~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week we have the inspiring story of an opera singer who went on to a virtual career; news of chefs getting paid to give you cooking advice from home; tips on applying for a blogging job; and a wonderful new invention that helps time-starved couples take back from the Rat Race those magical romantic moments of poignant yesteryears! Jobs this week include Website Reviewers, Bloggers, Proofreaders and Editors, Medical Transcriptionists, and Writers for finance site The Motley Fool. Enjoy, Good Luck, and Happy Groundhog Day (aka James Joyce’s birthday)! OPERA SINGER, MOM, AND VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL: A WALL STREET JOURNAL SUCCESS STORY Today’s Wall Street Journal has an inspiring profile of Mary Hern, a US Air Force spouse who attended our Virtual Assistant training in Colorado Springs, Co. It’s a story you might like. Mary originally trained as an opera singer (she performed for Pres. Clinton). "Then in my early twenties, I met my husband, an Air Force man, and we were married four months later, in 1999. I realized then I had other priorities.” When Mary attended our training, she really stood out. She was focused. She sat in the front of the room. She wanted to try new things, working from home, and she really wanted to succeed. She has indeed succeeded, and so has her family. (Their photo is included with the article.) This is their story: http://tinyurl.com/2azx3a CHEFSLINE LINKS HOME-BASED CHEFS TO CUSTOMERS IN NEED If you have guests coming over and don’t know what to cook -- or you’ve got solid chef credentials and would like to work from home -- there are interesting options at New York City-HQ’d ChefsLine, which opened its virtual doors in 2006 (http://www.chefsline.com). It’s one of those concepts that seems obvious -- once somebody else has brought it to life: home-based chefs offering advice to people in a cooking pinch or who need to entertain (and getting paid up to $30 an hour). The company also offers cooking classes, “delivered by phone and online, so you can learn in your own kitchen,” and free recipes and tips. We’ll be interviewing ChefsLine CEO Jennifer Beisser in next week’s issue, so stay tuned! “HOW TO APPLY FOR A BLOG JOB” The big news is not so much that blogging is popular and -- when done right -- can make money. The larger story is that the Internet (in its role as an entertainment and information medium) is moving steadily toward a “free content” model. (This is one reason why hard-copy newspapers are in such trouble. They are losing money, and readers, because people say, “Why should I buy a paper, when I can get fresher and far more detailed coverage on the same subject on the Net for free?” Advertisers, of course, are following.) Sites all over the Internet are vying with each other to attract and “keep” visitors. They do this by trying to build the most compelling content possible. The content is usually word-based (About.com, for example, with its Guides, or b5media, with its 320 blogs), though it can often be blended with video, music, photos, etc. (YouTube, Facebook, and so on). What does this mean for you? Four words: Nail those writing skills. People who know how to write well, and can tell a compelling story, will have a job on the Internet for years to come. Which brings me to blogs. Right now, blog networks are hiring, and they’re paying, too (usually by the month, or by the post). A few years from now, “blogs” may be supplanted by something else, different or similar, but they will still be founded on the same skill -- writing. Australia-based blogger Darren Rowse, whom I often mention here, has done a nice piece on how to apply for a blog job. Since he knows more about it than I do, let me include the link here: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/08/30/how-to-apply-for-a-blog-job/ You’ll also find blogging and other writing jobs listed in the leads below. “FAMILY-FRIENDLY ECO-TOWNS” MAY COME TO UK A recent article on the UK’s Timesonline announced a carbon-neutral housing initiative, where shops and schools will be within walking distance of specially-made “zero-carbon” homes. The piece quotes the UK’s Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, on the urgency of “green” housing: “Our new homes must be part of well-designed and mixed communities with excellent local facilities and that means more family homes, as well as parks and green spaces. With the urgent challenge of climate change, they must be greener homes, built to the highest environmental standards.” Sounds good. The drawback? Developers say the houses will cost up to £40,000 more than conventional homes. Further, the article doesn’t mention telework, which needs to be optimized if an “eco-town” is going to live up to its name. Telework, “walking distance,” and tax incentives. If you have those, you have a solution. For more, the article is at http://tinyurl.com/2xttql . THE RAT RACE MAY PULL US APART, BUT THE BATHROOM CAN BRING US TOGETHER The Rat Race has played havoc with love lives everywhere, but just in time for Valentine’s Day comes the TwoDaLoo, where time-starved couples can find quality moments together and rekindle