~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ www.RatRaceRebellion.com Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week’s mix brings you news of a recruiting drive for call center agents by Arise Virtual Solutions; a note on how “The Today Show” crashed our servers; the first of an occasional series in which we’ll share success stories about folks who find work through Rat Race Rebellion; and a brief but enlightening glance at how a couple runs a publishing company from their RV. Twenty screened job leads also follow -- along with tips on how to improve your chances in the job hunt -- and free samples of creams, cold remedies, and yes, even cat food, to make your day! Enjoy! SUCCESS STORIES FROM RAT RACE REBELLION Looking for home-based work can be discouraging sometimes. Prospective employers are disappointingly silent, scammers tell you every day that you’ve “won the lottery,” and people are often at home alone, and haven’t yet developed the online “moral support” networks that more experienced home-based workers share. So periodically we’ll run profiles of some of the folks who have found work through our job leads. This week we feature Peggy Crippen, a mom and writer who lives in Kansas. Here’s Peggy’s story, in her own words. ---- PreschoolRock was the initial writing job I found through Rat Race Rebellion. I am pretty sure that Demand Studios (through a link to Media Bistro) came from a Rat Race Rebellion job lead as well. It did not take long for me to find these jobs, either. I started visiting Rat Race Rebellion at the beginning of October, and by Dec. 1 my site at PreschoolRock went live. I live in central Kansas with my husband and son. During the day, I am a counselor working with military service members transitioning out of the Army. Writing is my latest (and most fun!) career venture. Currently, I write the Kindergarten Preparation section of PreschoolRock, a preschool website at http://kindergarten.preschoolrock.com/ , as well as freelance articles for Demand Studios. I also write a blog at http://pegswriting.wordpress.com . My long-term goal is to write full time. I attended college at Kansas State University and have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Human Development and Family Studies. For many years, I worked with families and children doing parent education and social services at a preschool program for low-income families. My other career experiences include working with survivors of domestic violence and adults with chronic mental illness. I left my job doing parent education to be at home more with my family, but working with parents and their preschool children is my passion. By writing, I can share my knowledge and provide parents of preschoolers with some useful information. I am continuing to research and read on topics related to parenting so I am able to provide new insights to those reading my website. ---- We asked Peggy to elaborate on her work-at-home situation. RRR: Describe your writing responsibilities at PreschoolRock.com. PEGGY CRIPPEN: After being selected as a topic writer for Kindergarten Preparation at PreschoolRock.com, my first job was to set up the pages. Although I was not familiar with web publishing, learning the process was fairly easy because I had a good editor to walk me through it. Selecting the topics was a bit trickier, only because I wanted to include as much information as I could and I had many ideas. I have a decade of experience working with children preparing to enter kindergarten, so I had to consider what would be most helpful to parents. After I wrote the initial articles and got the pages formatted, I launched my site on December 1st of last year. Now, I write and publish at least one article a week, but I am free to write and publish as many articles as I would like. RRR: What kind of writing would you like to do full-time, and why? PEGGY CRIPPEN: I love to write, so I am enjoying my topic writer position. I am hoping to branch out and write about other topics, though. Writing for print publications is my goal and my dream is to write a book someday. For now, the Internet is a great place for me and I am working on continually improving my writing skills. RRR: How has working from home benefited you and your family, and what, if anything, would you change about working from home, if you could? PEGGY CRIPPEN: The practical side of working from home is that I save two hours in commute time and am better able to balance family obligations with work. Working from home has also given me more freedom to express my creative side. I am able to work at my own schedule and am more productive at writing because of it. Right now, I am still working some outside my home as a counselor, so I am not fully at home yet. My goal is to build enough of a client base to be at home fully by the end of the year. I am lucky that I have a husband who supports me in most anything I choose to do. My five year old son loves it when I work from home. He likes knowing what I do when I am working, and understands that some of my computer time is work time. When he starts school in the fall, it will be a no-brainer that I will work when he is at school and my husband is at work, so I will have more time to spend with them afterward. Working from home requires planning. If I could change anything about working from home, I would have set up an office or desk and filing system to keep everything more organized ahead of time. It is difficult to accomplish what needs to be done when things around you are in chaos. I have wasted time getting things organized after the fact. ## ARISE SEEKS 250 BILINGUAL (ENG.-FRENCH, ENG.