Don’t Be a Telecommuting Whore

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Dear Employer:

“I can do anything you need me to do. Data entry? Yeah I can do that. Transcription? Yeah, I can do data entry and transcription at the same time! Cold calling? I don’t have a phone, but I can get the job done. Restructure your entire computerized payroll accounting system, no problem I’ll read these Advanced Accounting text books this weekend and get right on it. I’ll do anything – just hire me!”

Sincerely,
Telecommuting Whore
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Do you think that’s funny? Don’t! For every job listing that offers telecommuting as an option for the employee, the potential employer gets hundreds of cover letters like the one above. And I’m not exaggerating (okay, maybe a bit – but a very small bit).

I cannot stress this more – do not be a telecommuting whore!

This step is so vitally important that this principal alone could make the difference between success and failure in your job hunt. I would venture to say that those who would disregard this step will never be successful in finding a telecommuting job, so listen up.

Being an “I’ll do anything, just hire me” employee rarely works, in fact, it reeks of desperation. And desperation is the opposite of what an employer wants. An employer is looking for an able and confident worker to help him or her – they are not looking for someone who will weigh them down with emotional baggage. And I don’t know if you know this, but desperation = emotional baggage.

Focus on the skills and knowledge that you can offer an employer. Your focus should be on the employer: what they need, and how you can actually serve them.

This helps you in your job search because you’re not spending your valuable time applying to jobs that you aren’t qualified to fill or trying to convince someone who is not likely to hire you into hiring you. Because you are focused, you will find and apply only to the jobs that you have a good chance of actually getting.

So don’t just go for anything. Focus is the key to success.