Is a Work-at-Home Job Right for You?

Working from home sounds like an attractive prospect—not being tied to an office, avoiding the daily commute, and being at home in case your children need you during the day. What do you need to be able to do this successfully?

Being able to work from home requires that you posses certain personality traits. You must, for example, be able to work to a self-imposed schedule—one that you can stick to even when you’re tempted to take a couple of hours off. Self-discipline is a vital character trait that few home workers can do without.

Perhaps the most pervasive myth about working from home is that you can work as much (or as little) as you feel like. In fact, the opposite is almost always true—often, you need to put in more than a standard eight hour day, particularly if you’re a freelancer or you run your own business. The up-side is that you get to choose when you put those hours in. If you wake up early or find yourself facing an attack of insomnia at two in the morning, you have the opportunity to get some work done.

One of the most difficult aspects of working from home is not your work habits, but the way other people perceive the work you’re doing. When you work in an office, you’re there to work and so are the people around you. When you start working at home, you’re likely to be inundated with phone calls from family and friends that start “since you’re not doing anything can you...?” Having friends and family that understand you’re at home to work is a definite bonus.

Many people neglect to consider the expense of working at home, too. You won’t be paying for the commute to work every day, but depending on your work, you will need extra equipment—extra phone lines, a fax machine, a good quality computer and printer, and other items. In addition, you won’t be covered by an employer’s health insurance plan, you may need legal advice for some aspects of your business, and you will be responsible for paying your taxes. Those types of expenses add up quickly, particularly when you’re starting out.

In general, it’s best to make plans to work at home long before you actually start doing it. If you’re starting your own business or plan to work freelance, it could be some time before you earn enough money to meet day-to-day living expenses on a consistent basis.

Enjoy the article?  Please review our full section on Working From Home.

Also, please review our Tools to Find a Job section.  If you need more help, please consider using a Career Counselor.