Are Work From Home Jobs Legitimate
Are Work From Home Jobs Legitimate
A work-from-home career is attainable for most people with a computer, mobile device, and internet access. Unfortunately, work-from-home scams are becoming more prevalent as such jobs become more common—which can make it hard to separate the legitimate opportunities from the fake ones. When starting your search for a genuine home-based job, keep in mind that any position, working from home or not, will pay better if you have experience.
For many people craving a more flexible work schedule, finding great online jobs from home is the dream, right? Even if you don’t get to work poolside with a margarita in hand, legitimate work-from-home jobs let you balance work and family, create your own office vibe, and achieve the kind of autonomy that can bring peace of mind. (Aka, no boss or co-workers breathing down your neck). Plus, it’s not a bad commute!
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Today, 53% of the global workforce spends at least half the work week working remotely, according to a 2018 IWG report. That’s partly because technology makes telecommuting easier than ever, and partly because employers recognize it’s what workers want. But with a rising mobile workforce, scams related to working online jobs
from home are also becoming more common these days, and they come in many forms: wire transfer schemes, claims processing, envelope stuffing, refund-recovery work, and other fraudulent offers.
Over the last few years, working from home was growing as an alternative to traditional office jobs. Once the COVID-19 pandemic began, remote work skyrocketed. According to statistics gathered by the remote job search site FlexJobs, remote work could make up the majority of the workforce in the future.
In fact, several companies have already switched to long-term remote work
since the pandemic began. Whether you’re looking to offer your services, expertise or products by starting your own business, hoping to earn supplemental income as a freelancer or wanting to work remotely full-time, there are more ways than ever to join the work-from-home community.
The problem with working in an office is that for one, you’re not saving as much because you have to shell out some money for transportation, food, clothing and more because you are working outside of the home. You have to commute, buy business clothes, spend precious money on food and who knows what else.
Not only that, you’d have to endure hours of traffic or the loooooong lines at the MRT (Metro Rail Transit) or LRT (Light Rail Transit) to get to work so chances are, by the time you get to the office, you’re already stressed out!
The good news is, there are a LOT of other work options available. And the best part? They can easily be found online, so you can work and be at home all at the same time. How cool is that? You save money because you don’t have to spend money on many things. However, online scams are everywhere and they have many ingenious tricks to dupe you into thinking that you’re actually signing up for a legitimate online job.
To be honest, the scams are designed to look like genuine offers. What’s the quickest way to know for sure if it’s a scam? They ask you to pay them money for registration, tax reasons, permits and more. If a job site is asking you to give money to them, then it’s probably a scam and it’s best to stay away from those.
Some online scams are also phishing sites that will try to get your information and use it for things that are not legal. Legitimate online jobs don’t ask you for money. Why? Because these are big companies and they earn money in a different way.
What Is A Work From Home Job?
A work-from-home job, according to site Qdos Contractor, is “a job that gives the worker complete freedom over his or her daily schedule, client requirements, location, etc.” You work while living somewhere else, typically at home, but as a contractor, you don’t have to be physically present at your place of business to earn money.
What are some good work-from-home jobs? Work from home jobs can be classified in a number of ways—some are legitimate, others not. Project management – When looking for a home-based project management job, you can choose from any of the following: technical projects, marketing, medical, IT, payroll, and more.
A work-from-home job is a job where you're expected to work out of your home office. Some work from home might require you to commute. However, even if you have to drive someplace to do the work, the job itself might take place in your home office.
It's important to know that if you're going to start a home-based business to provide services, such as a virtual assistant or video production, you will need to register your business with the federal government as an online employer. If you're a single parent or a widow or widower whose spouse is no longer around to help with household chores, you might have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the low cost of childcare or to find a part-time job to generate extra income.
How To Find Legitimate Work-From-Home Jobs?
The internet and social media platforms make it easy to search for work-from-home opportunities. You can also take advantage of local networking opportunities like Meetup groups, social media, and your local Chamber of Commerce. Ebates also offers online job sites where you can find local work-from-home jobs based on your location.
The social network Groupon is also a popular online job site, with local and regional opportunities to work from home. Be wary of job posts that require excessive, unknown amounts of money or provide no details on how to apply. Do not provide credit card numbers, personal information, or other sensitive information to employers through email or social media. Research the company before working from home.
Look for jobs that allow you to earn money from home that aligns with your personal interests. You may want to work from your own home office, but many businesses that offer work-from-home opportunities expect you to be at the office while you do your job. Look for a local business that will allow you to work from home for a small fee.
