Are you looking for a work at home job?
Every day there are a few of you that come through and spend some time at the Riches Corner Job Board. Our project board lists a number of work at home freelance projects for the prospective freelancer with a variety of job skills.
The fact is that there is competition for these positions. In this day and age, there are significantly more people looking for work at home jobs. And this market sector is growing with more businesses willing to hire people working from home.
If you have some skills that you want to take to the freelance market and start working at home; if you are a blogger, writer, web designer, or other freelancer, you need to plan carefully about how you apply for these work at home jobs.
Here are 10 tips to help you out in your job search:
1. Act fast
Work at home jobs come and go quickly. Each of my new work at home jobs gets tweeted out within hours of being posted. I have over 7000 twitter followers at the moment and that number is growing quickly. Remember that many of these work at home jobs are in the area of web design and blogging, where time is of the essence. While you shouldn’t ruche the process and appear disorganized, you want to act reasonably quickly on these job opportunities.
2. Follow instructions
Each project has specific application instructions. Some may not ask for much beyond your resume and qualifications, but many may ask for examples of your writing, links to some of your other work. There may be specific application instructions. Making a good first impression is key in finding a job. Since the entire process for meeting your prospective employer for these work at home jobs takes place online, your application is your job interview. You want to put your best foot forward when you apply.
3. Write well
Many work at home jobs require writing, either blog posts, or articles. Your application is more than just a simple showing of interest in the particular job, it’s your job interview. How well you write out your application gives your prospective employer a sample of your writing. Things like poor grammar and sentence structure would be akin to stuttering your way through a face to face interview. The advantage of a written application is that you have the time to think and plan out your answers. Take advantage of that opportunity to present your best work in the application and you’ll be one step ahead in getting that work at home project.
4. Provide examples of your work
Some employers will ask for an example of your work. Keep samples of your prior work in a portfolio that you can easily access to either attach or link in your application. This can make the difference in getting picked for the position. If you don’t have an example ready, you can write one specifically for the application. (Save a copy for other applications)
5. Demonstrate your expertise
There are a multitude of work at home projects available. If you’re a blogging demonstrate your skills in blogging with a link to a blog post. If you’re a web designer link to a website that you’ve designed in the past. If you’re a writer provide a writing sample. Most employers look for someone with some skill or experience for the particular project. If you can provide them with real life examples of your expertise, it will drastically improve your chances of getting hired.
6. Demonstrate some of your other skills
Nowadays, it’s typical that a writer, web designer, or blogger are jack of all trades. A writer or blogger will know some basics of web design and a web designer will often know some of the basics of blogging and SEO. If you are able to demonstrate some of your versatility beyond just the basics of your project assignment, you will improve your chances of being hired. Just because the job description is for a web designer, don’t be afraid to mention that you also know the basics of SEO as well as your vast expertise in blog design. Bringing multiple skills to the table will make you stand out from the crowd.
7. Know the topic
Beyond just being able to write or code well, you also want to demonstrate some familiarity of the subject matter. You may be the best fiction writer in the world, but if the assignment calls for an analysis of the political situation in the middle east, you’ll need to do some research before submitting your application. Luckily, this problem is easily solved by simply learning a little about the subject before you submit your application. If you show that you have a good grasp of the topic, as well as having the technical expertise, your employer is more likely to feel that you are the best qualified to handle the job.
8. Be concise
While, I’ve already discussed making sure your application stands out will good quality writing and highlighting other skills. You also don’t want it to appear rambling. Highlight your skills and how you can help the employer in a well written concise manner. You want to find the balance between being to the point and also being able to sell yourself in the application. If the employer can see the highlights of your skills and experience in your application quickly and get the impression of your body of work at the same time, you’ve accomplished your goal.
9. Sell yourself
It’s amazing how often people think that a job interview is the time to show their humility. There are times when you want to be humble, a job application is not one of those times. Perhaps it’s in the personality of make freelancers to be low key, but the job application process is an opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. You want to talk about your experience, expertise, knowledge of the topic, your passion for the project. As you draft your application, ask yourself what you are adding to the application that will make someone more likely to hire you for this project.
10. Know your worth
When you take your skills to the work at home marketplace, you need to have an idea of what your skills may be worth. Remember that you are essentially starting your own business and your value is determined by the free market. Also keep in mind that your reputation is key to your value. In the beginning, you are going to want to take a look at the competition and price yourself accordingly. Make competitive bids for the projects. Your first goal is to build a reputation for yourself. As you become better know and build up your portfolio, you can raise your bids.
