Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
Ah, the illusive dream. With monthly Metrocards now over $100, wouldn’t it be nice to roll out of bed and work in our pajamas all day? Actually I would get a bit stir crazy as I need to get some sunlight and be out of my apartment for the majority of the day. If you dream of working from home, here is some advice: Legitimate works from home opportunities are rarely advertised. Those that do acquire work from home jobs tend to have an area of specialty already as opposed to performing “data entry”.
Here are a couple of legitimate work from home careers:
1) An experienced Public Relations professional, with established industry contacts, can maintain regular communication with their colleagues, even from home.
2) A Graphic Designer for an events production company can follow the direction of a supervisor virtually and receive feedback on their work by email.
It is a win-win for a startup company as they eliminate the need for office space and the employee can cut down on their commute. With increased use of technology such as video conferencing, the importance of working in a traditional office is lessened. Jobs that advertise “work from home” as a main selling point are rarely legitimate opportunities. Job seekers should approach listings with extreme caution.
If your goal is to eventually work from home, gain an area of expertise that you can leverage at a later date. Once you have the skills, employers will be more flexible on how you work with them, possibly including an opportunity to work from home either full time or balancing your schedule between home/work. Many who work from home started at the company as a commuting employee and were later given the opportunity to work from home permanently.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com