December 27, 2007
CONTENTS -- IN THE BULLETIN THIS
WEEK:
-
QUOTE OF THE WEEK - Words of
wisdom that caught
our eye.
-
EDITOR'S NOTE - What's on
Mike's mind this
week?
-
NEWS, INTERVIEWS &
INFORMATION - The latest from the telework arena.
-
SCREENED JOB LEADS - The
nuggets our research
team mined for you this week!
-
TERMS & GUARANTEES -
The "fine print."
“One
father is more than 100 schoolmasters.” -- George Herbert
Back to top
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Dec. 27, 2007, edition of the “Rat Race
Rebellion Telework Bulletin.”
As 2007 comes to a close, all of us here at Staffcentrix wish you a
wonderful New Year, and every success in your home-based career and in
your personal life as well.
This week’s issue offers our almost-certain telework
predictions for 2008, a brief but sobering look at “extreme
commuting,” and an important question from a parent
who’s working long hours for a daughter who wants to be a TV
star.
Our hirers this week include Microsoft, AETNA, UnitedHealth Group,
Kaplan, and American Express.
Rebelliously Yours,
Michael
Michael D. Haaren, Editor-in-Chief
The Rat Race Rebellion Telework Bulletin
P.S. -
Until next week’s
issue, you’ll find more screened job leads every day at Rat
Race Rebellion.com, at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/job_postings.htm
. The jobs listed in
this Bulletin are withheld from the website for a full week, to give
readers an advantage.
Back to top
2008 --
OUR TELEWORK PREDICTIONS
We polled the team here at Staffcentrix for their best guesses about
what awaits us in the coming year. Here are the results.
- The President of the United States will
continue to work from home.
- Many people will continue to think that
“home-based work” only means call center jobs.
- Telework will finally outweigh the
low-energy light bulb as an offset to Global Warming.
- Oil companies will dress their employees
in green outfits, possibly elves.
- Daycare businesses will downsize their
parking lots, open drive-throughs, and hand the babies through the
window to the cars.
- Daycare businesses will sell take-home
dinners at the drive-through.
- McDonald’s will acquire all
daycare businesses.
“EXTREME
COMMUTES” ON THE RISE
(Background: An “extreme” commute, the US Census
Bureau tells us, is at least 90 minutes each way. But that just shows
how conditioned we’ve become. Not so long ago, if it took you
90 minutes to walk to your cow, your plow, or your garden, your
neighbors would have offered to help you. “Poor
soul,” they would have said. “The rheumatism must
have got him.”)
The Toronto Star recently ran a piece on the rise in extreme commuting.
These excerpts and paraphrases pretty much sum up the picture.
- “’We haven't had a
normal dinner for a long time,’'' says one Virginia mom.
"’Usually it's takeout, it's pizza or it's grabbing a
sandwich somewhere. It's like I spend all my time at work and on the
road.’''
- “The alarm is set for 4:15
a.m., and the fatigue is already setting in.”
- “More and more, these commuters
opt out of community activities dealing with school and church,
hallmarks of the small community.”
- People accept long commutes to get better
housing for the money, a consultant said. He added, "But how do you get
to enjoy this thing when instead of being there, you're sitting in a
car?''
- According to the article, the mom
featured in the piece has to pay $225 per week for housecleaning
expenses and $150 per week in gas. That’s $18,750 per 50-week
year for those costs alone.
- "What's really going on here is that we
can't do anything without getting into our motor vehicle and going
somewhere,'' said an expert who discussed the link between commuting
and obesity, heart attack, and stroke.
The article is online at
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/283771
.
NO ONE
EVER ASKS THE KIDS
I’ve read countless articles about why grown-ups are working
and commuting such toxic hours to buy nicer houses in the suburbs (for
the children), and afford the “top universities”
(for the children), and pay for private music and foreign-language
lessons (for the children), and pay strangers to stand in for them all
day long (for the children), while Mommy and Daddy pursue their careers
“for the good of the children.”
But oddly, we never hear from the purported
“beneficiaries” of all this altruistic activity --
the kids.
So before we start a new Rat Race year, maybe it’s time for a
quiz.
Which do you think your average young child would rather have?
