By: DJ Nelson

Times are tough and many are looking for alternative career options. Working at home seems nice; after all you can save money on lunches, gas, wardrobe, and even daycare. What’s not to love right?

Hold on! Before you trade in your pumps for furry animal slippers there are a few things you should know.

Let’s throw the work at home myths aside and get the real deal on working from home.

You’ve found a few job openings and you are ready to apply. What do you need to know first?

Magazine Editor Brooke Kelley says it’s very important for job prospects to read the job posting carefully. “Include all the info they ask for in the initial email. When I hire people, I notice this is a rarity, and I just delete them. If they can’t follow the first set of instructions, how can I trust them to do it once they get the job?”

It’s also important to know that we you are working from home, you will be working. Kate Richardson of Richlyn Marketing said, “As a full-service marketing agency, we hire quite a few freelance providers who telecommute. The biggest mistake we have experienced is people dropping the ball and not getting the projects done on time…If you are going to telecommute you have to be focused and deliver projects when you say you will. In this economy we can’t afford to give our telecommuting, freelance employees a second chance, because clients don’t give us a second chance. If they miss a deadline, it can cost us a client.”

Travel consultant Teri Hurley of Blue Moon Travel agrees. “Even though you might be emailing over oatmeal, it’s important to put on that business hat and present yourself as the total business package. Your client’s service should not be compromised because you chose to work in a more relaxed environment.”

Richardson adds, “Make sure you are good at estimating your time to deliver a project and if you find your estimate is way off and the project is going to take longer than expected, you need to communicate that to your boss immediately. Communication is key.”

Professionalism is also a key in being a successful telecommuter. “No one wants to have their phone call interrupted by a crying child, barking dogs or listening to a TV in the background. While you don’t have to be dressed in your business suit, you still have to play to your business strengths and perform in a professional manner,” said Hurley.

The Myths About Working From Home

While you may find the idea of working at home to be an exciting opportunity, others may not. There are assumptions that if people are allowed to work from home, they’ll spend time running errands, making snacks, and doing laundry instead of getting their work done.

Erin Freeley of ProwessPR disagrees with that notion. “In fact, working from home allows me to get more work done as there are fewer distractions. Of course working from home requires a lot of discipline but if you can do it, then you might actually find yourself getting more work done in a day,” she said.

Jeff Zbar of Chief Home Officer chimes in on the issue by adding, “I often call myself the Home Office Contrarian, because my thinking defies “conventional wisdom” related to what can - and cannot - be done, accepted, performed or otherwise accomplished in the home office. Look, if work gets done, if you don’t fall out of contact, if you’re there when clients or coworkers call, does it really matter what else gets done, too?”

How to Look For Work at Home Jobs

If you search job sites for the terms “work at home” you’ll probably be inundated with business opportunities, survey taking sites, and perhaps a plethora of scams. Instead, search for the words “telecommute” or “freelance” and you might save yourself some hassle.

Also, be sure to check out All Diva Media’s work at home job board.

About The Author

DJ Nelson is a publisher, marketer, and women’s empowerment activist. Nelson is the founder of All Diva Media, an online community geared towards the life stages of women. Nelson also writes Positive Inspirations for Women and she hopes to reach as many women as possible.

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