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3
Secrets to Landing a Home-Based Position
by Sharon Davis
Landing a telecommuting position isn't easy. Finding them in the first place is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then, when you finally do find one that looks promising, it is filled before you can even click on “apply for this job”.
Why are they so few and far between anyway? Don't employers realize
the benefits of allowing their employees to telecommute; less
sick time, increased productivity, lower overhead, and so forth?
The truth is that you would be surprised to know just how many
companies do hire telecommuters. Most of them simply don't want
to advertise those openings on the Internet.
But it is not all bad news. There are three very important rules
that you should follow when pursuing a telecommute job. If you
do, your chances of getting hired will be much greater. If you
break them, your chances are about as good as winning the lottery.
Rule #1: Don't apply to positions that you aren't qualified
for.
As the owner of 2Work-At-Home.com, I spend a great deal of my
time trying to convince employers to post their telecommute job
openings on our site. That's no easy feat either, and I'll tell
you why: Most of them have to be convinced that there are quality
applicants visiting our site.
One of the most common reasons employers give for not posting
their telecommute listings on the Internet is that people who
are not at all qualified for the opening apply for them.
Put yourself in the recruiters shoes. You need to hire a person
that can translate a company's training manual into German. So,
you post your listing for a German Translator and specify that
you're looking for someone who is fluent in English and German.
Your listing goes up and BAM! You're immediately flooded with
responses. As 237 messages are downloading, you marvel at the
number of people who are fluent in German. As you start opening
the messages, your excitement turns to annoyance when you see
your first three responses:
“I cant speak German, but I'm a fast learner.”
“Dear Recruiter,
A solid background in Widget Sales makes me the perfect candidate
for your position.”
“Send Info”
Nobody likes to waste their time, and when a recruiter posts a
listing and only gets 1 in 100 responses that are worth looking
at, its counterproductive for them.
I know for a fact that some of our site visitors go through the
job listings and methodically apply to every listing in the database,
no matter what the position is.
This “throw your resume at every employer and hope one sticks”
approach not only makes the applicant look desperate, but it gives
the entire telecommute job-seeking community a bad name. It also
brings us to the next Rule…..
Rule #2: Follow the application instructions.
One company had posted a listing with us that contained specific
application instructions. Recently, their listing expired. When
she chose not to renew, I asked her why and this was her response:
“You really, really need to instruct these folks on how to
follow directions, write cover letters, apply for jobs. They're
lost. So, please, don't bring any more my way.”
Now, that's unfortunate. Here is a company that has telecommute
openings, but you wont see them advertised because its easier
for them to just hit the pavement and do their recruiting the
old fashioned way.
If a listing has specific instructions on how to apply, follow
them. If you don't, then the first impression you are giving to
your prospective employer is that you don't follow directions.
Even if there are no specific instructions, you should always
apply in a professional manner, which brings me to Rule #3….
Rule #3: Always behave in a professional, courteous manner.
Believe it or not, I recently had a complaint from both a company
and an applicant when a correspondence over a job opening had
escalated into threats and mud slinging.
It all started when the applicant sent an email to the employer
that stated, “Send Info” and nothing more.
This is a common occurrence. While it may seem perfectly acceptable
to ask for details, usually those “details” are in the
job listing itself. A response to a listing should be an application.
If you want to ask for more information, the interview would be
the appropriate time. Chances are, if you cant apply without getting
more information its due to one of two scenarios:
-The listing is really, really vague (and so most likely a scam).
You're not qualified for this position (if you're not sure if
you're qualified, then you probably aren't).
Unless an employer states that they don't want you to submit a
resume, you should always send your resume with a cover letter.
The cover letter should be tailored to the position, not a generic
version. This may mean that you have to do a little digging, call
the company, etc. but it really does make an impression. It shows
that you are really interested in their company, that you're resourceful
and that you are professional.
Your resume should be up to date, thorough and professional. Have
it done by a resume service if possible. It should not contain
personal information such as height, weight or a health history.
These things have nothing to do with your qualifications and don't
belong on a resume.
Another thing to leave out of a resume is an explanation of why
you want to work at home. This is something I see in many of the
resumes posted in our database. Not only is it unprofessional
to include this type of information, but more importantly- employers
don't care.
What they do care about is whether or not you have the skills
and experience needed to do the job and why they should hire you.
Home-based positions are rare indeed. Competition is very high,
so you must present yourself as the best possible candidate right
from the start. Following these basic rules will give you a much
greater chance of snagging that much coveted telecommute position.
--------------------------------
Sharon
Davis may be contacted at http://www.2work-at-home.com/index.shtml
articles@2work-at-home.com.
Click here to view more of their articles.
Sharon Davis is the Mother of two girls, the owner of www.2Work-At-Home.Com
and the Editor of the site's monthly newsletter, America's Home.
In her spare time she reminisces about what it was like to have
spare time. To subscribe to her free ezine, visit the link below:
http://www.2work-at-home.com/subscribe.shtml
HOW TO SET YOUR FREELANCE RATES - A GUIDE FOR FREELANCERS & CONSULTANTSThere are many factors which business owners must consider on a daily basis as it relates to the running of their business. Things such as how to find good help, where to acquire supplies and how much to pay one's employees are all pertinent matters which must be addressed. There are a few ways to go about figuring out your rates when it comes to how much to charge the customers.
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