Online Home Careers

Encouragement for the Long Term Unemployed

2010-02-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a wonderfully encouraging article for those of you out there that have been unemployed for a long time now. While my site focuses on jobs you can do from the comfort of your home (that are currently hiring btw)...I empathize with everyone still struggling to find full time employment in this down economy.

It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you'd like.

Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table.

Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and will get past this bump.

So How Do You Bounce Back? Follow These 5 Steps Below.

1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time.

Your career runs for multiple decades. That's a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It's just the way things happen. All cycles have up's and down's and this is your down. The good news is it's all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.

2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments.

When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn't mean you can't perform it anymore. It's like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it's been a while, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next.

I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don't have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can't see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.

4. Don't Give Up.

Most people don't take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don't let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven't seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It's a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.

5. Believe In Yourself.

Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It's what's missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.

Get Paid to Receive Mail

2009-11-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in generating an extra $10-$30 a month with practically no effort on your end, I suggest looking into the following companies that pay you to verify the quality of magazines and mail communications sent by various companies. You are not required to pay for any subscriptions yourself, just be willing to receive the mail and then once a month report back on the quality of the communications you receive..sweet huh?

Hausernet - This company pays you $.25 for each piece of mail you receive. Pays quarterly.

US Monitor - US Monitor pays $10 a month and $.25 per mail item. Average monthly payout is about $20.

Quotas - Company pays you to receive and document each international letters you receive.

Top 10 Work at Home Scams

2009-09-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

Many people are being bamboozled in their quest to create some sort of income from home. After observing many folks getting reeled in by this, I decided to list my top ten work from home scam jobs..and why they are scams.

1. Google Money Tree - This program is all over the Internet right now...there are no legitimate Google posting jobs (this is different than the hourly website rater jobs google has listed on their website)...even if they show you a picture of a check that says Google on it..its not real. Also, you don't need to pay anyone to learn how to create income using Adsense. If you go to Google and sign up for the Adsense program, they will guide you step by step on how to use it.

2.Paying for anything related to Mystery Shopping - Now mystery shopping is real (some claim its a hoax altogether, I strongly disagree), but what has given it a bad name is the number of sites requiring people to pay for access to a listing of mystery shopping companies. There is absolutely no reason to ever do that. The only time you should come off money related to mystery shopping is on an actual assignment, where you will get reimbursed provided you complete the assignment correctly and provide a receipt of your purchase..that's it.

3.Paying to Access Work at Home Jobs/Companies - OK, if you are on my site, I assume you know not to do that. Just to further explain, you will pay to get a listing of companies you can find on your own or here..and jobs you can definitely find on your own using these tips. I strive to provide all the information you need to located legitimate work from home job opportunities. If I can provide more specific guidance, I would love to hear from you.

4.Emails Offering You a "Payment Processor" Job from Home - We've all gotten these emails, claiming that you are being offered some job where you will accept payments from a foreign country, processing them through your bank and then forwarding them on to some third party, while you get a heft transaction fee. This is not legitimate (or legal for that matter), so don't fall for it. Many of these spammers have gotten access to major job boards, so you may get the email from your Monster or Careerbuilder account..its still not real and could land you in jail.

5.Type at Home Jobs - This is an oldie, but goodie. It is advertised everywhere, online, in newspapers, billboards,etc. The premise is that you can make good money typing out mass forms from home and for a small "fee", you can get all the tools you need to get started. Well for that "fee" you will learn how to sucker innocent victims such as yourself. This is not real.

6. Medical Billing Jobs From Home - There are real medical billing/coding jobs that can be done from home. I actually know someone doing that full-time from home, BUT she has worked for this particular hospital for 5 years and just recently was allowed to telecommute. This scam really gets people, because for $300,$400 even $500, you will receive some legitimate looking software package and a list of companies that hire homebased medical billers in your area. The problem is one, the list is either completely outdated or worse, innaccurate and two, you are expected to go about selling your services to these companies. If you are interested in this line of work, your best bet is to inquire with a legitimate school to get the proper credentials and their help in getting on with a company actually hiring medical billers.

7.Process Emails From Home - This doesn't even sound legitimate does it? Well its follows the same premise as the type at home scam; pay a fee, get info on how to scam people in the same manner you just were. Again, please don't fall for this.

8.Rebate Processing From Home - Again, same as the typing email processing scams mentioned above.

9. Ebay Powerseller Success - This is a relatively new scam that promises you instant Ebay success mass selling generic products marked-up close to %500. Don't fall for it. The only way to find success on Ebay is identifying a niche and selling to those customers..that's it.

