If you don't relish the thought of hustling
to a workplace every day or you're having a hard time securing a local
gig, there's never been a better time to work from home: More than 40
million Americans do it, according to the advocacy group Telework
Coalition. And as the economy improves, more companies will be looking
for additional staff. For most at-home jobs, you'll need a computer and
an Internet connection, some basic skills and a can-do attitude. Click
through this list of 10 employment areas that are booming right now.
Find out how to earn a steady paycheck without ever leaving your house
What It Pays: $1 to $50 per survey, depending on how much time is required
What
It Is: You might take an opinion poll, answer questions about shopping
habits or review a product. You're generally paid in cash (PayPal or
mailed check) or with points that can be redeemed for gift cards.
How
to Get It: Visit companies such as DarwinsData.com,
PineconeResearch.com and PaidViewpoint.com. (Search "surveys" on
RealWaystoEarnMoneyOnline.com for more options.) Then sign up with as
many sites as you can. The sites will contact you when surveys that fit
your demographic pop up, and you take them right away. A word to the
wise: Do not register anywhere that has a membership fee, asks for your
Social Security number or bank information, or is vague about payment.
The Job: Website Tester
What It Pays: $10 to $15 per test
What It
Is: Many companies pay online testers to make sure websites are
intuitive and easy to navigate. "You basically follow the instructions
you're given to check out the website," says Anna Thurman, founder of
RealWaysToEarnMoneyOnline.com, a site that has reviewed more than 500
online work opportunities. "It usually only takes about 15 minutes per
test." Thurman recommends registering with 10 to 12 different companies
since the opportunities to test these sites are doled out first come,
first served. "There are people who make $100 to $200 a month by staying
on top of those tests," Thurman says.
How to Get It: Begin with
sites like UserTesting.com, YouEye.com and Userlytics.com. Register with
multiple companies for opportunities to test as many websites as
possible. Once you're in the system, you'll be emailed when testers are
needed, and if you're one of the first to respond, expect to spend 15 to
20 minutes completing the test. Many sites require a microphone and/or
webcam, which are built into most laptops—but if you need to buy one,
they aren't expensive. The tester sites typically pay within a week or
two via PayPal.
The Job: Film and Post How-To Videos
What It Pays: $1 to $2 per 1,000 hits;
Payment depends on how many people click on your video. Views on popular
YouTube tutorials range from 20,000 to 300,000 and higher.
What It
Is: Do people ask you your secret to perfect pie crust or how you made
that wreath? "Everyone knows how to do something, or has a hobby they
enjoy," says Kimberly Lawson, owner of OohLaLuxe.net, who has created
fashion and beauty tutorial videos. "These can easily be turned into
profits." Simply sign up for a free YouTube account. Then use a
smartphone or digital camera to record yourself explaining and
demonstrating how you work your magic. (If you're more tech-savvy or
have a burgeoning teenage filmmaker in your house, you can use desktop
software, such as Windows Movie Maker, to create a slicker video.) "Once
you upload the video to YouTube, enroll in its partner program," Lawson
says. YouTube will then place ads inside or near your video, and you
will earn money from the ads themselves, video views and click-throughs.
"The key is to put a unique spin on your video," says Lawson,
especially if there are lots of others on the same subject.
How to
Get It: If you shot the video with your phone, open the YouTube app and
hit "send." If you're uploading from a computer, visit YouTube, and
click the "upload" button in the upper right corner of the screen.
You'll see a place to drag your video file. To enroll in the partner
program, click on YouTube settings, check the circle next to "Allow
Advertisements," then click on "View Additional Features." On the
YouTube monetization page, opt in. Generally, you must earn a minimum
before you get paid, and YouTube pays monthly—if you don't earn enough
in one month, the balance rolls over.
The Job: Direct Salesperson
What It Pays: It depends on the company, but
you typically take home 20% to 35% of sales in commissions.
Perfect For: Someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, loads of energy and a love of meeting new people.
What
It Is: Think Avon or Mary Kay—you organize get-togethers to sell a
company's wares, whether those are bath products, gardening supplies,
books or wine. Over time, you build a base of clients.
How to Get It:
You can apply directly through the companies, such as Stella & Dot,
a jewelry company that had over $100 million in sales in 2010. A few
other good ones include Silpada (jewelry), The Pampered Chef
(kitchenware) and Dove Chocolate Discoveries. You can also visit the
Direct Selling Association website at DirectSelling411.org—all the
companies listed there agree to abide by a code of ethics, so they only
offer legitimate opportunities. Typically reps make a small investment
to get started (this is a legitimate and standard practice), and
sometimes pay a fee for the merchandise being sold. After that you can
work as much or as little as you want, and see profit based on how much
you sell.
The Job: Corporate English Trainer
What It Pays: Around $15 an hour
Perfect
For: Native English speakers with basic computer skills and an interest
in other cultures who love chatting online or over the phone. Office
experience is very helpful, since most students work in a corporate
environment.You also need your own computer and a high-speed Internet
connection. If you're bilingual, that's a plus.
What It Is: Students
in countries including Japan, Korea, France and Germany are looking for
English speakers to practice with. Sessions focus on things like making
professional small talk or running a meeting (trainers are provided with
specifics on how to teach each topic, and are also trained themselves
for two days before starting the job). Lessons take place either over
the phone or on a live Internet video service like Skype—sometimes at
night, because you're working with students in different time zones. You
need to commit to a minimum of 20 hours a week at consistent times, and
can work as many as 35 hours.