-GERMAN) CALL CENTER AGENTS US-based virtual call center Arise Virtual Solutions announced today that it’s seeking at least 250 home-based agents who are bilingual Eng.-French or Eng.-German. According to Arise’s press release, the new agents will handle multilingual customer requests from its technology and retail clients, and with their language skills may earn 20% more than other agents. For detail, see lead No. 1 below. “THE TODAY SHOW” CRASHED OUR SERVERS (OUR THANKS -- AND APOLOGIES) We were mentioned on “The Today Show” last Monday in a segment with Dr. Dani Babb on working from home, and the response was so strong that it overwhelmed our servers. (The phrase “Rat Race Rebellion” went to the No. 1 spot on all Google searches that day.) We apologize if you tried to access the site then -- it took far too long to load -- but we’re back to normal now. (We had had good server backup, but obviously not good enough, and ordered an upgrade that day.) Thank you, Dr. Dani and Meredith Vieira, for the mention, and for helping people work from home. If you’d like to see “The Today Show” segment, it’s online at http://tinyurl.com/3x6xs2 . Dr. Dani’s site is at http://www.drdaniellebabb.com . (PS -- The leads we feature here in the Bulletin are withheld from the website for a week, to give readers an edge, so don’t forget to watch for us every Thursday in your in-box.) FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Here are this week’s freebies, to help stretch the budget. (We found one non-US freebie, but would love to have more, so if you find one you’d like to share, please send it to me at mhaaren@staffcentrix.com . Thanks!) -- Pledge Multi-Service Wipes (US): http://tinyurl.com/36due5 -- Curel Life’s Stages Moisturizers (US): http://tinyurl.com/2cbtf2 -- Simple Derma Cream (UK): http://tinyurl.com/2do3bz -- Airborne (“Natural” anti-cold remedy. Chris and I have tried this, and it really does help ward off or shorten colds and sore throats.)(US): http://www.airbornehealth.com/promotions_pixies.php -- Purina Healthful Life Cat Chow (US): http://tinyurl.com/yo58cl MANAGE A PUBLISHING COMPANY FROM AN RV? THE MOBILE WORKFORCE GROWS Eamonn Carey (from Dublin, Ireland) runs a video production company. Andy Abramson manages a staff of 15. Nathan Swartz designs websites. Dave Taylor writes a blog. Richard Hoy runs a publishing company. What do they all have in common? They work from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. Featured in a recent article on the mobile workforce in Wi-Fi Planet, these folks illustrate the growing truism that work is not a “place” -- that you have to commute to, for example -- but an activity. They and millions of others like them work from cafes, hotel lobbies, airline clubs -- even RVs. (Campgrounds have Wi-Fi connectivity now, which enables Richard Hoy and his wife to run their publishing company as they travel.) Granted, you couldn’t work as a call center agent from your local cafe. However, you could grade class work and interact with students online, translate a paper, design websites, write an article for an online newspaper or blog, and carry on numerous other activities that bring in revenue every month. For more on the growing ranks of “Wi-Fi nomads,” see http://tinyurl.com/3ylnrs . FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: How do I get work-at-home employers to respond to my job applications? I have applied to a number of companies with no response. What can I be doing wrong? R3: First, keep in mind that competition for home-based jobs is strong, and that many employers simply do not reply to online applications they’re not interested in. (Sometimes, they will mention this policy in their job leads.) To paraphrase Seinfeld, “It’s not you, it’s them.” (Unless, of course, it is you... For a few tips on how to improve the odds, read on.) Why don’t hirers reply to resumes the way they used to? There are several reasons. The slower pace of the past permitted more courtesy; the strong demand for home-based work makes individual replies unfeasible (call center LiveOps, to give just one example, says it receives 3,500 applications weekly for its home-based agent positions, and selects only 5%); smaller companies can’t afford to devote staff time to reply considerately to large waves of emails; and e-applications are easy to dispose of -- just hit “delete” -- which makes it easier for the deleter not to care. (Some people who are new to telework even doubt that online employers really exist. However, American Express, IBM, AETNA, Lockheed Martin, Google and many more do indeed hire from home, and we carry their leads regularly here and on our website.) To make your search more effective, be sure your credentials are current (“superior,” of course, is even better), and your resume optimized for virtual work. Some quick tips for a better job application: -- Avoid references to why you need to work from home (employers, as profit-seeking entities, want to hear how you will benefit them, rather than vice versa); -- Stress your ability to work with minimal supervision, with examples, if possible; -- Reference your excellent home office setup and any experience you may have with remote working relationships; and -- When applying for jobs via online forms (unless you're instructed to do otherwise), submit your resume in plain text format (ASCII text), rather than in WORD, which can become garbled in transmission. RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The best ideas are common property.” -- Seneca 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. Bilingual (Eng.-French, Eng.