Lux
01-18-2008, 09:53 PM
First what are your biggest strengths?
Are you a fast typist? There are some jobs that require a minimum of words per minute with a % of accuracy to hire you. Some of them are as low as 30 WPM and 100% accuracy to 90 WPM with an 87% accuracy. Transcription is one of these jobs, but most of them require previous experience on the field that the company works, medicine, and legal are the most frequent, but there are some that hire without experience if you have the speed. You can always improve your speed, there are some free programs that help you do it but you will have to invest time on it.
Do you like outbound calling? Cold calling? Are you good at it? There are some jobs that there are going to require outbound calls, cold calls and it can be to people that have requested more information or someone that is not actually expecting a call.
Do you like Customer Service? Do you like being on the phone? Most CS jobs are about taking inbound calls from customers or future customers of a company, some of them are people needing you to place an order for them, wanting to purchase a service or a product, wanting to make a payment or just confirming shipment or delivery status. There are also the ones that have a problem, are not satisfied with a product or service etc.
Do you like writing? Are you great at telling stories? Do you already blog for free? There are a lot of places that pay you for articles or for blogging but some of them request a link to your current blog, or samples of your articles.
How much money do you want/need to make? How many hours a week can you work? Is your schedule flexible? That determines what kind of job is best for you. If you need steady income and certain amount of money you need to check what kind of jobs would provide that for you. There are some companies that have a minimum of hours per shift, or that require you to work at least one day during the weekends, etc. Please read carefully the policies and what is expected from you by each company
What kind of equipment do you have?
Do you have a good computer? High-speed internet? Would you be able to get a phone landline? Current software? Most of the jobs require a high speed internet connection. Most of the CS jobs require a phone landline with just basic features on it, for some companies they should only receive phone calls, for others just make phone calls, but in general I would say that they do not approve of you using the phone line for personal matters. Some companies have programs that are only compatible with certain software programs so be aware of this before applying for a job.
Prepare a resume for each position you are applying for. If you applied for a costumer service position you should have a different resume than when you applied for a writing position, highlighting what is best for each and omitting what is not relevant. Try and have ready a couple of references both personal and professional.
Keep track of the companies you applied for, after a while you will forget that a month ago you send a resume via website to XX company so when you get the phone call you might not even know what the position was about. If you have a notebook close with the name of the company the position you applied for and a small overview of the company that will save you having to ask the person who is calling you. These companies know you probably have applied in more than one place but if you remember that info it will speak volumes on how organized and on top of things you are.
While having an interview over the phone, smile while you talk, that would relax the muscles of your face making you sound less nervous and more pleasant. Have a copy of the resume that you sent close to you, so you can give it a quick look if you need to. Take your time when you answer, don’t take 5 minutes but its better to take a little more time and be sure of what you are saying than to say the first thing that comes to mind and be wrong. Be honest; do not lie to get a job it is not worth it.
Snagged from a WAH website.
Are you a fast typist? There are some jobs that require a minimum of words per minute with a % of accuracy to hire you. Some of them are as low as 30 WPM and 100% accuracy to 90 WPM with an 87% accuracy. Transcription is one of these jobs, but most of them require previous experience on the field that the company works, medicine, and legal are the most frequent, but there are some that hire without experience if you have the speed. You can always improve your speed, there are some free programs that help you do it but you will have to invest time on it.
Do you like outbound calling? Cold calling? Are you good at it? There are some jobs that there are going to require outbound calls, cold calls and it can be to people that have requested more information or someone that is not actually expecting a call.
Do you like Customer Service? Do you like being on the phone? Most CS jobs are about taking inbound calls from customers or future customers of a company, some of them are people needing you to place an order for them, wanting to purchase a service or a product, wanting to make a payment or just confirming shipment or delivery status. There are also the ones that have a problem, are not satisfied with a product or service etc.
Do you like writing? Are you great at telling stories? Do you already blog for free? There are a lot of places that pay you for articles or for blogging but some of them request a link to your current blog, or samples of your articles.
How much money do you want/need to make? How many hours a week can you work? Is your schedule flexible? That determines what kind of job is best for you. If you need steady income and certain amount of money you need to check what kind of jobs would provide that for you. There are some companies that have a minimum of hours per shift, or that require you to work at least one day during the weekends, etc. Please read carefully the policies and what is expected from you by each company
What kind of equipment do you have?
Do you have a good computer? High-speed internet? Would you be able to get a phone landline? Current software? Most of the jobs require a high speed internet connection. Most of the CS jobs require a phone landline with just basic features on it, for some companies they should only receive phone calls, for others just make phone calls, but in general I would say that they do not approve of you using the phone line for personal matters. Some companies have programs that are only compatible with certain software programs so be aware of this before applying for a job.
Prepare a resume for each position you are applying for. If you applied for a costumer service position you should have a different resume than when you applied for a writing position, highlighting what is best for each and omitting what is not relevant. Try and have ready a couple of references both personal and professional.
Keep track of the companies you applied for, after a while you will forget that a month ago you send a resume via website to XX company so when you get the phone call you might not even know what the position was about. If you have a notebook close with the name of the company the position you applied for and a small overview of the company that will save you having to ask the person who is calling you. These companies know you probably have applied in more than one place but if you remember that info it will speak volumes on how organized and on top of things you are.
While having an interview over the phone, smile while you talk, that would relax the muscles of your face making you sound less nervous and more pleasant. Have a copy of the resume that you sent close to you, so you can give it a quick look if you need to. Take your time when you answer, don’t take 5 minutes but its better to take a little more time and be sure of what you are saying than to say the first thing that comes to mind and be wrong. Be honest; do not lie to get a job it is not worth it.
Snagged from a WAH website.