Do I Need a Resume to Find An At-Home Job?

Depending on the type of at-home job you want to find, you might
still need to have a resume, especially if you are going to be
providing a business-profession-type service. For at-home businesses
that involve providing other non-professional services, you probably
need only a business brochure or other printed information materials.
Professional At-Home Business
If your at-home business venture means that you will be providing
any type of professional service (book- or recordkeeping, tax
accounting, proofreading, graphics design, etc.), then you will
probably be applying for freelance, outsource, or telenetworked
(online) positions. In this case, you will probably need a resume
(or a business précis, which is summary of important facts about
your qualifications) that can be mailed, faxed, or attached to an
email. You can either write your own or hire a professional resume
writer to write one for you.
If you are comfortable with and confident that you can create the
right type of resume or précis needed for the level of service you
wish to offer, then you can use any template that is available in
your computer word-processing system, or look for software that is
designed to do resumes.
For resumes that you are going to mail, use good quality, monotone
(one color) paper. For resumes that are going to be faxed, be sure
the resume you print is printed as "Best Quality" and never fax a
copy, always fax an original! For resumes that are going to be
emailed, use as little formatting as possible and always test it by
emailing your resume to several friends. Ask them to download and
open your resume to verify that they have no problems with it. For
resumes that are going to be pasted into the body of an email, you
definitely need to test it with several friends, preferably who all
have different Internet Service Providers. Ask each friend what the
resume actually looks like when the email open is opened. Fix any
weird spacing and formatting to the extent possible and test it
again.
Service-Type At-Home Businesses
If your at-home business involves providing some sort of personal
service (like giving birthday parties, doing dog grooming, making
balloon bouquets, etc.), then you will need to think more along the
lines of brochures and flyers that you can distribute. It is
unlikely that you are going to have to "apply" for a job such that
you will need a formal resume. For more information about brochures
and flyers, please see "Can I Write and Print My Own Business
Brochures and Business Cards."
However, it would be a good idea to have a "Business Fact Sheet"
that includes more specific information than you would normally
include in a flyer or brochure. When a prospective customer or
client begins to ask questions, you can offer your Business Fact
Sheet (and then, of course, make sure all the customer's questions
do get answered!).
You can create an initial Business Fact Sheet just be keeping track
of all the information that you are not including in your brochure.
Also, as you begin to talk to prospective clients, make note of the
typical questions that they ask. Keep updating your Business Fact
Sheet until you have covered most of the questions that are asked or
information that is requested.
Be sure to print your business information materials on good-quality
paper and set your printer preferences to "Better" or "Best" quality
printing.
Things to Remember about Your Resume or Your Business Information
Materials
· If you don't think you can write a resume that will get you
the job, then hire a professional resume writer to do it for you
· If you write your own resume, use clear, easy-to-read text,
one page in length
· Set your printer to "Better" or "Best" quality printing
· Print on good-quality paper
· Test email attachment or text that you paste into an email
by sending it to several friends, preferably who have different ISPs
· Fax only an original, never a copy
· Have a Business Fact Sheet available to give to prospective
customers:
Print your free Business Fact Sheet template
http://work-at-home.janktheproofer.com/Printable-Blank-Business-Fact-
Sheet.doc
(Opens in New Window) Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit
http://www.jansportal.com for more information about Jan's
proofreading and copyediting services and Jan's other free
resources. Please visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for
free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005. All rights
reserved.


Article Source: http://www.articlepros.com