-German) Call Center Agents (US) ||||| US-based virtual call center Arise Virtual Solutions seeks 250 bilingual agents to handle customer requests from its technology and retail clients. (Editor’s Note: Some call centers hire agents as independent contractors, others as employees. Arise, in a variation of the independent contractor approach, requires its agents to incorporate, and contracts with the agent’s corporation for the agent’s services. For a detailed chart comparing virtual call centers and their wages, requirements, etc., see http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html .) “Arise recruits, screens, and certifies thousands of Arise Certified Professionals (ACPs) that invest in their own training and equipment to answer calls, e-mail and provide interactive chat services from their home offices. Operating as individual small businesses, or Virtual Services Corporations, ACPs choose specifically when and with which Arise clients they would like to work.” For more detail on Arise and its agents, see http://www.arise.com/Content/default.asp and the drop-down menu under the links, “Work at Home” and “Have Freedom.” For Arise’s bilingual-agent hiring announcement, see the link below. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/27eqj3 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Editor for New Family-Focused Website (“Work from anywhere with your laptop”) ||||| US-based freelance and employee staffing firm The Hired Guns is advertising for an Editor for a new family-oriented website. Responsibilities include setting the site’s tone, producing original content, and promoting the site via blog(s) and conventional media. “You have a track record of whipping out quality copy at breakneck speed. You have extensive experience writing and editing for the Web, and you know how to keep content tight and punchy. Not only do you have plenty of personal anecdotes to share, but you also have a knack for getting the best out of your contributors.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=73201&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Bloggers on Varied Topics ||||| BigThink.com is looking for Bloggers to create two 400-word posts per day on various topics, “from science to faith & beliefs.” Preference given to experienced Bloggers. => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=887331 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Freelance Writer Coordinator / Editor ||||| US-based newspaper Redding Record Searchlight seeks an Editor-Administrator. “Responsibilities include finding freelance writers, generating story ideas, assigning stories to writers and editing copy to AP style.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/youa42 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based Transolutions is looking for full-time MTs with at least 2 years’ experience, for second and third shifts. Signing bonus; “many types of transcription.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14874 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Freelance Golf Reporters (“In the Asian region”) ||||| Philippines-based AsiaGolfOnline.com is looking for freelance Golf Reporters to cover golf-related developments “around the region.” “We are still new so we can't pay much for our freelance writers. But there are perks to be had when you join us.” => Learn More: http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/job4082.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Expert on Dogs (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times, is looking for a part-time Expert on Dogs. “The ideal candidate will be: * a well-respected dog trainer or breeder with extensive knowledge of various breeds, dog care, and training techniques; * an experienced, licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician; or * someone with a professional background working with dogs and is a recognized expert in this area.” About.com pays its Experts (“Guides”) a minimum of $725 monthly during the first two years of their contract. Substantial writing responsibilities apply. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. PHP Web Developer ||||| US-based placement firm The Boylston Group is advertising for a PHP Web Developer. “The ideal candidate would have at least 7 years in the IT industry and 5+ with with PHP. You must also have XML, HTML, CSS, Windows and SQL SRV. Pluses would include .Net, LAMP, excellent communication, and independent work skills.” Salary range $101,000-$125,000. => Learn More: http://www.boylstongroup.com/JOB/INDEED/107403/PHP-Web-Developer.aspx <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris and Mike here -- Do you need writing experience to qualify for freelance writing, proofreading, blogging, or editorial jobs? Want to showcase your expertise in a subject to employers or prospective clients? We recommend Helium (and it’s free!). You can get writing experience with an easy-to-start blog, and be eligible for compensation while you learn. You can also choose among many popular topics, and build your credentials while you write about what interests you. For more, just go to http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2238344-10469777 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Automotive Technical Editor for CHILTON ||||| US-based learning solutions provider Delmar Cengage Learning seeks a full-time (contract) Automotive Technical Editor to creative automotive service information for CHILTON. “Ideal candidates will possess five or more years of recent automotive technician experience with ASE certifications or equivalent knowledge preferred. You should understand diagnostics for engine performance systems, anti-lock brake systems and climate controls, as well as standard mechanical components.