Step 3:  Learn Which Skills Are In High Demand In Your Perfect Job, And Get Them

You'll have greater success in locating and landing a work-at-home job if you have the specialized skills  employers are looking for.  For example, if you're looking for a home-based clerical job, you're not likely to find very many legitimate, advertised home-based typist jobs, but home-based typing jobs that specialize in transcription (especially legal and medical transcription) abound. (And, I'm talking about REAL typist jobs where you'll be hired by a legitimate employer, and required to produce documents.)

I became a successful (and highly paid) word processor/desktop publisher because I seized every opportunity to learn and master new techniques and software programs.  The more technical skills you have, the more you have to offer prospective employers.  The more you have to offer, the more valuable (and in demand) you will become. 

Never stop learning.  Your commitment to continuous learning will mean the difference between success and failure -- personally AND professionally.

You can learn new skills, or polish those you already have by using the resource links below.  And, be sure to read my article entitled, Experience Necessary: 5 Ways To Gain Experience In A Newly-Acquired Skill, for ideas on how to get around that old "catch-22." 

No Cost/Low Cost Career* Skills & Computer/IT Training

free-ed.net
Complete courses and tutorials for more than 120 different vocational and academic disciplines. (Free)

Free Courses.com
More than 300 free courses offered on their site, plus lots of additional links to free courses offered elsewhere on the Web.

FreeSkills.com
Hundreds of free online IT tutorials. Tutorials range from entry level texts on using word processors to advanced techniques in web development/database design and network routing.

Tutorial Find.com
Free tutorials on everything from Accounting and Candle Making to Web Design and Xara.  Holy smoke -- I couldn't believe the list of tutorials here.  Ya' gotta check this site out!

Programming Tutorials.com
Want to learn C++, Java, or Perl?  You'll find more than 150 free tutorials on over 20 programming languages.  You will also find over 20 message forums including one for each language you want to learn. 

GCF Global Learning (en Español)
Free online courses in computer, internet, and email basics, as well as career skills and popular computer software. 

Learn2.com
I love this site!  I've taken a couple of courses here, and I love the interactive presentations.  Course subscriptions are reasonably priced, and are offered in 6 month and 1 year durations. 

TrainingTools.com
Free web-based training courses in programming, web development, and graphics development software. 

PCShowandTell
Over 40,000 animated, voiced tutorials, on more than 100 of your favorite software applications. (Subscription: $30/year give you unlimited access to the entire course library)

No Cost/Low Cost Typing Courses

Learn2Type
Free interactive exercises to teach you how to type, or help you improve skills.

TypingWeb.com
Hundreds of exercises and interactive games for anyone who wants to improve their typing skills within a few hours. (Subscription: $19/year)

Medical Transcription Training

HTC Distance Education
Online training includes courses in medical coding and medical transcription

Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc.

How To Gain Experience In A Newly-Acquired Skill

Experience Necessary: 5 Ways To Get Experience In A Newly-Acquired Skill

By Grace M. Washington

Career development requires a commitment to learning new skills.  But, for the stay-at-home parent or anyone desiring to begin or change jobs in a home-based career, how to gain experience in those newly-acquired skills presents an even greater challenge.  It's the old catch-22: the vast majority of employers are looking for people with experience in a given skill, but you can’t get experience unless someone hires you to use your new skills.

So, what's the answer?  How CAN you get experience in a newly-acquired skill?  And, how can you get that experience, and still maintain control and flexibility over your schedule?  Here are five creative, flexible options you can use to get the experience you need:

1.  Temping
Working short- or long-term temporary assignments is a great way to gain experience.  In addition, your employment with the temp agency can offer numerous other benefits, including:

• access to free computer training

• opportunity to earn extra money WHILE you get the experience you need

• risk-free opportunity to gain experience in a variety of industries and work environments

• flexibility to choose the location and length of assignments

• full employee benefits, including medical and 401K contribution (often available after a minimum number of hours have been worked)

2.  Volunteering
If you need lots of flexibility in your schedule, volunteering is probably your best bet.  You can volunteer as little or as much as you desire.  Also, volunteering provides a valuable opportunity to sharpen not only new technical skills, but your people skills as well. 

To get the most out of your volunteer experience, you should have a genuine desire to help the organization you select.  A single-minded interest in only gaining quick experience will be perceived by the staff, and won’t garner you the positive and glowing reference you’ll need as confirmation of your experience for prospective employers.

3.  Freelancing
If you are new to freelancing, you can use completed coursework (as outlined below) to provide examples of your experience with related projects.  Additionally, new freelancers may find it useful to offer their services for free or at a minimal price.  Look for projects that offer the possibility of ongoing work.  And, be sure to ask for a testimonial at the end of each project, as an important component of any flourishing freelancing career is great word-of-mouth.

4.  Job Sharing
Job sharing is a flexible work arrangement where two people, each working part time, share the responsibilities of a single, full-time position.  While using new skills to job share a “regular” job with a new employer may be difficult (given the prevailing experiential catch-22), there’s certainly nothing to stop you from sharing a freelance, temp, or volunteer position.  You can learn more about job sharing, and view a sample job sharing policy at Workforce.com at http://www.workforce.com/section/02/article/23/33/23.html.

5.  Promote Your Coursework
While prospective employers may place a higher premium on “workplace” experience, the value of completed course assignments should not be overlooked.  These “hands on” projects definitely count as experience, but your success in using them to secure work will rely upon your ability to help your prospective employer see how the value of that experience will benefit his or her organization. 

Of course, this option works best if the completed assignments you select resulted in a tangible product (i.e. completed articles, proposals, or essays to demonstrate writing skills).  And, the better the grade you received on the assignment, the easier it will be to communicate the value of the “experience.”

Several years ago, I learned that a gentleman was looking for someone to review and finalize a business plan for his start-up.  At the time, the only experience I could show was a marketing plan I had completed as part of my coursework while attending New York University (I had received an “A” on the assignment).  I was successful in persuading him to consider the value of the experience and how it would benefit him, and offered to finalize his plan on spec.  He agreed, and I reviewed and edited his business plan.  I even used my word processing and desktop publishing skills to create a polished presentation.  The end result: he was awarded $15,000 in start-up capital for his new company, and I earned $450.00, and was able to add “workplace” experience and his glowing reference to my resume.

Finally, when using any of these options, resist the urge to simply “do your job” and leave. For example, while studying Marketing at NYU, I wanted to deepen my understanding of theory by simultaneously working in a marketing environment.  I signed on with a temp agency, and accepted a data entry assignment in “Color” Marketing at Avon.  As my primary interest has always been computer technology and its use, I quickly mastered their DOS-based new product development program, and volunteered to edit and maintain their user’s manual.  When the company decided to build a Web-based program, to my surprise, the project manager (whom I’d spoken with only one other time) invited me to write the user’s manual, and to train all headquarters staff.  I quickly accepted, and was offered full-time employment. 

Always take full advantage of every opportunity to talk to people in other areas of the organization.  If you don’t, you could miss out on the employment opportunity you’ve been looking for.  Remember, all of these opportunities come with a built-in “inside track” on unadvertised openings.  New skills with new experience and new contacts often creates a successful new career.

*******************************************************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Grace M. Washington, Silver Spring, MD
grace@myworkathomeessentials.com  

Grace Washington is a freelance writer and owner of RTIQLIT™ (pronounced “articulate”) Communications, a home-based marketing and corporate image solutions consultancy.