Work from home opportunities
#1
BE Enthusiast
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Joined: Jun 2012
Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 450
Work from home opportunities
Is there such a thing as a genuine work at home opportunity? Google search turns up the crap you would expect - get rich schemes, trading systems, etc. etc. I used to be an IT engineer/manager but I've been out of the workplace for nearly three years now (am a full time dad) and to be honest my skills are somewhat rusty... and I'm not sure I'd be that sad to leave IT behind anyway, if I can find something that at least stimulates me a little (no, not like that...) and helps pay the mortgage. Any advice/pointers/etc gratefully received!
Cheers
Cheers
#2
Re: Work from home opportunities
Is there such a thing as a genuine work at home opportunity? Google search turns up the crap you would expect - get rich schemes, trading systems, etc. etc. I used to be an IT engineer/manager but I've been out of the workplace for nearly three years now (am a full time dad) and to be honest my skills are somewhat rusty... and I'm not sure I'd be that sad to leave IT behind anyway, if I can find something that at least stimulates me a little (no, not like that...) and helps pay the mortgage. Any advice/pointers/etc gratefully received!
Cheers
Cheers
So either you need something which IS geographic (which means you're not likely be doing it exactly from home) or it has to be very niche.
You can look at the likes of www.elance.com , www.upwork.com , etc. but you hit the problem that the self same Thailand freelancer can do the same and undercut you. And the call tends to be for IT doers, not managers.
Which brings us round to doing your own business at home, which is where you got to before, isn't it?
#3
Re: Work from home opportunities
Is there such a thing as a genuine work at home opportunity? Google search turns up the crap you would expect - get rich schemes, trading systems, etc. etc. I used to be an IT engineer/manager but I've been out of the workplace for nearly three years now (am a full time dad) and to be honest my skills are somewhat rusty... and I'm not sure I'd be that sad to leave IT behind anyway, if I can find something that at least stimulates me a little (no, not like that...) and helps pay the mortgage. Any advice/pointers/etc gratefully received!
Cheers
Cheers
Technical Writing. It may not be that glamorous work, but lots of TWs I know work from home. And I certainly did when I was doing it. In fact, the TW on my dev team works from NZ, and I only communicate with her vie Email or Slack. I don't actually know what she looks like.
The other benefit of TW is that it's not considered a degree needed profession, as there are no specific degree level courses. If you have a technical background, then a short top up course could get you started.
Many years ago, I did the Professional Technical Writing course from Online Learning and would recommend it to anybody looking to get into the industry. The course is incredibly detailed, and the instructor lead and team based assignments are pretty rigorous.
I had come out of science/engineering teaching, and this course really opened up some doors for me.
Good luck.
S
#4
Re: Work from home opportunities
Is there such a thing as a genuine work at home opportunity? Google search turns up the crap you would expect - get rich schemes, trading systems, etc. etc. I used to be an IT engineer/manager but I've been out of the workplace for nearly three years now (am a full time dad) and to be honest my skills are somewhat rusty... and I'm not sure I'd be that sad to leave IT behind anyway, if I can find something that at least stimulates me a little (no, not like that...) and helps pay the mortgage. Any advice/pointers/etc gratefully received!
Cheers
Cheers
Not something that you can learn in a couple of weeks but it pays well and there is always work about. My work can easily be outsourced to the 3rd world but the resultant output is nearly always a f**k up - requiring extensive rework and time delays aka no cost saving benefit
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Work from home opportunities
I work from home a lot. When not with clients I often mix it up to keep it interesting. A day in the office, a day from home. I avoid a lot of the office distractions at home and generally my colleagues I interact with are in other cities or countries anyway.
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 450
Re: Work from home opportunities
Thanks all. All good advice so far. Much appreciated
I think I stumbled upon elance, or similar, before, and yes it struck me that I would want to charge $xxxx and there will be someone in a room in Asia who can charge $x, or even less, as you said Garry.
Not bothered about glamour. Just want $! Technical Writing could suit me actually. Me writin ain't bad achully. Think I'll look into that one Amazulu. What's the money like? Expectations on how long to complete a job? (I'm hoping for something I could weave around being a full time dad for the next 3 years). When you say you know lots of TWs, would that make it hard to find work? Once qualified, how do you find work? Gizza job!
I think I stumbled upon elance, or similar, before, and yes it struck me that I would want to charge $xxxx and there will be someone in a room in Asia who can charge $x, or even less, as you said Garry.
Not bothered about glamour. Just want $! Technical Writing could suit me actually. Me writin ain't bad achully. Think I'll look into that one Amazulu. What's the money like? Expectations on how long to complete a job? (I'm hoping for something I could weave around being a full time dad for the next 3 years). When you say you know lots of TWs, would that make it hard to find work? Once qualified, how do you find work? Gizza job!