1. A bigger house -- or time with Mom and Dad?
2. A spiffier car -- or time with Mom and Dad?
3. “Harvard,” without Mom or Dad, or
“State U,” with Mom or Dad?
4. Mom and Dad feeling good and healthy and loving one another from a
balanced life, or short-tempered, hollow-eyed and alienated from each
other for their “rewarding professional careers”?
5. Piano and French lessons, without Mom or Dad, or neither, regardless
of Mom or Dad?
FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT
RACE TOPICS
DEAR R3: I’m working long hours because my daughter wants to
be a TV star, and we need money to fly to Los Angeles. Don’t
you think that’s a good reason for never seeing her?
R3: You bet.
*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 Quality Raters for Lionbridge Technologies |||||
Lionbridge Technologies, an international provider of globalization and
testing services (“50 offices in 25 countries”), is
looking for part-time Quality Raters to review and rate websites.
“Candidates must be avid internet enthusiasts. If you love
browsing the web and have thoughts on which websites are good and which
are poor and why, then we want to hear from you!”
Must have a Bachelor’s degree, at least 3 years’
experience on the Internet, and DSL or cable Internet connectivity.
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/yst8vs
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 2. Elementary-Level Curriculum Developers (US schools) |||||
Kaplan, Inc. (Kaplan K12 Learning Services), which is owned by the
Washington Post, continues to seek Elementary-Level Curriculum
Developers “to create core curriculum materials for use in
urban public school districts.” Requirements include at least
3 years’ teaching experience.
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/3bwcpa
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 3. Web Developers (US) |||||
US-based IT search firm Carroll Technical Services is advertising for
Web Developers for a media software development client in Stamford, CT.
“You will be responsible for PHP development in a Linux
environment OR Flash and action script development depending on skill
set. Also responsible for customizing various websites.”
Salary range $60k-$88k.
=> Learn More:
http://jobcircle.com/classifieds/933795.html?source=jc_csearch
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 4. Writers / Authors for Grades 1-12 (US, California) Science
& History Textbooks (*Deadline) |||||
The San Luis Obispo County (California) Office of Education seeks
Writers and Authors of 1st-12th grade instructional materials to help
develop the curriculum for California’s Education and the
Environment Initiative.
*“Monday, January 7, 2008 is the deadline for submission of
Statement of Qualifications.”
=> Learn More:
http://www.bookjobs.com/viewjob.php?prmJobID=1073899
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
| 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?
If you’d like to get writing experience with an easy-to-start
blog, and be eligible for compensation while you learn, we recommend
Helium. You can choose among many popular topics, and build your
credentials while you write about what interests you.
For more, just go to click
here.
|
||||| 5. Senior Lead Informatics Analysts for AETNA (US) |||||
AETNA is looking for full-time Senior Lead Informatics Analysts. A
sampling of the responsibilities includes (quote):
- Performs research and custom analysis of complex healthcare claims
that can include medical, pharmacy, disability, workers compensation
and lab data and provide data summaries and reports.
- Performs all aspects of data analyses (i.e., data acquisition, data
management, programming and documentation) and identifies data issues
and makes recommendations on research design and analysis.
Requirements include a Bachelor’s in a relevant field and at
least 3 years’ experience in healthcare analysis.
Compensation range $75k-$95k.
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2hk2um
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 6. 2D Character Animator (*Short deadline!) |||||
International staffing firm Aquent is advertising for a 2D Character
Animator to complete a 30-second animated TV spot. “Your
primary job would be to animate the characters so that they match the
models, are proportional to the background art, and follow the desired
style as directed by the spot's producer.”
Must have strong drawing skills, know 2D applications.
*”START DATE: 01/02/2008”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2frbx6
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 7. Senior Online Support Engineers |||||
US-based IT services firm Progent is looking for Senior Online Support
Engineers. “Assist a range of small and midsize company
clients to maintain IT networks remotely, using state-of-the-art
technology including rules-based diagnostics and virtual office
connections.”
Successful candidates will “[i]nstall and integrate Microsoft
Windows-based program servers and Microsoft .NET hosts. Configure and
integrate Microsoft Windows 2K, 2003, Vista and Microsoft Windows XP
workstation systems.”
