Telecommuting Writing Jobs

Telecommuting writing jobs: make your own schedule, save gas and creatively make a living

Rich writers are not the norm. You probably already know that. Even best-selling novelists, while enjoying some fame, seldom truly amass a fortune. If that fortunate and talented writer has their book made into a movie, they just may get into some wealth. However, most writers write because they love the work and would rather write than do anything else. Writers are often not well suited to a corporate environment, as they prefer working alone. If you now write as a hobby, but fear that your day job may go by the wayside in these tough economic times, you should begin now to look in to the telecommuting writing job market. You may not get rich, but you can make a living doing what you like doing best.

Here are a few of the benefits of telecommuting writing jobs. You don’t have to be anywhere and punch a clock. You can work by day or night, or a mix of the two. You don’t have to make special arrangements with your boss to go to the dentist, doctor or your kid’s school events. Telecommuting writing jobs give you (almost) complete freedom to schedule your own life. Working at home means you don’t drive any distance to work, so you can tame your gas costs as well. Sounds pretty good, right?

So what’s the catch? You’ll find there are times when you’ll get a job with a very tight deadline on the turnaround. For example, you find a client who needs a bio written for their website by tomorrow morning. Yes, there are people like that. If you want the job, you need to be flexible and diligent and get that piece written before the coach turns into a pumpkin, if you want to be paid and keep your sterling reputation. If you are unable to meet deadlines, word does get around, with negative effects on your career and income.

Telecommuting writing jobs are actually on the rise now, while the brick-and-mortar opportunities are on the decline. If you’re a disciplined writer, you can succeed in this market. You need to have the ability to be your own boss. No one will be telling you what to do next, or when. You’ve got to consistently pursue your craft, without fail.

So how do you break into the telecommuting writing job market? Unless you have previously published work, you may need to write a few pieces for free. This is a common practice. Literary sites often advertise for writers, on a ‘contributing’ basis. If you see such an ad, it means they want you to write for nothing. Why would anyone do this? What it amounts to is that you’re giving your work to them in exchange for being published. Now you’ve got a clip, a url you can give to a prospective client. Accumulate a few and you’re on your way in the paying writing markets.

You should also prepare several samples of your writing. It’s important to diversify, with samples on various topics, demonstrating good research skills and a distinctive and consistent style and voice. If you’re rusty on your grammar, review! With a variety of sample topics to choose from, you’ll better your chances of landing that 24-hour turnaround job. Competition is stiff and jobs go fast.

While writing can be hard work, is there something else you’d rather be doing? If not, start putting together your portfolio now, before you quit your day job. A telecommuting writing job may be the most fulfilling job you’ve ever had!

Ways to Earn Extra Cash for Teens

Are you a teen looking for ways to earn extra cash? Ten profitable ideas!

Teens often feel at a disadvantage in the job market, especially in the current economy. While you might eventually land a fast food server job, it’s going to cost you money to get there and back and the hours might not be ideal. There are plenty of ways to earn extra cash for an enterprising teen. Here are ten ideas for you to roll around in your mind. Many are in the self-employment market, which makes you the boss. If you choose the self employment route, be sure you are sufficiently disciplined and are dependable!

If you’re one of those kids who still has every possession accumulated since day one, you might consider going through your room and the garage to collect all the stuff you no longer use. You might be surprised at what these items will fetch at a yard sale. You can also sell on eBay. Take clothes you no longer use to a consignment shop. You bring them in and receive about 40-50% of what the shop gets on the sale.

Yard work, dog walking and babysitting are all time honored ways to earn extra cash. Canvas your neighborhood and see what sort of jobs are there. Appear at the door looking presentable and don’t chew gum!

If you’re an older teen with a reputation for being responsible, check out house sitting opportunities. Be prepared with references from teachers, past employers and other adult references. Three ought to do it. These jobs often don’t pay much, but you do have room and board. When you’re looking for ways to earn extra cash, this can be a gem. You can still do yard work, dog walking and such other small jobs.

If you like making crafts, the holiday season and a great number of crafts fairs are in the offing. Christmas wreaths, ornaments, jewelry and gift baskets are always popular and are easy and fun to make.

Another of the ways to earn extra cash not only pays, but gives you discounted prices at retail shops! Many shops hire extra people for the holidays. Apply first in shops where you have some knowledge and would love a discount on what they sell. Music stores, pet shops, or whatever is in your skill set.

Most teens are more web savvy than the average adult. Make your own website or blog. Get into the Google Adsense program and make some money! Here’s a tip that gives you even more ways to earn extra cash in your net enterprise. Visit w3schools.com and go through their free tutorials and become an expert. There are literally dozens of topics and tutorials.

If you live in a big city, a newspaper route can pay well. Your customers will usually tip you each month for good service.

Other ways to earn extra cash require that you apply well in advance. Summer camp counselor, lifeguard and National Park guide positions may begin advertising in winter, so keep your eyes peeled now.

If you’re a whiz at math, English or whatever, advertise as a tutor. You can schedule sessions which don’t interfere with school or work and make some pretty good extra cash. You can even develop this as a business.

You can see that the ways to earn extra cash are out there. Just pick one or two ideas that appeal to you and go for it!

Your Employment Score And The 21st Century Job Market

Getting a job is not what it used to be nor will it ever be the same again. In the not so distant past, employers reviewed your resume, called you in for an interview and phoned a few references to make sure you “check out.” These days with the proliferation and easy accessibility of data, the “check out” phase is a bit more extensive and, quite frankly, downright scary.

Consider the fate of one of my candidates a few months back. She was submitted for a product management position at a very well known and “hot” Silicon Valley company. She was currently employed for 10 years by another respectable Silicon Valley company and worked directly in the space that the potential employer wanted. In addition, she had advanced degrees in the targeted industry. After several days of interviews, the candidate was rejected. The reason? “A more qualified applicant applied online.” That’s It! To this day, I’m still stunned by that experience.

