~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR In today’s issue we’ve got news of a recruiting drive for home-based call center agents to handle Mother’s Day orders, tutors sought internationally by the growing educational firm SMARTHINKING, telework programs in public-sector Virginia and private-sector Sydney (Down Under, that is), and beaucoup more! Hirers include 1-800-FLOWERS, Lockheed Martin, Avalon Publishing, Neopets, Nichols College (just around the corner from Chris, up in New England), websites in New Zealand and the UK, and the Bureau of National Affairs. Enjoy, Be Well, and Good Luck! 1-800-FLOWERS HIRING HOME-BASED AGENTS IN U.S. FOR MOTHER’S DAY RUSH Holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day often spell “flowers,” and 1-800-FLOWERS hires temporary full-time customer service agents to handle the crunch. They’re hiring again now in selected states, and the pay rate is $8.00 per hour, with a potential cash bonus at the end of the job. Besides earning some extra cash, this is a great way to get experience for permanent home-agent positions with companies like LiveOps, VIPdesk, Arise, etc. (For more on these companies and their positions, pay rates, requirements, etc., see our chart at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html .) For details, see Lead No. 1, below. SMARTHINKING HIRING TUTORS INTERNATIONALLY SMARTHINKING, a US-based company which provides tutoring services to students “of varying abilities and ages,” is looking for part-time tutors internationally (US-based bank account required) in a variety of subjects. Duties may also include mentoring new tutors -- a nice bullet point to add to your resume. According to its website, the company is building a wide client base, working with “over 500 school clients and businesses, including the U.S. Army, Capella University, University of Texas Telecampus, and Houghton Mifflin.” For details, see job leads captioned “SMARTHINKING,” below. “WE’LL HIRE GOOD PEOPLE ANYWHERE; OFFICES ARE SO LAST CENTURY” So said Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL, interviewed this week in the San Jose Mercury News after his company, which specializes in open-source software, was purchased by Sun Microsystems for $1B. (We often feature MySQL’s job leads here.) Mickos had been skippering a field workforce of 200 -- 70% of them home-based -- scattered through 30 countries around the world. Sun, for its part, has 33,000 employees worldwide, roughly 43% of whom are “mobile” -- working from home, on-site, in the odd café, or at clients’ offices. Mickos has changed titles now, from CEO to Senior VP, but adds, “We are a growth business and the mandate we have from Sun is to continue to grow even faster than before. So we'll continue to hire the best people, wherever they are.” For the interview, see http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/62671.html . HOW TO HAVE THE MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR EVER CREATED Park it. RRR MEDIA BEAT -- MSNBC FEATURES CHRIS & HER FAVORITE SCAMBUSTING TIPS MSNBC’s popular career expert, Eve Tahmincioglu, struck a blow against the scammers in a detailed article this week, covering several of the more prevalent work-at-home scams and how to spot them. Eve interviewed Chris for her own seven tips, in a sidebar on p. 2 under “Recognizing work at home scams.” For more, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24132244/ . Thanks, Eve, and MSNBC, for putting more spray on the cockroaches! “TELEWORKERS ARE EXCELLENT” SAYS VA. DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION Virginia Tax Commissioner Janie Bowen loves her teleworkforce of 616, she said recently in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "It turned out to be an incredibly good business decision," she noted. It’s not hard to see why. According to the tax department’s telework coordinator, they’ve already saved $141,000 on the relatively new program, much of it from increased productivity and decreased turnover. (Mother Nature would probably mention the burden she’s saved, too, from getting all those cars off the road.) For the interview, see http://tinyurl.com/3r4ebl . “HOW TO BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT” -- THE SECOND IN OUR SERIES OF EXCERPTS FROM OUR HOW-TO FOR VAs, “THE 2-SECOND COMMUTE” As the Virtual Assistant movement continues to grow, Chris and I are receiving more and more queries about what Virtual Assistants do, their pay range, how to get started, etc. In our March 27 bulletin, we began excerpting chapters and other relevant sections from our popular how-to for Virtual Assistants, “The 2-Second Commute,” which is based on the 15-hour virtual careers training programs we developed for the US Armed Forces and the Department of State. For readers who’d like to know more about the VA field, here’s the second installment in the series. (From Chapter 2, “Exploring Virtual Assistance”) Exploring Virtual Assistance When co-author Chris founded the Virtual