Legitimate Telecommuting Jobs: How to Find Them

Trying to weed through all the scams and hyped-up business opportunities online can be a daunting task, especially if you don't have a lot of experience in the field.

Below are tips to assist you in searching for your own telecommuting jobs, including information about where to find the jobs, what to be wary of, how to decipher the wording of ads to determine if they are for real, and of course, warning signs of typical scams.

The most important thing to remember is that there ARE plenty of legitimate work-at-home jobs out there! You just need to keep plugging away patiently, learn as much as you can, apply for every job you are qualified for, and success will eventually be yours!

---> Step One - Where to Find Telecommuting Jobs

The best place to find telecommuting jobs is online job banks. Some good examples are:

Craigslist.org
Monster.com
CareerBuilder.com
Jobs.com
HotJobs.com
Dice.com

You can also do a search for "(your state name) jobs" on any major search engine, and you will likely get plenty of boards to search.

Once at the job boards, you can usually search for the word "telecommuting," or "telecommute," and receive a fair number of hits. You can also try search terms like, "work remotely," "virtual worker," "home office," etc.


---> Step Two - Differentiate Real Telecommuting Jobs from Scams

The most obvious earmarks of a scam are:

- Charging a fee. Whether it is called an "administrative fee," a "training fee," "a processing fee," or anything else, you should NEVER have to pay to get a job.

Business opportunities DO require a start up fee, but this should include some type of kit with products and/or materials to get you started in your business. Telecommuting jobs should require NO costs, except perhaps certain equipment or supplies, like a headset or foot pedal for transcription jobs. You might also need to download certain software programs to make your computer system compatible with your employer's. But this software should NOT cost you anything. Don't fall for those medical billing "jobs" that require a payment of hundreds of dollars for software.

- Excessive hype. If you see an ad that uses a lot of !!!! Exclamation points, $$$$ Dollar signs, or a lot of CAPITAL LETTERS, it is not a legitimate job ad. Same thing with ads that sound like a big sales pitch telling you what a great job it is, and how much money you will earn. Avoid any ads that claim you can make "big money for easy work" - run like the wind. It is not a legitimate job ad.

Also be wary of ads that say "no experience necessary," but claim to pay big salaries. While it IS possible to find jobs that don't require a lot of experience, you won't be getting rich from them. (except maybe commission-based sales jobs, because your income will rest on your own level of motivation.) Finally, notice the JOB TITLE. If it says simply "work at home," "earn great money at home," "get paid what you're worth," and so on, it is likely NOT a job. REAL job ads usually have the position in the job title, like "customer service representative," "inside sales," etc.

- Vague details. Consider this ad, for example: "Home telephone workers needed NOW!! No Selling!! Home computer with internet access and a land line phone a MUST!! FT/PT Postitions available. Please send me your name, phone number and a good time to contact you." Notice how it doesn't even say what you will be doing, or what type of experience is necessary. Basically, it appears they will accept anyone with a warm body. Notice also the multiple exclamation points, and the demand for personal information without a hint of what type of job this is. Don't waste your time applying for "jobs" like this. Most likely, it is either a business opportunity, or a full-out scam.

- Multiple listings for the same job. This is something you will see on the major job boards usually, the same exact job title listed 20+ times for different areas. These are not real jobs, but scams and/or illegal investment opportunities. Most likely, they are trying to "cast a wide net" and snag as many people as they can at one time. It is almost a sure bet there will be a start-up fee of some kind, otherwise how would they pay for all those ads? ;-)

- Revenue sharing. Be wary of any job that offers vague compensation details, like mentioning "revenue sharing," or "performance bonuses." While there are CERTAINLY legitimate jobs that pay based on performance (like commission-based sales jobs), you should at least be aware of that before getting involved. While not all jobs list the rate of pay in their advertisements, avoid any job that can't guarantee your rate of pay in writing before you agree to employment. Payment details MUST include either an hourly rate, a per-piece rate, or a per-sale rate. Receiving a vague promise that you will earn substantial returns once the company or website becomes more successful or popular is no guarantee. If they won't give a measurable rate of earnings and put it in writing, keep walking.

