The RatRaceRebellion.com Blog

Moneysaving Tips -- Finding Freebies Online

The Net is full of free samples, coupons and other promotions that can help job seekers and other folks on a budget. (These days, that includes just about everybody.) Herewith some tips on where to get 'em.

Googling for Giveaways
Everyone loves to get free merchandise in the mail, or find out when IHOP is giving away pancake breakfasts, or Baskin-Robbins scoops of ice cream. (For a list of some current giveaways, click here.) Google and other search engines will take you to the right websites, but, as always, you'll get there faster with the right search terms.

"Free sample" (with quotes) is a logical choice, but yields tens of millions of hits (20,300,000, to be exact). With a little fine-tuning, your search can produce more manageable results.

Try these phrases, for example (with quotes):

"get your free sample"
"get a free sample"
"send me a free sample"

You can also target the specific products or services you're searching for. Use phrases such as "free [insert item name here]" or "free [item name] sample."

Birthday Bounty
Many restaurants offer free entrees or desserts on customers' birthdays. In some cases, you'll need to join the restaurant's "birthday club," but when you're tasting that comped chocolate sundae or burger, you'll be glad you did.

Here are just a few of the dessert and other food freebies you can sign up for online.

-- Cold Stone Creamery: Free ice cream on birthdays.
-- Dairy Queen: Get a coupon for a free "Blizzard" (with purchase).
-- Denny's: Children eat free on Tuesdays, 4PM-10PM, and Saturdays, too, in some locations.
-- Baskin-Robbins: Free ice cream on birthdays.
-- Krispy Kreme: Free donuts and other promotions.
-- Chili's: Free desserts and other promotions.

Discount Codes
How many times have you bought something online, and winced when you didn't have a code for that "discount code" field? Have a look at DiscountCodes.com, and maybe you can find one for your next purchase. Search by merchant or in the alphabetized store listing, or by category of merchandise.

Swapping for Savings
Trading something you don't use for something you would is almost as good as a freebie. Fortunately, the Net is full of swap-sites. Here are a few to get started.

-- BookMooch.com: "Give books away. Get books you want."
-- Tradegamesnow.com: Trade used computer games.
-- SwitchPlanet.com: Trade DVDs, CDs, books, etc.
-- PaperBackSwap.com: Includes hardbacks, audio books, texts.

Happy huntin'!

Finding Work-at-Home Jobs on Monster

Many job seekers and career advisors use Monster, but aren't sure how to find work-at-home jobs. Here's a brief guide.

Start a Profile
First, take advantage of Monster's new profile tool. By completing a simple but comprehensive profile, you lay the groundwork for results tailored to your background and objectives. When you're finished, the Monster home page and other pages will contain information keyed to your needs.

Now, when you click on the "jobs" link, you'll see a customized page that lists your recommended jobs, tracks your applications, saves job leads for you, and archives the searches you've saved.

Choose the Right Search Terms
Before you begin your search, take a moment to think about the best search phrases to find your preferred jobs. As a first step, put yourself in the shoes of a human resources specialist, and consider how he or she would describe the job you seek.

For home-based jobs, the phrase "work from home" would normally be a poor search term due to its frequent use in scams. (For a list of "good" search terms, click here.) However, Monster's advanced features let users search in targeted occupations, which increases the likelihood that the phrase will turn up relevant leads. (To illustrate, we’ll use it in our test search below.) 

As you assess your own search results, be sure to use common sense. Look twice at promises of high pay for short hours or simple tasks, or leads that don't explain up front what you'll be doing. The latter are often sales positions, which may be fine if that's what you're looking for, but if not, you'll waste your time and perhaps money as well. (For more pointers on spotting dubious leads or scams, click here.)

Conducting your search
At the top of the Monster job search page, you'll see two search fields, one for "keywords" and the other for "location." This is where you'll begin your job search.

1.    Start by entering one of your "best" search phrases in the "keyword" field. As mentioned, we'll enter the phrase work from home for our test search. (No need for quotation marks, as we'll be using the "exact phrase" option, as we explain in step 4.)

2.    Leave the "location" field blank. Why? Because one of the many benefits of virtual or offsite jobs is that employers may be located almost anywhere.

