Reading news articles that report a nearly 10% national unemployment rate can be discouraging. If traditional jobs are scarce, work-at-home jobs must be non-existent. The reality is that there are lots of work-at-home jobs available…right now. Here are 6 steps to finding a work-at-home job in a recession:

1. Know what you need to earn. Working at home in a job can change your budget significantly for the better. You can save on car expenses, child care, and grooming needs. Further there can be tax advantages that save you thousands of dollars a year. On the other hand, many work-at-home jobs pay less and often don’t have all the benefits that traditional jobs provide. You need to do a detailed budget so you can know what sort of wage or salary you’ll need to work at home.
2. Know what skills you have to offer. Despite what the scammers will have you think, you can’t just sign up for a job. Neither will a great offer show up in your email. Work-at-home jobs are like traditional jobs; you need skills and experience to get them.
3. Tailor your resume to fit the job. Generic resumes don’t cut it anymore. You need to make your resume specific to the needs indicated in the job announcement.
4. Be active and proactive. When the world is flush with jobs, you can submit a resume and wait for a call. But in this tough economic climate, there is no sitting back. You need to be searching for and applying to jobs daily. Talk to people using your network to help you find possible openings.  Contact businesses who can use the skills you have and share how you can save them money by working from home.
5. Understand that your employment status will probably be different. Most companies that are taking on home-based workers are hiring on a contract basis. That doesn’t mean the work is infrequent. It just means that the employer isn’t paying for all the other stuff traditional employers pay for such as taxes and benefits. Many people are afraid of contract work, but they shouldn’t be. In contract work it’s possible to get paid more, have a flexible schedule, and reap tax benefits that can offset losing employer perks.
6. Consider freelancing. Like contract work, many people fear freelancing. But finding work as a freelancer isn’t that much different than finding a job. The benefits are even better though when you consider that freelancers usually get paid more per hour than employees (so they can make more or work less), have a flexible schedule, can choose not to work with people they don’t like, and can opt to only do the types work they enjoy!

Work-at-home jobs are available. I find them online every day. But it’s not possible to sign up or submit a resume today and get a call tomorrow. You need to make yourself stand out from the crowd, be proactive in your pursuit, and flexible in the types of work you’re willing to take.

Employers with work-at-home jobs are notorious for not responding to applicants which is extremely frustrating to the job hunter. Without feedback, applicants don’t know why they weren’t chosen or even if their resume was received. There are several reasons for which you many not hear back regarding your application. Some reasons you have no control over such as they stopped looking after receiving 500 applications and yours was 501. But if you’re consistently applying to jobs and not hearing back on any of them, the problem may be on your end. If you’re not getting results on your work-at-home job hunt, try the following:

1)      Make sure you have the skills and experience required for the job. If the employer wants someone who types 80 words per minute, then you need to meet that requirement. Don’t fake it because many jobs will have a test or an interview and you’ll eventually be found out if you don’t meet the job requirements.

2)      Verify your resume presents you as a professional and capable employee. Check for grammar and spelling. You’d be surprised how many emails I get from people who want to type at home, but don’t seem to know how to type. Also, use active words and tailor your resume to fit the specific job.

3)      Follow the directions for applying to the job. One of the biggest complaints from employers is that applicants don’t follow the directions. Provide the employer with everything he asks for. Nothing more. Nothing Less.

4)      Check your online reputation. Employers do use the Internet to learn about you. Social networking can be fun, but having a picture of you eating an olive from someone’s belly button during spring break may lead employers to pass on your application. Do a  vanity search on your name to see what’s online about you. Work to get rid of any embarrassing or questionable material.

5)      Follow up with an email or a phone to inquire about your application. Sometimes resumes get lost in cyber space, so it doesn’t hurt o follow up. However, don’t call if the job announcement specifically says not to. Also, give the employer time. If you haven’t heard within two weeks of the application deadline or sending in your resume, follow up. Be sure your tone is polite and professional.

6)      Consider getting training in job areas in which there are many jobs available such as computer and web programming, writing or transcription. You can get training online through many community colleges.

7)      Keep applying. The opportunities are out there and expanding all the time, but they are competitive. And it can take several months to several years to get a work-at-home job. The only way you’ll succeed is to keep searching and applying.

The economy is tanking and jobs are a premium. When it comes to work-at-home jobs, you’re competing with hundreds maybe even thousands of other applicants. The best way to achieve a successful work-at-home job hunt is to have the skills, a professional resume, and tenacity.