The Hunt for Telework - Industry Trend or Event

Home Office Computing, July, 2000 by Phil Albinus

A little ingenuity goes a tong way when seeking telework in the job description

PATTY COLTON IS POUNDING THE PAVEMENT. With more than eight years' experience as an office manager, Colton should have a relatively easy time finding a good job. Not so. The 36-year-old mother from Dallastown, Pa., wants to work from home. "Finding a telework job is more difficult than I thought," she says. "In Pennsylvania, the idea just hasn't caught on yet."

Regardless of the roadblocks, workers continue to seek out companies with creative benefits packages that include telework. How many would-be telecommuters are out there? More than you'd expect, says Gail Martin, executive director g of the International Telework & Advisory Council (ITAC) based in Washington, D.C. In a recent telephone survey, ITAC found that although a good percentage of workers want to telework, their companies don't have formal programs.

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The people in the front lines--career counselors and human resources executives all agree: Teleworking is a hot interview request. "There's no better time in history to ask to work from home," says Sylvie Charrier, president and founder of Workaholics4Hire.com, a Web site that matches industries with both contract and salaried teleworkers.

"It's a good job market and a lot of people are more confident about asking to work from home," explains Helen Harkness, a career-change counselor in Garland, Tex. "Flexibility is critical," she adds. "In the past, working parents wanted to be home with the kids. Now, we see professional men and women who want to work out of the house."

But how do you broach telework in a job interview? "Asking a potential employer to let you work from home may end the interview," warns Roger Sommer, vice president for Interim Career Consulting in Los Angeles. "A lot of people get telecommuting jobs after being N onboard for a while."

Knowing how and when to negotiate during the interview process is key, Sommer explains. "After an employer expresses interest during the interview that they want you, then your negotiating stance is better. They are selling you the job; you're no longer selling yourself to them."

Plenty of teleworker wannabes are fresh out of college with little job experience, says Martin. "Gen Xers are asking for and landing telework jobs because they're comfortable with technology," she adds. "In addition, bosses agree to hire them because there's such a dearth of skilled workers today."

Unfortunately, scam artists have recognized the increasing call for teleworkpositions. "The demand for this kind of employment is high but the legitimate opportunities are fewer," says Janet Scarborough, president of Bridgeway Career Development in Seattle. "If you go to most job search boards that promise telework positions, you will get scammed."

In her own job hunt, Colton has learned to be wary of online subscription job boards. "The work-at-home ads looked promising and I [and] my friend were gullible enough to fall for it," she recalls. "Luckily we didn't lose too much money, but we lost a lot of time working for a company that still hasn't paid us."

Wanted: Work-at-Home Jobs

Finding a telework job takes more than scanning the want ads for the `T' word.

These tips can help.

60 to Job Fairs Visit company booths and ask if working from home is a possibility. Hint: Ask if there's an official policy or if it's on a worker-by-worker basis.

Keep a Keen Eye Ads that promise $10,000 a month working from home? Ignore them. "When they ask you to pay for information, it's a scam," warns Janet Scarborough, president of Bridgeway Career Development.

Be Flexible If you want a full-time job, don't just concentrate on large corporations. Smaller companies are more apt to offer you flexible hours.

Show Your Track Record Give your potential employer proof if you've had other telework experience. Ask a reference or even coworkers to mention your work-at-home ability in a letter.

Help-Wanted Sites

When searching for telework job leads, beware of subscription fees. These three Web sites deserve a look: www.tjobs.com, telework-connection.com, and www. workaholics4hire.com

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The Hunt for Telework - Industry Trend or Event

Home Office Computing, July, 2000 by Phil Albinus

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