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When I first decided to start telecommuting, I knew there was absolutely no way I would be able to be on the phones. I had a newborn baby that would let it be known when she wanted to eat, play, and sleep, and that meant that the coos and cries would begin at any given moment.

Other people just do not like working on the phones, which is understandable. There are several different reasons why people may opt to find a job that doesn’t involve phone work, and the good news is there are jobs out there. The bad news is that they are typically harder to seek out, unless you know what you are looking for. I’ve brainstormed and researched many of the most popular non phone jobs in the telecommute world, and have even added a few gems that people may not know about yet. Again, hopefully this will help some of you out there to land the perfect work at home job and get away from the nasty traffic and horrid office gossip.

1) Writing:

When I talk to others about writing, the first response I usually get is apprehension. So many think that they are just not good enough to write, or that they don’t have the required degree. The truth is though, that anyone can write. And with practice, many can learn to avoid grammar mistakes and turn their writing into profits. The internet has a plethora of writing projects available that don’t require a degree. They just require a bit of knowledge and creativity. There are also several free online writing workshops that people can take advantage of to brushen up their skills. Places such as Associated Content and Epinions are wonderful places to get started. I prefer Associated Content   as I make income each month without having to lift a finger with their bonus program.

2) Forum Posting:

Now, forum posting isn’t the best paying job in the world, but depending on how many gigs you take and how many forums you work with, you can definitely get a good little side income going. Typically, posting on forums pay you about .10-.15 per 25 words on a web forum, and a little more if the job requires more words.

Forum posters are hired to basically “kick start” new up and coming forums. It is a decent way for beginning writers to get started, but please remember it is still a job and should be handled that way. I’ve seen way too many eager posters get started only to get fired because they rushed through their jobs and did sloppy work. A good starting point would be Forums First   or Kick Start Your Forums.

3) Court Research

Now many of these jobs require that you have to travel to your local courthouse, so even though it is a work from home job, it is not a work AT home job. You will need to be able to get to your local courthouse, and it is also ideal to have a laptop as you will be inputting court records and then submitting them over. The pay can be wonderful, especially if you have several hours a day to dedicate.  Some good starting points are United Data Network , Sunlark Research , and Wolfgang Research.

4) Medical Transcription

Most MT jobs do require that you have experience. This is something I have not delved into yet, but I have seriously been thinking of taking online classes to learn since I have heard that there is plenty of money to be made in this field. As soon as I research more into the training aspect, I will be posting a blog with the best training sites available.

There is also legal and corporate transcription as well, in case medical transcription does not suit you.  Accurate Typing and AccuScribe may be worth looking into if you have previous experience.

As always, be careful of those scams out there. Always remember to never pay anyone in order to work. The links provided have been tested so if anyone decides to pursue them, do so with confidence!

So I’m finally getting around to listing daily leads for all the potential telecommuters out there or, or telecommuters that may be sick of their current job, and want to find something new. Again, most of these have been screened and are found not to be scams. Good Luck !

WRITING:

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=625413

http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1024355

MARKETING:

 http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=ILKV&ff=21&APath=2.31.0.0.0&job_did=J8F8345XV6T6BV3DPVW

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

https://citi.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=640696

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION:
http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=17150

Just recently I found out that an article I had written over two years ago has been active and online. The problem with this is that it was not my article, or at least that’s what the person in question is making others believe. Seems that an business associate I used to work with on article writing has taken my article and passed it off as his own without telling me. To say that I am a but irritated is an understatement.

Unfortunately, this is happening everywhere. People can simply right click, take someone’s writing, and pass it off as their own, even make a nice little profit off of it. I’ve decided to do some research on this topic to try and come up with the best solution to keep this from happening to me, as well as to others.

