Telecommuting - Do You Have the Basic Skills?

Prior to expressing interest in, or accepting a telecommuting project, you need to be sure you possess the required skills to get the job done right. There is nothing that will end your telecommuting career faster than floundering miserably on a project for which you proclaimed your expertise.

Regardless of what you may believe, there are MANY legitimate, well-paying telecommuting opportunities available. The key to landing these jobs, however, is actually being qualified to do them.

Many "newbie" telecommuters come into this business with the mentality of "I'll apply for everything I can find, and see what happens." That is a terrible way to start your career, trust me. If you are lucky enough to get your application through to a legitimate employer, there is no faster way to "black list" yourself, than to apply for positions in which you have no experience or skill.There are basics, which you can-and should-be familiar with, that will at least get your foot in the door. Those basics are:

1. Microsoft Office-Specifically MS Word and Excel. While PowerPoint is beneficial, Access is a bonus, and Publisher is a "nicety", the latter skills aren't sought out as much as the former.

2. A firm understanding of Internet Research. By this, I don't mean just hopping on to Google, figuring out how to find a local dog groomer, and proclaiming yourself as an expert. You need to be familiar with primary and tertiary keywords, target markets, and lateral research. Have NO idea what I am talking about? Then, I suggest you seek out some training, or hands-on experience, prior to taking on a research project.

3. With that said, however, you may also be able to get your feet wet with other types of internet research prior to taking on more involved projects. For example, there may be an individual who would simply like to have someone locate contact information for dog groomers in a specific region or area code. That, in and of itself, isn't difficult. However, you'll most likely need to be familiar with a program such as Microsoft Excel-therefore, see rule #1.

4. Internet Terminology. If you accept a simple project, say the example of locating dog groomers, and your client says, "I want only those sites with a PR of 6 or higher," do you know what that means? PR means "Page Rank", assigned by Google, and Google only. If you go back to your client, asking what "PR" means, you're dead in the water.

The "finer details" are never-ending. Which is precisely why the site WorkItOwnIt.com was born. Telecommuting isn't just something you "decide" to do. There are real skills involved, which are expected by those who hire telecommuters. If you aren't knowledgeable in those skills, you'll not find legitimate work. In other words, if you come across a "high paying job" with "no experience required", well...do I really need to explain the end result?

Allie Hutton is the founder and owner of WorkItOwnIt.com, as well as a 10-year veteran of full-time telecommuting. Most recently, she's authored the book "The Essential Guide to Successful Telecommuting." The book, as well as free articles, tips, information and resources can be found at http://www.workitownit.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.