Assistance industry back in 1995, people in her neck of the woods [Editor’s Note: Chris was in the farming corner of Connecticut, where she continues to live] had a hard time “getting their minds around” what she was up to. Friends and family would politely inquire, “So, what exactly is it you’re doing now?” Delighted to share her excitement, she would pitch into a monologue about the Internet, and the trend toward small business startups, and corporate downsizing, and the coming of broadband, and file transfers, and how her Website was developing. But much to her chagrin, their eyes would soon glaze over and blank expressions overtake their faces. (Eventually, she decided to keep it simple by replying, “I use the Internet to help businesspeople with their administrative tasks from my office instead of theirs.”) Usually, at this point listeners would feel that they had done their duty, and someone would give her a pat on the arm and say, “That’s nice, dear. Would you like another piece of pie?” Since then, the industry has grown so rapidly that the challenge is no longer how to explain “what virtual assistants do,” but to sort through the diverse interpretations of Virtual Assistance to clarify the core concept. Virtual Assistance Defined Reducing the idea to its basic elements -- two words, “virtual” and “assistance” -- can simplify things straight away. “Virtual” describes something that can be done or seen using a computer, and therefore without going anywhere or talking to anyone (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary), and “assistance” is the act of assisting or the help supplied (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The industry has also earned a full-blown definition in Microsoft’s Encarta® World English Dictionary (http://encarta.msn.com). The Encarta definition is: vir•tu•al as•sis•tant (plural vir•tu•al as•sis•tants) noun, long-distance assistant: somebody who uses computer and phone connections to work from a distance as a personal assistant to somebody else, instead of working in the same office or building. Nearly every VA has a “What is a Virtual Assistant?” link on his or her Website, but are they all using the same definition? Hardly! Try typing the phrase “what is a virtual assistant” (with the quotes) into Google (one of our favorite search engines), and you’ll get over 3,000 returns. [Editor’s Note: Since 2005, when this book was published, the number has grown to 43,000 returns.] Many of the sites listed in those returns will be using a “canned” definition of “virtual assistance” -- one that has been borrowed from another source. For example, there are literally hundreds of VAs who still use the copy we created when we launched Staffcentrix in 1999: Like the majority of their clients, Virtual Assistants are entrepreneurs -- highly skilled in their profession and able to have a powerful impact on the productivity of those they work with. Traditionally, they have been known by many names: secretaries, administrative assistants, executive assistants or bookkeepers. But in an age where technology has made the world a much smaller place, and where more professionals are working from their homes or in satellite offices, the former assistant has become virtual -- and thanks to the Internet, global…. Clients will vary in their location and business type, and skills and services will vary from VA to VA, but the core concept remains the same: virtual assistance is “professional help from afar.” *** (From “The 2-Second Commute,” by Christine Durst and Michael Haaren. Published by Career Press. Copyright 2005 Staffcentrix, LLC. All rights reserved.) For more detail on Virtual Assistance, see our page at RatRaceRebellion.com: http://www.ratracerebellion.com/VirtualAssistant.htm . “HOMESHORING” IN SYDNEY Down in Oz, Sydney’s looking a tiny bit more flexible for workers these days, according to a recent piece in the Daily Telegraph: “Insurance giant NRMA is one of a growing number of companies in Sydney who are decentralising their business and allowing workers to work from home.” Reading further, one learns that NRMA has sent 14 people home, which by US telecommuting standards isn’t a crowd, but at least it’s a start. Keep up the good work, NRMA! The Sydney traffic situation -- which even two years ago the Sydney Morning Herald was describing as “bleak” -- appears to warrant plenty of exemptions! For the article, see http://tinyurl.com/5rlhvb . For Sydney’s “bleak” traffic (it looks pretty bleak in the photo), see http://tinyurl.com/3gm77p . FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: I applied for a job as a home-based customer service agent. Although they seemed legitimate during the interview stage, they now say I have to pay for a background check. Is this typical or is it a scam? R3: In many home-based customer service jobs, agents handle customer credit cards or other sensitive information. Many employers therefore insist on background checks and, in some cases, credit checks. The fee is