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Thursday, November 8, 2012

LinkedIn


Definition:
LinkedIn is a social network within the larger world of social mediathat is geared toward business. LinkedIn is very popular with those who are seeking work and trying to build their network of contacts so they can reach out to employers. LinkedIn is also popular as a way of marketing a business, because business owners can interact with those who are interested in their services by answering questions, participating in discussions and more.
From LinkedIn:
LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network and help the people you trust in return. Our mission is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. We believe that in a global connected economy, your success as a professional and your competitiveness as a company depends upon faster access to insight and resources you can trust.
Alternate Spellings: Linked In
Common Misspellings: Linked In
Examples:
Because so many business use LinkedIn, it's a great place to network and get recommendations as well as search for a job and participate in discussions.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Poll Results


Did You Find Work from Home or Did it Find You?
It Found Me - I Didn't Seek it Out
 (2987)
27%
I Went After It and Got It
 (1817)
16%
A Little Bit of Both
 (236)
2%
I'm Not Working From Home Yet But I'm Looking
 (5802)
53%
Total Votes: 10842

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Social Media


Definition: Social media is a form of interactive online communication that includes a variety of outlets, such as:
  • Blogs - Blogs are considered a form of social media because they allow people to share and comment on posts. When blog writers and commenters trade thoughts and opinions or respond to each other, they are in effect, "socializing".
  • Social networks - Facebook and LinkedIn are two prime examples of social networks. Social networks are places where people interact with each other, discuss topics that interest them, build their networks through invitations to other people or businesses they'd like to connect with, etc.
  • Social news - Social news sites include Digg. Essentially, members submit stories they enjoyed or think are important. The usual social news model allows other members to vote up or vote down a specific story.
  • Social bookmarking - Social bookmarking sites allow members to share their bookmarks - sites and pages on the web they use frequently - with other members.
  • Twitter and YouTube - Both Twitter and YouTubeare part of social media because they allow people to interact with each other. In the case of YouTube, videos may be shared or commented on. Twitter is considered a "microblogging" tool because it is similar to blogging but posts are limited to 140 characters or less. Twitter posts (Tweets) may consists of a quote, a link or recommendation to a good article or page on the web, or an opinion about someone else's posts.
Examples:
Social media is growing in popularity as sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube have exploded in popularity.

Work at Home Scams


If you've been a work at home scam victim or have come close to falling for one, don't get mad, get even!
Okay, so maybe you canceled your credit card and you will no longer be a victim of a specific work at home scam, but it can happen again and happen to your friends, neighbors and others who fall for the same phony lines with phony testimonials.
You can report work at home scams to one or more of several sources, including the US Postal Service (for scams received in the mail), your state Attorney General's office, or the agencies listed in detail here, all of which accept online complaint filing.

Internet Crime Complaints

If you've been the victim of a work at home scam on the Internet, whether through an email, a pop-up ad or a landing page you ended up on after clicking an ad, you can report that scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
You don't actually have to have been a victim - but if you are, be sure to save any evidence you might have - electronic or otherwise - such as credit card receipts, etc. because the IC3 will ask for those materials.
The FBI is a part of the IC3 and it has an international reach against crime. You do not have to be a US citizen to report a work at home scam or other Internet crime to them. Find out what's involved, what to expect and how to file a complaint with the IC3.

Better Business Bureau - BBBReporting Work at Home Scams to the FTC

The FTC - Federal Trade Commission - is a U.S. government agency that collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media, including information on work at home scams, many of which involve false or deceptive advertising. When the FTC receives a complaint, it files information about that complaint, such as an Internet scam, into a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide.
Find out what's involved with filing a complaint with the FTC, what to expect and where and how to file.
The BBB, or Better Business Bureau, is another avenue for filing complaints for work at home scams. The BBB accepts complaints even if the company doesn't belong to the Better Business Bureau.
The Better Business Bureau has office throughout the U.S. and Canada, and representatives work with you during the complaint process. By filing information on work at home scams with the BBB, you are creating a complaint record that others can see if they believe a work at home opportunity might be a scam.
Find out what types of complaints you can file, where to file and what to expect once you do file our complaint.

Have you been a victim of a work at home scam? Tell us your story!

