In the modern world, there is not just one career pathway open to you. If you have a computer and an internet connection then, there are all manner of ways in which you can begin to establish a career online. It used to be that everything in the world of business was face to face. Now, you might never see or meet your employer as they could be the other side of the world.
If you would like to work from home then, there are many ways you can start. There is one thing you should know before you begin your career. It will not be easy to work at home. If you picture yourself sitting in front of the TV, relaxing all day long then, you are in for a reality check. Working from home means that you will need a strong level of dedication to your career. Sure, you won’t have a boss breathing down your neck, but without that pressure you might fail. Here is how you can establish a successful career without leaving the house.
Step 1: Find out what career will suit you best
When you are choosing a career, you will need to weigh up all your options. What suits your current skill set and where do you think you could improve? Many of the careers that involve working from home are within the creative industries. You might want to be a freelance graphic designer or an online personal assistant. Look into the large variety of jobs that suit online working. You might find that you come across a role that you didn’t know existed but which is ideal for you.
Step 2: Gain a degree or qualification
For some careers, you will need to gain a degree or qualification to get ahead. You no longer need to go to university to get a degree as you can now study many degrees from home online. This new website that has great information on different degrees to help you make an informed decision. Make sure that you understand what each degree entails before you sign up for one. A degree is a huge commitment, and so you need to make sure that it’s right for you.
Step 3: Study courses online
If you don’t want to get a degree then, there are a range of online courses that you might want to study. Make sure that you look into courses that suit your prospective career. For example, if you want to be an online assistant then, you should look to study courses that focus on accountancy. You can gain many qualifications online that will help you gain your dream job. Remember, if you are working from home, you will need to have a high level of dedication to your studies. Make sure that you are studying what you love before you make any commitment.
Step 4: Watch video tutorials on creating a resume
Your resume is an introduction to you and everything that you stand for, so it better be great. When you create a resume, you should always be thinking about your next employer. What do they want to know about you? How much time do they have to read your resume? What can they learn from the resume in just one glance? You should be taking all these things into consideration when creating your resume. Watch some video tutorials on YouTube to ensure that you create the best-possible resume.
Step 5: Create a strong portfolio of work examples
When you are working online, people will need to see examples of your work. Remember, these people are not meeting you in person, and so they can only judge you based on your previous work. Create a portfolio website that showcases your work. Choose pieces of which you are most proud and which will help to impress employers. You should make the site look attractive and easy to use as this will help when employers are looking over your work. Make sure that you choose pieces that will suit your next employer to showcase. Doing so will mean that employers believe you are ideal for their company the moment they see your work.
Step 6: Promote your work online
When you’re working online, you need to be ready to promote your work online. Make sure that you are forthcoming when it comes to promoting your services and talents. It might be worth taking out an advert on a popular website or just promoting yourself via social media. The world of online promotions will be tricky to get your head around to begin with, and so you must learn fast. You will need to be flexible in the ways in which you promote yourself and think outside of the box if you’re going to standout from the crowd. Remember, there are many people working online, and so you need to be exceptional.
Step 7: Create a strong online presence
You should create a strong social media presence online. When employers look at your resume, the first thing that they are going to do is Google your name. When they do that everything from your Facebook to your Twitter will pop-up for them to browse. You should be trying to impress employers at every hurdle. Make sure that your online presence is impressive and inventive. You should aim to gain a large following on Twitter and have a huge amount of connections on LinkedIn. Spend some time learning how to create a following online as doing so will help you in the long-run.
Step 8: Search for work online
Searching for work online is easy. There are many sites that are set up just for freelancers, as well as plenty of online job sites. You should try your luck with both Elance and Freelancer online, which will help you get work straight away. The main issue with these sites is that, you will find, the rate of pay for work is quite low. You will need to establish yourself online if you want to get better-paid jobs. Remember, the more work you do online, the higher fees you can ask for your work. Keep at it and in the end you will have a solid career.