I know how you feel when it comes to making the decision whether to start working from home or start looking for jobs online.
There are millions of online job opportunities on the web.
But the obvious questions are, how to find the right ones, how to find out if you can do the job, and how to get past the scams and land the right opportunity.
I have come across many who only think about online work in terms of how much they want to earn. But there is much more to working online than just the income. To aim for a set amount of money, you need to think about many things like your experience, your choice of work, etc.
When I started working, it was confusing for me to look for the right jobs. I did not even fully trust the first online work that I started till I got my first paycheck.
From medical coding to blogging, there are many options for working at home. Finding legitimate work options online can be daunting, but if you have some checkpoints, then you are going to land the right one.
How to Search for Your First Work-at-Home Job
#1. Analyze Your Strengths
The first step in finding a remote job or online working gig starts with YOU.
You have to ask yourself these questions:
What are your strengths?
What do you enjoy doing?
These are some of the pointers that might lead you to find the right job.
The best thing about working online is that, in some roles, you do not need to have any particular expertise. You just learn things as you go. Job opportunities such as search engine evaluation, captioning, and website testing are some of the roles you can start right away.
Try to find what you enjoy doing; that is the whole point.
#2. Beginner or Experienced
The second step in your job search, whether you’re good at typing or writing or blogging, is you have to see where you stand. Are you a novice or a pro? Asking this question can make many things clear like getting a rough idea of what you can expect in your job and the level of income you can achieved. Even if this is your first work-at home-gig, if you had some experience in that type of role, it might help to get you a bigger income.
In general, in any field, a beginner or a nonexperienced person might not get paid much, but if you are interested in blogging, then there is an exception. Even the most newbie bloggers can make good money from their blogs if they follow the right strategies.
First, you need to choose what to do, and then you need to analyze what level you are at to set your expectations.
You also need to decide whether the job you are looking for is just a side hustle or something that you plan on doing as your full-time remote work.
Related:
- 32 Top Jobs That Pay $15 an Hour or More in 2024
- How to Get Paid Online as a Search Engine Evaluator
- Benefits of Working from Home: 5 Ways You Can Increase Your Productivity
#3. Where to Start
I believe this is the hardest part. I had a very tough time searching for legitimate remote working options when I started. But even now, this is the burning question for all the aspiring home workers.
Why?
Because the internet is full of scams, it might take forever for you to land the right job without being aware of these scams.
Try researching the job opportunity thoroughly. If it is a business, see if it is listed in Better Business Bureau (BBB). As a rule, never pay for a job beforehand unless it is an authentic job board with a monthly subscription. I would also suggest testing if the role pays you promptly.
There are many authentic job boards like ProBlogger, FlexJobs.com, AuthenticJobs.com, and even my Job Board, where legitimate jobs are listed. Some gigs may get listed on freelancing websites like Freelancer.com or Upwork.
If you are looking for scam-free work-at-home jobs, then there is no better place than FlexJobs. This is the most authentic job board that lists remote jobs from all over the world. The jobs are thoroughly researched and totally legit. Get your FlexJobs subscription today! You can get the subscription up to 30% off with the promo code AFFILPROMO.
You can find more job opportunities on Indeed.
#4. How to Search
Searching for jobs online can become a tedious task if you don’t know which terms to use. Especially when it comes to work-at-home jobs, you need to input certain keywords to get the best results. It is also important to use the right search terms to get past the spammy results.
Besides using a key phrase like “work at home,” you can also try “remote,” “online work,” “freelance,” “online jobs,” “work from home,” “telecommute,” and more.
Always investigate more if the job description says it’s an online biz because that is one term that spammers use the most. That does not mean all online businesses are scams; just do your research to find out the authenticity.
#5. Measure Your Expectations
Not every online job is equal, and not all jobs pay the same. You have to assess what your income expectations are. It makes it easier for you to search for a job if you have your target income goal in your mind.
Work opportunities like virtual assisting, proofreading, and freelance writing may pay more than others. But as I said, it all depends on you to decide what you want.
I know many who do side gigs and make a healthy living. So it’s a decision between doing a couple of gigs or just doing one job and reaching your financial goal.
#6. Things to Remember
You have to go past the dodgy websites like the ones that ask for money or ask for your personal information.
There are many online jobs out there that promise an insane amount of income in a very short time; believe me, most of them are scams. Working from home does not mean that you will get rich overnight. It is the same hard work you put into finding a regular job.
A registered business or work-at-home job website will usually have some social presence, and that is a good indication of the authenticity of the site.
Work-at-home roles or online job options might require a slightly different type of résumé, so it would be advisable to prepare your résumé accordingly.
Meeting deadlines and keeping in contact with your counterparts in the job is vital in work-at-home roles as you don’t have a typical desk job set up.
Just keep these things in mind, and you will be on the path to finding the right kind of opportunity to suit your requirements in the best possible way and meet your financial needs.
Always remember that it is not impossible to find legitimate options to work from home. It just requires some research and patience to look for the one you need.
