Are you thinking of leaving current place of employment to find a job where you can work from home? Whether you’re hoping to work as a full time telecommuting employee or you hope to freelance, the last thing you want is to start out on bad terms. Just because you’re moving on to a different situation doesn’t mean your reputation can’t take a hit. Without careful planning your work from home career might be short lived.
What follows are a few things to avoid if you’re wishing to exchange your commute into the office for a work at home job.
1. Not having work lined up
Having a stellar career history and solid reputation is no guarantee you’ll land a job right away. There are plenty of successful people who search for months before even landing an interview. If you are wanting to work full time, make sure you have a job available. If you’re looking to freelance, see if you can get a client or two under your belt.
Having work in place will give you confidence, something that wanes when you’re unemployed. Besides, the current economy and the uptick in folks wishing to work at home means plenty of competition for the desirable opportunities. It’s best have something in place when you turn in notice to be on the safe side.
2. Not having money saved
If you’re leaving your current place of employment to freelance or start your own business, or if you don’t already have a telecommute job lined up, it’s a good idea to have enough money in the bank to get you through several months. There’s no guarantee you’ll find a job or enough business to pay the bills at first. Having a cushion will take some of the stress out of your new situation.
3. Burning bridges
Even if you despise your current job or employer, you want to leave on the best possible terms. Everyone you worked with in the past is a reference. Moreover, everyone you worked with in the past is a potential client or customer. These are the people who can refer you when someone they know is looking for someone who does what you do. Leaving a job on a high note with a good reputation will help you to succeed in the future.
4. Not having a plan
You can’t just up and leave a job without knowing what you’re getting into. If you don’t already have work lined up, you should have a plan of action in place for finding a job or clients. You’ll also want to research how to pay taxes if you’re an independent contractor, any overhead that comes with working in a home office, the type of equipment you’ll need to have at home, and what you’re going to do about child care. There’s a lot to plan out when it comes to working at home, and you won’t be successful if you enter into it blind.
Working at home isn’t difficult. Many WAHMs thrive in a work from home situation. However, if you want to have a successful transition, it’s best to see things through in the most professional manner possible.