Readers and participants in our home-based career trainings often write us on a variety of work-at-home career issues, and from time to time we’ll share our discussions with you here.

Dear Chris and Mike: I would like to work from home handling customer service calls. (No telemarketing, please.) Are there any legitimate jobs out there for home-based customer service agents? If so, what do they pay, and what exactly do the agents do?
 
-- Jenny in Clovis, NM

Dear Jenny: Currently, and into the near future, the “homesourcing” trend (home-based call center agents) looks like a good river for job hunters to be fishing in. A report from research firm IDC predicts that the number of home-based call center agents in the United States will grow from 112,000 in 2006 to 300,000 by 2010. Our own ongoing research also reveals many job leads in this sector.

The pay ranges from $7 to $14 an hour, depending on such factors as the company and the shift. In general, you’d be doing such things as helping people choose merchandise from a catalogue, taking customer orders from a TV shopping channel, and “upselling” callers on other merchandise or service options.

We’ve counted more than 50 companies that hire home-based agents on a regular or periodic basis. (To see the list, click here.) These include LiveOps, VIPdesk, and Alpine Access, as well as JetBlue Airways and 1-800-FLOWERS. The IRS also periodically hires home-based customer service representatives to take calls for forms and publications. 

Dear Chris and Mik: I’m going to be transitioning out of uniform soon, and like the idea of not having to commute. Are there any “Fortune 500” companies that hire experienced professionals to work from home, as employees rather than independent contractors? If so, in what capacities?

 -- Tom in Fayetteville, NC

Dear Tom: Home-based employment positions generally -- conventional jobs with medical, retirement, and similar benefits -- are still significantly outnumbered by jobs and projects for independent contractors (“freelancers”). However, leading companies like IBM, Dell, Sun, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and American Express are hiring home-based or offsite workers, in positions which typically (for the time being) involve business development or sales. Best Buy has also been implementing an innovative work-anywhere policy called ROWE --“Results Oriented Work Environment” -- and reporting significant success. A check of the companies’ websites and some well-targeted online searches should give you the details.