There may be many reasons you took that less-than-ideal job that pays just a tad over minimum wage. But you don’t have to settle for unfulfilling work.
Underemployment still exists long after the recession has ended. As of September 2015, underemployment in the U.S. stands at 14.1 percent, according to Gallup, which defines “under employed” survey respondents as those who “are either unemployed or are employed part-time and wish to be full-time employed.”
If you find yourself in a ho-hum job, taking on a part-time telecommuting job can keep your skills fresh and put some extra money in your pocket.
Rather than report to an office location, telecommuting allows workers to work from home. More organizations are offering employees and contractors the opportunity to work remotely. You’ll find full- and part-time telecommuting jobs everywhere from startups to Fortune 500 companies. These jobs range from account management to writing and almost everything in between.
“On average 4.5 percent of all workers in the U.S. telecommute every day, and there are many companies with jobs that can be done from anywhere in the U.S.,” said Sara Sutton Fell, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, in a news release. Recent data analyzed by Global Workplace Analytics shows that telecommuting has grown over 103 percent since 2004. More opportunities should make it easier to find legitimate opportunities.
Before taking on a telecommuting job, here are some guidelines to consider:
Check the policy. First, make sure your employer will allow you to hold a second job. Sometimes taking on a second job or working for a competitor is prohibited. Your employee handbook usually spells out details on acceptable secondary employment. Otherwise, your human resources department can explain policies to you.
Gauge your time commitment. How much time will you be able to devote? Be realistic when estimating the time you can commit based on your lifestyle and other commitments.
Define your purpose. You’ll be giving up some of your free time, so you’ll want feel like the work is worth the effort and time. Is your purpose to keep your skills fresh, make more money or just see what telecommuting is all about? Bear in mind that the majority of employers who are willing to hire someone to work from home want workers with strong skills to perform the job advertised and who can work independently and complete the work with little oversight.
Be specific. Rather than scour the Internet for any type of work-from-home job, you’ll want to define the type of job that will best meet your skills and needs. Search for job functions or skills first, then filter for “telecommute.” Common telecommuting jobs include accounting and bookkeeping; call center agents; data entry; translation; writing; or Web design. If you don’t have skills in any of these areas, don’t give up hope. Check out the vast number of opportunities listed on Flexjobs.com, which sources and vets part-time, work-from-home, freelance and other telecommuting jobs across 50 career categories. These jobs range from entry-level to executive-level.
Consider positions for generalists. If you have great organizational skills and consider yourself a jack-of-all-trades, perhaps becoming a virtual assistant will fit your desire for diverse work. A virtual assistant or personal assistant role can vary widely, depending on the needs of the individual or business requesting services. These jobs often involve administrative tasks such as managing calendars and appointments, but can also include creating reports, generating invoices or assisting with marketing materials.
Target companies. Monitor the career pages of employers you would like to work for, no matter where they are located. You never know what job may become available.
Be careful. As you may have discovered, there are scams promising you lots of money for what seems like very little work. Anything that seems too good to be true probably is. Also, you should never pay to find work. Any site or organization that asks for your credit card should be a red flag. Conduct research and validate the legitimacy of the opportunity before you supply any identifying information.
One final note: You may see more “work from home” ads in your social media feeds as a result of the research you’ve conducted. Be cautious and Internet-savvy.
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Underemployed? Keep Your Skills Fresh by Telecommuting originally appeared on usnews.com
