The Best Jobs and Companies for
Telecommuting

After making the decision to become a telecommuter, the next step is finding a telecommuting job. In many cases, workers that are already employed can perform their roles from home, so they should explore the possibility of telecommuting with their employer. People who are looking for work, or working for a company that does not allow telecommuting should follow some simple guidelines for finding a telecommuting job.

Although almost every company has some jobs quickly filled by telecommuters, some employment sectors seem particularly willing to employ telecommuters. The following information on telecommuting jobs and companies is based on data for USA.

Industries and positions suitable for telecommuters include some of the most familiar:

  • Education - Colleges and universities have embraced telecommuting as a way to bring the most qualified instructors to students in virtual and traditional classrooms. Many educational instructions have professors and pupils that telecommute, putting the sector at the forefront of the evolving employment model. Schools also employ telecommuters to facilitate the process of accepting and enrolling students. Some examples of the jobs in education that employ telecommuters include:
    • Online Adjunct Instructor
    • Remote Tutor
    • Enrollment Specialist
  • Medical - Telecommuting technology has become commonly used to connect doctors with distant patients. Doctors use cloud-based video conferencing technology to evaluate patients who live in places with limited resources for healthcare. Although some physicians have begun working remotely, other jobs in the medical field have also opened up to telecommuters:
    • Healthcare Information Specialist
    • Research Scientist
    • Nurse Case Manager
  • Sales - Technology has helped people in the sales profession make productive use of their time. Rather than commuting to a traditional office, many sales representatives work from home, calling on customers and closing deals. Some of the telecommuter jobs in sales include:
    • Brand Specialist
    • Sales Associate
    • Sales Executive
  • Writing - Jobs performed using a computer, such as writing, naturally lend themselves to telecommuting. Some writing jobs available to remote workers include:
    • Blogging
    • Creating website content
    • Editing
  • Project Management - Project managers coordinate resources from suppliers and team members to produce deliverables to clients. In the office, project managers do most of their work on the computer and telephone. Telecommuting jobs in project management can include:
    • Web Development Project Manager
    • Public Relations Project Manager
  • Information Technology (IT) - Some of the earliest telecommuters were programmers, data entry clerks, and support agents. IT continues to have many positions available for telecommuters:
    • Software Developer
    • Website Designer
    • Java Developer

Remote workers should expect to receive salaries similar to their counterparts in the office, commanding a broad salary range. Some examples of the highest paying telecommuting jobs, according to FlexJobs, include:

    • Clinical Regulatory Affairs Director: $150,000 - $151,000
    • Supervisory Attorney: $117,000 - $152,000
    • Senior Medical Writer: $110,000 - $115,000
    • Environmental Engineer: Up to $110,000
    • Director of Quality Improvement: $100,000 - $175,000

Although companies of almost every size have embraced telecommuting, some companies have been more aggressive than others. The following three businesses hire the most remote employees:

  • TeleTech, a provider of outsourced business processes, fills several positions with remote workers:
    • Cisco IPT Escalation Engineer
    • Customer Service Associate
    • Sales Engineering
  • Convergys, a business that supplies customer and information management solutions to large corporation has telecommuters fill jobs with titles that include the following:
    • Technical Customer Service Representative
    • Bilingual Data Collection Interviewer
    • Account Manager
  • Sutherland Global Services provides services that improve productivity and efficiency for clients in government, healthcare, financial, and other industries. Sutherland hires remote workers for several positions including:
    • Customer Care
    • Technical Support Consultant
    • Customer Service Agent

How to Find a Telecommuting Job

Searching for a telecommuting job begins with planning overall career objectives. By defining career goals and determining the type of job and salary they want, workers can direct their job search, focusing on jobs that contribute to their objectives. As part of the job search, candidates should update their resume and cover letter and choose personal references that can give them positive recommendations.

The beginning of a job search also provides an excellent opportunity for people to update their email addresses, business cards, and contact information.

People seeking employment as a telecommuter can attend networking events and join professional organizations to gain increased exposure to possible employers. Afterward, employment prospects can use social media to connect with other people and companies on a professional level as part of their job search.

example image
Image courtesy of pexels.com

Some online resources feature positions for telecommuters such as FlexJobs, Indeed, Upwork, We Work Remotely, Stack Overflow, and AngelList can also facilitate the job search. By entering keywords such as “telecommuting,” “telework,” and “remote work” into search engines, people can find additional employment opportunities.