Requirements include at least 7 years’ background in
workstation and server administration, MCSE and Cisco certification.
=> Learn More:
http://www.progent.com/job-p018.htm
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 8. Acute Care Medical Transcriptionists (US) |||||
US-based American Transcription Solutions is looking for full-time
Acute Care MTs with DSL or cable Internet. “Must be able to
produce 1000 lines/day. Minimum of 3 years' experience and 2 years'
experience w/Microsoft Word.”
=> Learn More:
http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14443
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 9. Ruby on Rails Developers (CAN) |||||
Canada-based recruiting firm Ross is advertising for full-time Ruby on
Rails Developers. “The hires can be located anywhere in
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI or
Newfoundland…”
Requirements include “[p]rofessional and/ or personal
experience in CSS, PERL, AJAX, JavaScript, PHP, XHTML, DHTML, SMALLTALK
and PYTHON.”
Compensation: “The salary range [CAN] is in the $42,000 range
and the $45/hour range for contractors. If you have more experience,
you will be paid more.”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/yqwc7f
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 10. Travel Agents for American Express (US) |||||
American Express seeks part-time Travel Agents with at least 2
years’ successful leisure travel consultant experience.
“Our highly-skilled Commissioned Travel Counselors sell
cruises, tours, FITs, Luxury, Group, and Adventure travel to their
established clientele. To assist you in maximizing your earning
potential and overall compensation, you will be able to take advantage
of our preferred vendors and special negotiated contracts.”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2v5uqv
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 11. Web Developers - SharePoint (US) |||||
Staffing firm VOLT is advertising for Web Developers - Sharepoint for a
contract position of 2+ months. The client is “looking for an
individual who is very experienced with Sharepoint and someone that can
make a Sharepoint site not look as though it was developed in
Sharepoint!”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/35s8ls
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 12. Software Developer for Microsoft (Ireland; Dublin area) |||||
Microsoft seeks a senior Software Developer with at least 3
years’ relevant product development experience and strong C++
or C# experience “to build our next-generation Edge Computing
Network (ECN) for Windows Live, MSN, and other Microsoft
sites.”
“This position is part of our Global Product Development -
Europe team, based in Dublin, Ireland, and works closely with Microsoft
teams in the US and around the world. Remote work/telecommute options
are available for qualified senior candidates.”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/yrl4kk
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 13. HTML Coders |||||
US-based Resmatic, an online tracking and recruiting service, is
looking for HTML Coders to work on an as-needed basis. Must have
“[m]astery of html, photoshop, and working knowledge of
installing and configuring pre-written perl scripts.”
=> Learn More:
http://www.resmatic.net/resmaticinc/detail.php?id=34
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 14. Incentive Compensation Senior Consultants for AETNA
(“Continental US”) |||||
AETNA is looking for full-time Incentive Compensation Senior
Consultants with at least 5 years’ experience “in
an analytical or consultative role” and advanced database
skills.
A sampling of responsibilities includes (quote):
- Provide guidance to business partners on plan design and setting
appropriate targets
- Calculate quarterly funding pools based on pre-determined guidelines
- Establish employee eligibility through reconciliation of Peoplesoft
data, PMD results and manager feedback
Compensation range $47,690 - $62,600.
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/22u5mw
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 15. Math Tutors for Grades 3-9 (US work eligibility) |||||
Online learning services provider Educate Online is looking for
part-time Math Tutors. Must have high-speed Internet and at least 2
years’ teaching experience.
“Compensation is $10/hour for instructors proficient in
teaching Math grades 3 - 9.”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/ypy49l
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 16. Product Managers for UnitedHealth Group Co., OptumHealth |||||
OptumHealth Specialty Benefits, a UnitedHealth Group company, seeks a
Product Manager. Requirements include (quote):
*Develop, implement and modify as necessary a Product Plan Position
product based on solid understanding of competitors market position,
strengths/weaknesses, and customer needs.
*Analyze market and understand size, segments, prospects and buyers.
*Coordinate marketing campaigns to targeted segments.
Must have a Bachelor’s in a relevant field and at least 3
years’ experience in product management.