typically around US$35. EVER DREAM OF BEING A FARMER? CORNELL U OFFERS FREE ADVICE ONLINE I’ve often dreamt of being a farmer -- a Gentleman Farmer, that is, who rises late in the day to don a nice tweed sports coat with suede elbow patches, butter-soft walking boots, and a silk ascot, with a signet ring on my manicured finger, and my bird dog, Nigel, at my side. And on Sundays, a crumpet, a nap, a rose from the garden, a moment by the pool, and a nap. (I like this image, because pitching hay in Virginia in July, at $1.00 an hour, which I did as a teen, permanently ruined me for real farming, and drove me to the soft egghead work I do now.) However, if you’ve dreamt of true farming (even just a stall at the Farmer’s Market) rather than crumpet farming, Cornell U is there to help, with a nifty online course for beginners. (And it’s free, a price every farmer loves -- as my youthful wage attests!) Roll up your sleeves and take a peek, at http://beginningfarmers.cce.cornell.edu/learning.html . FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING The freebie and cheapie scouts reported in last night with saddlebags full o’ goodies. (Yanks only, I’m afraid, unless otherwise indicated. Nothing personal; non-US swag is hard to come by!) -- Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles sample: http://tinyurl.com/46sska -- Body Eclipse Aromatherapy Moisturizing Shampoo sample (US and CAN): http://meditasto.com/aromatherapy.php -- GoodNites children’s boxers and shorts samples (for bedwetting protection): http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid40610.aspx -- Fiber One Caramel Delight Cereal sample: http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid30562.aspx -- Playtex Drop-Ins Nurser Systems samples (US and CAN): http://www.playtexbaby.com/bpafree/info.html RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You’re not going to lollygag all summer, I’ll tell you that. There’s plenty of farm work around here. What do you want to grow up to be, a crumpet?” -- The editor’s late mother, Capt. Mary Fordney, USMC 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. 1-800-FLOWERS Customer Service Agents (US) ||||| US-based 1-800-FLOWERS seeks full-time temporary Customer Service Agents residing in Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Texas and Virginia. Requirements include a HS diploma or GED. Candidates must also “be highly PC literate and have their own PC with a reliable high-speed Internet connection, and a dedicated land line telephone (conventional non-wireless telephone connection) for incoming calls. The ability to type 35 words per minute is essential.” => Learn More: http://ww22.1800flowers.com/template.do?id=template8&page=9000#1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Writer for “Coastal Carolinas Guidebook” for Avalon Publishing ||||| US-based Avalon Travel Publishing is looking for a Writer for a guidebook on the coasts of North and South Carolina. “The writer should live near the Carolina coast or must have very close ties to the region and visit often. The writer must be very knowledgeable about the region’s attractions, should be able to provide strategic planning advice for travelers, and should have previous experience writing about the Coastal Carolinas.” => Learn More: http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/job4096.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Social Studies Tutors for SMARTHINKING (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| US-based tutoring firm SMARTHINKING seeks part-time Social Studies Tutors for “middle school through pre-collegiate levels.” “Candidates must be available to work afternoons and evenings during weekdays. Candidates may work up to 29 hours per week. To qualify, individuals must have substantial teaching / tutoring experience in Social Studies and an enthusiasm for online education.” => Learn More: http://www.smarthinking.com/static/e-structors/positions/socialstudies.cfm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Strategic Planner for Lockheed Martin ||||| US-based Lockheed Martin seeks a full-time Strategic Planner. “Develops long-range objectives and strategic plans for corporation or major division by identifying internal and external strategic issues that could affect growth and profitability. Scans environment for business opportunities, maintains surveillance over market, and may perform financial analysis of acquisition candidates. Develops and monitors profitability, productivity, and growth targets.” Minimum requirements include “Bachelors degree from an accredited college in a related discipline, or equivalent experience/combined education, with 3 years of professional experience; or 1 year of professional experience with a related Masters degree.