One of the questions we get most often from
readers and visitors to Quintessential Careers
is "How can I find a legitimate work-at-home
opportunity?" Folks ask this question for a number
of reasons -- parents want to be home to see their
kids grow up, workers want more flexibility, or people
are just tired of working for someone else.
Those who yearn to work at home may be part of a coming boom in
work-at-home opportunities, if the prognostications of writer Rob Spiegel
are correct. Writing on the Business Know-How Website, Spiegel says
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sparked new interest in
working at home,
both because people shudder at the idea of working in tall buildings and
because many seek to be closer to their families. A faltering stock market
and disgust with corporate greed and unethical CEOs may also be driving
workers to seek at-home careers.
Whatever the reasons, would-be home-workers are fortunate
to live in the Internet age, in which exists a plethora of
wonderful resources for working at home. In this article,
we present food for thought that should be taken into
consideration for anyone who wants to work at home
and direct you to some of the best resources on the Web
to help you fulfill your goal.
Thinking of launching a career in which you can
work from home? Consider these key points in your
planning process:
Home-Based Career Do's & Don'ts.
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101 Best
Home Businesses, by Dan Ramsey, $14.99, Paperback,
253 pages 2nd edition, 2001, Career Press, ISBN: 156414531X
It makes sense to review these two books together because they
complement each other. 101 Best Home Businesses is like the
lower-tech brother of Mompreneurs Online. Though published in 2001,
101 Best Home Businesses doesn't seem quite as computer- and
Internet-savvy as you might expect, although Ramsey does include a
chapter entitled "How computers can increase your profits," as well
as a similarly titled section in each detailed description of the 101
business ideas he offers.
In contrast, the major focus of Mompreneurs Online is computers and
the Internet, and in their introduction, the authors make a strong
case for the Internet as a solution for those, especially parents,
who want to start a business from home.
HomeBasedWork.com is a nicely uncluttered site
with lots of resources for those who want to
work from home.
Major sections include Working for an Employer,
Working for Yourself, Work At Home Jobs,
Home Based Business Opportunities, and a very
rich Articles Library.
The site also offers a newsletter, At Home Workers
Express Ezine.
Instantly email your resume to 1000s of recruiters,
headhunters, and direct hiring companies! With the most
comprehensive and targeted network of recruiters on the
net, you can rest assured you have taken the steps
necessary to jump start your search. We are so sure
you will be happy that we guarantee our service!
A Home-Based Business Online --
offers practical business ideas, opportunities and strategies for the home-based
entrepreneur and a large collection of helpful links for those who
want to start a home-based business.
BiotechFind.com Careers Center --
where job-seekers can search for job openings (by category, country, and keywords) in the
biotechnologies and biofinances industries. Free to job-seekers.
HomeBasedWork.com
-- provides a variety of tips, articles, and resources to help you begin
at work at home career. Article topics include Working for an
Employer vs. Working for Yourself, Advantages and Disadvantages of
Home Based Work, How to Protect Yourself from Scams, Are You an
Entrepreneur?
Mysummers.com
-- a great resource for high school grads and college students looking for summer camp jobs.
Job-seekers complete an application, which is then emailed directly to all the camps that
subscribe (100+) to the site's service. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
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but even one free 30-minute sample call can be
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"You did a great job of making me feel at ease and helping me come up with positive and realistic goals."
"I have new ideas and am now more focused on what to do with my job hunt."
"I couldn't figure out why I didn't just do it. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's holding
me back and I can address that issue directly."
Cory writes: "I have been a secretary for over 16 years
with quite a bit of experience. I desperately want to work
from home with my computer but only seem to be able to find
these pyramid schemes where they want you to pay money.
How can I find a career where I can work from home that
is legitimate? There has to be something out there somewhere!"
Michelle writes: "I have two years of college under my belt
and have been taking a break to make some money and decide
what I really want to do. I have decided that I would really
like to go to school to be a college professor, but I have no
idea what steps I need to take to get there. I have been trying
to look online for pages that will offer information as to what
courses I need to take and how I go about planning my next college
steps, but I cannot find any. I would really appreciate your
advice and links to helpful pages!"
Karen writes: "I have encountered this situation in
one way or another on three of my last four jobs, and
I am wondering if there is a good way to see it coming
and to deal with it. The problem: a company culture that
involves a lot of drinking and hanging out after work.
