With our economy on shaky ground, and with pundits offering forecasts that are all over the spectrum, many are nervous about their financial futures.  Hearing about friends who’ve just lost their jobs doesn’t help.  Neither does the office gossip.  With all this uncertainty we are seeing folks looking for back-up ways of generating an income.  Many are getting interested in the category of what might be called “working from home jobs” to accomplish this.

Before starting your search for jobs you can perform from your home, decide what sort jobs suit you, what your skill set is, and your financial needs.  One big question you must answer now and answer honestly:  Can you work effectively without supervision?  If your answer is not a resounding “yes,” then you either need to forget about pursuing working from home jobs now, or resolve to develop some self-discipline immediately.

Once you have the above questions and issues settled, prepare your resume.  The standard rules and procedures for effective resume preparation apply here, although you do want to focus on your ability to perform the prospective jobs competently from your home.

If the jobs you are looking for involve freelancing your services to prospective employers, you will need to sign up at reputable sites online that connect freelancers with the purchasers of your services.  Don’t overlook the need to check out those sites; not all are free from less than open and honest individuals.  I also highly recommend you only accept work on an escrow basis.  This means the purchaser of your services must deposit the full amount of your job at the site as soon as you accept the job.  Once you satisfactorily complete the work, the funds already on deposit are released to you.  Hence, you are protected from deadbeats.

There are also job boards where employers advertise job openings for actual employees who would work out of their homes.  Many of these jobs fall into the categories of secretaries, bookkeepers, web designers, banner designers, cartoonists, proofreaders,  editors, and translators.   If you prefer actual employment as opposed to freelancing, this is an area for you to explore.

What to Avoid

Obviously, not every job opportunity you will see on the web will be legitimate.  Here are some pointers to help alert you to some of the things you want to avoid, or at least look over very carefully.

Be careful of sites that demand payment for jobs or require you to purchase kits and CDs.  There are plenty of these sites on the net, and many look so credible that it is easy for someone to fall for their promises, especially if that person is desperate for income.

Don’t fall for get rich quick schemes.   We all know that such schemes are just that – schemes.  Sadly enough, people are taken in all the time.  You know the fact – jobs are jobs, and you still have to work hard on any of the working from home jobs you might find.

Watch out for companies that offer work, but don’t post their names and other important information.  Scammers almost always promise amazingly high wages for unskilled work.  If you were an employer, would you pay such astronomically high wages for menial work?  Of course not.  So why would anyone think some internet company would pay someone many times what the job is worth?

Summary

It’s hard to imagine any more important asset than your integrity.  This means that you will not accept freelance work that tries to skirt around the law or that violates your ethics. You will not associate with any firm that even hints that they wish for you to do so.  You will complete all assignments in a professional and prompt manner.  If you become an employee in one of the many working from home jobs that are available, you will not abuse the fact that you are not in a traditional office by being less than productive.

Best wishes in meeting your career and income needs!

The income opportunities we often refer to as “working from home jobs” attract lots of  people looking for work that offers full-time or part-time  compensation.  As a result, people do fall prey to con artists who put up what appear to be legitimate job sites.  This begs the question, what are the  pitfalls to avoid when looking for working at home jobs on the internet?

Three Pitfalls to Avoid

There are three basic things to avoid  when looking for work from home jobs.

• Avoid jobs that require employment fees
• Avoid buying guides and kits or equipment just to get a job
• Avoid adverts that promise incredible riches in just a short time

If you have come across ads claiming  that stuffing envelopes is a job that earns you easy money, better back  off.    If you insist trying it out, be ready to lose  $35.00  Be patient.  Skim through several websites or  ask friends who have found legitimate online jobs.  Individuals  who have looked for working from home jobs have been through a lot; some  have persisted and found legitimate sites that offer information as to where  to find the legit jobs while the rest have quit the race.  Talk to people who’ve been successful.

Jobs You Should Be Wary Of

Processing claims.  If the job  sounds easy and the pay amazingly good, it may be because you have to buy  equipment before you are hired.  This is easily a scam so be very careful.

Stuffing envelopes.  Would companies  really pay $3 to $4 per envelope stuffed?  This is not the Stone Age.  Companies have postage machines to stuff and apply postage to envelopes.

Data entry jobs.  These ads are  everywhere you look. You find them on credible websites, too.  Instead  of clicking that link that will lead you to the site, get away fast;  before you can get your hands on the job, you have to pay for a starting  kit and it is not cheap.  There is also no assurance that you can  get the job or the pay you expect.

MLM or multi-level marketing.   Oh, the promises they make can entice anyone – thousands of dollars  in commissions and the easy money that can finance an exotic vacation  or cars.  Before you can even get into the top of the heap you  have to do a lot of recruiting and it is a tough job.  It is hard  to convince people to sign up in spite of the glowing testimonies on  the websites because people have to pay up before they can get into  the game.

Online businesses.  There are lots of people making fine money who have started their own online businesses.  On the other hand, there are untold numbers of websites offering you the chance to earn big bucks fast. If you are not careful, you will end up with a guide that you paid for and no business.  Before jumping in, ask this question, “If this business is so easy and makes so much money, why isn’t the person selling you a package not just running the business himself?”  Maybe it’s because there is really more money in selling information about how to make money than there is in actually running the program being sold.

To find the credible jobs check out  sites like monster.com or careerbuilder.com.  Other sites that offer  a string of online work from home jobs are Elance.com and getafreelancer.com.

Summary

There is no doubt that one can be successful and earn a handsome income working from home.  Working from home jobs have many desirable attributes.  The purpose of this post was definitely not to turn you off.  However, it is my hope that I’ve given you some idea of the pitfalls to avoid so as to increase the likelihood of your having a successful search.  Use your wits and keep looking!

What are “working from home jobs”? The answer may seem obvious but it isn’t. On one hand we are talking about methods of generating an income without the need to report to a typical job location. But that definition needs to be developed if we are going to get an idea of what’s out there.

Some might understand this term to mean a form of self-employment where one sets up one’s own company and bases it at home. In other words, you are self-employed and have your office and operations at home. There are a myriad of careers, both full- and part-time that fit into this category. The key here is that you have no employer. You truly are your own boss.

Others might understand working from home jobs to include employment scenarios where you are an employee of an outside company but are allowed to do much or most of your work from your home. Sometimes the term telecommuting can be applied to this arrangement. For many, this is very desirable because it couples the relative security that comes from actually being on the payroll of an employer but eliminates the need to report to a traditional job location. The time and cost savings in not needing to commute to an office and pay for day-care is especially attractive to mothers of young children.

Which is right for you?

Realize that there are a wide array of choices within each of the two categories of working from home jobs that we discussed above. And realize that jobs with very similar responsibilities and functions could fall under either category.

Here’s a quick check-list to help you clarify your thinking as to where you want to go with this:

- Do you crave independence and are you willing to accept responsibility for the success or failure of a business?

- Are you reluctant to leave the relative security of the monthly paycheck?

- Do you prefer to work on a well-defined set of tasks, or are you comfortable with the multitude of responsibilities that come with self-employment?

- Do you need immediate income or can you afford to wait until a business grows to the point of where it can pay you a reasonable income?

- What other personal or family considerations need to be factored into your decision?

- What are your skill sets and your job experience?

- Can you discipline yourself to work independently without supervision?

- How do you feel about working alone without regular contact with others?

That list is not exhaustive, of course. But hopefully I’ve clarified some relevant issues for you as you consider working from home jobs. Best wishes!