In this era of the internet, people can find incredible amounts of information on the web. And they can use the internet to communicate with loved ones and friends almost without regard to location. The  internet is also a boon to job seekers in many ways, and many of the work opportunities you will find on the web are stay at home jobs.

Top Five Stay at Home Jobs

No doubt you are aware that there are numerous jobs available on the internet. Many businesses and companies now offer jobs which you can perform while at home. Stay at  home jobs are becoming very popular because many of these do not require that you have college degree, though you must have excellent skills for the tasks required.

Virtually all stay at home jobs require that  you have a computer connected to the internet, and many of the jobs require  you to stay online for several hours a day, especially if you are paid  by the hour.  Other online jobs demand that you use the extensive resources of the internet for research.

Here are some of the jobs  you can find online:

Answer calls for businesses

Companies do still need humans to take phone calls, and some firms will hire you to do that for them.  When applying online for such jobs, be ready with your resume and/or portfolio.  But before you do apply, take note of the requirements for the job.   You must have a sound-proofed room or a one that’s free from the noises of a typical home such as televisions, playing children, crying babies, and barking dogs.   For each call you answer, you are typically paid a set fee.

Write for others

Website  owners and online stores require fresh content for their websites.   You can write that content for them and get paid for each article.   These jobs develop into long-term relationships if the buyer likes your  work and you consistently meet the deadlines.  There are a number of sites you can explore for this type of work such as Elance.

Draw comic strips or create graphics art.

If you have talent and abilities in this area, you can find work.  Many companies love to pay for this work on an as-needed basis rather than hiring full-time employees who work from their office locations.   Advertise your skill on your own  website and offer potential customers a look at your portfolio.  This job can pay very well.

Editing and proofreading.

Do you have editing skills?  Do you excel at paying attention to details?  Publishing companies or research writers need editing assistance for their manuscripts.  You are typically paid by the size of the manuscript.  The faster  you do your work, the more editing and proofreading jobs you get.  Again, you are being paid to be precise and exact.  Be sure you are comfortable with those needs.

Transcribing audio recordings.

If you can quickly convert the spoken word to print, this could be the job for you. Much like the editing and proofreading jobs, you need to be prompt and accurate.

How to Find Stay at Home Jobs

To find potential jobs that fits your skills, begin by doing an internet search for the job.  Companies looking for services such as those mentioned above can often be found on sites such as Elance.  One hint:  To avoid getting scammed, sign up with reputable sites such as Elance, and do not accept assignments unless the buyer of your services has the  payment on escrow.  The fee for escrow services is minimal, and it assures you that the money is on deposit so when you complete the job satisfactorily you will get paid.

Best wishes for a successful search!

If you are worried about your job or  if you want to supplement your income, stay at home jobs can end your  financial worries and provide you the financial security you need.   There are long-term and short-term opportunities out there that offer  good pay.

Jobs You Can Find Online

Two of the types of jobs you can  find online are stay at home jobs  and office jobs.  Many people prefer stay at home jobs because of the  flexibility of the schedule offered and the opportunity to work at home while  minding the kids or keeping house. Most of these jobs  do not require a four-year college degree but do require excellent skills  and reliability.

Sales representative stay at home jobs  are ideal if do not want to be glued to your computer for hours.    There are several companies looking people who will call potential customers  or buyers.  If you have prior experience in sales, this job will  be natural for you.

Be a virtual secretary.  Instead  of reporting to work, you set up your office at home and take calls  for your boss and schedule his or her appointments.  There are  some typing jobs to do and files to keep in order, but you are doing  a secretary’s work at home.   Communicating with your boss will  be online or you get calls from your boss if there are instructions  about a particular assignment.  You are paid by the hour and the  amount can be negotiated.

If you love to write and can write  about almost any topic under the sun, turn that passion into cash.   There’s money in it and if you specialize in technical writing you will get jobs writing about gadgets or machinery.  While writing,  experiment with different topics to expand your writing skills.   You can also write movie reviews if you  love movies or write about fashion and lifestyle if you are a fashionista.   Take your pick and take it to the next level to earn bigger bucks.

If you are teacher and want to stay  at home to care for your young children, you can use your profession  as tutor.  Jobs calling for English and math tutors abound on the  internet.  An hour a day with one student gives you more time to  clean the house or prepare meals. If you want to earn more, you can  take on more students and charge them by the hour.

Are the Jobs Legit?

Many of the jobs you can find are legit  BUT make sure you choose sites that have good reviews.  If you  do your first job well, you are going to get more jobs; word spreads  fast if you get good reviews.  Certainly you have to work hard  because there is no such thing as a free lunch.   Sites that  promise you thousands of dollars within weeks or require you pay up  first before you can get a job should be avoided.

Watch out for scammers.  There  are those out there ready to pounce on the gullible, and  as much as you would like to earn $5,000 a month as they promise, it  is likely to be a scam.  Work at home jobs are jobs and you still  get regular hourly rates.  Back to the question,  are there  jobs on the internet that are legit?  Yes there are if you are careful and know where to look.

What are “stay at home jobs”? How do you decide if they are right for you?  How do you find one that fits?  Before getting into those questions, we need to define what “stay at home jobs” are.  In one sense we are simply talking about methods of generating an income without the need to show up at a specific job location. But that definition needs to be refined if we are going to get an idea of how to approach this.

One understanding of this term is a type of self-employment where you set up your own business and base it at home. In other words, you are a self-employed individual and you have your office and do most of your work at home. There are many careers, both full- and part-time that fit into this category. The key here is that you do not have an employer. You really are your own boss.

Another understanding of stay at home jobs would include employment situations where you truly arean employee of a company but are permitted to do much or most of your work from your home. Often the term telecommuting is applied to this arrangement. For many, this is very desirable arrangement because it couples the relative security of actually being on the payroll of an company but eliminates the need to report to a job location. The cost and time savings in not needing to commute to a job location and to pay for day-care is very attractive to mothers of young children.

Which is right for you?

Realize that there are many choices within each of these two categories of stay at home jobs discussed above. And realize that jobs with very similar functions and responsibilities could fall under either category.

Here’s a short check-list to help you clarify your thinking as to how you want to approach this:

- Do you seek independence and are you willing to accept responsibility for the success or failure of a business?

- Are you reluctant to leave what appears to be the relative security of the regular paycheck?

- Do you prefer to work on a well-defined set of tasks determined by others, or are you comfortable with the wide array of responsibilities that come with self-employment?

- Do you need income right now or can you afford to wait until your business grows to the point where it can pay you an income?

- What other family and personal considerations need to be considered in making your decision?

- What are your job skills and your employment experiences?

- Are you able to discipline yourself to work independently without supervision?

- How do you feel about working by yourself with little regular contact with others?

That list is not complete, of course, and as you think about these things you’ll come up with more factors to consider. But hopefully I’ve clarified some relevant issues for you as you review your options regarding stay at home jobs. Best wishes!