How to Get It: GoFluent.com is an
English training company working with 12 of the world's largest
corporations. There are also jobs out there for English as a Second
Language (ESL) teachers, which are more structured. Visit ISUS
(iSpeakUSpeak.com), a placement and training company. While a degree in
education or ESL is ideal, you are encouraged to apply if you are
enthusiastic and articulate.
The Job: Telephone Nurse
What It Pays: Competitive with a regular nursing salary, which is $50,000 or more
Perfect For: Someone with a nursing degree.
What
It Is: Health insurers or other health management companies, including
Humana, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group, hire nurses remotely to perform
duties like case management, treatment authorization and patient
education.
How to Get It: To find the right position for you, check
out the listings at major medical-job placement firms like
MedicalJobsOnline.com, The Judge Group (Judge.com), and MedZilla
(Medzilla.com).
The Job: Search Engine Evaluator
What It Pays: $9 to $10 an hour
Perfect For: English speakers who are up on movies and music, as well as those familiar with other cultures.
What
It Is: Companies like Google and Yahoo! give you information to search
for, and you tell them how closely their results matched what you were
looking for. Does a search for Lady Antebellum turn up sites about the
music group or links to pre–Civil War period information? If you are
Latina, for example, you might be asked to search the way a Spanish
speaker might perform a search in English. Jobs are usually between 10
to 25 hours a week.
How to Get It: Most companies hire through firms
like Leapforce At Home (LeapforceAtHome.com) and Appen Butler Hill
(AppenButlerHill.com).
The Job: Customer Service Representative
What It Pays: $8 to $18 an hour
Perfect For: "People" people with patience to spare who are good at talking on the phone while on the computer.
What
It Is: Companies are looking for workers with excellent speaking
abilities and solid computer skills to help customers find a correct
size, place an order or resolve a conflict. Both full- and part-time
positions are available, and you are generally required to devote a
four-hour block of time.
How to Get It: Customer service is the
biggest work-at-home field, with companies including Spiegel, Hilton,
Best Western, HSN, 1-800-FLOWERS and many others using at-home reps.
Fill out an application with staffing companies such as Arise
(Arise.com), Alpine Access (AlpineAccess.com), VIPdesk (VIPdesk.com),
LiveOps (LiveOps.com) and Convergys (Convergys.com), all of which vet
the companies who are hiring through them. If you need benefits, search
through a staffing company that will hire you as an employee (Alpine
Access, VIPdesk and Convergys do this) rather than an independent
contractor. If you're a contractor, you may be asked to pay a small fee
(between $15 and $35) for a background check. While a fee can be a sign
of a scam, independent contractors are responsible for their own
expenses.
The Job: Online Teacher
What It Pays: The average salary for the
first year is around $30,000; teachers of some subjects are paid more
than others.
Perfect For: Teachers who don't want a typical school
schedule.What It IsInstead of standing in a classroom, you'll teach via
Skype or in a prerecorded session. There's a growing demand for teachers
in all subjects, but especially core topics like English, history and
science.
How to Get It: Check out K12 (K12.com) and Connections
Academy (ConnectionsAcademy.com). Both organizations offer various
benefits—including health insurance, retirement savings accounts and
paid time off—depending on where you live. As in any job where you work
with kids, there will be a background and reference check as well as
interviews. You may also need to be licensed to teach in the state where
the students reside.
The Job: Virtual Tutor
What It Pays: $12 to $35 an hour
Perfect
For: People who only have pockets of time to work and an extensive
knowledge of or expertise in a subject, or are fluent in a foreign
language.
What It Is: You work with a student who needs extra help, usually for a half-hour over the phone or Skype.
How
to Get It: Sylvan Learning (Tutoring.SylvanLearning.com), Tutor.com,
TutorVista.com and Tutorzilla (Tutorzilla.com) all offer a good cross
section of the kinds of remote-based tutoring jobs out there, and they
all have great reputations with students and teachers. Since you will be
working with children, you can expect a background check before you are
hired.
Sources: Christine Durst, cofounder, RatRaceRebellion.com.
Holly Hanna, founder of TheWorkAtHomeWoman.com blog, Amy Robinson, chief
marketing officer, Direct Selling Association. Lois Greisman, associate
director, division of marketing, FTC
Scam Alert!
Watch for these red flags when you look for online moneymaking opportunities. The website has no contact information.
A legitimate business has a way for you to reach them. Look for an
"About" page that offers information on the company or CEO, along with a
phone number, address or contact email. (Try calling the number to see
if anyone answers.) A website with only a contact form and no other way
to get in touch with an actual human is suspicious. It sounds too good to be true. The promise that you'll make thousands of dollars a week at home is never the reality. There
are complaints online. Do a quick Internet search: Type in the
website's name and "scam" and see what pops up. If people have been
taken for a ride, they'll usually have posted about it. There's a fee. Most
legitimate sites won't charge you to sign up. There are a few
exceptions—such as membership to a legitimate job board, like
FlexJobs.com, which posts freelance and telecommuting positions—but if
you're not sure why you're paying a fee, look elsewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment