to ask what you do if you work from home?

[Yeppidyyep]

None of my friends work from home, so I'd love to pick your brains. I know it's the holy grail, but after 6 years at home with my DC I'm looking to get back into some kind of career. Previously worked for 15 years doing long hours in financial services (front office) and regulation. Not feasible anymore as I've moved to a small-ish city with few opportunities, and DH works away most of the week (I've no other support). Ideally I'd like something I could do at home in school hours, so about 20 hours a week. I'm relatively techy and good at report-writing. Any suggestions please? Just not sure where to even begin. Thanks

[3stonedown]

There's some well advertised WFH roles, I'm not sure how realistic they are.

Some are:
Virtual Assistant
Writer or journalist
Audio typist.

I work from home as a book-keeper but that's due to the company I work for rather than everyone in the industry getting to WFH if that makes sense. I had to do full time office working before I was allowed to WFH

[StealthPolarBear]

Analyst/statistics

[Yeppidyyep]

Thanks. Analysis might be a good match for my skills. Can't find anything WFH though - but will keep an eye out

[drastard]

Freelancer etc.

You'd be surprised what people will pay to net get fired.

DS is a techie and can make $100 in half of his lunch break helping undergrads with their coursework.

[ShotsFired]

The best route into wfh for "normal" jobs is via the workplace first, unfortunately.

The flexibility to do your job at home frequently comes with seniority and time-served reliability and trustworthiness. Usually you can'#t just waltz straight into it.

(I don't mean to say jobs like VAs as pp says are abnormal, just that most jobs are designed for a workplace, not a home office!)

[mumofanonly]

My husband is very high up in a software house. He works from home, as does everyone else thay works for the company. All over the world. I think this is the company they use to recruit. It's foolish to think work from home jobs are not well paid or high flying. My dh is on over £200k.

app.crossover.com/x/home

[JacquesHammer]

I run a business from home. It’s a digital marketing/editorial agency.

[Yeppidyyep]

Thanks. Yes I'd love to have been able to go from my old job to WFH. Locally there are essentially no decent part time jobs so figured it'd best to look for something from home.

[runningkeenster]

I think there are jobs out there that can easily be done from home, you just need to ask when you go to interview.

I work FT, 2-3 days a week from home (as much as my boss will let me).

I'd happily work from home all the time and used to in my previous job with occasional visits to the office for meetings etc.

[StealthPolarBear]

Civil service...

[Yeppidyyep]

Thanks - appreciate the ideas

[theblacklist]

I also,work from home for a software house. I don't earn anywhere near what PP does. I did start working elsewhere in the business.
I think it's a lot more common now. I have a friend who is a virtual PA

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Stealth me too!!

[StealthPolarBear]

Which dept?
I thought you delivered groceries :o

[Jezzifishie]

I work for a council, people with an office based job are encouraged to work from home when possible (there aren't enough desks in the office for everyone to be in!!)I do a mixture of meetings in external venues, office based work, and work at home. Our laptops and phone systems are set up for this. Thought I'd mention it, as in the right places, there's more variety for working at home than people think.

[speakout]

I am self employed, work from home, I make and sell craft items.

[princesspino]

I work for an IT company and my boss is based in Europe. All our team are homeworkers, but be warned , it’s not all its cracked up to be. Yes, I can do pick up and drop off for school, but kids usually have IPad until I finish work which isn’t ideal and you work more hours. I can often start at 8 and work through till 5.30 and not have had a lunch break or a coffee break. There is no one to distract you at home so you may also miss the social interaction. I enjoy it as my work is flexible but I can regularly work evenings too and it isn’t for everyone. Also
It’s quite hard during the holidays when the kids want you to play with them but you have back to back calls

[SnowyAlps]

I used to work from home, however that was after 5 years working for the company. I still had to attend meetings, a few a month that I was called too, others I arranged to suit me. It was ideal as I could always arrange to be working from home when it was assemblies, sports day, parents evening etc. I was a learning and development manager.

[thewayoftheplatypus]

I am a copywriter and set up on my own to have the flexibility to work from home/around my kids schedules. I think pp are right though- generally easier to get into it with skills/contacts you already have. I wouldn’t have survived the first six months without a freelance contract from my former place of work

[aNutAboveTheBreast]

I do admin and bookkeeping mostly. Try Freelancer.

My friend does counselling using Skype. Another friend does dog walking (Not quite the same I know, but she's very busy and picks her own hours!).

[Yeppidyyep]

Thanks. The idea of working for a council appeals to me but where I'm living the idea of working from home seems pretty futuristic compared to, say, London. Everyone is expected to be in the office most days.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Assistant- logging in remotely. But agree with other posters it’s something that comes after starting work in the office, the odd day at home proved I could “be trusted” to wfh

[DwangelaForever]

My husband works from home as a customer service advisor fixing people's broadband for them!

[Fang2468]

Large financial services company, but only after I’d been there a number of years. Also HR were very strict on not having children in the house during working hours before agreeing to thus.

[KM99]

I work for a large, global management consultancy in their training organisation. Team is spread all over the world so I work from home 99% of the time. Been they way for 12 years now. I find it harder to work in the office now.