The girls wore me down. This is Kobe, our new baby boy
4th May, 2008
Our newest family member…
Ok, I admit it….I seriously love the songs from the FreeCreditReport.com commercials. I know you’ve heard them,
“Well I’m shopping for a new car, which one’s me? A cool convertible or an SUV. Too bad I didn’t know my credit was whacked, so I driving off the lot in a used sub-compact. F-R-E-E, that spells “free”, credit report dot com baby. Saw their ads on my TV. Thought about goin’ but was too lazy.Now instead of lookin’ fly and rollin’ phat, my legs are sticking to the vinyl and my posse’s getting laughed at. F-R-E-E, that spells “free”, credit report dot com baby… “
I wondered if it was a real band that was in the commercials, but sadly it’s not. The singer is Eric Violette, a Canadian actor. The video on his website is also hilarious (well, really only if you can read French).
28th Apr, 2008
Nothing to do with working at home, but funny as hell.
21st Apr, 2008
Could I share my work at home office?
My husband will have 30 years with his company soon (within a few years) which has had us toying with the idea of his retirement. He really is too young to retire (not even 50 yet), so he’s been bouncing ideas around of things he might do when the time does come.
When I first realized that his imminent retirement was looming on the horizon I must admit I was less than thrilled. The idea of him puttering around while I still had to work didn’t sound very appealing. Don’t get me wrong, I love my DH beyond all reason but I do cherish my quiet, uninterrupted workdays with nothing but my ipod and my kitties to keep me company. With the exception of summertime (when my work ethic goes out the window and I choose to spend my days at the beach), my workday is quality quiet time and I am super-productive in this environment.
One idea DH was kicking around was to become an accountant and work from home. Now, unless he’s planning on turning our older daughter’s bedroom into an office (which I just recently re-decorated as a guest room now that she’s off to college) it means that he’d be sharing my office (and my desk). Hmm…I don’t think so. Even now, the dear man tends to leave piles of notes, bills and other detritus all over my desk whenever he sits there. When I think of having to share this space on a daily basis, it brings to mind the prophecy from Harry Potter, “none shall live while the other survives”.
All that aside, this all reminds me that there are more Dads these days who are choosing to be at home with their kids either as full-time caregivers or as work at home Dads. I came across a great post by a work at home Dad today. He generates enough income from home to allow for his wife to choose not to work. What a great situation!
In my husband’s situation, our kids will be grown by the time he makes the transition but how wonderful that he’ll have that choice. And hey, maybe by then I will decide to retire and he can have the desk all to himself!
27th Mar, 2008
Beating the Bored Room
Whenever I am searching for work at home articles for my monthly ezine I never fail to come across a good number of articles on the topic of how to stay motivated when you work from home. Most of them seem like a regurgitation of the same old stock article, but every now and then one stands out. Today I found one that stands out. It’s Beating the Bored Room: How to Stay Motivated When You Work From Home.
What sets this post apart from the myriad bland posts is that it takes into consideration what drives you. Post author Simone guides you through questions to help you figure out whether you are guided by internal forces (self-motivated) or external forces (for those of us who need a little more help staying focused).
She also offers practical ideas for each type on a variety of work at home issues. It’s a useful and refreshing take on the challenges of working at home.
26th Mar, 2008
Effective job searching on Craigslist
Craigslist is a great place to find job listings (and many other things too, like the person who was trying to sell a child for $1000 but I digress). Here are some tips that can make your telecommute job search more effective.
- Use the search box on the left-hand side. Put “telecommuting” in the search box and then select “jobs” from the drop-down menu. This brings up listings with the word telecommute in them. Be careful though, as it also gives you listings that say “No Telecommuting” in it.
- You can do this same search but select “gigs” from the drop-down menu.
- Don’t limit your search to just your own area. Many times employers post in their own city’s Craigslist site, but the position may be available to candidates from anywhere. Just read the listing carefully.
- If you want to limit your search to a certain job category, just click on that category and then use the search box at the top. You can leave the search field blank and just tick the telecommute box and select your job category.