Telecommuters should not limit their search to areas near their home. Instead, they can consider working for a company based anywhere in the world.

Avoiding Work at Home Scams

Scams seeking to profit from the growth of telecommuting as an employment model can derail job searches and lead to identity theft and other losses. While looking for work, make sure your resume includes limited contact information and avoid displaying detailed work history and other personal information such as:

  • Social security number
  • Driver’s license number
  • Alien registration number
  • Birth date
  • Passport number
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Bank account / Credit card numbers

You should also install an Internet security package on your computer that will help protect you from malware and other threats from scam websites posing as work-from-home opportunities. Despite your eagerness to start working from home, you should always guard your financial information.

While looking for a telecommuting job, you should always ask some vital questions about a job listing before applying or providing any information:

Does the job listing provide identifying information about the hiring company?

If so, prospective applicants can research the company online to learn key facts including their location and telephone number. Job seekers can also look online to see what kind of reputation the company has. If the company does not include their name in their job listing, applicants should beware, because a scammer or firm of ill repute might have placed the advertisement.

Does the job require a payment before a person can start working?

Most jobs do not require the payment of a fee before someone begins work. Anyone considering sending money should first carefully investigate the opportunity.

Does the job listing sound too good to be true?

In many cases, offers that seem impossible exist only to defraud the innocent. Eager to begin work, prospective telecommuters might fall for seemingly incredible job offers if they do not carefully investigate them first.

Does the company offering the job ask for personal information such as social security, driver’s license, bank account, and other numbers?

You should never provide any personal identification or financial information as a precondition for employment.

Does the job seem reminiscent of work at home scams?

Job titles that promise home-based work with vague descriptions that claim to pay for activities such as depositing money into bank accounts, stuffing envelopes, data entry, assembly work or pyramid schemes try to lure victims with the promise of home-based work.

How to Ask Your Boss
to Work from Home

To find a telecommuting job, employed workers often need not look farther than their current employer. Businesses, looking for ways to trim overhead without sacrificing productivity, often help employees make telecommuting successful. In companies where telecommuting has not yet become an alternative, employees can introduce the topic and volunteer for a groundbreaking trial that can open the doors to other employees.

Knowing that managers and supervisors might not know much about telecommuting, the employee broaching the subject should first prepare for the conversation. Armed with statistics, news stories, and testimonials, the employee can knowledgeably argue for telecommuting.

example image
Image courtesy of pixabay.com

If the company has guidelines on flexible working arrangements, those policies can form the basis for a compelling win-win case for telecommuting. When employers understand that workers have a plan that will help their company, they will more likely agree to a trial period that will test the compatibility of telecommuting with their business model.

The Transition from an Office-Based Job to a Home-Based One

Making the change from a regular employee to a telecommuter requires the following steps:

  • Reduce presence in the office: pressures of work in progress and normal routines can make breaking away from the office difficult. Rather than commuting to work and waiting for a more convenient time to start home-based work, the new telecommuter should immediately begin to reduce time spent in the office. The first full day working from home should help everyone understand.
  • Workers having trouble making the change can volunteer for projects and extra work they can do remotely. They can also reduce the number of meetings and events they must attend in person.
  • Introduce new tools: new telecommuters should get managers and IT personnel involved in new tools for communication and product management that will help unify the team.
  • Schedule Updates: new telecommuters should proactively schedule time with their boss to discuss progress and any needed changes. Similarly, new telecommuters should solicit feedback from coworkers, friends, and family members.

Staying in Touch with Colleagues and Management

After becoming telecommuters, employees must stay connected with colleagues and management, to provide status updates on projects and to maintain relationships. Some ways telecommuters can remain a visible part of the team include the following suggestions:

  • Attend office meetings, give presentations, and regularly communicate via telephone and email.
  • Assume the responsibility for maintaining communications.
  • Stay flexible and visit the office when necessary.
  • Provide a regular schedule and accommodate the schedules of others.
  • Attend all social events.
  • Keep managers aware of career goals.
  • Maintain internal awareness of personal feelings and needs.
  • Become a reliable and dependable asset.
  • Understand cultural differences.

After finding a telecommuting job, employees can focus on becoming established in their new work environment.

Copyright by Tablet2Cases