I'm a drafter. I don't mind staying late if there's work
to do. But I'm not into drinking; I have responsibilities
outside of work, and the noise in a bar often makes it very
hard for me to carry on a conversation. (By the way, I have
no problem ordering soda when my friends have beer.) This
probably hurt me on my last job. I got cut, and I'm looking
again and wondering if you have any ideas."
Doug writes: "I have a strong desire to teach in college.
I will be moving from where I live in the next couple of
years, but have time to get my graduate degree from my
alma mater. Would it be better to get my graduate and
master's degree from the same school now, or wait and
get my master's and Ph.D. from the same school?"
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
A report entitled "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere:
The Changing Face of Work," sponsored by the Positively
Broadband Campaign, found that 54 percent of Americans
think that telecommuting would improve the quality of
their lives. Among those who commute an hour or more a day,
this view jumped to 66 percent. The report also found that
43 percent of respondents indicated that they would be a
better spouse or parent if they were able to telecommute.
Forty-six percent said their quality of work would improve.
The survey also found that workers have concerns about
telecommuting, with 20 percent of respondents feared that
they would not have enough contact with their fellow workers if
they telecommuted. The new report follows a survey last year that
found that 80 percent of telecommuters said that they are more
satisfied with their jobs, are more productive and feel more
loyal to their employers. Three-quarters of at-home teleworkers
reported a major increase in productivity and work quality.
Reports Business Week: From now to 2010, the
number of jobs in the U.S. is expected to rise by 15 percent
-- that's roughly 22 million -- to a total of 168 million,
according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.
The technology and health-care fields are expected
to be the biggest sources of growth. Software engineering
jobs, for example, are expected to grow by 95 percent by 2010.
Because the aging population will require more care, other growth
positions will include occupational therapists, registered nurses,
dental hygienists, and pharmacists.
Jobs on the shrinking side include those for farmers, ranchers,
and agricultural managers, and automation is expected to keep
taking jobs away from humans in other fields. Other occupations
where jobs will disappear include brokerage clerks, couriers,
fishers, and repairers of home-entertainment electronics.
Interested in a home-based Internet business?
Web consultant Clarence Phelps offers this advice:
"When building an online business, there are a few
basic things that every business owner must take into
consideration:
The Web site design must be simple,
interactive, and easy to use.
The site must have built-in software so the
business owner has control of its look and design
without having to pay a programmer $75 an hour
for updates and changes.
The site must be enabled with e-commerce
for simple on-line transactions.
The site must provide statistical tracking,
for database management and direct marketing.
Sales, invoice, accounting, and revenue tracking
software should be implemented for running the
business's infrastructure.
Auto-responders are necessary for following
up with site visitors and potential customers."
Recruiting Trends reports that a survey of 600
job-seekers by TrueCareers.com, a career and recruiting
service from Sallie Mae, finds that 64 percent of respondents
report changing careers or exploring other fields because of
stalled hiring in their current profession. Some 39 percent
of individuals have relocated or are contemplating moving to
a different area in search of work. And half of the respondents
who are currently employed reported being concerned that
they might lose their jobs as a result of the poor economy.
"Unemployed job-seekers frustrated by today's economy are
either using the opportunity to try something new, or they
are being forced to make compromises such as relocating or
changing careers or industries in order to get back on their
feet financially," says TrueCareers CEO Michael A. Caggiano.
We'd Love You to Link to Quintessential Careers!
If your school, organization, business or other
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If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
appreciate it. If you don't have a link to us, please
send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
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Link to Us page.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Cover letters to recruiters
* How to create and publish a Web-ready resume
* Crafting a successful e-mail resume
* The interview as sales call
* Getting the raise you deserve
* Your senior year in college: Pivotal to job-search success
* 10 things I wish I'd known before starting college
* 10 things I wish I'd known before starting my first job
* Letters of recommendation
* 10 ways to develop job leads
* Why, how, when to use a career coach -- and whom to choose
* Employer research: step by step
* Learn about careers through job-shadowing
* Balancing career and family
* 10 job-search reality checks
* Is job flexibility right for you?
* First days on the job: Strategies to get ahead
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Making your case for telecommuting
* A day in the life of a recruiter
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* Career journaling
* The relationship between personality and career choice
* What employers are really looking for
* How to create and use a networking card
* How to resign from your job gracefully
* Step-by-step guide to career planning
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Don't ever want to miss another issue of QuintZine? Get a free subscription to
the email version of QuintZine by completing our
subscription form.
Quintessential Careers Advertisements
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Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
Careers Speakers Bureau can help! Our quintessential experts
can provide presentations/workshops on a variety of
career-related topics.
