~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This week’s issue -- in addition to our usual 20 hand-picked job leads -- brings a review of an excellent new book on freelancing, call-center hiring news, news of Big Brother coming into the home offices of independent workers, and advice on how to help your kids realize just how much you do for them. A nice batch of freebies rounds out the menu. Enjoy, Good Luck, and Be Well. VIPDESK HOLDING TWO FREE “VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES” FOR PROSPECTIVE CALL CENTER AGENTS IN OCTOBER US-based virtual call center VIPdesk, which hires home-based agents (“Brand Ambassadors”) to take calls for such clients as MasterCard, Citigroup and Land Rover, will be holding two more free “virtual open houses” -- on Oct. 16 and 22 -- to talk about their openings for agents. The company announced recently that it’s seeking some 1,000 Brand Ambassadors in various states across the US. Like Arise, LiveOps, and some other virtual call centers, VIPdesk hires agents as independent contractors rather than employees. To register for a Brand Ambassador open house, go to http://www.vipdesk.com/info/news_openhouse.asp. VIPdesk is also recruiting home-based concierges (as employees rather than independent contractors) in the US and Canada. For details, see http://tinyurl.com/32ecpv. Sidebar -- Arise, for its part, runs an ongoing presentation for prospective agents at http://www.arise.com/Content/Webinar.swf. For more on independent contractors vs. employees, see my blog post (first published as an article here in the Bulletin), “The Exceptions to the Rule, ‘Never Pay for a Job,’” at http://tinyurl.com/4df33v . The article includes relevant links to the IRS and other sources. VIRTUAL CALL CENTER ARISE SEEKS 250 AGENTS IN UK US-based call center Arise, with operations in the UK, announced today that it’s seeking 250 home-based agents in Britain “to service premier retail clients immediately for Christmas 2008.” For details, see lead no. 2, below. CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: “MY SO-CALLED FREELANCE LIFE -- HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE AS A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL FOR HIRE,” BY MICHELLE GOODMAN This is the second book (just published Oct. 1) by Michelle Goodman that I’ve reviewed in the past two months, and reading them back-to-back has made it clear that Goodman not only knows the freelancing area cold, she can convey its essentials with exceptional warmth, candor and humor. (See the 8/28/08 Bulletin for a review of Goodman’s “The Anti 9 to 5 Guide.”) Goodman is a freelance writer who pens articles for ABC News, AOL and other high-profile venues, and has been writing for hire since 1992. For background on the book’s main theme, freelancers -- aka independent contractors, soloists, free agents, etc. -- are microentrepreneurs, and even if you’re only doing a project here and there, you’re still in business for yourself. This means that you need to know something (and the more, the better) about the foundation-and-operation issues -- sole proprietorships vs. limited liability companies, tax issues, good and bad contracts, etc. -- as well as the revenue-and-profit side: how to drum up quality business quickly, avoid procrastination and spinning your wheels, keep clients happy and generate great word-of-mouth, and save on expenses. Any decent how-to for freelancers might cover these areas, just as Goodman herself does. Where she excels, however, is in distilling her 16 years of trial-and-error experience into an extremely pragmatic sitting-at-the-kitchen-table chat that seems to include every “insider’s tip” a newbie or even experienced freelancer could want. (Goodman also regularly uses her own errors as teaching tools along the way, with a self-effacing sense of humor that many readers will appreciate.) Another highlight of the book is its take on business plans. Goodman sensibly but heretically recommends sticking to short, action-prompting lists rather than to the sacred 30-60 page business-school document. (Chris and I have long advocated a similar approach: conventional business plans are far more detailed than most soloists need, can quickly drain the freelancer’s critical passion and excitement, and foster “paralysis by analysis.” I was pleased to see that Goodman shares our “guerilla”-oriented view.) No review is considered complete without quibbles, so here are a few. Some readers may find Goodman’s tone a bit edgier than they’re used to, and feel that the occasional four-letter word is unnecessary. For my own personal quibble, I’d like to suggest that the publisher (unless my review copy was an anomaly) opt for a darker print impression in its next run, as the text in my copy was a bit too pale for dog-eared eyes. (The book, by the way, is written for women, as are all titles by the publisher, Seal Press. Men, however, should find it equally worthwhile.) To sum up, “Don’t solo without it!” For more on the author and the book, which is available at Amazon, see the author’s site at http://www.anti9to5guide.com/. “BIG BROTHER AT HOME?” HIRERS MONITORING FREELANCERS STIRS CONTROVERSY Contrary to what many telework-phobic managers would have us believe, there are lots of ways to monitor a home-based employee’s productivity. These include keystroke and mouseclick counters, shots of the employee’s screen, and even employer-monitored webcams. (“Hi Boss. Going to the potty now. Back in five.”) Until recently, however, freelancers had been largely exempt from the monitoring. ODESK, an online marketplace for freelancers and prospective clients, is changing that, for better or worse, with options that permit the client (with the freelancer’s permission) to do all of the above. Since oDesk has 116,000+ registered freelancers (according to its site), that’s potentially quite a few folks willing to be scrutinized at their home-office desks -- and resetting into the bargain the expectations of freelance-hirers generally. ODESK competitor eLance, which claims 119,000+ soloists, says for its part that it emphasizes results over monitoring. It reportedly doesn’t offer hirers the option to take screenshots and webcam views, though other forms of monitoring are said to be available. Both eLance and oDesk draw freelancers from all over the world (which North American-based freelancers often complain drives rates too low). This means that work practices will vary as well. Though I myself prefer the results-oriented approach over monitoring -- I think workers, and people generally, should be trusted until they show they can’t be -- I suspect that both companies would find it much harder to develop the hiring side of their marketplaces if monitoring options weren’t available. What do you think? Should workers be trusted, or monitored? Email me at mhaaren[at]Staffcentrix.com, and we’ll publish opinions here. For more on oDesk and eLance (both of which offer a variety of projects, though they skew toward the IT side), and the monitoring trend, see: -- “Controversy over Work from Home Tech” (with my thanks for some details on the dispute): http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=6434457 -- “Freelance Slackers, Beware: Big Brother is Watching”: http://tinyurl.com/3pcx5o -- oDesk website: http://www.odesk.com -- eLance website: http://www.elance.com For another busy site where freelancers bid on jobs, see Guru.com, at http://www.guru.com/index.aspx ARE YOU AN UNDERAPPRECIATED PARENT? CHRIS HAS THIS QUICK TIP…. When I (Mike) was a kid in a small Virginia town (pop. 300), we were on autopilot much of the time, and such things as “playdates” and “parental taxiing” were unknown. (If you wanted to play with somebody, you went and found him.) Nowadays, it seems parents have more opportunities to be taken for granted. If that sounds like you, here’s a quick thought from Chris that may put things into a healthier perspective. Have your budding Duke or Duchess sit down and draw up a list. On the left, have the bejeweled hand write down, “Things My Mom [or Dad] Does for Me.” On the right, have it enumerate, “Things I Do for Mom [or Dad].” As the aristocratic hand labors on the left side of the ledger (what you’re doing for them), be sure to remind the Peer of things that he or she may have omitted. Let the bright young mind cudgel itself to come up with entries on the right. Chances are, when the lists are done, the one on the left will be dramatically longer than the one on the right, and the Peer will have a new appreciation of what maidservant Mom or footman Dad does. (If they’re not, look out -- You may be suffering from Peerage issues yourself!) FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: Some of your jobs don’t pay much. Why do you list them? R3: Our readers and website visitors come with a wide range of skills and needs, and we do our best to find legitimate leads for as many people as possible. If a given job or project doesn’t offer a pay rate that meets your requirements, the best thing we can suggest is to move on to the next one. You can also conduct your own research with search terms such as those we’ve listed at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/google_search.html. Depending on your skills and goals, you might also consider approaching telework-friendly companies such as those we’ve included at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/telework.htm. Our public workshops also show people in depth how to find jobs, spot scams, and optimize their chances for landing virtual jobs and projects. Check back regularly on our home page, at http://www.ratracerebellion.com, for the next workshop. FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Ecco this week’s catch of giveaways. Enjoy! (US-only unless otherwise indicated.) $1 Tide Total Care Coupon: https://tidetotalcare.safeprocessing.com/?utm_source=identitysite?src=pgeds Free Sample Jergen's Naturals Daily Moisturizer: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid51366.aspx Free Nicorette Starter Pack: http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid50732.aspx Free Pre-Season Tickets to Philadelphia 76ers: http://www.sixerspromos.com/vm/ Free Sample Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel: http://soothingcare.com/soothingcare/request_sample.jsp Free Sample Lactaid Dietary Supplments: http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=12119 Free Sample Degree Ultra Clear Deodorant for Women: http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=12411 Free Sample Siennasol Extreme Tanning Spray (UK): http://www.siennasol.co.uk/index.htm RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Wherever I sit is the head of the table.” H.L. Mencken 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. Data Entry (with Outreach Component) for eHarmony ||||| EHarmony continues to advertise for someone with professional experience in the wedding industry for a 2-month project, 20-40 hrs. per week. “You will be entering user and vendor data from a spreadsheet and the web, as well as contactng people by email and/or phone as part of our outreach program. The pay is $18/hour.” => Learn More: http://jobs-eharmony.icims.com/jobs/1174/job <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Call Center Agents (UK) ||||| Arise UK, the European sister company of US-based virtual call center Arise, announced today that it seeks 250 independent “customer interaction professionals” immediately to service premier retail clients. According to its press release, “Arise seeks talent from a variety of groups that may benefit from a flexible, independent virtual work model, including professionals seeking to supplement a full-time income, university students, stay-at-home mums/dads, and retirees amongst others.” For the press release, see http://tinyurl.com/4vewyj. To apply for an agent opening, go to the page linked below. (Editor’s Note: The press release mentions 250 openings. The Arise UK home page, however, as we go to press, mentions 500. Either way, it looks like there’s plenty of work. Prospective applicants should also note that, like some other call centers, Arise hires agents as independent contractors, and requires that they set up a legal business entity beforehand. For more, see the link below.) => Learn More: http://www.arise.com/uk/ukhome.asp <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. 30 Paid Internships Covering US Major League Baseball (For college students) ||||| MLB.com is offering “30 [paid] internships to aspiring sportwriters.” Interns will “work closely with a site reporter to give visitors to a team’s Web site all the information they need to follow the team from Opening Day to season’s end. Each Major League club will have one associate reporter.” “We are looking for talented college juniors and seniors, as well as graduate students, for our 2009 Summer Internship Program. You must be a student during the Fall 2008 semester to be eligible.” Pays $500 per week. => Learn More: http://careers.poynter.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=3002505 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Expert on “Consulting / Freelance” (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| Information supersite About.com, owned by the NY Times, seeks a part-time Expert (“Guide”) on Consulting / Freelance. “The ideal Guide for this site will have extensive experience as a consultant and freelancer and be a respected figure in the industry. He or she should have published articles and/or books on the subject, and have been quoted as an expert in the field.” Guides are paid a minimum of $725 per month during the first two years, with additional potential revenues from advertising, depending on the popularity of their pages. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/applynow.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Customer Service Representatives (US; “Florida residents only” ||||| US-based ReserveAmerica, which “help[s] manage and facilitate more than 4 million reservations and reservation needs for more than 300,000 campsites each year,” seeks part-time Customer Service Reps as employees. “Job Description: Works as a work-at-home (WAH) telephone customer service representative accepting reservation requests. Provides quality customer service and ensures quality reservations while meeting the needs of telephone customers. Ensures customers are provided effective alternatives when the customer’s first choice is not available.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/3qzbrg <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Perl Programmer ||||| Australia-based statistical research firm Rapid Intelligence seeks a full-time Perl Programmer. Requirements include (quoting): * Perl (at least 4 years). Must be comfortable with reading others' code, regular expressions, OO, CPAN, etc. * Text processing * Relational databases * Web crawling => Learn More: http://www.rapint.com/careers_perl.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Technology Bloggers (“Anywhere; no experience required”) ||||| Personal-technology website Technologizer, founded by a former editor of PC World, is looking for writers “to contribute blog posts on news relating to PCs and Macs, consumer electronics, the Web, and related topics.” Must make several posts per week. Pays per post. => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=free&ID=7025 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~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, visit http://www.helium.com/?ad=680&placement=HAP002. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. English-French (Canadian) Translator ||||| US-based TransPerfect Translations seeks an English-to-French Translator to handle “documents of a pharmaceutical nature.” Minimum requirements include Bachelor’s or equivalent and excellent communication skills in English and French Canadian. “Prior translation industry experience is a plus.” (Editor’s Note: On the company’s job index page at http://www.transperfect.com/about/careers_jobs.html, the position is listed with a “telecommute” alternative. The telecommute language, however, is omitted from the job description on the page linked below. Conclusion? Make the case for telecommuting!) => Learn More: http://www.transperfect.com/about/jobs/prod_iht_fr_mon.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Online Editor, Familiar with SEO (“Location: Work Remotely”) ||||| US-based Groove Commerce is looking for an Online Editor familiar with Search Engine Optimization. Must have at least 2 years’ news editing experience. “Your responsibilities will include editing email newsletters, blog posts, and ordering news initiatives. Work can be done from home, as you'll receive a company email account.” => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=misc&ID=7027 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Software Developer ||||| Japan-based Frontier International Co. seeks a Software Developer with a Ph.D. in Computer Science for a 1-year contract, 80 hrs. per month. Must be “[w]ell-versed in PHP, MySQL, HTML, and javaScript. Familiarity with AJAX, Smarty, Linux, Apache, WAP, and Plesk.” => Learn More: http://jobs.phds.org/job/4976/frontier-international/software-developer-work <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Bilingual English-French, -Spanish Call Center Agents (US) ||||| US-based virtual call center LiveOps seeks Bilingual French and Spanish Agents. “Applicants must be fluent in both written and conversational Spanish or French, and previous selling experience is preferred.” (Editor’s Note: For our chart comparing 75+ call center hirers, including wages, worker status, and other details, see http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html.) => Learn More: http://www.liveops.com/become-agent/current-opp.