I came across a blog that advises you how to set up a way to search every city. It sounds kind of time consuming, but may be worth doing if you want to be very thorough.
If you don’t have Craigslist bookmarked as one of your priority job searching destinations, you are missing out on some great listings!
17th Mar, 2008
How NOT to get a job…
In my virtual travels today I came across a great post from Guy Kawasaki about his experience listing a job ad on Craigslist. Not only is his post informative for those of you looking for a telecommute (or any) position on Craigslist, but this is good advice for any job search.
Landing a telecommute position isn’t easy. Finding them in the first place is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then, when you finally do find one that looks promising, it’s filled before you can even click on “apply for this job”.Why are they so few and far between anyway? Don’t employers realize the benefits of allowing their employees to telecommute; less sick time, increased productivity, lower overhead, and so forth?
The truth is that you’d be surprised to know just how many companies do hire telecommuters. Most of them simply don’t want to advertise those openings on the Internet.
But it’s not all bad news. There are three very important rules that you should follow when pursuing a telecommute job. If you do, your chances of getting hired will be much greater. If you break them, your chances are about as good as winning the lottery.
Rule #1: Don’t apply to positions that you arent qualified for.
As the owner of 2Work-At-Home.com, I spend a great deal of my time trying to convince employers to post their telecommute job openings on our site. That’s no easy feat either, and I’ll tell you why: Most of them have to be convinced that there are quality applicants visiting our site.
One of the most common reasons employers give for not posting their telecommute listings on the Internet is that people who are not at all qualified for the opening apply for them.
Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. You need to hire a person that can translate a companys training manual into German. So, you post your listing for a German Translator and specify that you’re looking for someone who is fluent in English and German.
Your listing goes up and BAM! You’re immediately flooded with responses. As 237 messages are downloading, you marvel at the number of people who are fluent in German. As you start opening the messages, your excitement turns to annoyance when you see your first three responses:
“I can’t speak German, but I’m a fast learner.”
“Dear Recruiter,
A solid background in Widget Sales makes me the perfect candidate for your position.”
“Send Info”
Nobody likes to waste their time, and when a recruiter posts a listing and only gets 1 in 100 responses that are worth looking at, it’s counterproductive for them.
I know for a fact that some of our site visitors go through the job listings and methodically apply to every listing in the database, no matter what the position is.
This “throw your resume at every employer and hope one sticks” approach not only makes the applicant look desperate, but it gives the entire telecommute job-seeking community a bad name. It also brings us to the next Rule…
Rule #2: Follow the application instructions.
One company had posted a listing with us that contained specific application instructions. Recently, their listing expired. When she chose not to renew, I asked her why and this was her response:
“You really, really need to instruct these folks on how to follow directions, write cover letters, apply for jobs. They’re lost. So, please, don’t bring any more my way.”
Now, that’s unfortunate. Here is a company that has telecommute openings, but you won’t see them advertised because its easier for them to just hit the pavement and do their recruiting the old fashioned way.
If a listing has specific instructions on how to apply, follow them. If you don’t, then the first impression you are giving to your prospective employer is that you don’t follow directions.
Even if there are no specific instructions, you should always apply in a professional manner, which brings me to Rule #3…
Rule #3: Always behave in a professional, courteous manner.
Believe it or not, I recently had a complaint from both a company and an applicant when a correspondence over a job opening had escalated into threats and mud slinging.
It all started when the applicant sent an email to the employer that stated, “Send Info” and nothing more.
This is a common occurrence. While it may seem perfectly acceptable to ask for details, usually those “details” are in the job listing itself. A response to a listing should be an application. If you want to ask for more information, the interview would be the appropriate time. Chances are, if you can’t apply without getting more information it’s due to one of two scenarios:
-The listing is really, really vague (and so most likely a scam).
-You’re not qualified for this position (if you’re not sure if youre qualified, then you probably arent).
Unless an employer states that they don’t want you to submit a resume, you should always send your resume with a cover letter.
