Over 24 million Americans worked from home as an employee
for at least 1 day per week in 2004 according to the
International Telework Association and Council (ITAC). So
why is it that thousands of people waste millions of dollars
each year on work-at-home scams? The reason is because
people don't understand telecommuting. When people search
for a traditional job, they search the classified ads based
on their education, skills and experience. They submit
professional applications and wait anxiously for an
interview. But for some reason, when they want a
work-at-home job, they search for some company that will let
them sign up to lick envelopes. The truth is, telecommuting
jobs are exactly like traditional jobs; they are just done
at home.

Here are some important "rules" to finding a work-at-home
job.

1) Recognize that you won't get paid to lick envelops, glue
bird houses, process email or any of the common work-at-home
scams. When was the last time you met someone who got paid
to lick envelopes? If those "jobs" are so lucrative, how come
we never meet people who actually do them?

2) Never pay money for a work-at-home job. Legitimate
employers never charge money to put you on payroll or to
supply you with materials to do the job.

3) Take inventory of your skills and experience. Employers
are looking for employees who can fill a specific job and
won't take just anyone.

4) Prepare a quality resume and always interact with
potential employers in a professional manner. You have one
chance to impress an employer and position yourself over the
100's even 1000's of other applicants.

5) Search for jobs where jobs are posted. Online job search
sites and classifieds are good resources though scams and
biz ops do get posted on these sites so learn to recognize a
legitimate job from the scam?hint: asking for money for a
job is a clue to a scam.

6) Don't be afraid to invest in education, a quality job
search service, or resume assistance. This is not buying a
job but paying for services that can increase your odds of
finding and obtaining a job.

7) Commit time to the search and application process each
day.

There are 1000's of legitimate jobs posted right now. Using
the seven rules above you can find and obtain a job and join
the 24 million people telecommuting today.


Leslie Truex is a work-at-home mom and author of Jobs At
Home: A Complete Guide to Finding or Creating a Work-At-Home
Job. You can learn more about where and how to find and
obtain a work-at-home job at http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com.