Last updated : Friday, October 1, 2010

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5 Ways to Work from Home

As of August 2010, 14.9 million Americans were out of a job. With an unemployment rate of 9.6 percent, Americans are stepping out of conventional roles to find work. But to every cloud there is a silver lining. For all of those parents who once worked at jobs that required long hours at the office, perhaps now they can make extra money in jobs that allow them to work from home. LiveOps, a company that employs remote customer service and sales representatives, is just one example. Check out these five jobs that allow you to work from anywhere on your own time.

Answering Service Agent
If you’ve ever tried to get your doctor’s advice or schedule an appointment after-hours, you know that most of the time it’s a lesson in futility … until a friendly voice gleefully answers the phone. Little known fact, but these answering service agents typically work from a home office, taking calls for doctors and dentist offices, vets, and other businesses – later recording the caller's information and forwarding it along to the “customer.” Answer MTI is a company that hires work at home agents to take calls for everything from basic name and number gathering to complete order-taking. While the hours may be late, it’s the perfect way to make some extra money after putting the kids to sleep.

Transcriber
If you’ve ever been on a conference call or listened to a speech at an event or on TV, you may often wonder how the transcript gets created so quickly. Sometimes an intern or executive assistant has to put their typing and listening skills to the test, but more frequently companies outsource the transcribing to a skilled transcriber through services offered by companies like Tigerfish that allow people to do the work from the comfort of their own home.

Sales & Customer Service Agent
Remember the last time you ordered something from an infomercial or called a customer service line? Believe it or not, the person on the other end of the phone line was probably taking that call from their home. Thanks to companies like LiveOps that contract with individuals from across the nation, most customer service representatives are now afforded the flexibility to work from the convenience of their homes, and you could too. With just a telephone line and an Internet connection, you could create your own business from your home, taking sales or customer service calls for reputable companies like 1-800-Flowers, Pizza Hut and Kodak.

Translator
Speak a second language? Through services like Telelanguage.com and the American Translators Association you can put those language skills to use as an online or phone translator. In addition to your knack for a second language, all you need is your computer, an Internet connection and a quiet work space. You’ll be able to work from home and be present for important activities in your children’s lives.

Tutor
Even though you’re not in school anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t exercise your brain power. If you’re a teacher, professor, traditional tutor, or even an expert in some field, online coaching through Tutor.com may be the best avenue for you to start your own work-from-home business. Unlimited by geography, you can coach individuals across the nation and set hours that are the most convenient for you—allowing plenty of time for family needs.

For more tips, go to the Career section.

 

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