difficult time telecommuting.
Where
I live it seems there are no jobs offered where you can work
at home. Can you help?
If you can't find a home employment situation
where you live, you may have to create one. Try talking to
the boss and selling her/him on the benefits of telecommuting.
Many employers just have no clue. It's not a typical employment
situation so many times its never even been considered. Looking
at local traditional jobs may be the best place to start.
Make sure you do your homework first. Also be prepared to
offer to start in the office for a while before a trust factor
is established.
I
took a telecommuting position, and suddenly I feel like there
is no one to ask questions of.
You can still ask questions of your employer
or someone else in the office. Just make sure you have tried
to solve the questions yourself first. Working from home is
very different from onsite work. You don't have the people
near you to assist you. If you are a self-starter and willing
to research the answers yourself, you will find you are more
successful than if you always ask a person for answers, rather
than finding out for yourself. Don't
dismiss the value of networking with other successful telecommuters.
Often, they have dealt with the same problems you face and
may have the answer you're looking for.
How
do I split family life with home-office?
Don't ask us. We're all workaholics. Ha
ha ha. No seriously. This is a problem for many. Telecomuting
is a great thing, some can handle it others can't. Try setting
aside certain times when your family knows you are available.
If your schedule is flexible that's great. If not, that has
advantages too. You can make sure you stop and sit down for
lunch with your kids, maybe get time in for a game in the
afternoon, and try to always be around for dinner. If you
have the "I am available" times already set aside,
the times when you're working won't be so hard to deal with.
If your boss needs you 9-5 that's great
too. Everyone knows that and the rest is available time. If
you have children, just make sure it's working for them. If
you need a sitter, then hire one. You don't necessarily have
to send your kids to daycare - many people find that hiring
a teenager to come in for a few hours to watch the kids while
you work is a good solution. Or trade babysitting times with
a friend or neighbor - you watch their kids on Tuesday, they
watch yours on Wednesday.
Make sure your home is conducive to working
quietly. You're telecommuting now and the boss expects more
output not less.
Work time is work time - family time is
family time. Everyone has to find a way to separate the two
and depending on family situations each person's solution
may differ.
What
personality traits are necessary for working out of the home?
Try taking the "Are
you ready to work at home?" test. You'll
receive a score and be able to see what you need to improve
on.
How
can I convince my current employer to let me telecommute?
If you think that part or all of your job
could effectively be done at home, present your employer with
a proposal to let you telecommute.
Keep in mind that your employer is not going
to let you work at home just because you want to. You're going
to have to convince them that it will be beneficial for them.
Arm yourself with facts and be ready to
show how the company will save money and you will work more
efficiently at home.
The following web sites have useful facts
on telecommuting:
http://www.gilgordon.com
http://www.teleworker.com
http://www.tmanage.com
http://www.langhoff.com
You can also find an outline of a telecommuting
proposal, along with some good tips and info,
here.
The more valuable you are to the company
and the more conducive your duties are to telecommuting, the
better chance you will have to strike a deal. Be ready to
negotiate a part-time arrangement at first, even if it's only
one day a week. Your employer is not likely to let you start
telecommuting full time right off the bat, but if you start
slowly and are able to prove the benefits to the company of
letting you telecommute, you will be in a better position
to renegotiate your schedule
The same principle applies when you are
applying for an on-site position that you feel could be done
at home. Tell the employer that you would like to be considered
for the position in a telecommuting capacity. Explain how
you're best qualified for the job, and offer to work on-site
for a certain amount of time initially to prove yourself.
I
want to offer typing services. How do I get clients?
There are a few ways you can do this...
Method #1
- Check your local newspapers, large and
small, to see if there are companies looking for freelancers.
- Check the same papers for on-site jobs
that you feel you are qualified for and could do from your
home office.
Then answer the ads, and in your cover
letter, tell them how you are qualified to do the job (your
relevant experience and skills). Then tell them you have a
completely outfitted home office and explain how they could
benefit by using your services, either to do the job full
time, or offer to do the job until they find the perfect candidate
(so they don't have to rush into hiring someone). Try not
to make it too long (the shorter the better) and be very professional.
Then include your resume (no more than two pages - one is
best) and if you like, any glowing letters of recommendation
you may have. You could make up a generic letter that you
could customize for each ad and then fax/email some every
day.
Method #2
You could also do something similar, but
not in response to job ads. Look in the yellow pages and find
companies listed under insurance, import/export, publishing,
whatever you may have experience with. Send a letter of introduction,
outlining the services you provide and telling them how they
could benefit by using them.
Miscellaneous Methods That Work
- If you live near a college, put up notices
there and contact the professors. College professors/students
are always writing something and may need someone to edit/proof/typeset/research.
- If you live in a suburb, then you have
a local paper. Put a small ad in there and keep it there.
If people see your ad week after week, they'll think they
can count on you.
- Tell everyone you know what services
you can provide. Tell them to tell everyone they know.
- Make up business cards and leave them
anywhere you can and give them to everyone - a plumber comes
to your house, give him/her your business card.
- Put up flyers.
- Call temp agencies and ask if they could
use your services (overflow work, reference checking, etc.)
- Write a letter of introduction and send/bring
it to local small businesses that might not have staff to
take care of extra work. Also contact businesses that might
have large mailings to do. Companies with a large customer
base might need help with data entry projects (real estate,
insurance, etc.). Or make an offer to those companies to
keep a database/reminder service for their clients.
- Contact local contractors (roofers,
handymen, landscapers, painters, etc.) and offer to do their
office work - you could take their calls, make appointments,
do invoicing, etc. Free up their time so they can do their
actual work, without having to mess with paperwork, etc.
- Volunteer - often the best way to make
contacts that could lead to paying jobs.
How
do companies save money by hiring telecommuters?
Employers do not have the additional costs
of Taxes, Workers Comp, Benefits, office space, supplies and
general cost of utilities involved with an onsite employee.
How
can I speed up the hiring process?
This really depends on your skills. We get
requests for many different skill sets, but they MUST be reflected
in your portfolio
listing or our search will not pick you up. If
your portfolio is versatile and you are highly skilled, the
better the chances.
Make sure your portfolio is up to date,
professionally written and there are no mistakes on it. The
more qualifications you have the better. Keep learning new
skills and make sure you post them in the protfolio database
and on your resume.
Also, don't assume that by placing your
resume in databases on many sites will get you a job. You
need to search daily, just as you'd pound the pavement for
that office job. Your diligence, coupled with our services
will be your best answer.
I
have been a member for a while, why haven't I got a job yet?
Many people assume if they put their resume
in a database online they are guaranteed employment. We have
never made such a guarantee. Your resume and skills are what
get you a job, but your continued efforts are needed. Have
you been applying for jobs on a constant basis? When you look
for an office job, do you assume if you post a resume in the
paper employers are going to call you? Of course not. You
apply for as many jobs as possible every week. You network
with other people, and you try to be professional in your
business dealings. Sure we search our database and we employ
a great many people, but we still have competition here, and
just as in the real world it is intense.
Have you taken the time to review
ALL the steps to your work at home success?
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JOBSEEKER MAIN PAGE
You
Can Work In Your PJs was written
by Sylvie Fortin, the founder of Workaholics4Hire, to assist
those interested in finding work at home and freelance contracts.
Locating jobs that provide telecommuting benefits goes beyond
finding jobs in the classifieds. This course teaches the techniques
and strategies used by our own team of workaholics to find
employers that are more interested in project quality than
employee location.
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