The first thing you should do when thinking about working from home is to avoid the work from home scams. The most obvious type of scam to ignore is the kind you may get in your email. The sort that asks you to help transfer money for a foreign investment company or something equally as dodgy.

Working from home also involves a lot of self motivation. There won’t be a boss or supervisor to push you along so if you lack strong self discipline then maybe working from home isn’t the right thing for you.

Work from Home

8, eBay/Auction Sites: If you have a lot of objects around your house that you think you can sell then eBay can be a great way to make money. This is how I first started out. Selling off my old DVD collection brought in a nice little income that helped pay the bills until my own business took off. Also, look for niche areas within the sites, such as craft materials or books, that aren’t overpopulated so you can easily make a good name for yourself.

7, Arts/Crafts: If you’re good at at painting, drawing or making things you could sell your work in your local area or online. That’s also where eBay could come in useful. A lot of people sell their work on auction sites and make a nice little income. There are also weekend markets that welcome sellers, this is an excellent way of honing your business by seeing what sells and what doesn’t.

6, Secretarial Work: Many businesses look for home based typists or someone that has good data entry skills. Companies that hire home based secretaries require their employees to be very self motivated. If you don’t have the get up and go attitude this kind of work may not be for you. Also, if there is a local college or university - many students hire someone to do their typing for them as they don’t have time or the inclination to do it themselves.

5, Blogging: Writing for blogs can be a great way to make money. You could try starting your own blog or if you have great writing skills apply to write for others. Now you’re probably wondering how you can make money from blogs. Well Google AdSense is a good money maker for popular blogs or you could try Text Link Ads which is where most of the revenue for Job Tuition comes from.

4, Hairdressing: If you’re a qualified hairdresser then you could cut peoples hair from home. This will also add a social aspect to your work and if your customers really like you then they’ll keep giving you repeat business. As time goes by and with word of mouth you’ll gain even more customers. Also, if you have young children this cuts down on the child care fees as you are still able to watch the kids (within reason) and work the hours you want to work.

3, Babysitting (Family Day Care): When the phrase babysitting is used many people often think of a 14 year old girl sitting around and running up a huge phone bill for their employer. This doesn’t have to be the case at all. If you have a child care license then why not start looking after children from home. There are many parents out there that work full time and want to make sure that their kids are taken care of in a safe and secure environment.

2, Natural Therapies: There are many kinds of Natural Therapies that you can do from home. Such as Massage, Aromatherapy or Reflexology. A lot of hard working and stressed people seek out these services so if you’re qualified in any of those areas it could be a great way to start working from home.

1, Cooking: If somehow you managed to acquire Grannies famous cookie or cake recipe then maybe you could bake them for a local Cafe. Nothing like the taste of home cooking and it will also fill your home with the smell of freshly baked cookies everyday.

Working from home may not be for everyone but if you’re anything like me and hate the thought of having to drive in to work early every morning then doing jobs from home might seem like an attractive opportunity. Just keep in mind that you wont be making thousands in your first month but stick at it and eventually you could end up earning a nice living.

After completing my computer course, I set about registering with local temp employment agencies. Although I lacked experience, my personality and strong typing skills more than made up for it as well as the fact that I was willing to relocate to anywhere within the state to work. My first job was located in Adelaide and lasted six weeks but luckily I got great feedback and my temp career took off.

It was great, not only did I get to work in various industries; I gained invaluable experience and made numerous friends which I still have today. I worked in remote locations, in both private and public sectors and as my reputation grew so did my confidence.

Temping was a good choice for me as I was able to learn things about myself, such as I hated filing, doing dishes and overbearing bosses. Yes, there were a few temp jobs where I had to wash coffee cups, spoons, dishes from lunch and morning teas. I also learnt that I was a good typist, a quick learner and apparently had a quick wit which got me out of trouble as many times I got myself into it.

After 12 months of doing temp work I landed my first permanent position with a local dairy factory where they processed milk, made ice cream and other dairy products. This was another horrible job but I stuck it out until they sacked me a week before I turned 21. At the time I was devastated but in hindsight it was the best thing that could have happened. I went back to temp work, travelled more and discovered that I was more than happy temping.