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/327xcf <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Google Website Rater -- Spanish Language -- Argentinean (US or CAN work authorization) ||||| Google continues to advertise for part-time, temporary “Quality Raters” to do website evaluations. “Candidates must be fluent in Argentinean-based Spanish” and “must have in depth, up-to-date familiarity with the Spanish Argentinean language, culture, media, and Web culture.” Must also have a strong ability in written English (“perfect English not necessary”), have high-speed Internet and “Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.” => Learn More: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/answer.py?answer=53726 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based Medware is looking for full-time acute-care MTs (all shifts) with at least 1 year’s experience. => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14875 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Bloggers to Cover “Consumer Electronics, Cell Phones, Cameras and / or Apple” ||||| Dabbledoo Media seeks Bloggers to cover the above topics. Must be proficient in English, have a unique style and know the subject. Must post at least 20 articles per month, 200-400 words each. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1090 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. REMOVED ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Perl Developer for Quick Job ||||| US-based Hiller Paper seeks a Perl Developer for software to parse orders. “What we need the script to do is quantify each line in the order file to see if the price for the product is correct.” => Learn More: http://jobs.perl.org/job/8016 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Director of Benchmarking, Catholic Health Initiatives ||||| US-based nonprofit Catholic Health Initiatives is looking for a full-time Director of Benchmarking. “Key responsibilities include: providing leadership in the operational benchmarking efforts, leading the benchmarking submission process, providing education, maintaining consistency in the use and interpretation of benchmarking results utilized in analysis, providing key analysis and evaluation of MBO performance to support operations improvement and performance management efforts, serving as the resident expert on Thomson (Solucient) Action OI and other benchmarking tools, and supporting the integration of Benchmarking and Productivity data across Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI).” Must have at least 10 years’ experience in hospital and healthcare operations management and a Master’s in “health care administration, business administration, management engineering, finance or related field.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2dd2er <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Freelance Copywriters for Ad and Marketing Campaigns (“Authorized to work in US”) ||||| North American placement firm seeks freelance Copywriters. “Must be proficient in AP and Chicago style marks and/or are knowledgeable with AMA medical terminology.” => Learn More: http://directemployers.jobcentral.com/rhii/03350-9475484.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Google Website Rater -- Spanish Language -- Mexican (US or CAN work authorization) ||||| Google continues to advertise for part-time, temporary “Quality Raters” to do website evaluations. “Candidates must have in depth, up-to-date familiarity with the Spanish Mexican language, culture, media, and Web culture.” Must also be fluent in Mexican-based Spanish, have a strong ability in written English (“perfect English not necessary”), have high-speed Internet and “Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.” => Learn More: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/answer.py?answer=53788 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Sr. Flash Developer ||||| US-based IT consulting and staffing firm Turnberry Solutions is advertising for a Senior Flash Developer for a 6-month part-time project. “Candidates will be able to conceptualize the graphical user interface of rich media content and flash-based applications. Gathers client requirements and creative assets to build rich media content. Integrates company branding, video, animation, still images, and audio into the creation of banners, games, streaming video, and animated and/or interactive presentations.” Requirements include strong background in Actionscript 3.0. Pays $55 per hour. => Learn More: http://www.devbistro.com/jobs/68744 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Freelance Print Designer ||||| Design and marketing firm Pixhaus is looking for a Print Designer to be available on short notice. “[E]xperience in brochure design, packaging and newspaper adverts. We do a lot of print and exhibition work in the 'property field' but also have other clients.” => Learn More: http://www.noagenciesplease.com/index.html?action=job&id=19839 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Travel Book Copy Editors ||||| Avalon Travel, an imprint of Perseus Books, seeks freelance Copy Editors for travel books. “[Y]ou must be able to meet tight deadlines. All projects are transmitted electronically as Word files, and freelancers should expect to use the Track Changes function to input modifications and queries.” Must have at least 2 years’ experience editing book-length manuscripts. “Salary range 20 USD.” => Learn More: http://www.diversity-jobs.com/details/job/41663/search/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* That’s this week’s issue, Dear 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.