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Please discuss the ins and outs of working at home and how
to find a legitimate company to work for that requires no start up cost.
Donna
Donna asks a good question. According to the American FactFinder 5 million
Americans work at home. That's about 3% of all workers. And the trend is for
more people to join the at-home workforce.
We'll begin by looking at some steps that Donna should take in looking for
any job. Then we'll discuss some things that are unique to finding an
at-home job. And, finally, some traps and scams to avoid.
An important step in any job hunt is a self-evaluation. What job skills do
you have? What types of work do you like to do? Are there tasks that you
very much dislike?
After you know yourself, you can determine which jobs best match your skills
and interests. Then figure out where those jobs can be found. A good
starting place is the classified ads. Both in Donna's local paper and
online.
Many job applicants skip an important step. They don't research the
potential employer. An online search or visit to the library will provide
some good background info about the company. Not only will Donna know enough
to ask good questions during an interview, she'll also be better able to
decide whether it's the kind of company she'd like as an employer.
OK, now that we've looked at some general job hunting tips, let's get
specific about at-home jobs.
The first thing is to recognize that not everyone is meant to work at home.
It takes discipline, motivation and skills that translate to an at-home
environment.
There are a number of websites dedicated to at-home workers. The Independent
Homeworkers Alliance <homeworkers.org> provides work-at-home job listings.
You can try a free trial membership before joining on a paid basis. Avoid
expensive membership dues or fees. You do not need to join anything to be
successful in your job hunt.
Networking is especially valuable when you want to work at home. Friends
will know about employers who might be looking for additional help. They can
also find out whether the employer would hire at-home workers.
Just like a typical job search, try to think of companies that could use the
skills that you have, only this time using them at home. Donna's best bet
might be to call or visit companies that could use her skills with a resume
in hand.
She may find that the potential employer has not tried work-at-home
employees before. Info explaining how they can reduce company overhead costs
would be helpful.
Once Donna has an offer she'll need to decide whether to accept it. Part of
that decision is determining whether the offer is real or just a scam.
Some scams are easy to spot. Any job advertised as 'easy' or 'anyone can do
it' won't make you rich. And real jobs don't require that you buy office
supplies to get started.
There are some jobs that Donna can pretty much assume are either scams or
are highly unlikely to work out. Processing claims, posting ads, stuffing
envelopes and data entry jobs are all suspect.
And just because a job uses the internet doesn't mean that you should put
your common sense in the closet. You cannot set up an inexpensive website
for a product/service that 'the whole world needs' and expect them to flock
to your site making you a fortune. Even with search, getting your site
noticed is hard work and takes expertise.
If you haven't already, try to find out more about the proposed employer.
From independent sources. It's easy for a company to post glowing tributes
from strangers. Be suspicious of them.
Don't hesitate to ask the company for references. Just the way the company
responds will tell you something about them. Real companies will not be
surprised or insulted at the request.
Ask trusted friends what they think of the opportunity. Give yourself time
to think about it, too. Heed your instincts. If you're at all suspicious the
wise thing is to walk away.
Donna does need to be prepared to work for commission or on a
'task-completed' basis. Most at-home jobs are not paid on a 'per hour' or
salary.
Finally, Donna will need to know whether she'll be an employee or a contract
worker. If she's a contract worker she could be responsible for extra taxes.
Finding a legitimate work-at-home job isn't easy. The biggest challenge is
determining if she has skills that can be applied to an at-home job
situation. Without those it will be very difficult to find a job that isn't
a scam. However if she has those skills more and more employers are willing
to let workers telecommute.
_________
Copyright © Gary Forman
Gary Foreman is a former financial planner who currently edits
The Dollar
Stretcher website. It features thousands of articles to help
you stretch your dollar and your day.
About the Author...
There's more than one way to get most for your money. For
more than 20 years, Gary Foreman has worked to manage money effectively.
He's been a Certified Financial Planner and Purchasing Manager. He currently
edits The Dollar Stretcher website www.stretcher.com and several
newsletters. His mission is to help people "Live Better for Less".
While helping clients manage their hard earned money, he applied common
sense, time-tested techniques during the turbulent 1980's. The experience
convinced him that you didn't need to hit the lottery to accumulate
significant wealth.
Following that, Gary had an opportunity to learn more about how to get the
best value for a dollar spent. As the Purchasing Manager for a computer
manufacturer, he was responsible for supervising over $10 million in annual
purchases.
Today, Gary spends his time editing The Dollar Stretcher newsletters and
website. He enjoys the give and take of the internet and likes nothing
better than to help people achieve their financial goals.
Gary lives in South Florida along with his wife of twenty five years and
their two children. When he has a free moment you'll find him restoring a
Checker station wagon nicknamed "Two Ton" with doo-wops playing in the
background. |
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