Temping paid well, and at my age I was earning a decent wage – nearly $200 a week more than some of my peers and if I didn’t like the place I knew it wasn’t permanent. The job at the dairy was hard going, stressful and I was a victim of bullying by one of my superiors. Being young, I didn’t have the confidence to stand up to her and there were no bullying laws to protect me at the time. It was difficult and unnerving to go to a job day after day knowing that everything you did was going to be picked to pieces. This is why today, I believe they did me a favour.

I know bullying is wrong, but in me it helped develop strength of character and now that I’m older I’m less likely to tolerate it. At the time it nearly crushed my self esteem but when I returned to temping I flourished and this seem to be the pattern until I left Australia and worked overseas.

However, I did have a couple of permanent jobs where majority of the work was great but there would be one person in the establishment who just like to make life difficult. For me, the only way to deal with them was to be sarcastic and let them just get on with it. However, there would be a point where I would wake up one day and go enough is enough and quit. I would hand in my notice that day and leave at the end of the period. It’s funny, I would warn my parents a few weeks before hand that it was coming but could never pinpoint when it would happen. I guess I felt if I told them before hand they couldn’t be disappointed with me leaving another job.

I’m a great believer in that if you are good at what you do and treat people with respect and courtesy then jobs will come your way. You do have to go out and look for them but obtaining work is possible you just have to be flexible.

Next article I will write about my overseas experiences in both temping and permanent positions.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 benefits of working from home. These are from my own experiences as I now work full time from home to help develop my wife’s online business and also work on various blogs.

10, Privacy: One of the main issues that I had in my last job was that I never had any privacy. One such incident was when I was trying to eat my lunch. I would still have work colleagues ask me how or when I would fix their computer. Now that I work from home I can eat my food in peace.

9, Commuting: I think everyone has this on their list. Obviously when working from home there is no commuting involved, walking to the fridge for a cold drink doesn’t count. This will also save you money in the long run due to not having to pay astronomical fuel costs.

8, Relaxation: When working in a stuffy office or worse a cubical, it can be very difficult to relax. When at home you can take a break whenever you want, no need to ask a supervisor for permission. When I take time out to relax I go outside to play with my dogs.

Your pets will also appreciate this too. I know that my German Shepard adores the attention and just loves to play fetch when I’m out there.

7, Breaks: When working from home you can pretty much take a break whenever you want. You’re not tied down to the usual work related hours and certainly don’t need to answer to anyone when wanting a cup of coffee.

What I like about this situation is that I can take my lunch break whenever I want. Usually while watching my favourite comedy show on television.

6, Stationery: It might seem peculiar that I have stationery in the list but here is the reason why. Nobody can steal it. There’s nothing worse than having your envelopes or post it notes stolen in work and the mysterious pen vortex doesn’t exist. Meaning you will always have your favourite pen unless you’re like me and forget where you put things.

5, Co-Workers: There are none. No office politics, no gossip and certainly no office nazi.

4, Vacation: You can go on leave when it suits you. Not when it suits everyone else. If you want time off over Christmas you can without having to compete with other employees.

3, Self Esteem: When working from home I’ve noticed that my self esteem has improved. I’ve had time to work on the jobs that I enjoy and not to having to do menial work that my boss has put in front of me. I can now work on projects that challenge me and gives satisfaction.

2, Training and Development In my last job I was promised training and development but due to budget cuts I was given less work hours and no training. Now that I’m working from home I can do web based training whenever I want and improve my knowledge base on a daily basis.

1, Personal Relationships Since quitting my job and working from home my relationship with my wife has improved. I’m more outgoing and a lot more relaxed. I’m open to new ideas and activities because I now have the time and less stress.

So as you can see working from home for me has become a definite positive and if you’re able to do it yourself go for it. In my next article I will advise on the various kinds of work you can do from home. Not all will be computer related because there are other jobs that you don’t need a computer for.

