finding work at home

August 16, 2021

Feeling Discouraged? How to Hang Tough and Find Job Search Success

Looking for a new job is exciting and can be fun. But, it can also be stressful and challenging, especially if you don’t get an offer for a job that genuinely interests you or if you’ve submitted several resumes with no luck. When this happens, it’s easy to get discouraged and quit. But, roads with potholes can lead to lovely destinations if you keep traveling. Persistence is the key to success in a job search.

If you view the bumps in the road as opportunities to sharpen your job hunt skills, it’s easier to take the steps that can help you overcome the hurdles. Here are our best tips for working through the challenges and sticking out tough times during a job search.

Get Back to Basics

When you look for a job, your resume is an essential piece of the puzzle. And, let’s just put it out there–resumes are tough to create and difficult to polish. It feels awkward to sell yourself on one page. And, revising it multiple times can make you feel a little crazed. But, if you aren’t getting job nibbles, it’s time to give your resume some love. Here’s how:

Take a fresh look at your resume and make sure that it’s easy-to-read, simple, error-free, and professional.
Ask a trusted friend or a former coworker to review your resume for errors.
Share it with someone from a different industry and ask if she can identify the work and skills you are highlighting. This is an excellent way to see if jargon or shop speak has made it into your resume and might be confusing people.
Add a few flourishes to appeal to the small business owners who will review your resume.

Based on your assessment of your resume and the feedback from your reviewers, make a few changes. As you revise:

Describe your contribution to success at previous jobs. Focus on the work you did and how it supported the organization overall. Think of the first bullet as a summary bullet. Here’s a sample: Grew sales by overseeing the development and implementation of marketing communication plans that addressed customer hesitancy while managing a team of three direct reports.
After the summary bullet, provide concrete examples of your experience that quantify your professional accomplishments. For instance, including a bullet that says “coordinated 150 meetings in six months to facilitate sales” is more potent than “coordinated meetings.” If you are having trouble putting numbers to accomplishments, talking it over with a friend or former coworker can help you develop those ideas.
Aim to add one-to-two bullet points for each year on the job. So, you may want to create six or more bullets to describe your accomplishments at a position you held for six years.
Remove experiences that are more than ten years old or not relevant to the job you are seeking. For example, if you are looking for a job as a virtual assistant, it’s ok to drop the lifeguarding gig you had in high school. Your resume is a highlight reel of your capabilities, not a detailed accounting of every job you’ve ever held.

Tighten Up Your Approach

With your spruced-up resume in hand, it’s time to narrow your job search. It may seem counterintuitive, but being picky about the jobs you go after can help increase your success rate for getting an interview. Casting too wide a net can lead to rejections while sending you into a frenzy of activity, applying for jobs, and following up with employers only to be disappointed.

Remember, you want to find the right job for you, not just any job. Before you apply:

Carefully read the job description. Consider whether you are qualified for the bulk of the work and whether the position genuinely interests you.
Tailor your resume for the specific job. Make the tweaks needed to fit the job description, but don’t do a total rewrite. Be sure to review your revised resume carefully.
Write a customized cover letter. Clearly express your interest and qualifications in the letter.

Polish Your Interview Techniques

Your resume and cover letter open the door for an interview. The interview is your chance to seal the deal by putting your best foot forward and showcasing all the skills you bring to the table. You want to project a professional image and be prepared to ask and answer questions. Here are my best tips for success:

Get dressed as if you are going to an in-person meeting. Although your interview is likely to be conducted via Zoom, it’s still important to dress as if you are going to an in-office interview. Wear professional clothes and make sure you are camera-ready.
Find a professional place to conduct the interview. You want to show that you are ready to work from home and have a set up to do so. Look for the best place around your house to set up your laptop and do the interview. A table or desk works well. Avoid your couch or bedroom, as it’s easy to feel too comfortable in those locations. Once you find your location, conduct a practice Zoom call with a friend or family member to try out your setup. Spend a few minutes getting the camera angle and light just right so you look your best. On your practice Zoom, make sure your background is not distracting.
Practice answering interview questions directly and get right to the point. Employers often tell us that candidates struggle to answer questions with the right level of detail and tend to over answer questions. It’s easy to ramble a little when you are nervous and want to make a good impression. Practice answering likely questions with a friend or family member so that you can nail the questions during the interview.

