The traditional 9-5 job in an office is becoming increasingly obsolete, Fast Company reports. Not only are more people in the corporate world doing more from home, thanks to the internet, but side gigs are on the rise. More than a third of us — nearly 54 million people did some freelance work in the past year. That represents a growth of 700,000 more freelancers than the previous year. According to FlexJobs, there are more opportunities opening for full-time remote work, even for those at the executive level. Brie Reynolds, director of online content at FlexJobs, told the magazine: “Professionals who’ve spent years honing their skills and experience don’t need to sacrifice their hard work in order to find better work-life balance.” Analyzing listings from more than 40,000 companies in the FlexJobs database indicates that companies ranging from Dell and UnitedHealth Group to Xerox, SAP, and Salesforce were among the top 25 employers with the most available remote jobs. Although health care, technology, and education are the most well-represented industries, there are also openings in finance, hospitality, and research.
We’ve all heard countless pieces of advice on how to make a good impression during a job interview. It is certainly important to show up on time, freshly groomed, appropriately dressed, and ready to impress. Equally important is smiling, not interrupting, providing thoughtful answers, and maintaining good eye contact. In addition, we must not forget critical elements for success like researching the company, giving a firm handshake, keeping mobile devices stored away and of course, following up with a time-honored staple, the thank you note.
But you aren’t driving to your potential new employer and going in for a traditional interview. You’ve applied for a virtual position and thus will be participating in a virtual interview. Well, this presents an entirely different scenario now, doesn’t it? How do you make a great impression virtually? Read these tips to ace your virtual interview.
Sometimes the best way to make money from home can be found right under your nose.
Totspot is a mom-to-mom mobile marketplace for buying and selling gently used or new children’s clothing. Totspot users can list clothing items for sale in less than one minute, and all transactions are handled in-app. Totspot then notifies the seller when their item is purchased.
VarageSale is an online marketplace for families who want to sell their unwanted items to people in their neighborhoods. Once approved for a community, members can sell and buy everything from children’s clothing to cars at a fraction of the retail price. An added bonus: members meet and develop closer ties with their neighbors.
DogVacay lets pet lovers make extra money dog sitting a pooch or cat from the neighborhood. Once vetted, set a price and have fun for the weekend or even during the week, schedule permitting, with a loving pet. DogVacay also offers insurance, 24-hour support and other services that makes pet sitting easy and fun.
Tradesy helps women turn closet clutter into cash, allowing users to sell items clogging their closets by handling the transaction from the time a photo of the product is uploaded to its delivery to the purchaser’s door. Tradesy brings white glove customer service to the fashion resale space.
Everything But the House specializes in estate sales but its experts can also help you make money off collectibles, antiques and other speciality items, from appraising to delivering the items to the winning bidder.
A growing work-from-home opportunity is to answer the inbound customer calls for companies like J Crew, 1-800 Flowers, Virgin Atlantic, or Walgreens. Check out the companies that are hiring virtual customer service agents and find out how to interview successfully for these positions.
If your area of expertise is public relations or you want to try and make money writing from home, there are opportunities out there that could be right for you. Learn about virtual PR firms as well as how to earn income as a blogger, writer, or editor.
Learn how to start your own website and make money through online advertising, find out how to turn your “trash into cash” on eBay, and how you can become a home based entrepreneur by providing a service or creating a product line.