I’ve decided to do a series of articles detailing my career, discussing my worst interviews and best interviews and the interesting experiences I’ve had along the way. I’m a believer that we won’t be remembered for the job we did or how long we were in a particular job but for the person we were and how we made people around us feel – I like to think that I’m a positive influence who people like being around. Therefore, when I got bored with a job or decided it was time to move on – I did. Sure, I don’t have any long service leave accrued but then how many people actually take their long service leave – not many it is quite often cashed in.

In my last year of High School, I had no idea what I was going to do when I left but was quite confident that I didn’t want to do further study. I was burnt out and needed a break from the day to day schooling. My parents decided that I was to move to Adelaide and complete a diploma in Travel and Tourism. That was fine by me, I got to leave home at 17, meet new people and party. The course was 12 months long and looking back it was the same as the last year of High School, not enough studying and too much socialising, but I was young and needed to let my hair down.

I still passed the course with great grades, nothing lower than 97.5% but I could have done better. Once the course I found myself in a situation that I couldn’t believe – I was unemployed. I applied for jobs in Adelaide regularly and attended interviews on a weekly basis with no joy. Every interview feedback was I was great, but there was someone better who had more experience. I was frustrated how was I to get experience when I couldn’t get a job.

Finally, I won a position with a Russian Travel Agency, definitely not my dream job. I hated it with a passion. The office smelt of cabbage, I couldn’t understand anyone who rang as the accents were so strong and my boss was pushy and rude. It’s weird I haven’t been in that office for 16 years but I can still picture the dinginess, the pictures on the wall like it’s ingrained in my brain as someplace I don’t want to return. Needless to say, the feeling was mutual and I left after six months.

Even though it was a horrible job, it did help me with my work plans. It gave me the push I needed to sit down and work out what I wanted to actually do. I went back to Business College and completed a computer operator certificate and this I took seriously. It was a six month course and just before I completed it I started hitting the streets again looking for work. Employers were impressed with my results and typing skills but still no experience. I contemplated doing a traineeship even though it was severely underpaid and then I stumbled across the employment agencies.

Next article: How I gained the necessary experience to become a valuable employee in future jobs

Ask your supervisor

After giving your supervisor timely notice of your departure, ask what she needs from you. Show your willingness to help out and make the transition go smoothly.

Find out if your supervisor has specific needs or requests. Are there certain projects or tasks she needs finished? Is there a specific duty she is worried about your replacement handling?

The answers you get here are crucial for your final days at the company. They will help you properly focus your efforts and be truly effective.

Tie up loose ends

Wrapping up projects will be a huge help for your employer. This makes everyone’s job easier, since the new guy won’t have a pile of half-done things to finish.

Think of unfinished projects like a half-eaten sandwich. Would you like to start a new job, only to find a half-eaten sandwich on your desk? Probably not. That’s why should wrap up those projects, if possible.

Use bookmarks

You probably won’t finish every open project before you leave. This is inevitable, but you can still help your employer.

Leave a bookmark in your open projects. Make it clear where you left off and what should be done next. This helps the company keep moving forward. And it ensures that projects won’t fall in the gap.

Create documentation

You know how to do your job. But are there clear instructions for the next guy? This is the reason for documentation.

Think about the instructions you would need to do your job, if you were just starting. Write out basic steps for your different tasks. And also create an overview document that lists the things for which you are responsible.

Remain available

If possible, give your employer a method of contacting you after your departure. Depending upon the circumstances, this might not be needed or appropriate. But it’s something to consider.

This enables your employer to ask a quick question, if something comes up shortly after you leave. An email address would be sufficient. And it will help to make a smooth transition if a problem arises.

1. Think before you send.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear.” The same applies to email. It’s so easy to type out an email and hit “Send.” Don’t fall into the trap of sending emails without first thinking about the contents.

Email taboos aren’t difficult to ascertain. Ask yourself, “Would I say this in person?” If not, don’t send it. For some other thoughts, check out an article by Penelope Trunk: 5 emails you should never write.

2. Remain professional.

Email has become a standard communication method. We email everything from job offers to stupid jokes. The trick is to remember that company email is for professional business only. Your company might allow some incidental personal email use, but don’t abuse it.

And most importantly, always remain professional in emails to colleagues. You don’t have to be stiff shirted, but give them (and the entire company) the respect they deserve.

