Part time eco jobs can help you make the transition to a better job
For many of us eco jobs mean jobs that do not involve long commutes, a business wardrobe and fast food lunches. We are not looking for a high tech manufacturing or engineering job. We want good pay, a job we enjoy and benefits. If you do a search for green jobs, you come across mostly technical jobs. It takes a bit of searching to find what we are after so I am giving you some clues to help you find the type of eco job that applies to you. In the real world, we can't just quit our job in pursuit of environmental wellness so I am focusing on jobs that you can do on your own schedule and from your home. These jobs have the potential to grow into a full income down the road. Pros The pros to these kinds of eco jobs are that you are in charge of how much you work, what hours you work, and ultimately how much you earn. You can work from home or another non-traditional setting. You can work part-time so that you can keep your full-time job. This allows you to explore new avenues to see if they interest you and to see if the income is really there before you take a financial leap. You can stay close to your family which will help you save money on child care and be better plugged in to what is happening in your family's life. You can save money, time and gas by not commuting. You also can wear what you would like so your dry cleaning bill and clothing budget can be smaller. Cons Before you develop a mental picture of heaven, there are downsides to these green jobs. It is hard to sort out the scams from the real deal. If a job sounds to good to be true, then most likely it is. Don't put any money on the line until you have fully checked out an opportunity. Web searches on a company name will turn up lots of negative information if the company is less than truthful with its claims. You can check the Better Business Bureau in the area the company is located in or you can even check with the FBI at Looks Too Good To Be True. There are often costs that you have to incur to work these businesses. Sometimes these costs are for items and services you already have in place such as a laptop and high speed internet service provider. Other charges may be a dedicated phone line, a particular piece of software or back ground checks. These would be your responsibility. When you first start working you may not be able to get high paying work orders. Some systems you have to be in for a while and take the low end jobs before you can bid for or earn the higher paying opportunities. Again, by keeping your full-time job, you can overcome this downside and "wait it out" until you can earn a higher wage. Often with hourly or pay-per-service-rendered companies, payments are only made bi-monthly or when a certain threshold is met. You may not get paid as frequently as you would like. Be sure you have checked out the compensation plan. Many opportunities only pay when a transaction is complete even though your end of the work is finished. Types of Opportunities So what kind of jobs are eco jobs that you can do from home? Writing A nice, low cost opportunity is freelance writing. Start by writing free articles until you get a portfolio of work under your belt and then search for paid opportunities. Write about areas you have a passion for and an expertise in. It is no fun to write about something you don't like and if you are unfamiliar with the subject matter, it will show. You can expect to be paid as little as $5 or as much as $200 depending on who you write for. Some bloggers will pay $10 per article plus a bonus for high page views. The upside of this eco job is there are little costs associated with writing. The downside is that it will take time to earn money as a freelance writer. Be sure to find a niche that not many people are writing about, do you research and be sure you have your work proofed before you submit it. A great source for companies that pay for articles can be found at GreenGigs.com Another good resource to check out is FlexJobs.com Call Center Operator If you love to talk and want to work physically from your home, an eco job as a call center operator could be for you. There are a boat load of companies that are in need of someone to answer their phones 24/7. These companies hire call centers to do that for them. So if you work for any given call center, there will be a wide variety of calls coming in. Most likely you will only work with one or two companies at a time. The nice part is you can pick companies that are of interest to you. Liveops.com and AlpineAccess.com are both companies that hire home-based workers for call center jobs. Make sure you understand the costs associated with these companies. In most cases you cannot use a cell phone and must have a dedicated land line. Virtual Assistant Another eco job avenue you may want to explore is the world of virtual assistants. These types of green jobs are great for those that want to do a wide variety of work and build relationships as well. Virtual assistants can be asked to do a huge range of tasks from researching topics to ordering flowers. Essentially you serve a small group of clients with personal and professional tasks. To get more information on this type of job check out StaffCentrix.com or the International Virtual Assistants Association. Consultant If you have a specific area of expertise, consider becoming a consultant in that area. This eco job is a little harder to get into. You can build this type of business by networking at industry events. To succeed as a consultant you need a great reputation. Word of mouth is the best way to gain business and to grow your business. But again, if you have a passion and an expertise in an area, this won't feel like work and will be more like fun. Consultants do much of their work from a home office. They go to the client's office when they need to have a face to face meeting. You have the greatest potential to earn money in this job so give it serious consideration. If you want to test the waters and do some more research on your own, I recommend visiting Green Gigs. This blog offers great tips on how to find green jobs and links to actual jobs and job boards. Good luck with your pursuit. I would love to hear any suggestions you have. Visit my Contact page and let me know what is working for you.
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