One thing that many bloggers and article writers do not think about is getting a copyright for their writing, myself included. After doing some research however, I discovered a fact that many people I have spoken with do not know, and certainly not the article stealing crooks. In the USA, after April 1, 1989, anything  that has been created privately or originally is already protected. Since most article snatching jerks may not realize this, it doesn’t hurt to to have the added protection. So go ahead and make sure that “Copyright (dates) by (author) is on all your writings.

Another problem is that many people have no idea if their articles have been stolen. A good measure, at least from what I hear, is to use Copyscape. You simply fill out your URL on the site, and it will tell you where your popular articles are.

Last, another good measure is to make sure that all of your writing is right click disabled. Most article snatchers are lazy ( or they wouldn’t be taking yours in the first place), so when they see its not as easy as cut and paste, they usually go elsewhere.  By adding in a javascript code, you can protect your writing. Of course there are some that can still get around that, but for most novices it is enough to steer them away. I’m not quite sure how the java script codes work yet, but I am in the process of learning.

Back with more later….for now I need to get a little sue happy with my article napper.

As technology advances, more and more people are turning to the internet for information. Businesses are literally in a rat race to get their information out there and seen before their competition. Gone are the days when one can just simply type in a standard bit of information and watch the traffic pour in like rain. Information seekers normally type in specific keywords as to what they are they looking for into major search engines, thus potentially pulling up keyword enriched articles that will lead the reader to a particular site. On-line writing is an entirely different ballgame when it comes to writing articles. Targeting specific keywords is a must for a website that wants to drive in traffic, or a writer who wants their article to be read. There are crucial points to consider when writing keyword articles, but when they are all combined together, the success rate of the article more than doubles.

First and foremost, keywords must be chosen carefully. Whether it is a single word or a phrase, keywords are the key to having your website get hits. For example, an article on video games should have the words “Video Games” appear in the article, especially the title. However, if you use specific target keywords along with “Video Games”, such as ” Nintendo Video Games”, your article will attract a bigger audience. Be careful not to force chosen keywords into an article. This particular mistake can can quickly disinterest a reader. A good rule of thumb is to use your keyword or keywords in your title, your first sentence, then no sooner than 200 words after. You should also carefully sprinkle the the keywords throughout the article.

Another important factor in article writing is to keep it simple. In other words, keep the paragraphs short. Reading on-line is quite different than reading a book. On-line readers tend to have a shorter attention span as opposed to reading off-line material. Also, long paragraphs tend to be more difficult to read. You are not writing a novel. Simply keep paragraphs as short as possible, while also maintaining an informative article.

Grammar is extremely important. No one wants to read an article with run ons, misspelled words, and wrong punctuation. Even if you think you have done a top notch job, it is never a bad idea to run through a spell check, and read your article over again.

Stay in charge of your topic. A keyword article should of course be informative, but a writer should always take an authoritative role as well. People are looking for someone who knows that truly knows their subject. Many readers are looking for a solution to a particular problem. You want your article be their solution. Research more if you must, but take the leading in your article.

Finally, there is the resource box. This is your chance to shine. Typically written at the end of an article, the resource box gives readers a chance to know more about you, the author. A URL referring readers back to a homepage should be placed here. This is also a place to give a mini biography and do a bit of shameless self promotion.

As major search engines such as Google and Yahoo continue to grow, they also continue to become smarter. Google for example, scans the particular keyword in an article, and the more times the keywords are found, the more likely your article will show up. However, do not abuse the keywords. Keywords are your friend, and with the right article, they can become a friend that you will never want to give up. Just remember to keep your paragraphs short and your grammar impeccable, all the while maintaining a leadership role throughout the entire article, and hits will come in the abundance.

It still amazes me to this day how many people out there actually think that there is no genuine work at home jobs, and no real way to make a living at home. We have all the scammers and fly-by-nights to thank for that. Because of this I have decided to show those you out there that are looking for a legitimate job at home, and you non believers as well, that there is definitely a way to telecommute and make a living.

