Why Work at Home?
There are a variety of reasons that people seek work-at-home jobs. Flexibility in scheduling is one of the principal reasons, especially for parents of elementary-school or preschool-age children. For parents, working at home cuts down daycare costs and provides the flexibility to attend to children’s needs. Most people who work at home choose the hours they work and can take time off for family needs. Working at home also saves time and money. If you think about your daily earnings at a job outside the home, factor in gas money and travel time. You may be surprised to find that a work-at-home job can save you a significant amount of money. Another perk to working at home is saving money on clothes as your clients and employers will be none the wiser if you work in your pajamas.
Where to Find Work-at-home Opportunities
Work-at-home online jobs are relatively easy to find. The key thing to remember is to avoid scam job offers that require you to pay a significant amount of money to get started. If the offer sounds too good to be true, such as getting paid hundreds of dollars each week to stuff envelopes, then it is probably a scam. There are some legitimate home business and work-at-home online jobs that ask for money, typically in the case of selling a product or registering as part of a work-at-home network. The best way to make sure these companies are legitimate is to search message boards and articles online about these companies. If many people work for these companies and have been paid, then you can trust that the company is legitimate.
Work-at-Home Processing
One of the most common work-at-home opportunities is work-at-home processing. Work-at-home processing jobs can involve telecommuting for a company as an employee to process customer orders and provide telephone customer service. Work-at-home processing jobs can also include processing refunds for a commission. In many cases, an employee will work predetermined hours, but may have flexibility in arranging a schedule. Oftentimes, this type of work-at-home opportunity will require special equipment like specific software, a telephone headset, and a dedicated telephone line.
Work-at-Home Transcription
Work-at-home transcription provides many opportunities for work-at-home online jobs. Companies that specialize in medical, legal, and general transcription often look for independent contractors to work from home. Most of these companies require that the applicant submit a resume and complete an online testing process to make sure he or she is qualified for the work. Medical transcription work-at-home online jobs often require in-depth training, which can also be gained via the Internet, usually in about one year. For any online transcription course, be sure it is properly accredited and offers job placement assistance. Whether you are interested in medical, legal, or general transcription, if you have good grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills, and can type accurately at a speed of 65-words-per-minute or more, online transcription jobs might work for you. As in work-at-home processing jobs, work-at-home transcription jobs often require specialized equipment.
Work-at-Home Writing Jobs
Even if you have no prior writing experience, working at home as a freelance writer is an attractive option for many. In order to succeed as a freelance work-at-home writer, you will need an excellent grasp of written English and the ability to research and synthesize information. Knowledge of appropriate tone, style, and content are important to keep in mind as well. There are many work-at-home online jobs in search engine optimization (SEO) content writing. SEO content writing involves writing Web articles for publication on client Web sites. Freelance writers also submit article ideas to magazines and other publications via a query process.
Finding the Best Work-at-home Job for You
Finding a good work-at-home job requires thought and research. Visit message boards and other online sites dedicated to work-at-home jobs. Do careful research to make sure a job opportunity is legitimate before you sign on, especially if the sign up fees seem unreasonable. Connect with others online who work for these companies, and learn as much as you can about potential job opportunities. Think about your skills and abilities, and be willing to put as much effort into your search for work-at-home online jobs as you would when looking for a conventional job. Your chances of landing good work-at-home opportunities are proportionate to the amount of effort you put into your job search.