The cover letter should be tailored to the position, not a generic version. This may mean that you have to do a little digging, call the company, etc. but it really does make an impression. It shows that you are really interested in their company, that youre resourceful and that you are professional.
Your resume should be up to date, thorough and professional. Have it done by a resume service if possible. It should not contain personal information such as height, weight or a health history. These things have nothing to do with your qualifications and don’t belong on a resume.
Another thing to leave out of a resume is an explanation of why you want to work at home. This is something I see in many of the resumes posted in our database. Not only is it unprofessional to include this type of information, but more importantly- employers don’t care.
What they do care about is whether or not you have the skills and experience needed to do the job and why they should hire you.
Home-based positions are rare indeed. Competition is very high, so you must present yourself as the best possible candidate right from the start. Following these basic rules will give you a much greater chance of snagging that much coveted telecommute position.
6th Mar, 2008
Sorry I’ve been MIA
Softball season is starting and it pretty much takes over my life at this time of year. My husband and I coach and I’m on the board so it’s hectic right now. It’s a time for crockpot meals and endless loads of laundry.
As demanding as it is, I just love being involved. I get to know all of the girls and it’s fun to coach with my DH (most of the time).
Before I worked at home, I wasn’t able to do anything like this. This is why I feel so fortunate to have the flexibility to be more involved with my kids.
Well, gotta run….We’ve got our first practice today so I’d better find something to put in the crockpot!
22nd Feb, 2008
Come stop by the forums
I am just having a blast with my new forums 
There are so many new features that I’m still figuring out how to make the most of them.
Anyway, there’s a lot going on over there. I’ve got some contests running where you can win great stuff like free ads on 2Work-At-Home.com, gift cards and other stuff. You can post and participate in Polls. It’s a great place to network, meet others who work from home (or want to) and the more you participate, the more exposure you get for your business!
19th Feb, 2008
Cereal Mom
I recently heard a woman say that being called a “work at home mom” was professionally demeaning. Being one myself, my initial reaction was to agree with her. “That’s right, I’m a professional, I’m not just a bored housewife dabbling with a hobby here,” I said to myself.
Upon reflection however, I came to realize that I disagree. Deeply.
Working out of your home while caring for children makes for some unique (and comical) situations. If you can’t have a sense of humor about these things, then maybe a field job is more your style.
But let’s face it, just how professional can you be when much of your work is done with a toddler on your lap? And that is, after all, one of the great benefits of working at home; you can consult with clients wearing bunny slippers if you like. Who’s to know? Sometimes we just need to keep things in perspective. I know that the work that I do is top quality, and I don’t sweat what others think of my work environment.
But I do wonder how that woman deals with some of those little challenges that come with being a work-at-home parent.
For example, maybe she feels that going out of the house with soggy Cheerios stuck to her behind would be professionally demeaning. She must have found a way to avoid this. I should call her…
Not being able to locate a pen because they’re all in use fishing Barbie clothes out of the toilet. This might be seen as unprofessional.
Or, while trying to convince a potential client how you would be the best choice if he’s looking for quality, professional results your 2-year-old is proclaiming proudly, “I went poo-poo Mommy!” over and over.
I’ve known others who have tried to mask their true work environments using some creative metaphors. For example:
“As soon as my colleague completes his current assignment” really means…”As soon as my 5-year-old is done with his Mr. Potato Head CDRom”
“We’ll be outsourcing the finishing work” really means…”My teenaged daughter will be earning her allowance by collating and stapling your reports”
“I have an urgent matter to attend to” really means…”My 3-year-old has been awfully quiet for the past few minutes and she was recently asking for a haircut”
Does this mean I should lock my kids in their rooms while I’m on the phone? While that can at times seem like a perfectly sensible idea, usually basic time management helps to avoid these situations. My view is that if a client thinks that the quality of my work will be less just because I have children, he can look elsewhere.
Maybe I’m shutting the door on some business, but I refuse to have my children feel that they come second. And I do, in fact, think of myself as a Mom first, and a business owner second. Besides, I think that the day is getting nearer that people really won’t mind their projects delivered with a few soggy Cheerios on them.