Back in 2001 when my daughter was born, I knew right away that I wanted to stay home with her. I also knew that I would not be happy unless  I was doing something and bringing in money. That’s when the whole work at home concept came into play for me. After 8 years of searching and researching, I have ran into golden jobs, and also some not so nice ones as well. However, the experience has allowed me the knowledge to weed out the scams, and seek out the legit.

Also, just to be clear, working at home is not just for moms or for women. I’ve been told quite a few times by my guy friends that they think companies are biased and will only hire women…..not true. Working at home is for anyone and everyone. A friend of mine is disabled, making it hard for him to commute each day. In turn, he has built up a nice little portfolio over the years from freelance writing (He also has a Today blog here: ReviewsNThoughts).

I’ve created a list of what I know are legitimate work at home careers. They will be broken up into different categories so that you can choose which area works for you. Today my blog will list many customer service jobs available. As I go along I will be adding writing, accounting, data entry, admin, non profit, and engineering positions.

I will also be sure to add hot daily job leads that I find. Those are the ones that you may want to apply quickly to if you are interested!

Some of these companies are hiring all the time, while others will accept your application and place it on hold until they do hire. All the companies will have that information on their website:

CUSTOMER SERVICE: ( Note that most customer service jobs will expect you to have a dedicated land line, high speed internet, quiet work area, and an up to date computer)

*1-800-Flowers

* Acolade

* ACD Direct 

* Advanis  (Sorry, Canada only for this company)

*Alpine Access

*Arise

*Cloud 10

*Embarq

*GE

*Infocision

*Intuit

*Intrep

*Live Ops

*Public Opinion Research

*U-Haul

*West

*Westat

*XAct

CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT MAY INVOLVE SALES/TELEMARKETING:

*Blue Zebra 

*Brighten

*Connect2Agent

*DeRosa

*Expert Business Development

*Grindstone

*HotPoint

*Next Level

*Working Solutions

After hearing one of my favorite actors ever ( literally I’ve been watching this guy since he was in Space Camp back when I had a huge crush on his brother River) had turned from acting to rap, I was pretty shocked to say the least. But since he’s such a good actor, he should have no problem being a great rapper too right ? WRONG (see video below).

Fortunately after seeing the video, I am hearing it was all a hoax. Apparently Joaquin and buddy Casey Affleck, whose married to his sister Summer, planned the scheme to make it seem like Joaquin lost his mind, turned to rapping, then stressed out and fell on stage.

I guess you can call this one of the worst publicity stunts at its finest, and Joaquin, please stick to acting, but just don’t cast yourself as a rapper…EVER

Man, the last Sober House episode on Vh-1 threw me for a loop. Now, I know that addicts have a slim chance of recovery, but when you go into a sober house with drugs on you, already high as a kite, then I have to ask myself what’s the point of even going?

Just in case anyone isn’t familiar with the show, Celebrity Rehab is a reality where show where celebrities all live in rehab together in order to try and live a life of sobriety. After rehab, celebs are then given an opportunity to live in a sober house, with less rules, more freedome, but yet at the same time NO drugs, alcohol, or sex.

Steven Adler, former Guns N Roses drummer, decided to try out Sober House. Yet on the first day he was high as hell, cursing, causing chaos, and sneaking off into the bathroom to smoke more heroin. Didn’t this guy realize that this was a sober house?

Now I have never been addicted to heroin, so I cannot even begin to understand how painful it must be to go through detox and rehab, just I just find it really strange that the guy would bring his drugs right into the house with him, knowing that he would have to show the house monitor everything he brought with him. Then again, maybe he is sneakier than most, because although a few needles were found, apparently the rest of his stash was well hidden as later that night he dipped away from the others to have a toke.

The most heartbreaking part was watching him walk around bombed out of his mind. He could barely walk, barely talk, and barely even put his shirt on.  I feel if this guy doesn’t get more help soon, he is not gonna make it. It’s sad to see such a talent throw his life away like that.