the glow of those honeymoon days. How so? Shared time on the potty! Side-by-side toilet seats may not have been at the top of your beloved’s Wish List, but then, what are surprises for? (“An upgraded version includes a seven inch LCD television and iPod docking station.”) Get yours today at http://www.wiserep.com/productDetails.php?id=5769 . FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: How did you and Chris develop your media relationships? R3: We’re often asked this question, and the short answer is, “Bootstrapping is the mother of invention.” When we launched our training company, Staffcentrix, in 1999, we couldn’t afford a marketing or advertising team, or even to buy ads. (Hiring a PR firm, which is often an ineffective solution for smaller businesses anyway, was also out of the question.) We realized that if we could teach ourselves to interact with the media, we could get publicity for free. As I’ve mentioned here before, any business, no matter how small, can learn to work with the media to grow, because every business is unique, and has a unique, multi-faceted story to tell. (Even the franchisee of your local McDonald’s has a unique story, because he or she is an individual, and individuals are by definition unique.) The “trick” is to identify the unique facets of your story, learn to convey them effectively, and see where those facets meet a media need. Stay tuned here for more on how to grow your own small business or freelance projects with the media. FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING With a recession coming on in the US (and perhaps internationally as well), “frugal and simple living” may take on new significance. But come good times or bad, we’ll continue to bring you ways to save money and “buy less, appreciate more.” -- Free Pretzel Day Feb. 2 at Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. (The ad copy says “at stores [US] nationwide,” but what’s to lose if you live outside the US? The chain is international, so print a copy of the offer and see if YOUR store will hand over that free pretzel!) Details at http://www.auntieannes.com/auntieannes.aspx?pID=97 -- Curves Honey Crunch Cereal samples, at http://tinyurl.com/yu7h7g -- Support your faithful doggie with a free “Life’s a Dog” bumper sticker, at http://www.lifesadog.com/bumpersticker.php -- A great site for “all things frugal,” Frugal Villlage, at http://www.frugalvillage.net RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The obscurest epoch is today.” -- Robert Louis Stevenson Rebelliously Yours, Michael Michael D. Haaren, Editor-in-Chief The Rat Race Rebellion =>=> New Leads for Home-Based Jobs and Projects <=<= *Editor’s Note: All positions are screened, but we can’t of course “guarantee” the legitimacy of any hirer or lead, so please do your own ‘due diligence’ as well! All positions are paid unless otherwise noted. The amount of compensation is included in the summary when given in the underlying lead. Also, please note that on occasion the hirer will decide to change the description or the availability of the job or project shortly AFTER the summary is published here. (Unfortunately, we have no control over this.) Therefore, be sure to read the underlying ad carefully, and apply promptly for any job that interests you. ||||| 1. Website Reviewers (*Pays $10 per site) ||||| UserTesting.com is advertising for Website Reviewers. “Website owners ask for users to test their site. Whenever your demographic profile matches their target audience, you're given the opportunity to test their website.” According to the lead, a site review takes roughly 20 minutes. Must have high-speed Internet. *Editor’s Note: As the lead points out, hiring depends on your demographic profile, and there’s a lot of demand for these assignments, so you may have a wait. => Learn More: http://www.usertesting.com/BeTester/index.aspx <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Test-Prep Writers and Reviewers for SAT, GRE, etc. ||||| Spark Publishing, a division of Barnes & Noble, is looking for Test-Prep Writers and Reviewers to “[p]repare and provide expert reviews for study guides to the SAT, GRE, ACT, and other standardized tests.” Must have excellent writing skills and relevant experience. => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=71472&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Breast Cancer Blogger ||||| Blog network b5media seeks a Blogger to cover breast cancer. “The ideal blogger will be a professional or breast cancer survivor and have strong knowledge and interest in treatments and new research that relate to breast cancer. Requirements are to provide information on how to live with breast cancer and deal with treatments and new medications as well as ways to cope with the illness. You will also be expected to develop and maintain a sense of community through social networking sites, related participation in forums and blogs, etc.