Many people are interested in home-based data entry and typing work, but can the jobs be found? Here’s some guidance in five quick tips.

 

1. Beware scams, and stick to legitimate sites. The demand for data entry and similar work far exceeds the supply, which has made the sector one of the “scammiest” on the Internet. We’ve compiled a list of legitimate websites and employers here. Check Military.com’s Forums, too, for discussions on legitimate and bogus work-at-home opportunities.  

 

2. Manage your expectations. The home-based job arena is highly competitive in the best of times. In a recession, the challenges increase. This doesn’t mean you should give up, but don’t expect a “quick fix,” either. However, some paths are shorter than others, which leads us to….

 

3. Be proactive. Don’t wait for a home-based administrative job to appear. Identify small but growing companies (they’re often profiled in local or regional newspapers or on related websites), and hit them with a proposal for work. When they outsource, smaller companies are less likely to send work offshore.

 

4. Keep in mind that much administrative work is sent to India. Giant “business process outsourcing” firms in India, such as Genpact and IBM Daksh, employ tens of thousands of local workers, who earn much less than U.S. workers can accept. Millions of smaller U.S. companies, however, don’t have the time or inclination to offshore their administrative work. These are your targets.       

 

5. Consider home-based call center work, teaching conversational English, and other areas where jobs are easier to find. For call centers who hire home-based agents, see our list here. For opportunities teaching conversational English, see companies such as Idapted and ISUS. We’ve listed similar educational employers here.    

 

Bonus Tip: Grab every opportunity to polish your credentials. Again, recessionary times require increased efforts. Check websites such as Brainbench.com for low-cost certifications that employers value. (Brainbench also periodically offers certifications at no charge.) Take advantage of military spouse educational programs and similar benefits. (See your base family center for details.) Visit a Military.com’s Spouse Career Center to find free training and career assistance.

 

Home-based work isn’t a pipe dream – in the call center niche alone 300,000 agents are predicted to work from home by 2010 – but all telework arrangements are in high demand. Stay focused, polish your resume, network like heck, and you’ll have a better chance than most at landing the work that works for you.