Most people wishing to work-from-home or telecommute start with a state of confusion. There are so many work-from-home scams that most newbies end up burning their fingers at their initial attempt to set up home businesses.
If you wish to stay away from the scams, the first rule is to avoid the get-rich-quick schemes. Focusing on job satisfaction instead of big money will steer you past many of the scams strewn across the marketplace.
When looking for a work-from-home opportunity, here are a few questions you need to ask yourself:
1. What do I enjoy doing?
There may be several things you enjoy doing; list them all. Don't leave out anything. List also those activities that you suspect might not earn you money, for example, watching TV. You may be surprised; there are work-from-home opportunities also for people who would like to watch TV for a living. The only criterion in this list is that it should be an activity you enjoy doing.
2. What are the activities I would rather not do professionally?
Doing something professionally means doing similar tasks everyday, even repetitively. There may be activities you enjoy doing, but rather not do professionally. Many people stop enjoying certain activities if they have to do them for a living. For example, you may enjoy watching a certain TV program. However, would you enjoy watching the same scene repeatedly about 20-30 times? This is what you might need to do if you became a video or movie editor.
3. What are the activities I have the skills for?
Make a list of all the skills you have used in the past. Don't limit yourself to workplace skills. Include work that you may have done for your family, friends, or charitable organizations.
4. What are the skills I would enjoy learning?
Make a list of all the skills that you would enjoy learning. For example, you might enjoy learning how to play a musical instrument or story writing.
5. What are the required skills I can learn in the shortest time?
Based on your interests, make a list of the skills it would take you the least time to learn.
6. What are the tasks I hate doing or what working styles do I hate the most?
List tasks related to the workplace as well as tasks in other informal settings. For example, you may hate creating detailed reports or working under a boss.
Now identify an activity with the most occurrences across all the "like" categories and absent in the "hate" category. For example, your most frequent "like" activity may be watching TV. Then search for work-from-home opportunities that involve activities like editing or categorizing videos.
This exercise will help you narrow down your search and possibly land you a job that will bring you job satisfaction. In most cases, when people enjoy their job, they produce quality output and consequently are more successful. Remember also, that success and money don't always go hand. While ideally, a job you love will mean money and happiness, you may have to sacrifice some (or a lot) of the former to achieve the latter.
Showing posts with label stay at home dads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stay at home dads. Show all posts
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Stay-At-Home Dads Face a Challenge
According to 2006 data from US Census Bureau, there were 143,000 stay-at-home dads on Father's Day two years ago, not including single parents, compared to 5.6 million stay-at-home moms.
That number has grown slightly in the last few years, the Associated Press reports, but then so has the number of moms.
Dads can decide to act as the primary carer for their children for a number of reasons, including finances, wanting to bond or because of single parenting.
However, the preponderance of mothers at nurseries, playgrounds and social events such as children's parties can make it an isolating and lonely experience for men.
The Associated Press spoke to Mike Biewenga, a stay-at-home dad for the last four years, who noticed that moms would sit further away from him during visits to a reading group at a local library.
"There was a gap, then me, then a gap, then the rest of the circle … I mean, I shave, I comb my hair. I'm a normal-looking guy," he said.
Groups and websites have now been formed to help stay at home dads with their kids to network and share their stories, while moms are getting more used to seeing guys in the playground during the week.
And with increasing work pressures, the role of a stay at home day is becoming ever-more valuable.
A recent study from British children's charity the NSPCC found that 59 percent of fathers questioned believe their careers keep them away from their sons and daughters.
Stay-at-home fathers are still a rarity in the US compared to their female counterparts, but it is a growing trend both among single dads and those in a relationship.
That number has grown slightly in the last few years, the Associated Press reports, but then so has the number of moms.
Dads can decide to act as the primary carer for their children for a number of reasons, including finances, wanting to bond or because of single parenting.
However, the preponderance of mothers at nurseries, playgrounds and social events such as children's parties can make it an isolating and lonely experience for men.
The Associated Press spoke to Mike Biewenga, a stay-at-home dad for the last four years, who noticed that moms would sit further away from him during visits to a reading group at a local library.
"There was a gap, then me, then a gap, then the rest of the circle … I mean, I shave, I comb my hair. I'm a normal-looking guy," he said.
Groups and websites have now been formed to help stay at home dads with their kids to network and share their stories, while moms are getting more used to seeing guys in the playground during the week.
And with increasing work pressures, the role of a stay at home day is becoming ever-more valuable.
A recent study from British children's charity the NSPCC found that 59 percent of fathers questioned believe their careers keep them away from their sons and daughters.
Stay-at-home fathers are still a rarity in the US compared to their female counterparts, but it is a growing trend both among single dads and those in a relationship.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Stay-at-Home Fathers Could Offer Moms Tips
Stay-at-home fathers are still a rarity in the US compared to their female counterparts, but it is a growing trend both among single dads and those in a relationship.
Now, it looks like dads who act as the primary caregiver to their children may already have a thing or two to teach moms about raising kids.
USA Today spoke to Andrew McDade, a teacher in New Jersey who decided to stay at home to raise his daughter when she was born nine years ago.
He found that many moms would be constantly coming up to him to offer unsolicited advice on how to look after his children, which may not be surprising considering that on average, working fathers provide about 40 per cent less childcare on a daily basis than their female counterparts.
However, the magazine spoke to a number of experts who suggested that fathers that do the bulk of the childcare could have some valuable tips to impart to moms.
For example, stay at home dads generally break with the traditional assumption that the person who raises the children should also do the housework. "When you think about it, the task of caring for kids are logically different from doing the housework," Joan C. Williams, director of the Center for WorkLife Law at Hastings College of the Law in California, told the publication.
In addition, research has found that such fathers are also more likely to take time out for themselves than their female counterparts, keep a hand in the workforce and take an equitable approach to childrearing; all positive traits.
For parents who want to take a totally different approach to raising their children, the New York Times recently reported on the phenomenon of shared parenting, where both moms and dads share all the responsibilities of child care equally.
Now, it looks like dads who act as the primary caregiver to their children may already have a thing or two to teach moms about raising kids.
USA Today spoke to Andrew McDade, a teacher in New Jersey who decided to stay at home to raise his daughter when she was born nine years ago.
He found that many moms would be constantly coming up to him to offer unsolicited advice on how to look after his children, which may not be surprising considering that on average, working fathers provide about 40 per cent less childcare on a daily basis than their female counterparts.
However, the magazine spoke to a number of experts who suggested that fathers that do the bulk of the childcare could have some valuable tips to impart to moms.
For example, stay at home dads generally break with the traditional assumption that the person who raises the children should also do the housework. "When you think about it, the task of caring for kids are logically different from doing the housework," Joan C. Williams, director of the Center for WorkLife Law at Hastings College of the Law in California, told the publication.
In addition, research has found that such fathers are also more likely to take time out for themselves than their female counterparts, keep a hand in the workforce and take an equitable approach to childrearing; all positive traits.
For parents who want to take a totally different approach to raising their children, the New York Times recently reported on the phenomenon of shared parenting, where both moms and dads share all the responsibilities of child care equally.
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