3.    Click on the "More Search Options" button (below the orange "Search" button), and new search options will appear.

4.    Check the box labeled "This exact phrase." This eliminates the need to place quotes around your phrase, as it directs the search engine to search for this phrase only rather than the words individually.

5.    You can also use the other advanced search options to search for leads by company, industry, occupation, or job type. For our test search, we used the "occupation" option, selected "Customer Service / Client Care," and checked "Call Center." (Many companies hire home-based customer service agents. For a detailed chart, including wages, click here.)

6.    Click "Search."

In our test search, Monster scours its database looking for those "call center" job leads that contain the exact phrase "work from home." (Our search yields 34 leads, many of them clearly worthwhile.)

Experiment with Monster's search tools to see what works best for you. Try a variety of search phrases, and add or subtract search options to refine your search.

When you find a search that works well, click the "Save search" button in the right column to (1) save it to the site for future visits, and (2) set up an email alert to have similar leads sent directly to your inbox.

If you combine these search tools with a solid resume and diligent networking, you'll optimize your job hunt and be working from home in a much shorter time.

[This article, with minor differences, recently ran in our virtual-careers column at Military.com.]

Earn Work-at-Home "Swag" Spotting Trends

Market-research company Springwise awards merchandise to people internationally who spot emerging consumer or entrepreneurial trends. The “swag” includes:

-- iPods
-- Cameras
-- Skin care products
-- Amazon gift certificates
-- Books, and more. 

For details, click here.

Springwise also publishes an excellent newsletter covering the trends those spotters spot. (Great source of entrepreneurial stimulation and ideas, too.) For more, go here.    

"Telework Doubles in the Netherlands"

Nearly 50% of Dutch companies had people working from home in 2007, up from about 25% in 2003, Radio Netherlands / Expatica.com reported recently.

Could this be tied to the country’s worsening traffic, which some say is “past the point of crisis”?

I was much more surprised to read of the country's traffic problems than of the increase in telework, as I'd always associated the Dutch with a strong eco movement, and a growing preference for bicycles over cars.

But maybe the next generation will turn back the auto tide. According to Wikipedia, in the Netherlands "[s]econdary school children quite commonly cycle over 15 km in each direction to school." (If kids in the US could still do that -- and gosh, be allowed to play tag, too -- childhood obesity would surely take a hit.) 

The Dutch-telework article is here.

For a blurb on Dutch traffic, with related links, click here.

Staffcentrix Marks 10th Anniversary of Work-at-Home Training and Resources

Chris and I proudly mark Staffcentrix' 10th anniversary this year. We founded Staffcentrix in 1999, initially providing Virtual Assistant training and related resources so that military spouses and other folks could work at home and have portable careers. (Chris is credited with having founded the Virtual Assistant industry in 1995.)

Also in 1999, we presented to the United Nations on the subject of the virtual workforce, an event that neither of us will ever forget. In 1999 as well (it was a busy year!), we founded the International Virtual Assistants Association -- the burgeoning industry's nonprofit parent organization. (We transferred the leadership of IVAA to its members shortly after its launch, as we'd planned from its beginning.)

Soon, our client list included the US Air Force, then the other branches, and later the US State Department. Now our virtual-career training programs -- which include, but have gone far beyond, Virtual Assistance -- are available at over 100 military bases, embassies and consulates worldwide, and we've certified 175+ career-development trainers to deliver our workshops.

In 2000, we published the first publicly-available guidebooks for Virtual Assistants, and in 2005, Career Press published The 2-Second Commute -- the first mainstream how-to for VAs, which we based on our 15-hour Military Spouse Virtual Assistant Training Program(tm).

Along the way, we wanted to bring screened work-at-home job leads to the public, and in Spring 2004 we launched the Rat Race Rebellion Telework Bulletin. In February 2007, we launched RatRaceRebellion.com, where we've posted over 6,800 screened telework job leads, representing more than 25,000 openings.

We look forward to the next 10 years, and continuing to innovate and help people de-Rat Race their lives and spend more time with their loved ones, in every way we can.

"Work at Home in India on the Rise"

In India, working at home full-time is on the rise, the Indian media reports, as more companies discover that "face time" isn't always necessary, and that telework increases retention and cuts costs.

HR experts, too, cite the increased "employee engagement" that can come with letting people work from home, as a recent piece in India's Business Today emphasized.