Readers share their work at home and other Internet scam experiences, including what scam they fell for, what happened, and what they did about it.

Telecommuting: Finding Legitimate Work at Home Jobs

Work from Home Jobs - Telecommuting Jobs Image

Legitimate Work at Home Job or a Home Business?
Let's face it, a home business isn't for everyone, but there are plenty of you who would like to find legitimate work at home jobs- at least if you could find telecommuting employment- maybe to be with the kids, maybe because you're at your best when you work from home. For whatever reason, finding legitimate work at home jobs isn't an easy task, and I know that many of you have been looking for the perfect telecommuting job opportunity for quite some time. I also know that the number of legitimate work at home jobs pales in comparison to the scams that seem to about everywhere.
Unfortunately, even when you do a Google search for "legitimate work from home" or "legitimate work at home jobs", many of the results are not legit either. The plain truth is that for every legitimate work at home telecommuting job opportunity out there, you can figure at least 9 of 10 are not the real deal.
With a Home Business You Have More Control
If you start your own home business (not one where you pay your way into an opportunity - there are plenty of scammers there, too) doing something you like to do, you'll have all the control and you can be absolutely sure you're not getting scammed. Your home business can be as legitimate as you make it.
Freelancing, becoming a consultant in a field you already have experience in, making products through a hobby, becoming a paid photographer, etc. are all ways you can start a business of you own where you work from home on your own terms. So if you can do that, you're well ahead of the game. You don't have to drop everything and do your business full time. You can start part time and build your foundation. Then, when you're ready (or when you have to, such as if you get laid off), you're business will already be up and running. There are plenty of resources for you here on About Home Business. Here's a good start:
Working Your Way Into a Legitimate Work at Home Job
Another way to avoid getting scammed and get yourself into a real, legitimate work at home job that will let you telecommute is to either take a job in an office and work your way into a telecommuting arrangement with your employer or approach your current employer about working from home - maybe not every day at first, but a few days a week on a trial basis. My article, Convincing Your Boss to Let You Work at Home will get you started in this area.
You'll probably notice as you search for legitimate work from home that some jobs for companies you already recognize - like United Health Care, Aetna and others, will allow you to work at home after a probationary period, which may be up to one year in the office. If you can do that, you'll also be ahead of the game and will avoid getting scammed.
Tell Your Story - Why Do You Work from Home - Or Want To?
Participate in the Work at Home Poll
Poll: Did You Find Work Your Work at Home Job or did it Find You? - Click One:
Check the Latest Work from Home Poll Results
If you've already voted in the Work from Home poll or just want to check the results, you can use this link:
Participate in the Work at Home Forum Discussion
For those of you who would like to go into a bit more detail or voice your thoughts on legitimate work at home jobs, I welcome you to participate in the discussion on this topic in the About Home Business Forum.
Let me know: If you've found a legitimate work from home job, how did you find it? Did you have a strategy or a work from home plan that worked? Do you have any suggestions for others who are looking for work from home jobs?
Searching for Work from Home Jobs
Many of my long-time readers know that I posted legitimate work at home jobs here every week. When I was searching for those jobs and weeding out the phonies, I saw distinct patterns in what to look out for.
Basically, if you're going to search online for legitimate work from home, it's like any job search you'd do even for local office work. There's not much difference except that you really need to be on your toes and look for tell-tale signs that a job might be less than legitimate.
Your job search sources are the same - you can useAbout.com's job search powered by Indeed, search on CareerBuilder or Monster, or for tech jobs on Dice.com. You can also look through employment sites, like Robert Half, Net Temps, Kforce and others.
The real difference is in narrowing down your search to find telecommuting opportunities. So that means you'll be including search terms to specifically help you find legitimate work at home. Because different companies refer to telecommuting and working from home with different terms, it pays to be aware of some variations and work them into your search. For example:
  • Telecommute
  • Work from Home and Work at Home
  • Telecommute
  • Remote
  • Offsite
  • Virtual
In my years of experience filtering the legitimate jobs from the scammers, I've foundtelecommute and telecommuting to lead to the highest percentage of legitimate postings.Telework is also good, and is prominently used by Aetna Insurance and by the U.S. federal government. It seems like, for the most part, all federal job postings (or at least a vast majority of them) are now required to say that telecommuting is possible. Whether it happens or not may be a different story, and if you apply for such a position you'll want clarification of the chances that you'll actually be allowed to work at home at some point.
Unfortunately, using work from home and work at home yields the fewest legitimate telecommuting opportunities. Those two terms are very popular with scammers, so you need to be extra careful if you use them in search.
Job Search Aggregator Sites
Another practice you're likely to bump into when you're searching for legitimate work at home are the aggregator sites, which seem to crop up daily. If you see a job listing from one of these sites (you'll get to recognize them) try to go to the source site instead. For example, there are loads of sites that list legitimate work from home jobs from companies like United Health Care who aren't authorized to post the job. In order to apply, you may have to sign up, give up your contact information including your email address, and in some cases - worse yet - pay a membership in order to apply. That's a sucker's bet for sure. If you see a job posted with the name of the company, do a search for the company and use the job title in the search and you may be able to go direct to the employer's site and bypass the party who is trying to get your contact information or get you to pay for a membership.
In many cases you'll see the aggregator listings along with the legitimate search result from the company itself. Whenever it's available, always go direct to the hiring company or its authorized placement website.
For more information in this area, see:
Steering Clear of Work from Home Job Scams
In the vast majority of cases, legitimate work at home jobs shouldn't require that you pay anything for the privilege of telecommuting from home. There are a few legitimate exceptions where you may need to pay a membership fee to belong to an independent network of work at home professionals or you may have to pay a small amount for training or equipment that enables you to do your work from home according to the specific employer's telecommuting standards.
As always, tread carefully and do your homework on any company you're considering. Good luck, and here's hoping your legitimate work a home job dreams come true!
One final note. If you do get raked into a scam, you'll want to read, What to Do If You're a Victim of Work at Home Scam. In no event do you want them to get away with it, as they will only continue to scam others who are trying to find legitimate work from home.
Tell Your Story - Why Do You Work from Home - Or Want To?
Check the Latest Work from Home Poll Results
If you've already voted or just want to check the results, you can use this link:
Participate in the Work from Home Discussion in the Forum
For those of you who would like to go into a bit more detail or voice your thoughts on work from home, I welcome you to participate in the discussion on this topic in the About Home Business Forum.
Let me know: If you've found work from home, how did you find it? Did you have a strategy or a work from home plan that worked? Do you have any suggestions for others who are looking for work from home?
More Resources for Legitimate Work from Home
While I'm no longer posting legitimate work from home jobs I find on these pages, you may get additional leads and information on working from home on the About Home Business Facebook page, by following me on Twitter or by signing up for my free weekly newsletter. Here are the links:

