Secrets to Getting a Work-At-Home Job

On any given day there are hundreds of legitimate work-at-home jobs posted online. Even today, in a tanking economy employers are hiring people to work from home. But many people still struggle to find these jobs or to get hired when they do find them. Perhaps you're one those people. While there is no magic pill, there are some "secrets" you should know to increase the odds of success in finding and getting a work-at-home job.

Secret #1:

Home-based employees don't stuff envelopes, assemble crafts, process payments or rebates, post ads, or fill out surveys. These programs are all scams or simply don't make enough money to buy a pizza much less pay the mortgage.

Successful home-based employees have jobs that are similar to the jobs found in the traditional work world such as personal assistant (or virtual assistant), customer service rep, bookkeeper, copywriter, tutor, teacher, paralegal, transcriber, and writer just to name a few. So, just as in searching for a traditional job, when doing a work-at-home job search, focus on jobs that need the skills and experience you have.

Secret #2:

Home-based employees don't use directories or search engines to find a telecommuting jobs. Many of these resources provide scam companies such as assembly or mailing work. Others provide a list of companies that have telecommuting programs, but for the purpose of finding work, they are useless as the companies may not be hiring.

Instead, successful home-based employees search for jobs where employers post their job openings such as on career websites like Monster.com, on company websites, or through reputable telecommuting databases that list current job openings. It's important to remember the scammers do post their jobs on the free-to-use job boards, so you'll need to research jobs carefully. The best way to stay safe is to remember that employers never charge to hire you and won't ask to use your bank account to do business.

Secret #3:

Home-based employees don't sign up for a job. Neither do they buy one. Work at home jobs must be earned in the same way traditional jobs are; you need to apply, interview and get hired. Any company that says you will have a "job" simply by signing up and sending money is NOT offering you a job.

Successful home-based employees know they are competing with many other candidates and therefore have a stellar resume or application that is tailored to each specific job to which they apply. They are careful to follow the job announcement's directions to a "T" not only to provide the information the employer is looking for, but to also show that they know how to follow directions.

The home-based jobs are out there. A quick search of Monster.com using the keyword "telecommute" yields over 400 job announcements. And while some of these jobs are scams or business opportunities, many are great work-at-home jobs that you can apply to today. The key to success is to remember to look for the right types of work in the right places, and then make the best impression you can on the potential employer.