Learning how to identify legitimate work at home opportunities is an invaluable skill. The Internet is full of work from home scams that will try to convince you to pay outrageous signup fees, and promise that you will make thousands of dollars a day. Once you learn to sort through the sea of scams, you will find that there is legitimate money to be made by working from home.
If you are ready to begin a work from home career, remember these 5 steps to identify legitimate work at home opportunities.
1. Consider Proven, Tested Work at Home Jobs
During your search for work at home opportunities, you should have a list of proven work at home jobs as a reference guide. Here is a list of some of the best, tested work at home careers:
- Medical transcription
- Freelance proofreader
- Article writer
- Blogger
- Avon eRepresentative
- Internet search guide
- Graphic designer
- Web developer
- Inbound customer service agent
- Virtual administrative assistant
- Ebay seller
- Child care provider
- Scrapbooking small business
- Online tutor
- Home travel agent
2. Be Realistic in Your Job Search
Work at home scammers prey on the desires that home workers have to provide for their families, and land their dream job and dream salary at the same time. All too often, the victims of these scams are stay-at-home parents who want to work to support their families, and still care for their children at home.
As you search for work at home jobs, keep in mind that if a job seems to good to be true, then it usually is. Jobs that promise you only have to work one hour a day, yet still earn $100,000 a month, are completely unrealistic. More often than not, work at home jobs are similar to jobs that you would perform in a traditional office setting. Work at home opportunities are not get-rich-quick schemes.
3. Research Your Potential Employer
One of the best ways to find out if a work at home opportunity is legitimate is to research the company or employer offering the job. Look at the company's website, and read company reviews. If the job for which you are applying is with a local or regional company, talk to individuals who have worked for the company previously.
If your potential employer has a website, be sure to validate the company's contact information including phone number and business address. Learning as much as you can about your potential employer will make you knowledgeable about and prepared for your new work environment. This will reduce your risk of becoming involved with a work at home job that is less than legitimate.
4. Avoid Jobs that Make You Pay
Be wary of any job postings or work at home job opportunities which require you to pay a signup fee in order to begin working. Some direct sales companies, like Mary Kay, may require you to buy products up front to sale, but you should follow step number 3 and research any such company to ensure that it is reputable.
You do not have to pay a fee to work in an office, so why should you have to pay $39.95 or $99.99 to work from home? Many work at home scammers use these tactics to trick you out of your money by promising you will make huge, unrealistic profits once you pay your signup or monthly fee.
Identifying legitimate home employment does not have to be a grueling task. You can avoid home employment scams, and find a legitmate source of income if you follow these 4 easy steps.