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1037 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Online Internships for Cinema / Entertainment Website (*Unpaid) ||||| A new website to provide an insider’s perspective on the cinema / entertainment industry, InsiderCinema.com, seeks Interns. “Must be hard-working, entrepreneurial, self-starting, have great personal and networking skills, and an understanding of business and online communities.” Background in entertainment or journalism preferred, background in business an advantage. *Editor’s Note: Occasionally we include nonpaying positions for readers seeking to develop or update their resumes, or return to the workforce after an extended absence. => Learn More: http://www.hcdonline.com/jobboard/DisplayJob.asp?ID=38096 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Freelance Editors and Proofreaders ||||| Nativespeaker.com is looking for Editors and Proofreaders in “all academic fields” to “edit/rewrite the English used in research papers written by academics in Far-Eastern universities and intended for publication in English-language journals.” Must have excellent English skills. Pays $24 per hour. => Learn More: http://jobs.phds.org/job/7378/nativespeaker-com/freelance-editor-proofreader <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Writer / Analyst for the Motley Fool ||||| US-based personal finance company the Motley Fool is looking for a full-time Writer / Analyst to (among other duties) “[assist] in the development, research, writing, and analysis of stocks and sectors.” Must have strong knowledge of investing and personal finance. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2r328y <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Web Designer (“Anywhere”) ||||| US-based web design firm Biego seeks a Designer “who understands web design and usability and who can implement their design with xhtml/css (standards only please).” Must also know Subversion. First assignment is to redesign the company’s site. Long-term relationship sought. => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/1791/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris & Mike here – The Virtual Assistant movement is growing rapidly. If you have administrative, bookkeeping, or similar skills, and want to earn extra money working from home independently, we can show you how. (After all, “We invented this stuff!”) It’s all in our 288-page book, “The 2-Second Commute” (only $10.19 at Amazon), based on the 15-hour Virtual Assistant training program we developed for the US Armed Forces. See why Fortune Magazine called it "a must-read for anyone considering a home-based job." Get your copy now at FILL IN AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Medical Transcriptionists (“US residents only”) ||||| US-based FutureNet Technologies Corp. is looking for part- or full-time MTs with at least 5 years’ acute care experience. ESL dictator experience also required. Pays “8-10 cents per line based on 65 char. including spaces.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14648 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. News Editors (“Anywhere you like to be”) ||||| Newser.com is looking for News Editors with several years’ experience to assign articles, edit news summaries, etc. “Newser.com searches out the best news stories and opinion pieces from all over the web and digests them into short summaries that highlight the most interesting information, voices, and ideas. Think of it as a news aggregator with human intelligence.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=71598&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Weight Loss Blogger ||||| Blog network b5media is looking for a Blogger to cover weight loss. “The ideal blogger will have strong knowledge and interest in treatments and new research that relate to weight loss. Requirements are to provide information on how to live a healthy life as well as ways to better your self. You will also be expected to develop and maintain a sense of community through social networking sites, related participation in forums and blogs, etc.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1036 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Freelance Copy Editors for China Projects ||||| US-based Berkshire Publishing seeks freelance Copy Editors to “[e]dit articles electronically for our China projects. Current projects include the 5-volume Berkshire Encyclopedia of China, which is designed to explain China from the Chinese point of view, and Guanxi, a monthly newsletter on China.” Requirements include strong background editing scholars’ work, knowledge of Chinese history and culture. Pays $22+ per hour. => Learn More: http://bbboston.org/pageJobs_view.cfm?jobid=6453 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Windows Mobile Developer ||||| Software firm Ascendo is looking for a Windows Mobile Developer for 100-200 hrs. of work, helping to “port an existing version of Ascendo Fitness, Nutrition and Exercise Manager, from BlackBerry to Windows Mobile Smartphone. The target device is the Motorola Q.” Required skills include C#, VB.NET, C++. “Freelancers and moonlighters welcome. Open to off-shore developers. Currently working with partners in the Ukraine & India.” => Learn More: http://www.devbistro.com/jobs/66567 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Senior Editor / Producer for Financial Content ||||| “Seeking Alpha, the leading online publisher of stock market opinion and financial analysis from blogs, money managers and investment newsletters, would like to hire a Senior Editor/Producer to manage editorial and site activity during U.S. market hours.” Requirements include a strong knowledge of the stock market and online media production. “The position can be performed from a home office and from any continental U.S. time zone.