Not only geeks work at home

The days of conspicuous consumption have passed the mark, and work at home is just one indication of this. Dressing smart and having a flashy car is no longer the only measure of success. It’s the time of the nerds and the geeks who always seemed to be the butt of jokes in high school and who are now the ones raking it in. Many of them did work at home because they had no need to fit in their own comfort zone and got more work done. With the Internet, even non-geeks can make a success of work at home jobs.

Work at home makes sense

And it just makes good sense to do work at home nowadays. The costs of “going to work” have risen considerably in the last 10 years. This includes gas, clothes, day care costs and food. When you work at home, you eliminate most of these costs, and that can mean enough savings on a monthly basis to cover your mortgage payments, credit card bills and maybe even put away a bit for a nest egg. When there’s a recession, every little bit helps.

When you work at home, you also help the environment by keeping your car in the garage. It may not amount to a lot if it’s just you, but the more people who work at home, the fewer toxins go into the atmosphere. Again, every little bit counts when you’re on the brink of environmental disaster.

In one sense, work at home may seem like anti-social behavior but actually you begin to develop a healthier society. If you have a family, you spend more time with them, if only the hour or two that you usually spend commuting, so you have a better relationship. There is also none of the jealousy and spitefulness that goes around in offices when personalities or politics clash, and social interaction is confined to social situations. You can afford to be more amiable when people you don’t get along with aren’t in your face constantly and sucking up to the boss stops being a competitive sport. Work at home jobs are usually based on actual performance rather than personality, so the company you work for becomes more productive.

Employers are on board with work at home

Many employers are also starting to realize the advantages of having their employees telecommute. Office space is usually at a premium, not to mention the utilities required running a big operation, and cost cutting comes in very nicely if even just a small percentage of the employees work at home. People who work at home are also less likely to resign, so employee attrition is less, which is big savings to an employer in terms of human resource costs.
Of course, not all jobs translate well to work at home positions, but enough of them are to make it a serious consideration for both employers and employees. The trend is towards telecommuting, so don’t get left behind a desk. If you can manage it, try to find a job which you can accomplish as work at home.