Social Networks - Define Social Networks


Definition:
Social networks are groups of individuals who share a commonality. Their common bond of social networks may be the community in which members live, their religion, subdivision, career interest, social interests, common friends or shared beliefs. In short, social networks can arise from nearly any commonality or even a desire to make friends among their individual members. Therefore, to define social networks requires a broad view.
Today's Social Networks
While traditionally, social networks were made up of people who might gather face-to-face, today's social networks are predominately online. Examples of today's social networks include social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and others. With increasing mobile phone popularity and enhanced cell phone technology, even Twitter might be considered a social network of sorts where you can let your network of friends know what you are doing or thinking at any given moment. Today's social networks are predominately free to join, which makes them extremely popular.
Use of Social Networks for Job Search
Social networks can be useful for those who are seeking legitimate work at home jobs. Most social networks include job search tools you can use. In the case of LinkedIn, access to some job postings is limited to members only.
Social Networks for Business Promotion
While strictly social when they began, social networks like Facebook and MySpace are being increasingly used for promoting every type of business from a small one-person business to mega corporations. From its birth, LinkedIn was geared more to fostering network connections within the business community and it's common for entrepreneurs and corporate managers alike to seek out partnership opportunities for their business.
Also Known As: social networking, social media
Examples:
Joining various social networks and opting in to sub-communities within them can also be an effective tool for promoting a business.
In their early days, social networks were also used as a means of building links to business websites - an important search engine optimization technique. However, in most cases, today's social networking sites have made adjustments that make these links worthless for search ranking improvements. Still, such links can bring increased traffic to a website.