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2mv6ww
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 17. Tech Support Representatives (US) |||||
Educate Online, which offers reading and math programs for children, is
looking for part-time Tech Support Representatives. “This
position entails providing a mixture of technical and customer support
including assisting callers with internet connectivity issues,
verifying student addresses and scheduling student sessions.”
Requirements include “[k]nowledge of commonly used concepts,
practices, and procedures of PC hardware, software, Internet support,
and a wide variety of common retail and enterprise software
packages.”
“The compensation for this position begins at $9.00 per
hour.”
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2bkrkd
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 18. Copywriters for Content on Commercial Print Industry |||||
US-based Great Reach Communications is looking for Copywriters for
brief pieces on the commercial print industry. “Example
topics include; pre-press, press, finishing, direct mail, design,
layout application updates, getting the most out of a print budget,
etc.”
Payment: “Generally we pay no less than .50 per word and no
more than 1.00.”
=> Learn More:
http://www.writerfind.com/freelance_jobs/job4060.htm
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 19. Product Manager for UnitedHealth Group Co., Ovation
Enterprise Services |||||
US-based Ovation Enterprise Services, which provides claims processing,
customer care and other services to a number of UnitedHealth Group
businesses in the health care sector, is looking for a full-time
Product Manager.
“We are searching for a healthcare industry professional with
strong writing skills to join our growing team. As a Project Manager,
you would develop regulatory materials to support on of our most
successful product lines.” Must have health care industry
experience and project management skills.
A sampling of responsibilities includes (quote):
* Developing content for regulatory materials
* Keeping up-to-date with changes in Centers for Medicaid and Medicare
Services (CMS) guidelines, UnitedHealthcare benefits and internal
business practices
* Reviewing materials to ensure quality prior to distribution
=> Learn More:
http://tinyurl.com/2ngeqc
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
||||| 20. Language Editors |||||
International publishing firm Idioma is looking for Language Editors.
“Candidates must be native speakers, capable of editing text
in their own language and editing text from English.”
“No certificates or experience required.”
=> Learn More:
http://www.idioma.com/jobs.php?IDpozice=1
<=
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All contents copyright 2007 Staffcentrix, LLC, "The most trusted name
in home-based careers."(TM, SM) All rights reserved.
TERMS
AND GUARANTEES:
As
a subscriber to the Rat Race Rebellion Weekly Bulletin
(the Bulletin)
you understand and agree to comply with the following
conditions:
- Staffcentrix, LLC
guarantees
a minimum of twenty (20) job postings in each issue of the Bulletin.
Subscriber
understands that the number of job postings in each issue may
fluctuate, with
some weeks exceeding the guaranteed twenty.
- Staffcentrix, LLC makes
no
guarantees related to the quantity and quality of responses from
prospective
employers to client applications.
- Any information and
services
provided by Staffcentrix, LLC may be used only for lawful purposes.
- Staffcentrix, LLC is not
responsible for the content of employer listings or the content of
hyperlinks
within an employer's posting.
- As covered more
thoroughly
below under “Scams,” we make every reasonable
effort to screen employer leads
and offer only legitimate postings in the Bulletin. Nevertheless,
it remains
incumbent upon Subscriber or his or her clients to qualify prospective
employers. Staffcentrix, LLC cannot be responsible for the
outcome of
negotiations between employers and the users of the Bulletin.
Scams
As
noted, while listings contained in the Bulletin
have been screened by
our staff, and we believe in good faith that all listings are
legitimate,
Staffcentrix, LLC cannot guarantee the legitimacy of all listings, and
we can
make no representations or accept any responsibility regarding
prospective
employers themselves. Inevitably, with the number of “help
wanted” ads that are
screened for the Bulletin, and the
“camouflage” that inappropriate
opportunities may sometimes wear, an illegitimate or inappropriate item
will
occasionally “slip below our radar” and make its
way into the Bulletin. Should you encounter any
lead that appears to be a scam, please report it
to us immediately. Such items may include:
- Positions that were
posted
as "work at home" that are not;
- Posts that turn out to
be
multi-level marketing (MLM) operations or "get rich
quick" schemes;
- Any "employer" who
asks for money before releasing more details about the job.
We
have a zero tolerance policy regarding such "employers" and, when
they are reported, we will make certain that no further posts from
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