Telecommuting
If you find yourself becoming increasingly disenchanted with the idea of traveling to an office every day, wishing you could spend more time with your kids or just craving a little more freedom with your work schedule, it might be time for you to consider becoming a telecommuter. The telecommuting market is still unknown to some people but with the help of the Web, you can open yourself to new career possibilities.
Expand All Guide SectionsTelecommuting Basics
Once you decide to start exploring the idea of home-based work, you'll need to do some research to ... read more »
Find Telecommuting Jobs
Telecommuting jobs aren't always easy to come by, but you can search for work around the country with the help of these credible Web sites. Or explore the links to find ways to turn your current job into a work-at-home job. You’ll also find advice on how to spot and avoid work-at-home scams, ensuring that your telecommuting career gets off to a good start.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Sometimes the best place to start looking for a work-at-home job is with your current employer. It may be worthwhile to see if your boss will allow you to set up a telecommuting arrangement even for just a few days a week.
- Try using job search sites that screen job offers for legitimacy. Site owners usually mention if they attempt to screen their postings. The more research you do to educate and protect yourself from work-at-home scams, the better.
- If a job search site has a message board, take advantage of that feature. Chances are, someone on a message board has encountered the same company you're wondering about.
- See our findingDulcinea Freelancing Web Guide for more tips about finding work-at-home jobs. If you’re thinking of starting your own home-based business, consult the findingDulcinea Starting a Business Web Guide for more information.
Dulcinea's Picks
To transform your current job into a telecommuting job…
Quintessential Careers
provides a thorough background on transitioning from the office setting to a work-at-home arrangement. Learn to prepare a proposal and successfully present it to your boss in order to negotiate a telecommute situation.
Main Street Mom
discusses the positive and negative aspects of telecommuting and examines some of the issues that may come up. Learn how to convince your boss that a work-at-home arrangement may be beneficial to you both.
To find a telecommuting job …
Craigslist
posts classified ads from major cities around the world. Choose your location from the list and search the “jobs” section in your field of interest. Once you’ve chosen a field (for example, “nonprofit sector”), be sure to check the “telecommute” box near the upper left corner to narrow the results to telecommuting jobs.
WAHM.com (Work-at-Home Moms)
provides information and support for parents who work at home, including a short, regularly updated list of work-at-home jobs that the site publishers attempt to screen for legitimacy; scroll down to the “New jobs added” headline to find them. Get advice or chat with other telecommuters in the "Ask Jane" section or “The Message Boards.”
Worldwide Work At Home
offers a list of telecommuting jobs and freelance projects from around the world. Look for work-at-home jobs in categories like data entry, freelance writing and web design. Stop by the site’s “Work At Home Forum” to discuss telecommuting, its effects on personal life and job leads; registration is required to post messages.
To identify work-at-home scams …
Net-Temps
offers a list of "The Seven Rules That Weed Out Scams." Find examples of job advertisements that would likely prove to be a scam and learn how to identify them.
Creative Work at Home
features an article called “How to Spot a Work at Home Scam.” In a number of bullet points, the selection explains what you should look out for when choosing a telecommunications employer, such as sites that ask for “too much information.”
The Better Business Bureau
has information about more than 2.5 million businesses and charities. To find out whether a potential employer is legitimate, choose the "Check Out a Business or Charity" link and enter the business name to read the company’s “Reliability Report.”
Ripoff Report
is a consumer-based Web site that allows you to report a company or individual if you’re the victim of a scam. Use the site to research a company and find out if any complaints have been filed against the company.
Who knew?
Telework Recruiting’s
article, “From the Employer's Shoes,” addresses the overwhelming number of resumes employers receive when they advertise for a telecommuting position. Learn why you may never hear back from an employer regarding some of the jobs you've applied for.
Getting Started With Telecommuting
So you’ve decided that telecommuting is for you, and perhaps you’ve even found that ... read more »
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