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=71627&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Freelance Artworker (UK; Berkshire area) ||||| A “global company” is looking for a freelance Artworker (“NOT designer”) who lives within commuting distance of Theale, Berkshire. “You will be working across the marketing mix projects including ad templates, point of sales, sales and marketing literature, etc. for many European countries, which mean you will be populating different artworks with many languages.” => Learn More: http://www.noagenciesplease.com/index.html?action=project&id=13652 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Freelance Writer for Book on Child Behavioral Problems ||||| “Legacy Publishing Company, a leading publisher of personal development products for families, is seeking a freelance writer to ghostwrite a book on solutions to child behavior problems.” Must have background in journalism or feature writing. “Knowledge of child behavioral issues -- either through personal experience or work with social service agencies -- is a definite plus.” => Learn More: http://www.jobsinme.com/seek/resultdetail.aspx?jobnum=365752 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Project Manager for IT Infrastructure Projects ||||| North America-based staffing firm Ajilon Consulting is advertising for a Project Manager with skills in “Network, Applications, Telecommunication, Security, Database, Internet, Wireless, Data Warehousing, Enterprise.” “Manages the development and implementation process of company's products and services involving departmental or cross-functional teams focused on the delivery of new or existing products. Plans and directs schedules and budgets.” => Learn More: http://www.datafrenzy.com/ajilon/job_details.asp?job_id=8124748 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Support Engineer (“Anywhere in the world”) ||||| Web hosting firm WebFaction is looking for Support Engineers. “You will be the first line of contact for our customers, primarily via our online support ticketing system but also on our blogs and forums. Your job will be to answer their questions, fix their problems and generally leave them with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.” Must have some familiarity with Linux systems. => Learn More: http://www.webfaction.com/jobs <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Senior Reporter for Marketing & Advertising (“Anywhere you like”) ||||| US-based marketing and advertising research firm MarketingSherpa, Inc., is looking for a full-time Senior Reporter with at least 5 years’ business journalism experience. “The beats you would cover are search marketing and online marketing. You'd be responsible for two exclusive, ~1,300 word articles per week, often based on single-source interviews, plus blogging about said beats.” => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=878426 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Freelance Writers (“Conservative-Leaning Publication”) ||||| A “conservative-leaning daily news magazine” seeks Writers for its website. “In addition to analyzing national and international news, we cover political extremism, immigration, academia, and cultural trends from an outspoken (but nonpartisan) position.” => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=878596 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Freelance Designer with HTML and CSS Experience ||||| RightsAgent, which offers content-rights services for writers, seeks a Designer for a recurring relationship, “to help us redesign rightsagent.com with a focus on improving usability (registration, source entry), highlight content in our system, and support upcoming functionality (primarily search).” => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/1779/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* Finitum est for this week, Cher Reader. Until next week’s issue, don’t forget to visit us for fresh job leads at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/job_postings.htm ! Rebelliously Yours, Michael -- Michael D. Haaren, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief Staffcentrix, LLC Email: mhaaren@staffcentrix.com Co-author of the bestseller on working from home as a Virtual Assistant, THE 2-SECOND COMMUTE, now available at Amazon.com or http://www.2secondcommute.com. See what else we’re up to on the Web, at http://www.WAHBoom.com (our new work-at-home site for Boomers), http://www.msvas.com (our Military Spouse Virtual Assistant community), and http://www.fse-entrepreneur.com (our Foreign Service spouse e-Entrepreneur community). ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ All contents copyright 2008 Staffcentrix, LLC, "The most trusted name in home-based careers."(TM, SM) All rights reserved.