Day 4-11:11 pm: Well, yesterday I did it. I applied to two jobs. Despite my fingers not wanting to hit send, I chose to apply to jobs for my family. Even though I want to be home with my little one, I know that we need more money to get by. We want to provide her with everything she dreams of. We want to take family vacations. We want to keep her in ballet. We want to go out to dinner every once in a while. These are all things some people may take for granite. But, for people who struggle with money, they are luxuries. So, I applied to the jobs.

We established before that a job search is hard.

Every aspect of it sucks. And there’s no getting around it (unless you find a job). Part of that is the waiting. I’m talking about waiting to hear back from the company, if you are lucky enough to get a response. Most companies won’t even say anything. Which is why it is important to follow up. Ladders.com states, “If the job posting doesn’t provide a clear close date, HR experts and career coaches generally agree that one week after applying is an appropriate amount of time to wait before you follow up.” But, don’t come off too impatient or pushy. Keep it light and friendly and if appropriate you can ask a few conversational questions. This will show your interest in the job and place your name at the forefront of the hiring manager’s mind as they search through hundreds of applications.

To Craigslist or not to Craigslist

Many people are very hesitant to use Craigslist because of the scams. But, to be honest, I have found my last couple of jobs there. You just have to be really careful about reading the job posting and making sure it is legit. Anything on Craigslist that tells you that you will:

• Make a ton of money
• Have to pay some sort of fee up front
• They will give you money for office supplies but then you have to send them money back

IS A SCAM.

RealWaystoEarn.com  has a great checklist on how to avoid scams when searching for work from home jobs.

Make sure you research the company before applying, and make sure they are real. If you take the proper precautions, you really can find some good opportunities on Craigslist.

Ok, off to bed! Tomorrow I’m going to join HireMyMom.com and I’ll let you know what I think about it. Good night!

Day 3-8:51 pm: Remember how I told you that our money situation was tight and I had to find a job ASAP? Well, despite everything in my being telling me not to, I started searching for jobs. Yuck! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY likes searching for jobs.

You have to scroll through hundreds of job description, dissect what the company actually is looking for, try to figure out if it works for your family, and then, if it checks all of your hundred boxes of what you want, you have to apply for it. But, you have to customize your resume, write a new cover letter, and answer their essay questions all while standing on your head. OK, maybe not the last part. It is a PAIN! I know, because I’m doing it. But, I’m here to save you some time and energy (and maybe several headaches). You’re welcome.

So, here is a short guide I put together about searching for work.

As you know, I am looking for a job with flexible work hours and work from home opportunities so that I can be present with my toddler while she’s home. It’s important that I am able to have time to do my job while still being a good mom. It’s not just important, it’s mandatory. So, I’m looking for that “diamond in the rough” job that will give me that harmony I desire.

Here are a few things to do before you begin your search:

• Write down all of your skills and education and figure out what industry you want to be in. Education? Marketing? Sales?
• Identify mandatory requirements that you want the job to have. Those are things like: Part-Time vs. Full-Time, location, work from home, and hours.
• Take a look at your family budget. How much money do you have to make each month to get by? How much money would you like to make? Once you determine that, you can calculate how many hours you need to work to make that money. It looks something like this:

(Hourly wage x Numbers of Hours worked each week) x 4 = Amount earned each month (before taxes)

for example: ($25 hr x 20 hrs per week)  = $500 per week x 4 = $2000 per month

• Put them all together and what have you got? The right job.

So, now you have figured out what type of job to look for. But where do you find it?

I’ve been looking a few places online. Some are paid services, but mostly it’s free. Here are my favorites for the best work from home jobs.

• FlexJobs– This is a paid search engine. It costs about $15/month. But, it has a ton of part time and work from home jobs from major companies. I like this site (despite having to pay for it), because it gives me a clear understanding of what I am applying for.
• Real Ways to Earn Money Online– Yes, That’s the name of the website. It’s a really great resource for work from home jobs and it’s FREE.
• Hire My Mom– This website is also paid, so I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard a lot of good things. Especially if you are looking for Virtual Assistant or Freelance jobs. Check it out!

Ok, good luck on your job search! I’m off to do mine!