Consider Training

Applying for jobs with small businesses is a different ballgame compared to looking for corporate gigs. It takes a different skill set. And, like acquiring any new skill, training can definitely help.

Enrolling in the Job Seeker 101 course offered by HireMyMom will arm you with the knowledge and skills to help you land your dream job.

Through a series of video modules, the series covers how to conduct an effective job search that lands more interviews. It also covers ways to dramatically enhance your cover letter, resume, and interviewing skills. Hands-on materials and additional resources help you apply the tips to your job search. By completing the course, you’ll gain the confidence you need to take the next step and land the job you’re seeking.

Don’t Get Discouraged

If you don’t get a job offer after a strong interview, try not to take it personally. Any number of factors can influence the decision. After you hear the news, send a follow-up note to the person you spoke with to thank them for considering you. Share that you are interested in future positions.

Hang in there!

Finding the right fit and the right circumstances can take a while. Stick with it. Hold your head high, and don’t take it personally. A job search can be difficult, but the result is worth the struggle.

Written by Lesley Pyle

December 28, 2020

How to Get a Work-From-Home Job You Absolutely Love in Four Easy Steps

As we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a new year full of opportunities, one of your goals may be to transition to a job that lets you work from home or offers more flexibility for you to work on your terms. If so, you are in the right place to find the resources you need to make this the year you transition to working from home or to life as a mompreneur. Let’s make a plan!

Get Started

Think About What You Want

As you think about working from home and your career goals for 2021, consider:

What type of work do I want to do? Am I looking to build on my existing skills and experiences or go in a new direction? Do I prefer being part of a virtual team or working solo? Is it time to start my own business?
How do I want my workday to look? Do I want to be on the phone for a good portion of the day, or do I prefer solo work? Do I have concrete blocks of hours to do focused work, or do I need something that I can work on in short bursts of time? Can I work full time, or is part-time a better fit?
How does my budget look? Do I have a runway to start something new? Can I work on a project-by-project basis? Do I need a job that offers a steady paycheck? How will my expenses change when I work from home?

The questions above can be tough to answer. These resources can help:

Check out the Top 10 Work From Homes Jobs for Moms. This list can open you up to new possibilities you may not have considered in the past but could be an excellent fit for your skills, interests, and abilities.
Read success stories of others who successfully made the transition to working from home.

Review these tips for finding at-home work without a lot of experience, if you’re new to the workforce, or returning after a long absence.

Consider Additional Training

As you narrow down the type of job that interests you, take a look at the training and credentials needed to get a job in this field. Online training is available for many at-home jobs. Several free training classes are available in the resources section on HireMyMom. You can find training on starting a virtual assistant business, work as a bookkeeper, a social media manager, a content creator, and more.

Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business

If you’re ready to start your own business this year, consider becoming a virtual assistant (VA). As a VA, you take care of many tasks, including email response, appointment setting, travel planning, and calendar management. You can work as a general VA, who does a wide variety of tasks or become one with a specialty in a particular industry or need.

VA work is catching on quickly. It’s a great business model because it solves a problem so many people have — squeezing more tasks into a day. It’s also an excellent lifestyle for moms who want to control their own time, skip the commute, and put family first while still keeping professional ambitions alive.

At HireMyMom, we’ve partnered with four different training programs to help our members learn more about this business opportunity and acquire the skills needed to launch a VA business.