10.Assemble Crafts at Home - Another scam that has existed long before the Internet. For a fee (around $200), you will be sent a package of parts and instructions on how to put everything together. You are supposedly paid for each completed item that passes "inspection" by the distributing company. Here is where they get you, the parts you are being sent are crap and impossible to actually fit together in a quality way. Let's say you do figure out how to put them together, you still won't get paid because somehow each piece will be lacking in some way and never pass inspection. Please don't fall for this pricey scam.

Well that's it for starters, I am sure there are a ton more out there, but the ones listed are really popular. If you want real work at home opportunities, just take a look around at the opportunities listed on this site.

GNMCSHF10376541

Make Money Now - Article Writing

2009-09-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, I cannot say enough about writing articles for cash. I mainly like it because I don't know of any other way to do something online and get paid for it within 5 days..no waiting for checks to be cut or commissions to clear. Here is a great way to get some money in your account by this time next week.

1. - Sign up at Associated Content (also make sure you have a paypal account)
2. - Look through your medicine cabinet and pull out 5-7 products you have used (cosmetics, hair care, bath, etc.)
3. - Write a 400 word review of each product. Make sure to list the product ingredients at the end of the article (those words count too).
4. - Submit each article to both sites.
5. - Wait and get paid!

Associated content will pay between $3.50 - $5.oo per article for product reviews. So 7 articles can mean $35 in your paypal account within about 5 days.

Will Write for Dollars

2009-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am not a big writer (that's funny coming from a journalism grad), but I do randomly write articles and submit them to various content sites. I have written on everything from colic in babies, to website reviews to southern cuisine. I have probably made about $50 in the last three months from the upfront payments I received from my articles, combined with the performance payouts (the number of times my article has been viewed). While I have not made much money by most people's standards, article writing can be a wonderful source of supplemental, part-time or even full time money for you..and you don't have to be a professional writer to be good at it.

You may be thinking "I don't have anything to write about"..oh really?..how about:

-Your career (how to break into your career field, explaination of your industry and why its relevant, the plusses and minuses of your line of work)

-Your city (things to do in your hometown, your city's history, little known facts, etc.)

-Your culture (cuisine, customs, traditions)

-Your children (parenting advice, tips)

-Your love life (people love to read stories about others attempts at finding love).

-Your hobbies ("how to" articles always attract a lot of eyes)

-Products you love to use and why they are great

You get my drift. The possibilities are endless really. You can write about practically anything and someone is going to be interested in what you have to say.

Right now there are hundreds of jobs posted for article writers. Some good sites that list writing jobs are:

-Problogger
-Helium
-Examiner
-Mintel
-Internet Brands
-Writer Find

Couple things to keep in mind.

-Most articles submitted must be more than 400 words long. Use your word count as you type to make sure you meet that minimum.

-Articles that are full of typos and grammatical errors will be rejected.

-Articles that are copies of other articles out on the web will be rejected.

Happy typing!

Dollar Store Items That Sell On Ebay

2009-08-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have received a few pms regarding my posting about making 500% profit selling dollar store items on Ebay. I've even had a few people ask me point blank what items I am selling. Now there is no way I can tell anyone that, but I can offer some tips to remember when searching your local dollar store for items.

-Childrens' items are hot right now, specifically themes, like Dora, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh, etc..

-Take your time and cruise the ceramics isle..lots of goodies to be found there.

-Skip the cheap candles and candle holders..oversaturated market.

-Some things may have little value individually, but packaged together, can result in a nice sale.

-Use your creativity..maybe $5 worth of party items could be packaged together and labled as a "theme" party. How about a going away to college pack? Possibilities are endless.

-Take your time and search multiple dollar stores in your area. If you see something that you like, go look to see if its available at other dollar stores in the area. If it is, then most likely it is available at most dollar stores around the nation, which will result in fewer sales

I hope those suggestions help..if so, I would love to hear from you.

* I thought I would offer a little gift to my loyal readers. To help jumpstart your dollar store/Ebay adventure, I am offering everyone a chance to receive a free $100 gift card to Dollar Tree or Dollar General. Click here to enter.

http://rapidshare.com/files/202074315/McGraw.Hill.Osborne.Media.Build.an.eBay.Business.QuickSteps.Dec.2008.rar

General Free Stuff

2009-07-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

I like things that are free..lol.

FreeFlys - Nothing but free grocery store product samples and coupons.