I found this video on Youtube and thought  it was fitting for Steven. Kudos to the creator, and we are pulling for you Steven.

Steven then: 

Steven now:  

To me it has……

I’ve pretty much been an avid watcher of American Idol since the days of Kelly Clarkson, but little by little as each season has passed, I’ve become a bit disenchanted with the show. It just seems that they are rehashing the same things year after year without bringing anything new to the plate. Now, at least they have tried by bringing in the new judge Kara, but there just isn’t enough substance in her to pick up the pace  (I do like her though).

Also added to the staleness is the judges and their attitudes. Where once Paula used to be the encouraging and sympathetic one, she’s now throwing out overtly rude comments without a hint of humor. For example, a southern wanna be Idol (see pic below) told the judges to “Be Careful” as he was walking out of the room on a recent episode. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve heard many southern folks say that while leaving. It just as common as saying, “Have a Great Day”. Yet Paula immediately became defensive, telling him that he should never say that to anyone and that it sounds like a threat. Get serious…….it was almost enough to make me puke.

Then there is Randy. He doesn’t add much but an occasional laugh and a “Whatz up Dawg”…nothing else there. Simon, who has been my main inspiration for watching the show is just saying the same lines over and over, and getting more arrogant by the minute. If I had a dime for every time Simon tells someone that they are the worst singer he has ever heard, then I would probably be as rich as he is.

Yet I still watch though. I think maybe it’s because I truly do enjoy seeing the talent that comes from the show. I can’t say that I  have ever bought any of the contestant’s singles or albums, but I do enjoy watching true talent perform and finally get the chance to show what they got to millions. So because of that, I will probably put up with the rude judges and the obnoxious marketing of Coca Cola and Ford. Who knows, maybe the next John Lennon will emerge from this show, and then maybe I can redeem myself for watching it so much.

Ok so the new season of American Idol kicked off its 2 hour season premiere last night just about the same way every other season starts. There were the good ones, the bad ones, and of course plenty of lame jokes by Ryan Seacrest.

After two hours of watching, the only thing that really stood out to me besides the blonde girl from Kentucky (who has one the most smokiest and nicest voices I have ever heard)  was ” The Bikini Girl”. I have no clue what this chick’s real name is, as all I remember is my mouth dropping open that someone would actually come to audition for a singing competition in a skimpy bikini.

Of course right away I figured that she wasn’t gonna sing worth a damn. In my opinion, anyone who shows up dressed like that is trying to show off her better assets to make up for the lack of singing skills. Surprisingly though, bikini girl wasn’t half bad. She was definitely far better than I would have expected. The most entertaining part though, was the new and colorful judge Kara Dioguardi and her classic reaction.

It was apparent that Kara didn’t like the girl, and just as me, thought she had no business wearing what she did to a singing competition. Kara not only critiqued her choice of clothing, but also showed up her singing by belting out said tune by herself. It makes me wonder why Kara never made an album of her own, because damn that lady can saanngggg…

Sadly as much as I have tried to find a copy of the audition on Youtube, it keeps getting taken down for some sort of copyright violation. Maybe they will post in the actual site, but until then, if anyone else saw this little tidbit, I would love to hear your thoughts.

So after an agonizingly long season (or so it seemed ) of watching Real and Chance try to find true love on Vh-1’s ” Real Chance of Love”, the season finale has finally came and went. I was a bit surprised to see Chance shed tears. He just seems so goofy and wanna be “gangsta” that I really didn’t think he had it in him. However, I wasn’t surprised at all that he didn’t choose any of the girls. He is about as ready for true love as a toddler is ready for a driver’s license. At least he was honest enough not to string the last standing girl along anymore.

I’m willing to bet anything that there will be another Real Chance of Love, minus Real. Chance is still out there looking for his true love, or maybe he is just looking for more fame on Vh-1. Either way, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be another “Chance at Love” in the making.