People with work-at-home jobs are able to perform their tasks outside of conventional work offices. In other words, instead of having to travel to business offices to complete their duties, people with work-at-home jobs often perform their work from home offices. They usually must have Internet connections, email accounts, and sometimes might need to have continual access to telephones, from which they communicate with clients, supervisors, and colleagues. One of the most basic types of work-at-home job placement is offered through job placement agencies, which specialize in placing individuals in full time, part time, and temporary jobs based on their skills and experiences. Work-at-home job placement also is available to contract or freelance workers and full time professionals who work for one company, but who do so remotely.
Individuals seeking work-at-home job placement from employment agencies often must pass exams that allow them to demonstrate their skills. They might be asked to perform a number of tasks on common computer programs, such as word processing programs and spreadsheet software. It also is common for individuals seeking work-at-home job placement through employment agencies to have to go through interviews with employment agency representatives, either in person or over the telephone. In many cases, individuals interested in this kind of job placement can expect to have to go into agency offices to meet with representatives and perform tests, though some agencies do provide options for remote eligibility tests.
Many people who find work-at-home job placement are professionals who are contract or freelance workers. In these cases, work-at-home professionals do not commit to doing work full time for one company, but instead sign contracts that secure employment for limited periods of time or until certain projects are completed. It is common for graphic designers and copy writers to find this kind of work-at-home job placement. Many salespeople, who communicate via telephone and email, also commonly find these work-at-home opportunities.
Some managers prefer to hire full time employees who are able to work from home. Proponents of hiring work-at-home staff find that it is more cost effective since they do not have to maintain costly office space for these employees. Many managers who prefer to hire work-at-home employees also find that they have a greater variety of job candidates to choose from since they can pick from applicant pools all over the world. It is common for these work-at-home professionals to have to travel to company offices periodically to participate in meetings, but they can work from home and on their own schedule for the majority of the time.