Find Job Opportunities

With a clear vision about your plans, it’s time to start looking for your work-from-home job. Having a plan to find job opportunities will make you more successful. Start by taking the Online Job Seeker 101 class available through HireMyMom.com for proven strategies to help you find and land jobs. Then, set aside an hour each day to find jobs that interest you, tailor your resume and cover letter, and apply. To find jobs:

Sign up as a Mom Professional on HireMyMom so you will have exclusive access to legit, work-from-home opportunities.
Research the types of employers that may need your skillset or offer the jobs you hope to land.
Talk to friends, neighbors, and family members who may have leads.

Get Started!

Once you land your work-from-home job, it’s time to manage the logistics of working from home.

Designate a quiet place to work and set it up with the tools you’ll need to work efficiently.
Identify your optimal work hours.
Talk with your spouse and kids (depending on their age), and ask for their support as you begin your new work journey.
Make a plan for your kids so you can find the time you need to work.
Consider ways to overcome the hurdles that are likely to pop up, such as internet outages, school holidays, and the general distractions that can come up when working at home.
Look at new options for managing day-to-day chores and household responsibilities that free up more work time for you.
Review my favorite productivity tips for moms who work at home.

Enjoy Your Success!

You’ve worked hard to get to this point, and I know that you will be successful in your pursuit of a job that lets you stay professionally engaged while working at home. I can’t wait to hear your success stories—best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

Written by Lesley Pyle

October 21, 2019

HireMyMom Success Story: Heather Swain

Tell us a little about you and your experience finding work on HireMyMom.

After a hard season of life, I decided to try and find a job where I can bring in some extra money while still being home with my son and not have to pay the insanely high costs of childcare. I saw an ad for HireMyMom, and I felt drawn to the site. Within my first day using the site I had two interviews scheduled and my first day as a VA is tomorrow!

What did you do previously?

Patient Advocacy. I have no previous experience as a Virtual Assistant. I have worked remotely on occasion at other jobs I’ve held, but nothing long term. I truly believe customizing my cover letters to mention how my past experience related specifically to each job I applied for helped me. I applied and also reached out via email to the contact listed on the job posting. The first job I reached out to this way is now my current employer! I fully believe that a customized email or cover letter and providing some information about yourself and your goals was the game changer for me!!

What is your top tip for landing a gig on HireMyMom.com?

Personalize your cover letter and always follow up. I think it’s so important because so many websites don’t provide that email contact information, and I believe if you have it, it’s worth reaching out to them to show you’re not only interested but that you’re willing to take charge and take a risk!! It can be scary to reach out to someone you don’t know, but it can come with big rewards as well!

What’s your favorite thing about HireMyMom.com?

That the employers are looking for help from women who are looking to better themselves and their families and understand the balancing act we take on as working mothers, especially those of us working from home.

What’s one fun or interesting fact about you?

I’m studying to become a certified aromatherapist.

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Written by Lesley Pyle

September 30, 2019

Why Moms Looking To Work at Home Should Avoid Free Job Sites

If you are a mom, you know first hand how exciting it is for your kids to go to the dollar store. I mean a trip to Target can cost you hundreds of dollars but a few dollars at a dollar store and your kids can quickly pick out a few fun things to entertain them without breaking the bank.

We know that when we walk into a dollar store stuff is going to be cheap. We don’t go into a dollar store looking for designer brands or high quality items, just some fun stuff to keep our kids happy and entertained. As soon as you walk into a dollar store, you are thinking to yourself: “No blowing my budget today, everything here is going to be cheap!”

If you are a mom who is new to looking for work at home jobs, mega job sites and “free” job sites can look pretty tempting but here is the reality, many of the employers who use these sites are in the same dollar store mindset: they are expecting to find people who are willing to work for really cheap.

And that brings me to the reasons why moms who are looking to work from home should avoid the large mega job sites and free work at home / freelance job sites.

