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Before you consider
quitting your day-job or begin working from home, take a piece of paper
and list out your skills, preferred areas of employment, and your comfort-level
in each area. For instance, if you are a programmer, weigh the benefits
of home employment versus working in a corporate environment. If you are
a student, chart out your daily schedule and figure out how much time
you can spare for a 'part-time' job, even if it doesn't involve stepping
out of home.Remember, you may or may not earn as much as you would in
a full-time job, and freelance projects take time to source and payments
are delayed, in some cases. Zeroing in on the right kind of job is important.
Don't get stuck with a job you don't like.Step 2: Set Up Your Workstation.Once
you have narrowed down your choice of employment, you can set up your
workstation. You need to make sure that your future work area is very
comfortable - use ergonomic furniture, wherever possible.For Writers/Editors:
A fast PC is a pre-requisite, you may also have to install software such
as MS Office/Open Office, QuarkXP-press or Adobe InDesign.For Designers:
Although it's not important to invest in a Mac (Apple Macintosh), make
sure your PC has enough RAM (at least 1 GB), hard disk space, and install
a good graphics card. You also need to install design software such as
Adobe photoshop, 3D Studio Max, Quark, Corel Painter, or Adobe InDesign.For
Data Entry/Typing Assignments: A computer, MS Office/open Office, or other
data-entry software.For Medical Transcription: Medical transcription involves
transcribing medical records dictated by doctors (patient history, records,
notes, lab reports), usually located in clinics abroad. Basic requirements
include a PC with about 40 GB hard disk space, 256 MB RAM (minimum), sound
card and Internet access. You would also require headphones, word processing
software, and a good dictionary.
Step 3: Prepare Your
Portfolio:Prepare a good resume, entering the right keywords under 'Objective'.
Use sites like IT-people and Monster to get basic understanding of the
job profile. Use Resume Builder on these sites (needs registration) and
on MS Word.Step 4: Set Up A Web Site or Blog.Create a good web site (one
that's not too garish, text or image heavy).If you are a freelance photographer
or freelance programmer or freelance web designer or freelance graphic
designer, put up thumbnails of your work on the site. You could also set
up a web log (blog) on sites such as Blogger.com and LiveJournal.com.
Don't forget to provide your e-mail address, resume, and contact details
at a prominent location on the site.Use the best search engines in the
business Google, Yahoo!, MSN search, and the right keywords (freelance
programming, freelance translation, freelance projects, Data entry, Freelance
programmer, Freelancing, Freelancers, Freelance work, Custom web design,
Outsource projects, Outsource work, and etc.) to find the jobs you want.
Don't provide personal details while registering on a website unless it's
absolutely essential.Rent-a-coder.com, a freelance-sourcing site has a
ranking system to rate the work of freelancer programmers, and help companies
choose people best suited for a particular project. Elance.com, Guru.com,
GetAFreelancer.com, Scriptlance.com, and Freelance Work Exchange are other
popular freelance sites.It's very, very important to 'connect' with the
outside world. Join networking groups such as Friendster and Ryze , have
your blog linked to blog rings, and enroll in forums, user groups and
other specific online communities. Caveat-online communities have their
own set of protocols and etiquette. Remember to follow the rules; don't
forward your resume to everyone you meet.Step 5: Create A Work Schedule
And Meet Deadlines.Create a 'work culture' for your self. Just because
there is no 'boss' breathing down your neck, you can't afford to slacken
or miss deadlines. In fact, you have to work twice as hard to ensure that
the companies/clients hiring you have absolutely no reason to regret employing
a freelancer.Step 6: Sell Yourself.Be your own Boss, and brand manager.
While it's important to have an online presence in the form of a website
or blog, it's equally important to be aware of competitive pricing and
different payment strategies.Do not charge your clients less because you
are working from home. Make enquires pertaining to the market rates for
a particular project (say, web-design or coding), and charge them accordingly.
Also, do not under-rate or overrate your skills; and do not undersell
or oversell yourself. Be as honest as far as possible.Tip: To ascertain
that Google throws up your site when users enter certain keyword, make
the title of your webpage very specific (Fashion Photographer or Freelance
Writer or freelance programming or Outsource work or as the case may be).Ensure
that your site linked to other prominent ones, by publishing research
papers online, being part of active online communities or regularly updating
your web log with quality content.Step7: Upgrade Your Skill-Sets.When
you have time, enroll in training sessions, part-time diploma courses
or distance education programs to upgrade your existing skill sets. With
technological advancements, there will be rapid changes in the employment
scenario as well.The IT industry, for instance, is continuously evolving.
You may have to invest in software courses, at least once every year,
to learn new programming languages, improve your design and editing skills,
and so on. Not upgrading your skills periodically would reduce your chances
of employment, in any field.Step 8: Exercise Regularly.As the maxim goes,
health is wealth. Working from home may reduce your travel time but it
might also bring to halt the little exercise you were getting earlier
by walking to and from the train or the bus station. To ensure that you
give your best to the projects you source, some physical exercise, yoga,
and meditation sessions coupled with a balanced diet will help you stay
mentally and physically in good shape.About the Author.Everyone interested
to Earn online through Part Time Jobs Opportunity.But they don't know
the details of it. Here is the way to Start Your Part Time Online Jobs.
more info at http://www.manomanju.com.
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