Get Prosperous On the Net-Free cd (no credit card info required) I stumbled upon. Talks about how to understand internet selling from a buyer's perspective. Using some of the tools I have learned already.

LCD Review Panel - Kinda neat. You are part of a focus group that tests LCDs' performance. As a reward you keep the LCD for free.

All About Dropshipping

2009-07-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, day two of my Ebay journey and I want to talk about dropshippers. I've been looking into working with a dropshipping company ever since I started having success with my $1 store" items selling for a 500% markup..started to think" what if I could find these through a company and have them send them out for me over and over again.. I mean I know they sell, so that would free me up to do other things".

For those who don't know what they do, droppshippers basically warehouse various products and merchandise that you then turn around advertise for sale. Should the item actually sell, they then are the ones to process the item and mail to your customers...pretty sweet huh? You collect a good percentage profit from the sale w/o actually having to touch the item yourself. The key is to find products that will actually sell.

There are alot of dropshippers that offer subpar products or even worse, will scam you altogether, so its really important to find one that is legitmate. I company that looks good to me is Doba. What I like about them is that have a huge variety of products to sell, are already associated with Ebay and have the BBB stamp of approval. They offer a free 7 day trial to get started, so I figured it was worth a shot.

I'll follow up with any sales..let's keep our fingers crossed!

Making Money with Ebay

2009-07-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

The recession is really hurting alot of people. About a month ago, I started selling items on ebay and I can say that is has gone quite well for me. I first started selling some large items around my house that I was no longer using. I sold the following for a decent profit:

-Barry's Bootcamp Workout System

-A Debt to Wealth DVD System

-Nebulizer (breathing machine) that my doctor gave me when my daughter had some chest congestion.

I also started selling some items I found a local garage sales as well. All in all I made over $300.oo from the items I have sold so far.

Here is the majic though..I have made quite a bit of money on items I have found at the dollar store..hard to believe isn't it? One particular item I bought for a $1, sold for $5. I bought two more, same thing. Now I keep those $1 items in rotation on ebay..and they always sell. I mean a $4 profit once or twice, doesn't mean much...but multiply that by 5, 10, 20..you get my drift.

I am thinking of going into the dropshipping business as well. I want to find items in the same category as my $1 items to sell, but have someone else do the packing and shipping. I will keep everyone informed of my updates.

Welcome to Online Home Careers

2009-05-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome!!

I created this blog for my family and friends who were seeking legitimate ways to make "liveable" money on line.

This site lists the following:

1-Actual w2 freelance or contract jobs.

2-Diverse jobs that you can do from your home computer.

3-Real Opportunities paying up to $25 an hour.

Let's see what it doesn't list:

1-Jobs requiring an upfront payment (except for customer service jobs requiring a headset)

2-Pay to read, pay per click gigs (not enough money in that).

4-Pyramid schemes, multi level marketing or business opportunities (nothing against them ,but just not what I am about here)

Telecommute Friendly Companies

2009-04-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

How to Search for Online Jobs

2009-03-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

I cannot take credit for this, but the fine people over at ratracerebellion.com have come up with an excellent listing of search terms to enter into search engines to come up with work at home jobs. I have entered a couple of these terms into various search engines and pulled up jobs that I have not seen anywhere else. Among the terms to enter are:

"this is a telecommuting position"
"must have home office"
"virtual office arrangement"
"will have the option to work from home"
"may work from anywhere"

For a full listing of the terms click here.

Paid Surveys

2008-03-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

What are paid surveys? -Major companies around the world like to get feedback on consumer spending habits when considering creating new products or examing current ones. They often work with consumer review companies in an effort to gather this feedback from consumers. These companies then ask consumers to complete surveys about their experiences with the company's products or survey. You are compensated as a show of appreciate for your time and feedback.

What are the requirements to do paid surveys? - The only requirement is that you fit the demographic of consumer they are looking for. When you sign up with the consumer review companies, you will fill out information such as: Location, Age, Race, Gender, Income, Education, Lifestyle etc. That information is then used to determine which surveys you qualify to take part in.

How much do paid surveys pay? - Pay truly varies. I only deal with companies that pay cash (no points, credits, rewards, etc.) and they pay has ranged between $5 and $20 per survey.

Paid Survey Companies - I only deal with a handful of survey companies. My criteria is that they company actually pays and I actually will qualify for a good number of their surveys. My list is short, but lists quality companies.

