Are Work from Home Jobs Legit?

Work from home jobs are one of the most divisive topics in the industry. Most recruiters know that when you hear the term “work from home job” that you’re dealing with a semi-reputable business.

That’s not to say that there are no legit work from home jobs. There are certainly work from home jobs that are legitimate. But what is important to know is that there are quite a lot of fraudulent work from home job opportunities.

The problem with work from home jobs is that so many of the job postings are not legit. Many scammers and criminals post ads on job boards looking for easy targets. They are seeking desperate people, people who are looking for work and need money. They then exploit these people.

But there are some legit work from home jobs out there. Many are in customer service.

While agency recruiters do not handle work from home jobs, it’s possible that in-house corporate recruiters would contact you about a work from home job.

However, anytime you are applying for a work from home job it’s important to make sure you vet the company properly.

What we will do here is review some of the warning signs to be on the lookout for as well as how to tell a real legit work from home job from a work from home scam.

Hybrid or Full Time Work From Home

The first thing to do when looking at work from home jobs that you see online is to determine if they are hybrid of full time work from home.

Some roles are not really work from home jobs. They are hybrid roles. These jobs require you to work in person at some point during the work week. Some hybrid roles operate on a 3/2 schedule, where you work in the office three days a week and work from home two days a week.

Some companies offer a hybrid schedule that is more restrictive where you are allowed to work from home on Fridays.

Most hybrid roles are more in line with classic jobs. These roles are often mid level or higher level roles in corporate settings.

Classic examples of the sort of roles that you would find with a Hybrid work schedule might be: marketing executive, publicist, or even sometimes an executive assistant. In the non-professional setting, you will often see hybrid roles for nurses who work as case managers.

Roles that are never hybrid are roles that are more physical in nature: any sort of facilities work, any trades work, most medical work, etc….

Work From Home Jobs: Real Company or “Business Opportunity”

When you’re looking at a potential work from home job and deciding if it’s a legit opportunity, one of the main things you will want to check out is the phrasing in the ad.

One of best ways to tell if a work from home job is a scam is to look at the way that the job is posted.

First, it’s a good idea to be extremely cautious of any job posted online. While some job sites have a better reputation than others, the truth is that anytime you see a posting for a job online you need to be cautious.

If the job posting uses the phrase “business opportunity”, then this is the first major red flag. Normally companies do not advertise jobs as business opportunities. That sort of phrasing is designed to get desperate people involved in a scam.

A job is not a business, you are an employee at a job not a part of the business as an investor. The mindset of someone who thinks they are an investor is much different and entails investing money—which is exactly what scammers want.

So, make sure that you be wary of any sort of job that mentions it is a business opportunity.

What Sort of Work From Home Jobs Exist?

The most common sort of real work from jobs are going to be customer service jobs. These jobs include ones where you answer emails and text support questions or phone calls.

There are a lot of companies who prefer to not outsource their customer support to overseas countries. There is still hesitancy among many consumers to deal with companies that hire outsourced cheap labor because it shows that the company is looking to cut corners and pay their employees below a living wage. So, it’s good PR to have someone answer the phone who is a  fluent speaker.

There is a negative connotation when a company hires outsourced labor in counties that have no labor laws and where people are paid below a legal living. It’s also a reason to avoid agencies that use outsoucred rectuiters

Recruiters who work at agencies don’t handle work from home jobs, so it would be a waste of your time to contact a staffing firm and try and find a work from home role.

Secondly, if you are looking at one of these remote work from home jobs, it is likely going to be found on a large companies career page. These jobs are posted on large firms pages. Companies like CVS, Progressive Insurance, and other large companies that deal with a huge influx of customer calls all day long.

What Do You Need To Work From Home?

In order to work from home you are going to need a few things. First, you will need a quiet space.

The reason you need a quiet space when you are working is that you want to make sure that you’re not interrupted when you are answering calls. It’s not acceptable to handle customer support and have lots of noise on in the background.

Calls are monitored so you will be reviewed and if there is noise from the tv or radio or family members, you will be terminated.

It’s also a good idea to have a dedicated home office setup for working from home. This would be ideal and it’s essential if you are going to be working for several hours a day without interruption.

Additionally, you will need a computer setup for work. You should have a webcam and a fast computer setup because you are going to be handling the clients interface which might cause an older computer system to lag.

How To Tell The Legit Work From Home Jobs From The Fake

There are a few ways you can tell legit work from home jobs from fake ones. Here’s my tips:

• Is the posting on a company website?

If you are viewing a large corporation’s website and they have a career page, then you can trust that the job is real. As I said above, many people want to work for a large company and the sure way to do this is to view the company website.

• Research The Job Posting Details

If you’re looking at a potential job posting, then it makes sense to do your due diligence. The major thing that you need to do is research the particulars. Be very diligent and look into what the job entails. If the job looks shady, then you will be best to avoid it. Look for red flags which are going to indicate that it’s a scam.

• Beware of Check Cashing Scams

One of the most common scams involves fake check scams. These occur over and over all over the country. The people who fall for these scams are desperate for a job, and they see ads posted online for work from home jobs offering amazing salaries. The truth is that any work from home job that requires you to get involved in cashing checks, buying gift cards, or sending money is likely a scam.

Here are two articles, one from the FTC and the other from AARP that discuss work from home scams.