By S McIntyre 
There is thousands of work at home job seekers searching online for a telecommuting job. There are also common questions asked about telecommuting every day.
Here is a basic guide you can print out and use for your reference.
1. What is telecommuting? Telecommuting is working offsite in your home office or at a remote location other than your employer's place of business. You communicate with your employer by telephone, email, fax or instant messenger.
2. What do I need to telecommute? Each company require different computer hardware specifications. Many prefer desktop PC/Windows over Mac and laptops. Here are some of the basics and what companies may or may not allow:
- Internet connection - DSL is fine, but not satellite - At least 1Ghz-2Ghz processor, Windows XP or higher, Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, a minimum of 512MB of RAM, sound card, speaker, antivirus and spyware protection, firewall - MS Word, Excel, Adobe Reader etc. - Other equipment may include fax machine, printer or scanner and a quiet workspace.
3. Will I be an employee or Independent Contractor? It will depend on the company. Most companies offer Independent Contractor (IC) status so you don't receive health benefits, vacation or sick pay, taxes aren't taken out etc. Instead ICs will receive a 1099 form for income tax purposes.
4. What types of jobs are available for telecommuters? There are a wide range of jobs suitable for telecommuting. There are many more, but here is a brief list:
- Appointment Setting - Accountant/Bookkeeper - Customer Service - Data Entry - Editor - Graphic Artist - Journalist - Quality Assurance - Teacher/Tutor - Transcription - Virtual Assistant - Web Designer - Writer
5. Do companies provide training? Again, some companies offer paid training while others do not. Many will only hire telecommuters who have skills and previous experience. Some require on-site training and working on-site three months to a year before you're allowed to telecommute.
6. Do I have to pay any fees to work at home? No. You should never have to pay any registration or training material fees. Not all companies absorb the cost for a background, credit and or drug check. These fees are usually about $30-$50. Remember though, if you're paying out of your own pocket, be sure you have a job offered. Transcription and customer service jobs usually require a foot pedal and or headset and you are required to purchase these either from the company or on your own.
S McIntyre owns http://www.WorkAtHomeSpace.com, a free work at home resource focusing on work at home companies, daily telecommuting job leads, articles, business resources and other work at home related topics.
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