by Marsha Welch

Created on: January 23, 2009   Last Updated: November 07, 2011

This question was one I asked myself many times as I perused the scads and oodles of online scams calling to me to become an online millionaire. I already have a wonderful part-time job in the bricks-and-mortar world which allows me considerable freedom and time off, so I decided to make the most of my home time by seeking an online endeavor.

Anyone who has sought this type of employment knows that some of the offers you find are simply ludicrous. Then, the next level borders on the criminal, in that you work inordinate amounts of time for miniscule sums of money. But the next type is one that, thus far, I have found to be immensely satisfying as a professional, and lucrative if you apply yourself and are a conscientious employee.

The work that I do is virtual executive recruiting. I am paid commission only, and since I have benefits through my other job, I can live with that. Some people call what I do "headhunting", but I think that is a rude misnomer which sounds as if I am harming someone. I prefer to see my work as a liaison between the company needing a difficult to locate employee and said employee with a difficult-to-market skill set.

The types of clients I serve have very specific tasks to be accomplished. Since their compensation is very desirable, placing an advertisement in the news paper or on job boards would bring in a flood of unqualified applicants, forcing the company to spend unproductive time filtering the qualified applicants from the deluge of unqualified ones. My job is to actively seek the candidates with the skills which best match the employers' needs, ask the candidate if they are interested in this particular job, and submit their resume and letter of interest to the client company.

It should be noted that this company required no money from me. The only things required of me are my time, skills, and a computer with internet service. I personally think it is a great job, especially for someone with a background in recruiting or human resources. I can stay at home with my family and still make a decent contribution to my family's income.

I haven't looked for other online opportunities since I found this one, but I do know that there are some legitimate online jobs to be found. One must put in much time and effort to find them, but they are there. I also made it a standing policy to check with the Better Business Bureau each time I researched an online opportunity. This can save you a lot of wasted time and even money. My entire online search took approximately six months, so plan for more search time than for traditional employment searches.

If you truly wish to work online, just keep on looking until you find the opportunity that matches your skills and interests, check it out before applying, and if you do your homework, you will most likely be a successful virtual employee!

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