-Focus Forward

-Pinecone Research

-American Consumer Opinion

-Mindfield Online

If you have any interest in doing free surveys and then getting paid when your friends do them as well, I recommend you joining Cash Crate. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I got about $15 bucks in a month from doing 2 surveys my self and a few family members doing a few as well..hey its gas money.

Event Ticket Puller

2008-02-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

What is an Event Ticket Puller? - Focus groups are basically you getting paid to share your opinion on products and services. You are asked specific questions regarding the product or service and asked to respond in detail. Some sessions last an hour or two, others may span over a few weeks.

What is required to become an Event Ticket Puller? - Not much, outside of fast hands.

How much can I get paid? - Compensation varies based on the popularity of the event, scarcity of the tickets, how many are purchased and quality of the seats. You are paid a percentage of each ticket price.

Ticket Puller Opportunities-

-Ticketpuller.com

-Craigslist - Opportunities are often listen under the "For Sale" category, then click the "tickets" tab.

Focus Groups

2007-11-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

What is a focus group? - Focus groups are basically you getting paid to share your opinion on products and services. You are asked specific questions regarding the product or service and asked to respond in detail. Some sessions last an hour or two, others may span over a few weeks.

Where are focus groups conducted? - Focus groups are conducted at onsite facilities and now online. have neverI have participated in both and like them equally for different reasons. Online studies allow you to express your opinion over the phone or the web in the comfort of your own home. Onsite studies allow for face to face interaction with other invited participants., often times lunch or snacks are provided as well

How much can I get paid? - Compensation truly varies by the type of focus group and who the representing company. Pay can start at $25 and go up to $500 or more based on the group.

Focus Group Listings

-20/20 Research

-Chasen Research

-Find Focus Groups - Searchable database of focus groups in major cities.

-Markets Directory - Comprehensive listing of focus group facilities in most US cities.

-Focus Forward

-Johnson & Johnson

-Paid Focus Groups

Courthouse Researchers

2007-11-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

What is a Courthouse Researcher? - Courthouse Researchers are generally independant contractors who gather public record information from local courthouses. This public information could include mortgage information, property values, death/birth records, etc. Some courthouses have this information available online, but most do not.

What are the requirements to become a Courthouse Researcher? - Most positions do not require previous experience. You must have reliable transportation if you need to visit the courthouse in person. You should also be able to type relatively fast and accurate since many companies pay by the number and accuracy of records collected.

How much does a Courthouse Researcher pay - Pay can average between $7-$20 an hour based on the company and the number of accurate records collected. Some companies offer performance bonuses as well.

Who is this position good for? - This position is good for people who have free time available business hours Monday-Friday.

Listing of Courthouse Research Companies

-First National Acceptance Company

-My Researchers

-Sunlark Research

-Wolfgang Research

Second Language for Cash

2007-11-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Freelance Writer

2007-10-31T12:46:00.001-07:00

What is involved with freelance writing? - There are many companies that will pay you to write for them. This writing could include writing ad copy, an article for a blog, or just writing about something you are passionate and/or knowledgeable about. Also, under the umbrella of freelance writing are proofreading, editing and design layout jobs.

What are the qualifications to be a Freelance Writer? - Of course everyone loves professional writers with tons of writing samples to submit, but many (most) companies just want to see interesting, original content formatted correctly.

How much can I make as a Freelance Writer? - Most companies pay per article. Some pay based on the articles length, others pay on its perceived relevancy to their readers. You could be paid per word as well. It is difficult to give a general range.

Listing of companies that hire Freelance Writers

-Appingo (prefers applicants who are able to work onsite in their Massachusetts office)

-Associated Content* - I've submitted a few articles to them. My payout has averaged about $7.00 per article.

-CyberEdit

-Edit Fast

-Journalism Jobs

-Online Writing Jobs - Forum advertising freelance writers available and jobs for freelance writers.

-Script Changes - Freelance tv/film editors.

-Self Help Guides - Freelance self help authors

-Simply English

-Writer Find

Courthouse Researchers

2007-10-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

1. Malico Productions

2. Sunlark Research

3. Wolfgang Research

Online Teacher/Tutor

2007-10-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

What is an OnlineTeacher/Tutor? - These are what you think they are; teachers and tutors who work with students over the web.

What are the qualifications for becoming an Online Teacher/Tutor? - Qualifications vary. For both teaching and tutoring positions at least a bachelor degree is required (Masters preferred).

How much can I make as an Online Teacher or Tutor? - Some companies pay per class (ex. $50.00 per class taught), others pay per hour. Pay per hour varies greatly depending on experience. Qualified teachers and tutors can realize upwards of $45 an hour.