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/693x4q <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Writer for Book on “Living Abroad in Panama” for Avalon Publishing ||||| US-based Avalon Travel Publishing is looking for a Writer for a book on “Living Abroad in Panama.” “The writer must have experience living as an expatriate in Panama and must be very knowledgeable about the process of moving to New Panama for North Americans and red tape and documents involved. The writer should also be familiar with all aspects of daily life in Panama… The writer should also know the best places to live within Panama and have previous experience writing about Panama, travel, and/or living abroad.” => Learn More: http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/job4094.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Portuguese Site Monitor for Neopets (North or South America; “minimal experience”) ||||| Neopets, the children’s toy maker, which maintains a popular website for children, seeks a Portuguese Site Monitor (bilingual Portuguese-English). “Responsibilities include monitoring our various administrative filters designed to flag and capture potentially inappropriate content, reporting such behavior, and then taking appropriate action as needed and responding to member inquiries and concerns using our web-based e-mail and administrative system. Experience with computers, the Internet, and sending e-mails is required.” Training provided, “minimal experience necessary.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/49ne9l <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Bloggers for Environmental Website (“Doesn’t matter where you live”) ||||| NZ-based website Celsias is looking for a Bloggers to cover environmental issues. Pays per post. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/5zhnxh <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris and Mike here -- Do you need writing experience to qualify for freelance writing, blogging, proofreading or editorial jobs? Want to demonstrate your expertise for hiring managers or prospective clients? We recommend Helium (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, click here. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Spanish Tutors for SMARTHINKING (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| US-based tutoring firm SMARTHINKING seeks part-time Spanish Tutors. “Responsibilities include tutoring and assisting in the training and mentoring of new tutors. Candidates can work from anywhere they have computer and Internet access. To qualify, candidates should have at least an undergraduate degree, teaching certificate and / or advanced degree in Spanish language. Candidates can choose to work 9 to 20 hours per week.” => Learn More: http://www.smarthinking.com/static/e-structors/positions/car_spanish.cfm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Junior Web Developer (“NY or remote”) ||||| US-based Orthodox Union, “a multi-national Jewish communal organization,” is looking for a full-time Junior Web Developer. Requirements include (quoting): -- Complete knowledge of/ability to code HTML -- Excellent knowledge of XHTML, CSS, and standards based development -- Experience with WYSIWYG programs like Dreamweaver => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/2201/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Online Librarian, American Public University System ||||| The American Public University System seeks an Online Librarian. “As part of a new breed of information professionals, our Online Librarians work on a team that is redefining library and archival practices within the revolutionary atmosphere of an online university. Online Librarians thus cooperate in the provision of around-the-clock electronic reference to an international body of students, faculty, and staff. Each is expected to take the lead for one or more database, e-book program, or tutorial service. Most importantly, the staff member is expected to specialize in Web-based (including multi-media) collection development.” “Master’s in Library and Information Science required.” Computer supplied. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/3uvmh9 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Berlin Correspondent for BNA (“In or near Berlin”) ||||| US-based Bureau of National Affairs, which produces publications on a variety of business, tax, and related themes, seeks a freelance Berlin Correspondent. “The reporter in Berlin will cover news from the German government including legislation, regulation, and the courts. The Berlin correspondent will write stories for BNA's full range of publications: taxes, environment, pensions, accounting, banking, e-commerce, HR, pharmaceuticals, and much, much more. The best-qualified candidates will speak German fluently and have experience covering the German government for an English-language daily.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=76330&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Bilingual (Span.