If a work-from-home job involves selling a product or service, ensure the company requires a credit card or direct deposit. You may be able to work from home for a week or a month, but any long-term commitment will require you to be there. Search through several job boards.
Tips For Succeeding At A Work-From-Home Job
You're probably not going to need an MBA to land a job working from home. But you will need some familiarity with web development, social media, and, maybe most importantly, networking. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you stand out from the competition:
- Learn the basics of HTML and CSS – Never pretend to know these. It's one of the most important skills to have—and it will take you quite a bit of practice.
- Learn social media basics – Learn how to use LinkedIn and Twitter, which are crucial tools in the modern world.
- Be ready to do client work – The best home-based freelancers will regularly work for clients, which is essential to becoming well known in your field.
- Be prepared to work long hours – Once you get started, there's no way you'll have the chance to get other jobs.
So what makes work-from-home positions and the jobs offering them so great for people to start?
- Full flexibility – With work-from-home jobs, you’re usually not tied to any office location, and you’re typically able to choose which days or hours you work. The pay can vary, but you will make more work outside the office than you would be sitting in it, no matter where you are.
- Short commuting times – This goes along with flexibility. Typically, work-from-home employees live relatively close to their worksites, which makes it easy to spend time with family and friends after work. This usually translates into lower housing and transportation costs, too.
- Money is saved – These jobs usually cost less than office jobs.
Home-Based Job Benefits
Aside from more money, there are benefits to working from home. According to FlexJobs, working from home can have a great impact on your health and happiness, and allow you to take your time at work, both of which can lead to more productive and effective work.
It may be easier for you to answer emails and respond to texts from the comfort of your own home, which can cut down on distractions and allow you to be more present and focused during the day. If you're interested in a home-based career, the best way to determine if a work-from-home job is legit is to do a little research and ask questions. And it's also a good idea to look for advice on how to stay safe from fraud and how to properly identify a legitimate home-based job.
It may not sound like a “benefit” at first, but a home-based job can help you live a financially comfortable lifestyle. Because you don't have to commute or leave the house, you're more likely to save money by eating healthier and doing more in the way of exercise.
More importantly, it means you can schedule more time in the day to play and do other things that enrich your life. A good place to start your job search is a source of reliable information. LinkedIn, the professional social network, is a great resource to investigate a potential work-from-home career, but it also serves as a potential source for work-from-home scams.
Work-From-Home Scams
Fake employers typically pose as legitimate businesses and will offer you a lucrative contract to work in a foreign country—usually in another country or possibly on another continent, in a different country. The offer will come in the form of a cheery e-mail or letter, or some other type of correspondence, typically saying they're a company that needs help with specific projects that involve telephone calls, customer care, or data entry. The scam usually includes a simple request for a $25 prepaid credit card, which you're encouraged to use to make your first purchase, like a flashlight or an anti-virus software subscription.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) cautions taxpayers about working from home (WFH) scams that often offer phony “job opportunities” for staff that are well below what you would be paid. The IRS says work-from-home scams may promise a modest rate of pay for various services—from raising funds for charities and government offices to telemarketing sales and call centers.
Though the IRS stresses that the work-from-home scams do not qualify for job opportunities that you can accept—they are part of a scheme that may involve money laundering or more serious criminal activity—you could end up losing more than you expect.
Some scammers will masquerade as professional recruiters, but they'll often simply send you generic emails with job opportunities you've not seen advertised before. Then, they ask for you to download specific applications (like resumes) to “upload” to the job posting to apply.
Other times, they'll send you phony offers—email accounts that look like ones you might log into from your home or office. Once you fill out a phony application and send it back to them, you may never hear from the person who originally contacted you again, or if you do, you'll be asked for money to continue the “job search.
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The Dos And Don'ts Of A Work At Home Career
First, make sure the company has an official address and contact number, as well as an email address you can communicate with them via. Do they have a website and include it in your job search? When setting up a legitimate work from home position, ask to see their financial reports or a copy of their IRS 990 tax form—the tax form is the most important information to include in your job application.
They should have an I.D. card or work permit, with a photo. Next, once you've secured your job, take a few moments to respond to any emails you receive. We've all received some completely random emails offering people in less than stellar work conditions for under $15 an hour, for instance. Even if the email seems legitimate, investigate it and verify the offer.
The more experience you have in a particular industry, the more confident you will be that your work-at-home job is legitimate. For example, if you are working for a law firm, chances are you are going to be doing a much different job than you would in a legal firm's office.
