How to find a job that allows you to work from home

While many people imagine working from home to be a paradise of sleeping in and working in your pajamas, the reality is quite different. For a motivated and disciplined person, there are many advantages to working from home. There is no time to allocate for a commute and it’s often possible to juggle other responsibilities during the day.

As with any job, before you apply for a work from home position, carefully study the company and the company culture where you would be working in addition to the job itself. Sadly, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Doing your research beforehand helps you impress the right companies with your knowledge and avoid the companies that might try to take advantage of you.

Once you have the job, you are the sole person responsible for keeping yourself on task. With no clock to punch or no boss looking over your shoulder, it’s easy to get distracted by your comfortable surroundings.

While you will not have a physical commute each morning, it is important to work in an organized and clutter-free zone. Set space aside for work only and be able to close the door. This way, similar to working in an office, you will be focused and in and professional frame of mind when you are there.

Technology will be critical in any work-from-home job. Because your employer won’t be seeing you in person, communication is key during any work from home job. Make sure you are keeping in touch in other ways: email, video hangouts or Skype, instant messaging, and picking up the phone are all productive ways to proactively be in touch with your colleagues.