Companies have become increasingly more attentive to candidate review. Every aspect of a candidate’s background is now open to scrutiny, including your online presence (as I’ve discussed in a previous post), both personal and professional.

One little known fact that most candidates are unaware of, though, is that potential employers can also check your credit history. Why would an employer care about your credit history? Because a “less than stellar” history MIGHT indicate that you are an “at risk” employee. For example, If you’re having financial difficulty you might be easily distracted and not perform well.

Another reason your credit report might be checked is to see if you’re “shopping around” with other companies. Sometimes, when candidates go hunting for a new job, they apply for new credit or insurance in that particular area. Credit bureaus report on many of these applications.

Sneaky, yes. But, all too real and legal …

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit agencies to provide their data to anyone who has a legitimate business need. In fact, it gets even scarier. Employers can also use this information not just for employment screening, but also for promotions, re-assignment or retention.

Of course, the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you rights as well. If you are rejected for any of the reasons above, the employer must tell you so. They are also obligated to give you a free copy of your credit report. Furthermore, you have a right to dispute any of the information on your report.

However, it is very difficult to know the “real reason” why you are rejected. Employers can reject a candidate for a host of reasons: better qualified candidates (as you’ve seen above), not enough experience … basically, you name it.

Credit history is one aspect of a prospective candidate’s personal history review. Extrapolating from your credit, insurance agencies can and do charge more for insurance. The reason? The insurance companies believe that there is a correlation between bad credit and insurance claims. More insurance cost potentially means more expense to the employer. And, the list goes on …

There are a number of companies now providing what’s being called an “Employment Score”. It’s an overall assessment of credit, insurance, auto scores and other variations. Knowing your employment score can prepare you for your next job interview. With profile in hand, you can at a minimum, be prepared to answer tough questions or, best case scenario, fix inaccuracies before they become a problem.

With the economy in the tank, foreclosures on the rise, and unemployment high, it’s imperative to be extra-prepared. Your employment score another tool that can help put you on the offensive, rather than on the defensive.

Answer Job Interview Questions

Preparing for job interview questions can be one of the most difficult and nerve-racking experiences. On the one hand, you know that you have to hit an interview perfectly. You want this job, and you can feel in your bones that you are the right candidate for it. It all comes down to this one interview, so you have to give it everything you’ve got. On the other hand, you have no idea what to look at. How do you study for an interview? How do you know if you answer job interview questions well or not?

In reality, just practicing can help you. Answering job interview questions is as much a matter of feeling comfortable on your feet as of having the correct answer. Although a lot of job interview questions books will give you different specific tips on what types of answers an employer is looking for, they will all tell you this: you have a better chance of getting the job If you appear confident.

This is why you should answer job interview questions with a friend before the actual interview. Practicing questions and answers alone can be helpful, but practicing with a partner can be even better. A partner will help you simulate actual interview conditions. He or she can tell you whether or not you seem calm, confident, and comfortable with the interview. He can give you tips on eye contact, posture, facial expressions, and any other pointers you might need.

The problem is, finding out the right answers for job interview questions is difficult. You see, every employer looks for something different. I worked as a hiring manager for many years, so I know a little bit about the subject. Basically, there are several things that I look for from someone who I am interviewing. Of course, he or she has to answer job interview questions in an honest, straightforward manner and with confidence, but it goes beyond that. I want someone who is honest. There are usually pat, safe ways to answer job interview questions, but sometimes you can get better results by straying a little bit from the standard responses. If you can illustrate your points with a really interesting story from your own experience, it will make an even better impression. Basically, the most important thing is to engage your interviewer. If you can make him or her like you, you have the job!

If you would like my more information on how to answer job interview questions, you can check out my recently recorded audio guide at:

http://siliconvalleyresources.com/proresume/

I offer the audio guide as a bonus to my resume writing book. Some people have ordered the book just to get the bonus.

Help Finding A Job In Hard Times

Though you may not realize that jobs are hard to find today, you should know that this is a problem in many urban areas and will be trickling down to more rural areas soon enough. You may have already lost your job and are looking for a new one, or you are finding a job in a new field for the very first time. Some people are even looking for second jobs to help make ends meet even when they have never had a problem with money in the past. When searching in such a tough market, there are some things that you should know.

First of all, when finding a job, you dont necessarily have to aim lower than what you really want. Though you may have to later on, you should still try to find the jobs that you would have wanted no matter how well or how bad the economy is doing. There is always the chance that you could still get that job that you want. You should also think about jobs that are on par with the one you just had, even if it is not something you think of as a promotion. Staying in the same type of job is better than having no luck with finding a job at all.

What you have to decide is how far you are willing to drive when finding a job that is up to par with what you want. You may have to face the reality that you may have to travel. With the gas prices as they are, you should weigh your options carefully. Would it be worth a dollar less an hour to save a lot on gas? What other expenses would be involved with finding a job that is a bit of a drive? Can you spare that extra time that you would normally spend with your family?

However, when times are bad, no matter what, you do have to think about taking something you may not want or may not be ideal. You should always go for the jobs that you want, but you should be realistic and look for some that are related but not quite what you crave. You may not have a choice when things are tight and many are finding a job right along side you. Be careful, but be smart, or you may find that you can not get any type of work at all. Things will pick up, so taking something for a short time would not hurt, but still feeds your family.

Use the same strategies you would always use when finding a job. Use the classifieds, go to recruiters, and dont be afraid to try temp agencies. You should use online sources for finding a job, as well as networking with others in your field. They may know of jobs that have not been advertised that are just what you are looking for. Just know your hunt may take a little longer, but you do not have to look at it as an impossible endeavor.