Tuesday, November 29, 2011

More Americans Working At Home

It should come as no surprise that more people are working from and at home. What's more shocking is that "40 percent of multiple jobholders do some of their work from home, and more than one in three workers with a bachelor's degree and higher have been taking home work for the last decade." That's from "Why More Americans are Bringing Work Home" in The Altantic.
As someone who primarily works from home, it's encouraging to see that more people are viewing at-home work as legitimate work. But what's discouraging is that those with full-time jobs outside of the home are finding it necessary to bring that work home after hours, which can cut into family and personal time.

Until next time,

Sarah

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Developing a thankful heart is an important way to be grateful for the small and large things in our lives, from family to at-home jobs. However you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, I pray you will enjoy time with friends and family this week.

As such, I will not be publishing a blog on Thursday in honor of Thanksgiving. My regular blogging schedule will resume next week.

Until next time,

Sarah

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Piano Teacher

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A piano teacher teaches students of all ages and abilities the fundamentals of playing the instrument.

Education: A bachelor’s degree or music certification is preferred.

Skills: Enthusiasm and knowledge of piano.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “employment of self-enrichment education teachers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, and job prospects should be favorable. … Employment of self-enrichment education teachers [of which piano teachers are] is expected to increase over the 2008–18 period by 32 percent, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. … Job prospects should be generally favorable in the coming decade, as increasing demand and high turnover create many opportunities.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Neighbors and friends are a good place to start. Local private and public schools might need supplemental piano teachers, too.

Preparation: Update your music credentials, if applicable. Ensure that your home is conducive to in-home instruction or find a neutral place, such as music school or church that you could hold lessons.

Get your foot in the door: To get the word out, put up a simple website, advertise your services via flyers in schools, retail locations and other neighborhood venues. Consider offering lessons at a local charity or school auction.

Testimony: Andrea in Helena, Mont., spends six hours a week teaching piano. “I love being my own boss, setting my own schedule and rate of pay,” she says. “My schedule works well for my kids’ nap times and students’ availability. … But sometimes, it is awkward when I have to remind student’s parents to pay their monthly tuition,” she further admits.

Until next time,

Sarah

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

At Home News Profiles Online Guide Editor

A love of angels and miracles led Whitney Hopler to become an online guide editor for About.com. Learn how Whitney segued her background as a writer into the online guide editor for the Angels and Miracles Channel for About.com in the November issue of At Home News.
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Until next time,

Sarah

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Pet Sitter

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A pet sitter looks after animals while the owner is away at the owner’s home. Most pet sitters feed, play and walk the animal.

Education: None required.

Skills: A love of animals and experience in caring for them.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) relates that “employment of animal care and service workers is expected to grow 21 percent over the 2008–18 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. … Due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, job opportunities for most positions should be excellent. The need to replace pet sitters, dog walkers, kennel attendants, and animal control and shelter workers leaving the field will create the overwhelming majority of job openings.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details

Possible employers: Neighbors and friends are good places to start advertising your pet sitting business. Begin in your surrounding neighborhoods and expand out as your business grows.

Preparation: Consider receiving certification through the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, which has two-stage, home-study certification program for pet care professionals.

Get your foot in the door: Contact local veterinarians offices to see about placing flyers advertising your business on bulletin boards. Volunteer at the local animal shelter to connect with other animal lovers and potential clients.

Until next time,

Sarah

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Year of the Freelancer

A new revolution is sweeping America and it's fueled by freelancers. As "The Freelance Surge is the Industrial Revolution of Our Time" from The Atlantic puts it: "Today, careers consist of piecing together various types of work, juggling multiple clients, learning to be marketing and accounting experts, and creating offices in bedrooms/coffee shops/coworking spaces. Independent workers abound. We call them freelancers, contractors, sole proprietors, consultants, temps, and the self-employed. And, perhaps most surprisingly, many of them love it."

As a freelancer who has no intention of ever going back to the office, I am not surprised at all. Freelancers are mixing family and home life in with their own careers to arrive at a more satisfactory way than traditional, 9 to 5 employment. With our society increasingly mobile, freelancing offers more opportunities than working in an office, allowing mothers and fathers to stay at home with their children while contributing to the family income either part-time or full-time.

As the article states, the number of freelancers is growing by leaps and bounds: "As of 2005, one-third of our workforce participated in this 'freelance economy.' Data show that number has only increased over the past six years. Entrepreneurial activity in 2009 was at its highest level in 14 years, online freelance job postings skyrocketed in 2010, and companies are increasingly outsourcing work."

That translates into good news for freelancers of all professions.

Until next time,

Sarah

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Office Manager

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: An office manager handles the accounting, marketing, emailing, phone calling, copying, organizing, etc.

Education: An associate’s or bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Skills: The ability to juggle multiple tasks and projects.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that “employment of office and administrative support supervisors and managers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2018. … Keen competition is expected for jobs as the number of applicants greatly exceeds the number of job openings.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Current or previous employers might be interested in retaining or rehiring you in a work-from-home situation. Associations, organizations and businesses all need office managers, and could be open to a work-at-home employee.

Preparation: Carefully prepare how you would work from home as an office manager, addressing each concern a potential or current supervisor might have. Make sure you have the proper equipment, such as phones, fax/copier, computer and high-speed Internet connection to do the job from home.

Get your foot in the door: Ask for a three-month trial period to work from home to see how it works.

Testimony: “I was able to figure out how I could do almost everything from home,” says Lisa, an office manager who approached her boss about working from her Raleigh, N.C., home. “My company hired someone to be in the office a few hours in the morning to answer phones. I still do everything else, but from home instead of going into the office,” she says. Although she does go into the office on a weekly basis, from home, she does all of the accounting, marketing, e-mailing, phone calling, organizing, and more.

Until next time,

Sarah

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Be Careful of Burnout

Working from home can sometimes lead to burnout. After all, our office is just steps away from our kitchen and bedroom, so we can get sucked back into work even "after hours." And with the flexibliity of scheduling our own work time, our work hours can extend well beyond a normal workday and spill into family life easily.

BNET recently ran an article listing 7 signs of burnout. Here's a few of the signs.

* You use weekends and vacation for rest and relaxation, not for having fun. If all you want to do is veg out every weekend from work, then you might have a burnout problem.

* You stop work thinking you can't handle another thing. If work is overwhelming you each and every day, you might be burned out.

* You dread going to work. While there will be days when you don't want to work, if you feel that way every day, you might be burned out.

To overcome burn out, focus on fun things in your off time. Don't mope around the house--get out and do something active or with your family and friends. During the day, have mini-breaks that you fill with non-work stress breakers, like brisk walks around the block, sitting in the sunshine for 15 minutes letting your mind wander (it's amazing how that can lift your spirits) or reading a book during lunch.

Hopefully, your burnout won't last long and you can get back on track.

Until next time,

Sarah
 
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