Are Telecommuting Job Databases Worth the Price?

by Leslie Truex

Published on this site: May 4th, 2005 - See more articles from this month...

Dear Leslie,

I'd like to have a work-at-home job but finding jobs online is proving to be a challenge. The job sites take a long to time to weed through and there are so many non-jobs posted on them. Work-at-home ezines offer good lists but they are short and only come out once a week. I have come across websites that allow you search for work-at-home jobs but they charge you for access. Do you recommend these sites? Angie TX

Hi Angie,

Four years ago when I wrote Jobs At Home: A Complete Guide to Finding or Creating a Work-At-Home Job, I was not a big fan of paid job search sites. At that time, there were not very many of them and I found them to be suspect, offering jobs like assembly work and envelope stuffing. Today, I use several work-at-home job databases because they do much of the hard and time consuming work (finding and researching the jobs). Nevertheless, you still need to be careful about where you spend your money. Like all fees related to working
at home, some are well worth the investment and some are scams.

When choosing a database you want to check out a couple of things:

1. It shouldn't promote jobs that are known to be scams such as envelope stuffing and assembly work.
   
   
2. It should be clear that they are posting job announcements to which you can apply and not a list of companies with telecommuting programs.
   
   
3. It should not guarantee you work. No one can guarantee you a job because they don't know your skills or experience.
   
   
4. If possible, get a reliable reference. You can read my reviews of several telecommuting job databases for free at Jobs At Home Success http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com.
   
   
5. Read the FAQ section and small print.

My favorite job databases not only have 100% telecommuting jobs that they have pre-screened for legitimacy but also they offer additional services such as resume posting and/or distribution and job search tips. My favorite right now is Virtual Assistants http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com/virtualassistants.htm. It has 100's of current work-at-home job listings in many categories. You can post your resume and apply right from the job announcement. It also offers other great resources such as companies that are frequently hiring.

Another site I like is HomeJobStop. Its not as sophisticated or extensive as Virtual Assistants but its very affordable, offers lots of great jobs and has unlimited access. It doesn't have the resume posting or other services but for the price its a good resource. You can read more here http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com/homejobstop.htm.

Finally, I also really like Craigslist.org which is a classified ad portal site with everything from furniture to jobs to housing and more. Craigslist doesn't allow you to search jobs nationwide. Instead, you need to select a city, choose the "Jobs" option, and on the Jobs Page, click the box that says "Telecommute". Many of the work-at-home jobs will be for people in that area however, there are many
national jobs posted as well so it pays to search several cities. You can read more about Craigslist.org http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com/craigslist.htm here.

I do encourage you to get a good reference on work-at-home jobs. Jobs At Home: A Complete Guide to Finding a Work-At-Home Job is designed to take readers step-by-step through the process of finding legitimate work. Not only does it offer great job search resources but it also offers tips on applying for these jobs in such a way as to put your resume at the top of the pack. You can read the review of this and other telecommuting resources here http://www.jobsathomesuccess.com/resources.htm.

There are 1000's of telecommuting positions posted everyday. The trick to finding them is to understand what telecommuting is and what employers are looking for. Further, focusing your search using reputable job search or work-at-home job database websites will help avoid scams and questionable "jobs". Finally, a quality resume and professional approach is a must in obtaining legitimate work.

Ask WAHS Leslie is Leslie Truex a stay and work-at-home mom who has been helping people work at home since 1998 with her web site Work-At-Home Success (http://www.workathomesuccess.com) She is also the author of Jobs At Home: A Complete Guide to Finding a Work-At-Home Job. Ask WAHS Leslie is a weekly column. You can submit a question to Ask WAHS Leslie by emailing here [email protected]