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Home Employment
By Jay of Adsenslover.com
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Neither is there an easy way to earn money,
especially from home. To make yourself employable, you need to ensure that you have the
required skill sets as well as good marketing and interpersonal skills. A sound portfolio (for
aspiring writers, editors, photographers, designers, etc.) is a must.
Today several private companies and MNCs are employing people who prefer working out of their
homes. A host of opportunities exist for home employment in areas as diverse as telemarketing,
selling insurance, data entry, typing, data conversion, copywriting, accounting , writing
(academic and journalistic writing), editing and proof reading, web design, content development,
Internet-based research for companies, graphic design and desktop publishing, programming,
audio and video editing, translation and etc is available.
With a fair bit of technology skills (typing and word processing skills, being PC literate),
entrepreneurs can use the worldwide web to start companies and from the convenience of
their homes.
Before you get into the home employment groove, make sure you have the requisite qualifications,
hardware, and time management skills to convince potential employers that you are the right
person for the job.
Step 1: Make The Right Choices
Before you consider quitting your day-job or begin working from home, take a piece of paper and
list out your skills, preferred areas of employment, and your comfort-level in each area. For
instance, if you are a programmer, weigh the benefits of home employment versus working in a
corporate environment. If you are a student, chart out your daily schedule and figure out how
much time you can spare for a ?part-time' job, even if it doesn't involve stepping out of home.
Remember, you may or may not earn as much as you would in a full-time job, and freelance
projects take time to source and payments are delayed, in some cases. Zeroing in on the right
kind of job is important. Don't get stuck with a job you don't like.
Step 2: Set Up Your Workstation
Once you have narrowed down your choice of employment, you can set up your workstation. You
need to make sure that your future area is very comforta
ble • use ergonomic furniture, wherever possible.
For Writers/Editors: A fast PC is a pre-requisite, you may also have to install software such
as MS Office/Open Office, QuarkXP-press or Adobe InDesign. For Designers: Although it's not
important to invest in a Mac (Apple Macintosh), make sure your PC has enough RAM (at least 1
GB), hard disk space, and install a good graphics card. You also need to install design
software such as Adobe photoshop, 3D Studio Max, Quark, Corel Painter, or Adobe InDesign.
For Data Entry/Typing Assignments: A computer, MS Office/open Office, or other data-entry
software.
For Medical Transcription: Medical transcription involves transcribing medical records dictated
by doctors (patient history, records, notes, lab reports), usually located in clinics abroad.
Basic requirements include a PC with about 40 GB hard disk space, 256 MB RAM (minimum), sound
card and Internet access. You would also require headphones, word processing software, and a
good dictionary.
Step 3: Prepare Your Portfolio:
Prepare a good resume, entering the right keywords under ?Objective'. Use sites like IT-people
and Monster to get basic understanding of the job profile. Use Resume Builder on these sites
(needs registration) and on MS Word.
Step 4: Set Up A Web Site or Blog
Create a good web site (one that's not too garish, text or image heavy).
If you are a freelance photographer or freelance programmer or freelance web designer or
freelance graphic designer, put up thumbnails of your on the site. You could also set up a
web log (blog) on sites such as Blogger.com and LiveJournal.com. Don't forget to provide your
e-mail address, resume, and contact details at a prominent location on the site.
Use the best search engines in the business Google, Yahoo!, MSN search, and the right keywords
(freelance programming, freelance translation, freelance projects, Data entry, Freelance
programmer, Freelancing, Freelancers, Freelance work, Custom web design, Outsource projects,
Outsource work, and etc.) to find the jobs you want. Don't provide personal details while
registering on a website unless it's absolutely essential.
Rent-a-coder.com, a freelance-sourcing site has a ranking system to rate the of freelancer
programmers, and help companies choose people best suited for a particular project. Elance.com,
Guru.com, GetAFreelancer.com, Scriptlance.com, and Freelance Exchange are other popular
freelance sites.
It's very, very important to ?connect' with the outside world. Join networking groups such as
Friendster and Ryze , have your blog linked to blog rings, and enroll in forums, user groups
and other specific online communities. Caveat-online communities have their own set of protocols
and etiquette. Remember to follow the rules; don't forward your resume to everyone you meet.
Step 5: Create A Schedule And Meet Deadlines
Create a ?work culture' for your self. Just because there is no ?boss' breathing down your neck,
you can't afford to slacken or miss deadlines. In fact, you have to twice as hard to ensure
that the companies/clients hiring you have absolutely no reason to regret employing a freelancer.
Step 6: Sell Yourself
Be your own Boss, and brand manager. While it's important to have an online presence in the form
of a website or blog, it's equally important to be aware of competitive pricing and different
payment strategies.
Do not charge your clients less because you are working from home. Make enquires pertaining to
the market rates for a particular project (say, web-design or coding), and charge them
accordingly. Also, do not under-rate or overrate your skills; and do not undersell or oversell
yourself. Be as honest as far as possible.
Tip: To ascertain that Google throws up your site when users enter certain keyword, make the
title of your webpage very specific (Fashion Photographer or Freelance Writer or freelance
programming or Outsource or as the case may be).
Ensure that your site linked to other prominent ones,by publishing research papers online,
being part of active online communities or regularly updating your web log with quality content.
Step 7: Upgrade Your Skill-Sets
When you have time, enroll in training sessions, part-time diploma courses or distance
education programs to upgrade your existing skill sets. With technological advancements, there
will be rapid changes in the employment scenario as well.
The IT industry, for instance, is continuously evolving. You may have to invest in software
courses, at least once every year, to learn new programming languages, improve your design and
editing skills, and so on. Not upgrading your skills periodically would reduce your chances of
employment, in any field.
Step 8: Exercise Regularly
As the maxim goes, health is wealth. Working from home may reduce your travel time but it might
also bring to halt the little exercise you were getting earlier by walking to and from the
train or the bus station. To ensure that you give your best to the projects you source, some
physical exercise, yoga, and meditation sessions coupled with a balanced diet will help you stay
mentally and physically in good shape.
Home Employment Recommended by Jay, Click Here Now
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