Tips for Finding Legitimate Work-From-Home Opportunities

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Being able to work from home is the dream employment scenario. You get a flexible schedule, no commute, and pants are optional. What more could you want?

The trick is finding a job that will let you work from home. If you don't already have a boss who is willing to let you telecommute, how do you go about finding such an employment opportunity? There are plenty of sites out there claiming to offer work-from-home jobs, but a number of them are nothing more than scams.

Thankfully, it is entirely possible to find a legitimate work from home employment, if you know where to look. Here are some tips for finding the job that will fulfill all your employment (and pants-free) dreams.

Know what scams look like

To find a legitimate work-from-home opportunity, it's likely that you'll have to wade through a number of scams first. That's why it's important for all potential work-from-home employees to have a thorough understanding of the most common scams. There are five major red flags that should warn you an "employer" isn't on the up and up. (See also: 11 Signs the Job Is Too Good to Be True)

1. The pay is too good

If the opportunity is for an easy or unskilled job that pretty much anyone could do (like data entry or envelope stuffing), but the offered pay is amazing, this is likely a scam. You can find really well-paying work-from-home jobs, but they are generally for highly skilled individuals with past experience in the field.

2. The company contacts you first

Emailed offers of employment are pretty fishy, since most job openings (especially those for work-from-home jobs) will receive a deluge of applications.

3. You are asked to pay an upfront fee

No legitimate employer will ask a prospective employee to pay for the opportunity to work for them. However, some employers may ask you to pay for a drug test or background check. This is reasonable, and it will be clearly spelled out. A scam will not explain precisely what the fee is for.

4. You are offered an advance for "supplies"

A common scheme is to offer a prospective employee a check for office supplies before starting work. The scammer will ask you to deposit the check and wire some of the funds back to them.

5. Vague information

If it's unclear exactly what kind of job you will be doing, and there is little to no contact information for the company you would be working for, you don't want to risk it. Legitimate companies offer much more clarity and transparency. While searching for a work-from-home job, it's a good idea to check out any company with the Better Business Bureau and Glassdoor to make sure they are on the up-and-up.

Know what kind of work you want to do

There's a reason why there are so many work-from-home scams out there: Many people dream of being paid to stay home, but far fewer have really thought about the kind of at-home work they'd enjoy.

It's not enough to search for work-from-home gigs. Doing a generic search for jobs you can do from home will result in a number of illegitimate or otherwise sketchy "job opportunities." But the more specific you can be in your job search, the better your search options will be.

There are a number of industries that lend themselves to working from home, and each one tends to have its own dedicated websites and forums for finding jobs. (See also: 8 Terrible Work-From-Home "Jobs" You Should Avoid)

Writing

Writing is the oldest (work-from-home) profession, and as such, it can be one of the easiest at-home jobs to break into as a freelancer. However, becoming a freelancer doesn't mean instant riches, fame, or glory. You will be consistently on the lookout for new clients, and you may or may not be able to make a full-time living to start.

To get started, the job board site Freelance Writing Gigs aggregates all of the writing jobs in one place, and does its best to filter out the scammers. (You should still be cautious with jobs found on this site, however.)

For writers looking for a salaried position, Media Bistro has an excellent job board that features work-from-home salaried positions, freelance opportunities, and traditional jobs. (See also: 6 Places to Find Freelance Writing Jobs)

Education and tutoring

You don't have to have a background as a teacher to become an educator from home, although it does help. If you know a subject well, you can become an online tutor for students looking for help with their school work. You can find legitimate opportunities at online tutoring sites such as Tutor.com and Chegg.

Another alternative is to work as an ESL (English as a Second Language) tutor. While you may need to have a background in English or English education, many sites are simply looking for native English speakers since many of the students you will be helping just want to practice their conversational skills. Sites like Italki can help you find students to teach all over the world from the comfort of your home. (See also: How to Earn $1,000 a Month or More as an Online Tutor)

Virtual assistance

If you have a gift for organization and time management, or a job history as an administrative assistant, becoming a virtual assistant can be a great way to work from home for an employer. There are a number of legitimate sites to find virtual assistant work, including Belay and Zirtual. In addition, potential virtual assistants can find work on forums like VANetworking. (See also: How to Find a Legit Virtual Assistant Job)

Customer service

Answering customer questions over the phone can be done remotely, and many companies now staff their customer service phone lines with at-home workers. Sites such as LiveOps can help pair potential customer service reps with companies. Alternatively, you could look for job postings for remote call center work from major companies such as Amazon and Xerox, both of which have made plans to hire work-from-home customer service agents.

Finding other work at home opportunities

Even if your interests and talents do not fit within any of the above categories, it is still possible to find legitimate work from home jobs.

• Freelancers of any stripe can find clients via sites like Upwork or FlexJobs.
   
• Filter search results on online job boards using the terms "telecommute" or "freelance" to find the opportunities that will let you work from home. Use online job boards with advanced filters like Indeed, SimplyHired, and Craigslist.
   
• LinkedIn can be a great resource for finding work-from-home jobs. In addition to using your LinkedIn network for general job searching, you can also follow companies that regularly hire remote workers so you'll know when they are hiring. (The Work At Home Woman has put together a list of companies that regularly hire remote employees.)

Yes, Virginia, there are legitimate work at home opportunities

It is possible to find a great job that lets you work from home. You just need to be aware of the common types of scams and be willing to treat this job search like any other. It will take time for you to find the right opportunity — but once you're working out of your living room and instituting no-pants Friday policies, you'll be glad you did. (See also: 7 Work-From-Home Jobs for People Who Hate Talking on the Phone)

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