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Economics Bloggers ||||| ExplainTheEconomy.org seeks 10 freelance Bloggers with “a background in business, economics or finance writing or blogging and a Bachelors in Business or Economics or equivalent experience preferred.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1726 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Distance Learning Tutors (UK) ||||| Wales-based Centre for Alternative Technology seeks part-time Distance Learning Tutors. Requirements include “post graduate academic qualification in one of the following: Architecture, Environment, Energy” and at least 1 year’s experience. Salary £30,318.05 - £34,515.30. => Learn More: http://www.stopdodo.com/job_search/job_details.asp?j=3776 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Manager, Business Development for American Express (CAN; Toronto) ||||| American Express seeks a full-time Manager, Business Development. “The candidate must have a proven track record in both middle market and multi-national sales and thought leadership. Candidate must also have experience in global vision, knowledge of technology solutions, have strong industry reputation, knowledge of the market, and ability to sell client-specific solutions.” Requirements include “3+ years sales or account management experience selling premium priced products to corporate customers within the financial products or Travel & Entertainment industries.” “Frequent travel.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/53dug2 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Call Center Agents to Take Pizza Orders (US) ||||| US-based virtual call center LiveOps seeks home-based Agents to take orders for pizza and other casual dining calls. “Applicants with previous experience in a fast-paced order environment are preferred. Successful agents will follow a script, recommended items that the vendor is promoting, suggest additional items to build the order, process the order and guarantee customer satisfaction by ensuring the carry out or delivery information is accurate. Peak time slots for these calls are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, so earnings opportunities are typically greater at these times when most people are ordering their evening meals.” (Editor’s Note: For our chart comparing 75+ call center hirers, including wages, worker status, and other details, see http://www.ratracerebellion.com/CS_Comparison.html.) => Learn More: http://www.liveops.com/become-agent/current-opp.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Reporter-Analyst for Media Consultancy (Location: “Any”) ||||| International ad / media consultancy AIM Group is looking for “a dedicated, full-time reporter-analyst with **very** strong business-news skills who can turn in clean, AP-style copy on deadline. Previous media-industry reporting experience is a must.” => Learn More: http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=982544 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Engagement Manager Assistant (Admin Support) for McKinsey (“Location: Telecommute”) ||||| Consulting firm McKinsey seeks a full-time (employee) Engagement Manager Assistant “[t]o provide a wide range of administrative support to several Engagement Managers or other Practice Managers/CSS or projects as appropriate.” Must have at least 2 years’ business-related experience, and preferably be “[c]omputer literate including strong Lotus Notes database, PowerPoint and Work skills and proficiency in Excel.” “Salary $26,000-$29,000 per year.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/4eqzw7 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Licensed Insurance Agents (US) ||||| US-based virtual call center LiveOps seeks Insurance Agents. “We have a variety of clients that place direct response advertisements and are looking for licensed insurance agents that can convert those advertisement respondents into insurance customers. Our clients are looking for applicants that have an active resident life and health insurance license.” => Learn More: http://www.liveops.com/become-agent/current-opp.html <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Medical Transcriptionists; “Up to $1000 hiring bonus for night/weekend hours” (US) ||||| US-based Amphion Medical Solutions seeks full- and part-time MTs with at least 3 years’ experience. “Any specialty.” => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=16577 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Media Relations Pro, US Cable TV Industry ||||| US-based PR firm Revell-Pechar seeks “a media relations pro (3 yrs+) with outstanding relationships in the cable TV publishing space -- specifically with trade publication editors, journalists, bloggers. If you understand how TV gets delivered to the home, you know the lingo and you've been in-house or at an agency serving cable companies or content companies who deliver through cable, we'd love to talk to you.” “We have been hired by a new technology company that will change the way we watch TV, and we need to add another star to our virtual team to support that client specifically.” “Headquartered in Atlanta, our clients - and our team - come from all over the world.” (Editor’s Note: The lead mentions “Location: Atlanta, GA USA.” As often as not, however, job descriptions are determined by forms, and this may refer to the location of the company rather than the position, as the company is indeed located in Atlanta. The language excerpted above also suggests the applicant may be located elsewhere, including outside the US.) => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=84468&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* 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.