3. Use proper grammar and spelling.

R u their? That doesn’t make much sense, does it? Your teenager may understand it in a text message from a buddy, but your coworker in Human Resources won’t. Proper grammar and spelling is essential to ensure people comprehend your emails.

More than that, this is part of being professional. If you don’t take the time to spell check an email or use complete sentences, what will your colleagues think about your work product?

4. Write good subject lines.

Email is supposed to help you get work done. How is Bob down the hall going to know what you need, if you don’t properly label your emails to him? It doesn’t help him be effective, and you probably won’t get a timely response needed for your job. Everyone suffers.

Instead, label all emails with a well-worded subject. Don’t leave it blank! Make it clear what project or task the email relates to, but keep it brief. For other ideas, check out How to Construct the Perfect Email Subject Line.

5. Don’t live in your email.

Email is a tool. If you spend all day rummaging around in your inbox, you won’t get your real work done. Sure, you might send and read a bunch of email, but what do you have to show for it? Unless your job is specifically about communications, email is just a way to help get other things accomplished.

A great way to tame the email addiction is to only check it periodically throughout the day. Try once per hour. You could probably even check it less often than that. And let your coworkers know that truly urgent matters warrant a phone call. This allows you to step out of the inbox, do your real work, and know that urgent things will get your attention when needed.

Master your email, before it masters you!

Evaluate your needs

You can’t jump into a mentorship blindly. First you need to decide what exactly you need.

Are you looking for a casual relationship, or something more formal? Do you seek a long term mentor, or just someone to help you through a certain phase, such as beginning a new position?

Also, consider whether or not you want a mentor in your specific department. It might feel natural to be mentored by someone whose job is similar to your own. However, you could gain a valuable viewpoint by connecting with a person whose job is different.

There’s really no right answer to these questions. Just consider things like this, so you can know what you’re looking for.

Ask around

This first idea might seem obvious. But you might be surprised how far you’ll get just by asking.

But what do I mean by that? I’m not suggesting (yet) that you approach someone and directly propose a mentorship. Instead, ask coworkers or friends if they know of anyone who is willing to mentor. Try asking people if they had a mentor at any time.

You could also just ask people who they respect. Find out who the natural leaders are. Figure out who has the necessary time to be your mentor.

The main point here is just to gather information about your “mentor pool.” Determine the general prospects.

Be direct

Once you know what you’re looking for and who might be receptive to the idea, it’s time to be direct.

A great way to do this is to simply explain that you’re looking for someone to learn from. Tell the possible-mentor that you respect him/her and that you’d like to gain insights into the work world.

You don’t have to make this approach in person, although it might be best. You could try email or telephone, but that removes a bit of the personal environment that you’re seeking to foster. Whatever route you take, be polite.

If the person you approach isn’t receptive to the idea, don’t worry. He’s probably just busy with other demands on his time. Find someone else to ask. Better yet, ask if he could recommend someone.

Make it easier for others

Once you find a mentor, you can now share your experience with others. By telling other people how you found a mentor, you’ll help them find their own mentor. You sort-of become a mentor yourself!

Workplace mentoring is an important concept for employers and employees to understand. It’s more than a performance review or task feedback. To understand what it is, why it helps everyone, and how to setup a mentor relationship, we’re writing a two-part series on the subject.

A solid history

Mentoring isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s the way most trades used to be passed down from one generation to the next.

What is an apprenticeship? It’s a mentor relationship. The experienced artisan or tradesman teaches the novice how to succeed in the field.

Interestingly, most apprenticeships went far beyond the trade itself, with the apprentice learning about life and society generally.

Present day example

The benefits of mentoring have been brought into many occupations today. However, one great example is the medical field.

Doctors attend medical school and earn an advanced degree in their field. But before they actually practice on their own, they work under the supervision of another doctor. This is a classic mentor relationship. The experienced doctor teaches the novice about the field and helps the new doctor learn more.

This real-world training, combined with classroom education helps ensure that doctors enter practice on their own with a full skill set.