- Excessive spelling and grammatical errors. Most employers are able to write out a job ad without sounding like a second-grader. While an error or two does not point to a scam, beware of ads that seem really amateurish.

Also keep this in mind:

Is it really a telecommuting job? Even though a job ad might be categorized as "telecommuting," read each job ad carefully before applying. Sometimes employers might not notice that their ad states "telecommuting is OK," and leave it active. (or possibly they don't know what telecommuting really means.) If you examine each job ad carefully, it should give some clue about whether it is really a telecommuting job. It might mention that you will work virtually, from your home office, or remotely.

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT FEELINGS. If any job ad gives you a strange feeling, don't even bother to apply. If a potential employer asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable, don't bother. Your intuition can be a huge help in your job search, if you take the time to listen to it! Think about the classified job ads in your local area, and compare any online ad to those. If an ad seems overly hypey, or seems too good to be true, pay attention to that inner warning.

Investigating Work at Home Job Offers You can also investigate any potential company by doing an internet search for the company name or website address (www.websitename.com), and you can include the terms, "scam," "fraud," and "ripoff." This will usually bring up any problems or complaints others have had with the company. You can also check BBB Online or RipoffReport.com. Keep in mind, though, that scammers are setting up new sites every day, so just because your search doesn't return any results, doesn't necessarily mean they are legitimate!

---> Step Three - Applying for Telecommuting Jobs

I cannot stress enough how important it is to portray yourself as a professional, and follow the application process EXACTLY!!! Remember that telecommuting jobs have intense competition, and these employers are NOT looking for people who can't even figure out how to apply properly. (In the rare situation where the application process is not spelled out and only an email address is provided, you can simply follow the average procedure of applying with a detailed cover letter and resume, demonstrating why you would be the perfect candidate for the position.)

Since I am not a resume or cover letter expert, I will refer you to ResumeASAP.com. This website is owned by Jennifer Anthony, who is awesome at what she does. She offers great resume and cover letter tips on her website and blog, including helpful specialized information about Telecommuting resumes. You can also contract her services to compile a very specific, tailored resume and/or cover letter to up your chances of obtaining the perfect job for you.

My Experience

I have personally held several telecommuting positions, and I did not have any magical knowledge about how to rise above the pack and make myself especially noticable. In mid-2003 when I decided I wanted to fulfill my dream of working from home, I began researching opportunities to do so. Through extensive research, I was able to find several legitimate leads, and within a month or so, I was working full-time from home!

Was I just lucky? Why was I able to succeed almost immediately, while others did not? To be honest, I didn't have any special advantages. I didn't have a professionally compiled resume*, or extensive knowledge about how to obtain telecommuting positions. I did, however, have more than 15 years of office-related experience, and I knew how to portray myself as a professional during the application and interview process. I learned this knowledge through my own real-life employment experiences. I am sure this experience helped draw the attention of the hiring managers for the various jobs I've held.

If you don't have this level of experience or knowledge about hiring procedures, don't despair! Simply make it your mission to research, research, research!!! Do internet searches about the proper ways to apply for jobs. Read up on interview techniques, and compile some answers to popular questions. Always think ahead! I can't stress the importance of this learning process enough. If you want to be chosen over THOUSANDS of other applicants, you will need to put some extra thought into your efforts. I assure you, it WILL pay off eventually!

*Note: Even though I didn't have a professionally compiled resume, I DO recommend that for the majority of people who are searching for telecommuting jobs today. Honestly, I think the only things that made me noticable to my employers were my extensive experience and my professional approach. But if you don't have that in your favor -- or even if you do! -- it cannot hurt to have a solid resume that accurately portrays what you are capable of. Hiring managers do pay attention to resumes. In fact, it is most often your resume and/or cover letter that will place your application in the "Contact for interview," or "Save for future reference" pile. Be willing to give yourself every advantage possible, even if it costs you a few bucks at the beginning.

About the Author:
Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer, web designer and owner of http://www.CreativeWorkAtHome.com, a resource center for home business owners and telecommuters. Visit today for information on how to make your work at home experience successful.

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