Seven Success Tips for Would-Be Telecommuters
By Angela Wu
In our increasingly busy world, it comes as no surprise that so many people seek a way
to work from home. Doing so helps to reduce "unproductive" time and stresses such as
commuting to the office. However, the ever-growing numbers of people seeking to telecommute
means that competition for work-at-home jobs gets tougher each day. Here are a few tips
to help you to both evaluate and increase your chances of finding telecommuting work:
1. Evaluate Your Job Position and Skills.
Many people would love to work at home, but the fact of the matter is, not every job
- or every person - is suited to it. For example, a writer, a data entry clerk, or a
software programmer may easily be able to do their jobs from home. On the other hand,
a medical lab technician, a hardware design engineer, or a bank teller cannot.
Be honest with yourself. If your job isn't suitable for telecommuting, then don't pitch
a desperate proposal to your employer. Instead, consider applying for a new position or
attend courses so that you can acquire new skills.
2. Look To Your Current Employer.
Sometimes it's easy to overlook what's right in front of your face. Your job may not
currently be a telecommuting position, but that doesn't mean it never will be!
Some companies haven't considered offering telecommuting as an option because... well,
because no one's ever done it before. Other employers don't have a 'telecommuting policy',
but handle such requests on an individual basis. One site that offers help to workers
seeking to prepare a telecommuting proposal is:
www.telecommutingproposal.com
Be aware, though, that many companies don't offer full telecommuting privileges. It's
common to require employees to check into the office regularly or be available during regular
work hours. You probably won't have the option of scheduling your days any way you want them!
Remember, you're still accountable to your boss and to your co-workers; you're just able to do
your job from the comfort of your home. Partial telecommuting privileges are still a wonderful thing!
3. Show Initiative and Professionalism.
Employers are more likely to consider a telecommuting proposal from an employee with
a proven track record. So take the initiative! Don't wait to be told to do something;
just do it. Do your work well and get it done reliably, with minimal supervision.
4. Don't Shrug Off Jobs That Don't Specify 'Telecommuting'.
If you saw a job listing that was something you truly wanted to do, but it didn't say
that you were allowed to work from home... would you reject it?
Hopefully not. Telecommuting may not be an option for a new employee, but once you
establish yourself as a dependable, hard worker, you can always approach your boss with
a well-crafted telecommuting proposal.
There's no guarantee that your proposal will be accepted, of course... but neither is there
a guarantee that you'll ever find a telecommuting job at all. The hard truth is that employers
prefer to offer telecommuting privileges to existing employees with proven track records.
5. Get Educated.
It's all about options. An education will provide you with more choices. For example,
you may currently be providing administrative support for a local company. Administrative
and clerical jobs are commonly requested telecommuting positions, and employers can be choosy!
To help you compete, you can enhance your skills by getting additional certification in
your area of expertise (for instance, learning how to use other popular software programs
frequently in demand by employers)... or you can try something related but in higher
demand. Many telecommuting positions are in the sales/marketing and high-tech areas, such
as programming or database design.
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