Listing of companies offering home based teaching positions

-Bilingual America

-English Flow

-eSylvan

-Kaplan

-Online Learning

-Universal Class

Listing of companies offering home based tutoring positions

-AimforA

-Brainfuse

-Educate Online

-Ehill

-Homework Tutoring

-Kidspan

-Mctutor

-Nrgbridge

-Smart Thinking

-WyzAnt

-Tutor

Clinical Trials and Studies

2007-09-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

What are clinical trials? - Clinical trials are organized studies of the effects of various physical, psychological or emotional treatments on people. The results are used to form opinions of the effectiveness or relevancy of treatments and medications before along them to be sold to the general public.

Where do clinical trials take place? - These trials can take place in hospital settings, treatment facilities or allow participants to receive treatment while at home.

How long do the clinical trials take? - Treatment can span from a day to a number of months.

How much do clinical trial participants make? - Compensation can range from from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars depending on the company and the study.

What are the qualification to participate in clinical trials? - Each trial has a pre-set criteria to screen interested parties against. If you meet that screening, you will then be invited to speak with a representative from the company holding the trial who will then ask further questions to gauge your qualification to do the trial.

Listing of clinical trial companies

ClinicalTrials.gov

Clinical Connections

IFPMA - (search by city)

CenterWatch

Backpage.com - (search by city, then in the focus group category)

Website Quality Raters

2007-09-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

What is a Website Rater? - This is a relatively new concept but one I think we will see more of. This position entails reviewing websites for relevancy to search queries.

What are the qualifications to become a Website Rater? - For the companies I have listed below, a degree is preferred, but not required. Solid experience navigating the web is must as well. Good analytical skills are helpful as well. Although the scheduling is flexible, must be able to commit to 10-20 hours a week.

How much can I make as a Website Rater? - Positions at the companies below pay anywhere between $10-$15 an hour.

Listing of companies offering Website Rater positions

Google Ad/Quality Rater

Lionbridge

Leapforce new!

User Testing

Virtual customer service agent

2007-09-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

What does customer service involve? - Customer service reps assist a company's customers in a variety of ways; Answering questions about a product or service, seling products or services to potential customers, processing transactions such as purchases and returns, troubleshooting technical issues, etc. The advent of the web has allowed many companies to employ home based customer service reps.

What are the qualifications to be a Customer Service Agent? - Most of these positions do not require a degree, however they do generally require some form of previous customer service experience. Schedeuling flexibility is key with these positions, you should be flexible and available to work daytime, evening and weekend shifts. Also, if you don't have one already, you will need to purchase a headset so you can take calls quietly. A second phone line may be required as well.

How much can I make as a Customer Service Agent? - Pay varies with experience, but most companies offer an hourly rate in the range of $8 - $12 an hour.

Listing of companies that hire home based Customer Service Agents.

1.1 800 Flowers - Inbound customer service, some upselling. Currently hiring for part time holiday help.

2. Alpine Access - Inbound customer service, some upsellingPrefers degreed candidates but will consider those w/previous customer service experience.

3.ARO Inc. - Inbound customer service, auditing, business to business sales.

4. Live Ops - Inbound customer service, inbound sales, lead generation.

5. OnPoint - Gathering ideas and opinions for a grassroot organization.

6. Sterling Testing - Employment verification calls.

7. Teletech - Inbound/Outbound customer service.

8. Voicelog - Quality Assurance Agent. Listing in on sales calls to make sure they are done accurately.No selling on your part.

9. West at Home - Inbound/Outbound customer service.

10. Working Solutions - Inbound/Outbound customer service.

Student Essay Scorer

2007-09-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

What is an Essay Scorer? - A student essay scorer grades elementary, middle, high school and adult learners tests. This work is now available online.

What are the qualifications to become an Essay Scorer? - A degree is required and teaching experience is helpful, but not required (I worked as a Scoring Supervisor with no previous teaching experience). The ability to commit to a set schedule is required as well.

How much can I make as an Essay Scorer? - Pay for this position ranges between $12 and $20 an hour based on the company and your productivity.

Listing of companies that hire Essay Scorers.

1. Pearson Flexible Scoring* I actually worked as a Scoring supervisor for Pearson years ago (worked onsite not online) for to make some extra money for a spring break trip so I can attest to the validity of the position.

2. Educational Testing Service - As of Monday, December 24 I am working with this company. There are a multitude of scoring opportunities listed on their site, but only a few are hiring at this time. I am currently working with the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) program, which pays $10/hr.