Great benefits

By now, some of the benefits from mentoring are hopefully clear. But let’s go over more of them:

• Get on the job training
• Foster deeper personal relationships
• Have a person to talk with confidentially
• Get feedback on projects

The cool thing about mentoring is that both parties get great benefits. The mentored employee gets to learn a lot about the profession, and the the mentor also gets to learn and make a new networking connection.

In Part 2, we’ll get down to brass tacks and look at actually setting up a mentor relationship.

Give advance notice

This is one of the most important things to remember: give your employer notice. By giving notice to your employer, you’ll enable her to find a replacement and keep the company moving along. It also helps your chances of a strong reference in the future.

So it’s clear that you should give notice, but what does that entail? Consider these points:

• At least 2 weeks - You should at least notify your employer 2 weeks before you will be leaving. If your job is particularly specialized, you might even give more time.
• Be polite - Don’t tell your boss to “take this job and shove it.” Even if you’re not leaving on positive terms, be diplomatic and polite.
• Clarity helps - You don’t need to spell out everything behind your departure. But explain briefly why you’re leaving and when your final day will be. Of course, you can also negotiate that with your employer.

Help prepare your replacement

Even if you have a routine position, your employer might want you to help train your replacement. Be courteous and do your best here, if asked.

You likely have specialized knowledge of your company’s internal workings and what your job requires. You’re the best person to pass this info on to others.

Don’t burn bridges

You never know when you might need a reference from this employer. Or you might find yourself wanting another job at this company. Whatever the reason, don’t burn the bridge.

Do everything in your power to leave in a graceful way. Even if you are being forced out, leaving gracefully shows that you are a strong person.

If you have a polite exit, everyone will be better off.

1. Crummy paper. You don’t need incredibly fancy resume paper. But don’t print your resume on regular copy paper either. Go to your local office supply store and buy a box of resume paper. This will set you back $10-12, but it’s critical. And make sure the paper stays crisp; no wrinkles or creases allowed (except for mailing, of course).

2. Poor font choice. Stellar credentials don’t mean squat if your font is unreadable. And most business owners don’t want to see Wing-Dings on a resume. Pick a neutral font like Times New Roman or Arial. Make most of the text 10-12 point. Use some variations like bold and italics, but don’t go overboard. Simple is good.

3. No whitespace. Two kinds of whitespace are important on a resume: margins and lines. Decent margins (at least .75″) frame your resume and focus the eye on the content. Blank lines between sections help give the eye a break and prepare the reader for the next blurb. People just won’t read a page chocked full of text.

4. Too long. Don’t overload the reader with information. If you have a post-graduate degree, do you really need to put your high school activities on your resume? You shouldn’t even list every college activity. Focus on the highlights, the really good talking points, and the things you’re most proud of. If you list everything on the resume, what’s left to talk about in the interview?

5. Typos. Does this one even require an explanation? Spell check, check again, and triple check. Get a friend to read it. Get two friends to read it. See if your school’s career counselor will proofread and critique it. There’s no excuse for a typo on a resume.

6. Too good to be true. Everyone frames their resume in a positive light. A little embellishment is normal. But don’t go overboard. If you can’t back up what’s on the page and discuss it in person, don’t write it.

7. It’s incomplete. The traditional rule is that you shouldn’t have gaps in your resume. This is becoming a bit outdated, but you still don’t want gaping holes. If you didn’t work or go to school for more than a few months, you should include what you did do. Did you have a volunteer position? Did you travel? This might just go under “Other Activities” or something, but don’t leave out important things like this.

8. No focus. If your resume has nothing to do with the job for which you’re applying, it’s pretty useless to the employer. If you are interested in multiple fields, why not compose more than one resume? You can highlight different parts of your education and experience, so each employer sees crucial tidbits that fit with their opening. Just don’t get your versions mixed up.

9. Passive and boring. Would you rather read a book that is action-packed and exciting, or would you like one that is boring? Resumes are no different. Explain your accomplishments and experience using action verbs. Instead of saying “was the manager,” say “managed employee team.” It’s a subtle difference, but it’s important.

Hopefully your resume passed all these tests with flying colors. If not, you better revise it!

First impressions are the most important. Humans are impressed the most by what we see first. So make your first impression count. Create a powerful resume that doesn’t end up in the trash.