-English) Social Studies Tutors for SMARTHINKING (“Any location”) ||||| US-based tutoring firm SMARTHINKING seeks part-time bilingual Social Studies Tutors. “Candidates can work from any location with computer and Internet access. Candidates must be available to work afternoons and evenings during weekdays. Candidates may work up to 20 hours per week. To qualify, individuals must have substantial teaching/tutoring experience in Social Studies and an enthusiasm for online education. Tutors must be fluent in both written and spoken Spanish and English.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/47hnhc <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Freelance Web Designer (US) ||||| US-based web design firm UpClick Marketing seeks a Web Designer with at least 3 years’ experience and a “solid understanding of HTML and CSS.” Must also be proficient in Photoshop. => Learn More: http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp?linkTarget=fullJob.asp&jobID=119089 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Freelance Writers on Soccer (Football) for UK-Oriented Site ||||| Soccer site Footy Boots seeks Writers for articles and news features. “Good knowledge of the English language.” => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=misc&ID=6575 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Director of Online Programs for Nichols College ||||| US-based Nichols College seeks a Director of Online Programs. “The Director of Online Programs will monitor, manage, and evaluate the online faculty as well as guide faculty members in the design, development and application of instructional systems and in utilizing technology to enhance student learning.” Must have a Master’s in a relevant area and at least 3 years’ online teaching experience. => Learn More: http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=71017854 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Brussels Correspondent for BNA (“In or near Brussels”) ||||| US-based Bureau of National Affairs, which produces publications on a variety of business, tax, and related themes, continues to advertise for a freelance Brussels Correspondent “who can write about complex legal and regulatory issues. Our positions are freelance and represent an excellent opportunity to anchor your portfolio with a steady flow of assignments.” ”BNA has been expanding its EU coverage and seeks a reporter to cover implementation and interpretation of the EU data privacy directive, e-mail privacy and spam issues, data retention, and EU bodies that set privacy policy, including the Article 29 group.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=76329&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Freelance Environmental / Green Writers ||||| LifeWire, a new online content provider from the New York Times Company, continues to advertise for Environmental / Green Writers “to create lifestyle-oriented, informative articles focusing on a variety of green living topics.” “At least three to five years experience as a freelance or full-time journalist covering environmental issues for a consumer-oriented or professional publication is preferred.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/3todsf <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Partners, Training & Certification, for the New Teacher Project (US) ||||| US-based New Teacher Project, which works to staff urban schools with qualified teachers, is looking for Partners in its Training and Certification line of business. “In the Training and Certification business line, TNTP designs and delivers pre-service preparation, professional development, and certification programs for states and school districts.” “In Training and Certification, 3-4 Partners report to the Vice President of the Training and Certification business line. Together, the partner group is responsible for setting the direction of the business line, ensuring the successful implementation of current contracts and identifying opportunities for additional work with current and prospective clients.” Requirements include “[s]trong education background and instructional skill set with at least two years teaching experience in a high-need school.” Salary $100,000 per year or commensurate with experience. Benefits. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/4ntvru <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Web Developer ||||| US-based design firm Entermotion seeks a Web Developer with HTML, CSS, JS, and LAMP. “Bonus points for being an internet citizen.” => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/2200/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Online Writing Lab Tutors for SMARTHINKING (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| US-based tutoring firm SMARTHINKING seeks part-time Online Writing Tutors. “Candidates must be available to work between 6 to 20 hours per week. To qualify, individuals must have substantial teaching / tutoring experience in composition, and an enthusiasm for online education.” => Learn More: http://www.smarthinking.com/static/e-structors/positions/cartowl.cfm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* 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.