Unless your work is legal, you should do your homework in a particular industry to ensure you are qualified and that your contact information is accurate. Once you've found a potential work-at-home opportunity, do your homework and find out as much as possible. What are the duties? How does the company operate? Is it a legitimate business? A legitimate business will have correct contact information, a website with contact information, and a list of relevant skills and credentials.
The Importance Of Experience When Searching For A Work-From-Home Job
But you also need to understand that just because you have experience in a particular industry, doesn't necessarily mean you'll be considered for work-from-home positions. You have to be qualified. Once you have an online job posting that piques your interest, it's important to look through the job description to see if it requires any actual work. Don't apply for a job where the job description doesn't require you to do anything!
That's your money being wasted, folks. You should also verify that the company behind the job post is legit. Websites are constantly changing, so it can be hard to tell whether a legitimate home-based job is even on the market. You should also ask whether there is a place for you to physically sit, where you can “show up” and be expected to get work done.
“The longer you've been working as an independent contractor, the better the odds of attracting more quality clients,” advises Jay El-Shetty, owner and CEO of Remote OK. In the past, hiring an employee required one to be a permanent full-time or part-time employee with benefits and a salary.
Today, working as a freelance contractor—or someone who works from home—is perfectly legal, and if your online searches turn up nothing, you're not alone. “While business owners are very aware of the trend of people wanting to freelance, they still have to spend time actually contacting those people,” says Ionel Stan, founder of Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking, an agency that finds great, full-time work from home opportunities.
Tips On How To Avoid Work-From-Home Scams
When researching work-from-home jobs, make sure the job is legitimate by looking at reviews of the company and how the company responds to customer service requests. Enroll in programs offered by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org or by calling (419) 255-1111, to see if a company is registered.
You can also search for companies by keywords in Google to see if there are any complaints. Be sure you know what you are signing up for in terms of the work hours, job duties, compensation, and potential for growth. You should not be misled into working more than 40 hours a week and be certain that it is truly a work-from-home job.
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For home-based jobs that are legitimate, the following tips will help ensure your success:
- Do your homework. Research the company and the position before applying. Get references from previous employers who have had positive experiences with the company and the job you're applying for. Find out about the work environment and what it's like to work there.
- Research the company and the position before applying. Get references from previous employers who have had positive experiences with the company and the job you're applying for. Find out about the work environment and what it's like to work there. Get your references. Put in writing what you said to the references, including your contact information, what you said about the company, and how you said it.
Getting A Real Work From Home Job
If you’re really serious about getting a job working from home, be sure to understand the business before applying. It’s easier to be scammed when you don’t understand the job. If you’re a loyal customer or are a reseller that’s known to that company, you’re more likely to be chosen for the job and paid promptly. Don’t get sucked into a scam that promises quick, easy money with no product.
Who is the business? The best way to see if the business is legitimate is to call the company’s human resources department. When looking for such a person, ask for an executive or manager who can answer your questions. You can also ask the company for a list of available jobs—employers like to show they are hiring. Be sure the call centers or sales sites have active phone lines for each job.
You might start your search by looking for ads on traditional job boards like Monster or Indeed. Look to avoid listing:
- Jobs that claim you can set your own hours
- Jobs with a higher hourly rate
- Jobs that require you to work on weekends
- Jobs that require you to participate in in-person training
If you're unsure what you're looking for, you can always simply try the official government websites. Work-at-home job listings can also be found at the Department of Labor, and at the Internal Revenue Service's website. Also, look out for certain red flags when looking for a job in your home office. Before you pay a set fee for anything, research the company to make sure that you're not being scammed, or simply going to work for free.
Conclusion
If you're looking to change careers or add income to your existing work schedule, consider a home-based career that provides flexibility to earn extra income without stepping out of your comfort zone. Being in your home doesn't mean you have to be confined to a domestic bubble; in fact, working from home can be very fulfilling and profitable.
Be on the lookout for spam job ads online, or suspicious websites in your inbox. Take the time to find a legitimate home-based job that fits your needs and skill set. Also, do your research before completing any agreements, because scammers will often take advantage of eager newbies.
No matter how fast the internet and technological advances are, most people still need a “real job” in order to have a salary and, if you want your employer to give you paid vacation days, you'll probably need an income.
Working from home can be an attractive option for people who don't want to deal with the hassles of office life, especially since you don't have to look at the same people over and over again. However, before you agree to work for someone else, be sure to do your research and make sure the job is legitimate.
I trust you enjoyed this article about Are Work From Home Jobs Legitimate? Would you please stay tuned for more articles to come? Take care!
JeannetteZ
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