"Says Shanthi Naresh, Principal Consultant, Human Capital, Mercer Consulting (India): '[Work From Home] policies have a great impact on employee engagement… while many organisations explicitly position WFH practices as part of the company's total reward strategy and use it as a great attraction and retention tool, the impact of WFH practices on employee engagement is often underestimated.'"

The growing international green movement will also accelerate these trends…and soon, we hope!

For the Business Today piece, click here.

Exploring Freelancing -- An Interview with ABCNEWS.com Writer & Author Michelle Goodman

With the recession biting in and unemployment rolls in the US alone at a 25-year high, independent work -- aka self-employment -- is quickly becoming a critical option. For more, we chatted with freelancing authority and author Michelle Goodman. (This interview originally appeared in the Nov. 14, 2008 issue of the Rat Race Rebellion Telework Bulletin. To subscribe at no charge, go here.)    

Michelle writes a weekly career column for ABCNews.com, a blog called Nine to Thrive for NWjobs.com, and a career-advice blog for women, at The Anti 9-to-5 Guide (the title of her first book). She is also the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life -- How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire."        

Her work has also appeared at CNN.com, Salon, Yahoo! HotJobs, PayScale.com, and others. (But it didn't come easy, as she relates in her books.) She "fled the cube" in 1992. 

RRR: Tell us a bit about how you came to be a freelancer.

MICHELLE GOODMAN: It was a hasty decision. Like many twentysomethings, I hated working in an office five days a week. As far as I was concerned, 9 a.m. was the middle of the night. At the time, I was working as a publicist at a New York book publishing company. A newspaper I had interned for after college offered me some freelance work writing advertorials about clothing trends (basically ad copy disguised as journalism). New York is expensive and some of the pieces paid more than I made in a week at my publicity job, so who was I to say no?

I researched and wrote these articles evenings and lunch hours, loving every minute of it. So much so, that when I moved to San Francisco at age 24, I decided to do everything in my power to avoid getting a staff job again. After a couple years of working odd part-time jobs to offset my initially paltry freelance pay, I was off and running as a full-time independent professional.

Sixteen years have passed, and I haven't wound up on the street yet. Four years ago I bought my first home, with a 20 percent down payment. I also think it's important to note that I've been supporting myself this entire time; I don't have a domestic partner who pays my way.

RRR: What are your strongest likes and dislikes about self-employment?

MICHELLE GOODMAN: Likes: The variety of projects I work on and people I work with, the satisfaction of seeing my byline every week, the thrill of landing a hotshot new client, having control of my own schedule, working in my bathrobe, and never having to commute.

Dislikes: Self-employment taxes, buying my own health insurance, not being able to call in a coworker to help on a project if I'm sick, and clients who monkey with deadlines or send my checks late.
For me, the pros far outweigh the cons. Sure, I have crummy weeks, just like any other worker. But the autonomy and variety make freelance far preferable to me than 9-to-6 office work.

RRR: You have two books out now, "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide" and "My So-Called Freelance Life." Since your own freelance career has centered on writing, what are your top do's and don'ts for new or prospective writers?

MICHELLE GOODMAN:

• Media layoffs are pretty much the norm these days, meaning there's more competition than ever. To ensure you're as employable as possible, cultivate a couple of specialties and work to diversify your skills and client base. Don't just write about travel or food. Write about business or health too. Don't just look to publish in newspapers and magazines. Also write for digital media outlets and the business sector. If you can proofread, edit, or project manage, do that too. The more skills you can sell, the busier your schedule will be.

• Look for freelance job leads on sites like Sologig.com, FreelanceSwitch.com, and FreelanceSuccess.com. If you want to write for the media, take advantage of all the resources the site mediabistro has to offer. While you may need to do a freebie or two to line an empty portfolio, be careful not to give away the farm.

• If you don't know the first thing about running a business, pick up a book on the topic (ahem) or take a class. SCORE offers affordable classes as well as free business counseling to freelancers and entrepreneurs.

• Read the blogs of veteran writers and the forums on mediabistro to pick up tips from the pros. Find and chat with other freelancers in your neck of the woods (see social networks such as Biznik and LinkedIn, as well as the Freelancers Union meetups). Next to a satisfied client, the best source of referrals is another self-employed pro who has more work than they can handle.

