According to the US Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau, in just the last few years the number of parents working from home has greatly increased - nearly 50%! In 2004 over 5 million parents worked from home, and today that number has increased to 11 million. With so many more parents at home than before, there is a much higher demand for work-at-home jobs that are legitimate. Many are discouraged by hard these jobs seem to be able to find, when they are truthfully right at their fingertips.

I became a stay-at-home parent in 1999 when my first child was born. Those three months after her birth were an interesting experience, as I went back and forth on wanting to return to my professional work life, and wanting to stay home with my daughter. As someone who has always worked hard and brought in a salary, the idea of not returning to work was a little troubling. I told my brother about what I had been feeling, and he jokingly suggested I ask my company if I could work from home. While that particular employer turned down my question, the point is that eventually I did make it work, and it was way easier than I thought it would be. In the next few paragraphs I’ll explain how I got to do legitimate work out of my home, and how you can do so as well.

First, I started jotting down all my various experiences, skills and qualities. I gathered reference letters from previous employers and then researched various small to large companies in the Industries I knew I had strength. I started thinking about how the phone conversations would go and what I would do to stand out and market myself as a good work-at-home employee. I contacted the various companies and asked if they employed home employees. At that time, I received plenty of no answers as this type of employment had not yet swept the nation. I then contacted the same employers and offered my skills on a contractual basis. The smaller companies jumped at the opportunity while the larger ones scoffed. However, I received my first contract from a law firm as a Bookkeeper and kept that contract for many years until other opportunities arose.

There are several things to consider when working from home. You first need to consider that working under contract based employment tends to pay more, but lacks benefits. If you instead are considering an employee based position, you will receive benefits, with slightly less pay. Contract employment can be a little easier to get, and also helps you get an easier start in working from home. It shows companies that you are independent and need little direction, and you are a self starter. Many contract positions easily turn into an employee position. You have to keep in mind, though, that many contract jobs require experience in the field or a degree.

Next, you need to make sure you have references that will be happy to vouch for your skills, qualities, and experiences. Because you will be an independent worker, many companies that hire such employees conduct a thorough reference and background check to ensure you are a proper candidate. An important note is making sure your references know you by your real name if you use a nick name. It is also important to pick referenceas that are not related to you as the reference will appear more objective and less biased.

Next is to make sure your resume stands out. It is extremely important that your resume has no grammatical or spelling errors. It is also best to put what is most impressive about your background on your resume first. For example, if you have little work experience, then put your education first. If you have a more impressive work experience however, place that first.

Lastly, it’s important to be wary of work-at-home sites you come across on the internet. There are some legitimate companies out there, but they tend to be vastly overweighed by the scam sites. Do some research if you find work-at-home websites. It doesn’t hurt to search the old-fashioned way. Call up the companies you find and like, and don’t be scared of getting no for an answer. Follow these steps and be persistant and call, and you’re guaranteed to find a job from home.

In conclusion, I would like to just mention some perks and benefits. The benefits of working at home are outstanding regardless of the restraints the position might have. For some positions, you have to work in front of a web camera, so you may not be able to just roll out of bed in your pajamas; however, think of the gas, time, and lunch money you will save. Also, many work-at-home opportunities allow you to design your own schedule. You can drop your child off at school and also pick him/her up. You can attend those PTO meetings. You wonat miss those school plays and recitals! The list goes on and on. Those positions that have a little more restraint also tend to offer the flexibility in exchanging schedules with others. The overall effect of staying and working at homeamore time with your children, spouse, or for yourself.