When
you first start to look for a work at home job,
it’s easy to get discouraged. Postings for
work at home jobs can be scarce and when they do
come up, competition among applicants is fierce.
What many moms new to telecommuting don’t
realize is that there is another way to land a work
at home job – Networking. Many people get
their work at home jobs either directly from or
as a referral through other people they network
with.

When you are networking, you are not actively pursuing
a work at home job. Your main focus should be on
making new friends in the Telecommuting community.
Down the road those friends may send you a lead
for a great job, but first you have to make those
friends.

Let’s take a look at four different ways
to network in the Work at Home Community.

Message Boards
Message boards are a great way to network with other
telecommuters. Spend your time asking questions
and answer the questions of other people. You may
not see any immediate return for the time invested
in networking on the boards, but it will pay off
in the long run.

If you are a person that is helpful and well liked
on the message board, and one of the other board
members comes across a position they are not qualified
for, or they just don’t need the extra work
at the moment, they will likely think of you and
send the lead your way (and you should do the same).

Creating those types of relationships are what
you are working to create through networking on
message boards.

Online Groups
One of the biggest online groups is the Ryze Network,
but there are also Google, Yahoo and MSN Groups.
Each of these networks has groups on any topic under
the sun.

Search for Telecommuting groups and lurk around
a few for a while. You’ll find one or two
groups that seem like a good fit for you and then
start participating.

Instant Messenger
After you have gotten to know some other telecommuters
on the boards or in the groups, approach them about
exchanging Instant Messenger ids. You know have
a fast one-on-one way to stay in touch with them
and to further build a relationship.

Local Work At Home Mom Groups
Check with your local chamber of commerce or the
small business organization to find some local offline
networking events. Just like networking in the online
world, you are there to meet new people and develop
relationships with them.

Some of the best places to network online are WAHM.com
- the first work at home mom website with an active
forum and of course TelecommutingMoms.com/BB - the
only message board devoted to telecommuting moms.
Head over there today and make some new friends!

Be careful not to get too wrapped up with chatting
though…it’s all too easy to get wrapped
up in message boards and spend hours a day networking!

So please be sure to keep a good balance. If you
network "right" you will see the benefits
of telecommuting networking!

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
 Nell Taliercio is the owner and founder
of www.telecommutingmoms.com
– which is a leading resource website with
work at home jobs and everything a telecommuting
mom would need. Come visit us today!

This article is available for reprint with author’s
resource box intact and all links live and clickable.
Copyright is reserved by author.