• If you still have a day job, take advantage of all it has to offer: steady income that you can (and should) stockpile so that you don't have to live month to month when you do flee the cube, training in key software and business practices, extra-credit projects that can yield impressive work samples for your portfolio, and a built-in professional network of coworkers, customers, vendors, and business partners—all of whom might hire or refer you for future freelance work.

RRR: Sales and marketing are often a big challenge for solo workers, and involve a lot of rejection. What's your advice for readers who are anxious about sales and marketing?

MICHELLE GOODMAN: Like or not, sales and marketing are a critical aspect of working for yourself. It may be uncomfortable at first to promote your talents and apply for jobs on a weekly or monthly basis, but with practice, it becomes old hat.

The web and email make tooting your own horn and chatting up potential clients infinitely easier. To start off, set up a two to four page website featuring your writing bio and samples. Send an email blast to everyone you know announcing that you're available for writing projects. And set up a profile on your social media site of choice and let friends know you're now accepting freelance projects.

As for rejection, I've found the best way to deal with it is to apply for as many golden opportunities you're qualified for at once. That way, when some of them fall though (as they invariably will), the no's don't sting quite so much. With any luck, you'll be too busy to care.

RRR: Looking back, what has been your highest moment as a freelancer so far, and your lowest low? What did you learn from each?

MICHELLE GOODMAN: All my lows have stemmed from having too much work to do in the time allotted to do it -- a common problem for freelancers -- and having to call the client to renegotiate the deadline. I've since learned to start projects earlier than seems necessary and to track my time on each project so I know exactly how long it will take next time.

Getting my first book advance and royalty check, as modest as they were, and my first write-ups in publications such as the New York Times have definitely been high points. But this is all gravy. The reward is doing what you love each week and getting paid for it.

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Work-at-Home Jobs for 2009: What's Hot, What's Not

To help you optimize your job search, here are six quick tips on what to expect in the work-at-home arena in 2009:

1. Virtual call centers will continue to recruit strongly across the US. Call centers have led the way in home-based employment in recent years, as homeshoring (home-based agents) takes hold. Overall, the industry appears likely to fulfill analysts' predictions of 300,000 at-home agents by 2010.

On the minus side, competition for home-agent positions – which was already strong – will increase as the recession continues. Improve your chances of getting a job by gaining customer service experience wherever you can, and set up a home office, as call centers insist on quiet environments.

For details, see our chart of 75+ work-at-home call centers here.

2. "Data entry jobs" and similar work-at-home scams will surge. As we mentioned here in our post of 12/27/08, our research shows that the ratio of work-at-home ripoffs to legitimate jobs jumped 30 percent in the past year, and now stands at 54 to 1. (In other words, for every 55 job leads we screen, only one is legitimate.)

Check work-at-home-parent forums such as WAHM.com and Work Place Like Home for discussions on good and bad work-at-home opportunities. For legitimate employers in the administrative field, see our list here.

3. Freelance or project-oriented work will continue to grow. In a recession, many employers prefer to hire independent contractors (aka freelancers) rather than take on employees, who are more costly. (Current employees don't have it so good either, as employers reduce health coverage and 401(k) contributions in an effort to stay competitive -- or even to stay in business.)

4. Website designers and other IT specialists will continue to be in demand. More and more people are seeking to earn money on the side through self-employment, and many will need help with their websites. IT consultancies, for their part, will continue to need upper-end programming skills.

5. Direct sales opportunities such as Mary Kay, Avon, and others will have to contend with decreased discretionary spending. The price of gas is low – for the moment – which leaves a few more month-end dollars. However, layoffs, decimated housing values and high credit card interest don't bode well for discretionary products or services. 

6. Home-based nursing, tutoring (especially foreign students) and teaching will continue to grow. The long-standing nursing shortage spells continuing leverage for employees, many of whom now perform telephonic triage and similar services from home. Conversational English for foreign students, also done over the phone, is a popular option in the language arena, and community college and universities, for their part, are steadily increasing online class offerings.

For more on health care and related jobs, see our list here. For developments in the teaching sector, see The Chronicle of Higher Education and the book, "Make Money Teaching Online," by Dani Babb and Jim Mirabella. For openings in conversational English, see Idapted and ISUS.