Mega Job Site Users Shop For the Lowest Bidder

Many of the clients on the mega job sites are in a “dollar store” mindset when they are searching to find freelancers and tend to shop for the lowest bidder. This unfortunately means you are competing with other freelancers, many of whom are overseas where a U.S. dollar goes a lot farther and they can work for a lot cheaper. Hence, they can price their services significantly lower than yours making it impossible to compete.

I mean, it’s hard to land your dream client when you are having to compete with applicants charging $2-3/hour and not on the value you can provide. And many times its free for businesses to post their job because you are paying the site a commission out of your earnings which leads us to our next point….

They Take a Percentage of Your Earnings

Here’s a recent email we got:

“Hello, I am a freelancer who currently uses Fiverr and UpWork to gain writing gigs. I write website content and articles for businesses. I am tired of paying out 20% per project…..”

So not only can mega job sites result in you being underpaid, but they also take a percentage of your earnings. For example, if your list rate is $20 per hour, you can expect to earn around $16 per hour. When you negotiate a rate for a fixed-price job, the same applies. Let’s say you are getting paid $400 for a project, by the time the job site takes their percentage, you’ll receive about $320 as many of these sites charge 20% commission to the job seekers.

That might not seem like much but let’s say you bill 50 hours over a 40 day period. Instead of keeping the full $1,000 you actually made, you are paid $800. Over a 12 month period, they would keep $2,400 of your income. That adds up quickly, doesn’t it?!

You are Competing with Thousands of Other Applicants

Many of the mega job sites and free sites out there attract thousands of people because it’s free or at least you thought it was free in the beginning. Being free means that everyone is going to sign up because… why not. But with smaller boutique sites like HireMyMom, you are only competing with a fraction of that many applicants.

Some jobs on HireMyMom only have 5 or less applicants while others many have 20-30 but never hundreds. Job seekers have an advantage of not having to compete with hundreds or thousands of candidates, and employers appreciate not having to spend hours and hours reviewing resumes and cover letters. Hence, one of the reasons so many of our clients come back to post more jobs because of the high quality applicant pool and the relatively low amount of applicants compared to mega sites.

Many Free Job Sites Pull Jobs from Other Websites

Some job sites will pull job openings from other job sites making it even more difficult to stand out in the crowd. Just think how many more people will be applying for those jobs that are posted on multiple websites. At HireMyMom, all jobs are posted by the small business hiring. We do not pull ads from anywhere. In most cases, the jobs on HireMyMom cannot be found on any other website unless the business chooses to post it on another site as well.

So How Do You Find Legitimate Work at Home and Get Paid What You’re Worth?

At HireMyMom, we are mom owned and mom run. We are entrepreneurs running our own small business with a team of other moms we’ve hired right here on HireMyMom. We understand the needs and challenges of both sides and we aim to create a platform that works beautifully for both. Our business model is different than the mega sites in that we take no commission from our job seekers; instead we have a small membership fee starting at $9.99 for a one week trial membership. Once you’ve paid your membership, you don’t pay another dime. What our job seekers earn, they keep!

Over the past 12+ years, HireMyMom has helped thousands of small businesses find the perfect candidate for their projects while helping place thousands of mom professionals in their dream jobs. We do that by providing a platform that brings the best group of qualified and passionate women together with the best group of successful and growing small businesses who are looking for highly qualified virtual professionals with skills, experience and expertise.

HireMyMom is different than the Mega Job Sites and Free Job Sites in These Ways:

HireMyMom is primarily for North American candidates to protect our virtual professionals earning power and also giving our small businesses the high quality candidate pool they are looking for,
Candidates are not competing with hundreds or thousands of other applicants around the world,
HireMyMom does not take a percentage or commission of earnings from it’s virtual professionals or businesses,
HireMyMom is a boutique community offering personalized services, training, support and virtual high-fives,
You have the benefit of working with clients in or near your time zone.

Find your next work from home job at HireMyMom where we have a database of high quality projects and positions ready for you to review and apply for while providing you with a community that will support and train you as you work to build a long term freelancing career!

Hire My Mom

Legit work from home jobs