What it Takes to be a Telecommuter and Work at Home

There is a growing trend and push for employers to have their employees telecommute. The act of being a telecommuter is to work outside the office.  You still have a direct employer that will give you your assignments.  However instead of working at the normal business location, you may be working out of your home. 

In 1996, the United States adopted the Clean Air Act.  With this movement, there was a push for large employers(over 100 employees) to encourage their employees to reduce air omissions and petroleum usage.  The employer would promote car pooling and  using buses or public transportation. They would also be persuaded to have shorter work weeks and offer telecommuting to their employees. Not only did this help with omission and petroleum usage, but it helps with the ever so frustrating traffic congestion.

In 2004 Congress too began to encourage that federal agencies to offer telecommuting.

According to MSNBC, it was predicted that 14 million workers would be telecommuting by 2009.

Many employers see telecommuting as a big benefit. This is definitely a way to save money for the company. There is most likely a reduction in rent. With some of the employees working out of the office, there is not a need for a large space. Employees can share space when needed or take turns at desks when other employees are also telecommuters.

There is also a reduction in many other type of overhead cost such as IT support. Working at home usually means you will need to be able to operate all of your own equipment.

Decreased employee turnover and absentees is also beneficial to the companies. Rather it be the travel that causes an employee to quit or have some type of illness, this can sometimes be eliminated by having the employee work from home.

Although many people look at this as a dream opportunity, there are some important details that you will want to consider before becoming a telecommuter.

One big drawback is distractions. Even if you are working from home, you will still have a certain amount of work that needs to be done. If you are working at home it may be easy to get distracted by your kids, pets or the things that you see you need to do around the house. Neglecting your job for these distractions can get you replaced or take away your telecommuting benefit.

Being alone all day may be a plus for some people but others will suffer from loneliness. You should consider this before deciding to change your work location.

Having office space dedicated to your job can be needed. This may require turning an extra bedroom or dining room into an office, providing you the space and privacy you need to get your job done. Have a dedicated room for your office can help with the distractions you may encounter.

You will most likely need to be able to operate your office equipment by yourself. Also any troubleshooting of printer, fax or computer problems will need to be done by you. If you are not able to solve these kind of issues with or without some phone support, you may not be up for working at home.

Working at home as a telecommuter will still require certain skills. These all depend on the field of work you are currently doing or may be starting. The variety of telecommuters is just as much as the normal work force, because it is the same. Working at home does not mean you don't need your college education or that skill you have obtained. In fact, it is exactly what you need.

There can be many different types of equipment you will need.  This all depends on the job and employer. Some of these are

• laptop or desktop computer
• dsl or high speed internet
• dedicated phone line- you will not want business calls coming in on a home phone. Having this dedicated line will let you know that this is work time.
  
• web cam- this may be need for conference calls between you and your employer or client
• Headset-needed if you are going to be doing most of your work on the phone. This will leave your hands available for typing or writing. 
• fax machine, printer or all-in-one
  

These are just like they sound, small jobs.  The may require part time work or have a deadline where the job will end. Having these types of jobs may allow you to work for more employers. Whether you wait til one job ends or work them simultaneously,  this may give you an opportunity to try different fields of work or make more income.

There are different ways to become a telecommuter.First you may want to check with your employer, explain the benefits of you working at home for you and for them. They may also consider this a great opportunity.

If you company does not offer telecommuting and isn't open to the idea or if you aren't employed at the moment, you can still get into the field of telecommuting. There are many online companies they help in finding work at home jobs. These jobs require the same skills and work ethics that a normal employer would. You will also need to apply for these jobs just as you  would for any type of employment.

Many will also require resumes. Have your resume prepared just in case. Be sure to list all your work history, education and any special skills you may have.

• Web & Programming
• Design and Multimedia (graphic designers, video production, voice overs, digital photography, photoshop, etc..)
• Writing and Translating (copywriting, article writing, resume writing, spanish translation, etc.)
• Administration (data entry, medical transcription, event planner, customer support, etc)
• Sales and Marketing
• Finance (accounting,payroll, inventory management)
• Legal (contracts, tax law)
• Engineering

These are just a few highlighted jobs. There are many more available. The jobs may be for 1 project or ongoing projects.

How to Find a Real Telecommuting Job or Telecommute Position