For women who work at home...

Posted: Wed, Jun 02 2010, 9:14 am Post subject: for women who work at home...

How did you find your job? I am so desperate to find a job at home. I have no idea how to go about finding such a job.

arent there any WAHM out there on this site? how did you find your jobs?

Diamond Member Joined: Oct 25 2007 Posts: 4860

I can't speak for other WAHMs, but I suspect that most of us have either created our own businesses or have created telecommuting opportunities based on our previous jobs or experience. I have hired people to work from their homes over the years as programmers and tech support reps, and while I'm a big proponent, I've found it works best with employees who start out in the office.

There are basically two different types of WAH jobs: the first type is where you are in your home, but you are interacting with coworkers or clients as if you were in an office. This is the kind of job I have. This kind of job is great because it generally pays as well as the same in-office job would, but you don't have the bother of commuting, etc. However, this kind of job is not more flexible than in-office jobs: you cannot set your own hours and you must have reliable child care. This kind of job will not save money on babysitting!

The second kind of job is where you are doing hourly or project-based work that involves little interaction with coworkers or clients. This kind of work often allows you to set your own hours; however, I've heard of few opportunities for this kind of work that pay very well or very consistently.

Unless you are looking simply to earn a little "mad money" as we used to call it, working from your home is really a long-range goal. You will need to either develop a business/profession that can be operated on your own schedule or develop a set of skills and experience that is so valuable that an employer will be happy to allow you to work from home. Lots of people are successful, but it's not as straightforward as getting a job that requires your presence on the business's premises.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 23 2008 Posts: 9074

I have my own business. I work from home and from my office, and because it's my business I work when it's convenient. Sometimes that's 3:00 AM! Working from home is great, but it depends on the nature of the work. Be careful of these ads that promise within 6 months you can retire, or some such claims. If it seems too good to be true it usually is. Building a business is not easy these days, but I offer great service & top quality work, so I only take on as much work as I can handle.

Look at what you can do: what are your skills? What void can YOU fill?

Are you interested in starting your own business?
Or looking to be someone else's employee?

What are your skills/interests?
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"You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make." ~Earl Wilson

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 28 2005 Posts: 4656

I recruit WAHMS for 2 companies if you want an interview you can pm me for a timeslot.

I started when I was working full time--- I started working one of my current businesses in the evening just for extra income and because I needed a hobby. Boy am I glad my hobby turned into a full time income and I could quit working for other people-- at this point I'm totally unemployable because I can't even imagine an 8 hour day outside the house. Smile

Diamond Member Joined: May 26 2008 Posts: 2613

It was siyata dishmaia. I found it through word of mouth from a few people. I told the whole world I was looking for a job.

Executive Member Joined: Oct 29 2009 Posts: 368

I'm curious, why are you looking for a work at home job specifically? While it may appear to be a rosy, all benefits option, it's actually quite hard, and I know more than one person who has returned to out of the house jobs because they preferred it. I work from home. While my babies were little, I kept them home with me. Great benefit (and why I do it), however, that basically means, you are working TWO full time jobs - caring for your kids and working. Since you can't really get much work done while the baby is awake, I ended up just working 1-2 hours during the day and 4-5 hours in the evening. This left me with ZERO time to get things done in the house, have even a drop of me time, or even time to take a long shower. Another issue, is that the work is never done. You can't just leave the office and not think about it till the next day. There is always more work you "should" be doing, which makes you feel guilty if you pick up a book to read or schmooze with your husband. (This was also difficult on our marriage, as DH would get home from work at 7, and that's when I would have to start working for the evening. It left us very little time together.) And many jobs don't even have this option. If you have to get your work done at certain hours, you'll have to send your baby out. Some people also say they need more adult interaction, but that was never a problem for me.
I now have both my kids out at playgroup, which makes my job wonderful, and after 3 years, it's the first time I fully appreciate working from home. The thing I like about it most is that when my kids are sick or have a day off from school, I am available for them. But again, many jobs won't offer this benefit either.
So while it definitely is a wonderful option for some people, it's also something to think twice about.
And to answer your original question, I am lucky enough to work for a relative, so that's how I got the job.

Posted: Thu, Jun 03 2010, 2:01 pm Post subject:

I also have an at home business, apart from my dh's. I have mentioned here before, but in case you haven't seen on the other threads I'll write again here- dh has an outsourcing company- if you live in israel, he's always hiring people who fit the qualifications. for anyone who'd like more info or to apply, feel free to pm me!

Similar to Tova - I worked on site for several years before I started working from home. Actually - at first I started to work at home on Fridays, because they preferred a longer day so this cut my travel. Then I went to twice a week. Eventually my company relocated the office I worked out of (they are international) and offered me to either relocate or work from home...I took the second option.

I can't keep my babies home with me, but I do save because I have no travel expenses and no travel time. So I'm able to give more hours to my job. I can also throw in a wash at lunch break, put up supper, etc....sometimes, when it's not so busy, I can actually get things done at home rather than shmooze with coworkers, so I love working at home.
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Chayalle