Many people come into this industry with the idea that a work at home job is the answer to all their prayers. Usually the catalyst for this desire is either a change of financial circumstances, unemployment or the desire to be with one's family more often. I think they are all good reasons for wanting a work from home job. In which case, I encourage you to read my work at home guide or work at home companies page.
But then there are folks that cringe at the word "job" regardless if it's home based. These folks have feelings deep inside that are literally clawing away at their very soul and nature. They tend to experience disgust at the thought that they'll be working for "The Man" for the rest of their natural lives.
Maybe it came on the first time they asked for a raise and their boss looked at them as if they pulled out a gun and was trying to rob them. Or maybe it was the time when the sitter couldn't make it and they had to call into work to let management know they would be late or wouldn't be in. Then their boss made them feel like crap for taking care of their own flesh and blood. Or maybe they were sitting in a meeting on Friday afternoon at 4:45 pm and they're listening to people that get paid way more than they should yapping away about absolutely nothing that could have probably waited until Monday morning. Whatever it was that triggered these thoughts, these good folks have been battling the voice inside of them that's been saying there must be a better way than this 9-5 stuff. Well this bud's for you folks.
You may be wondering if it's normal to feel these things. Well I've come up with a definitive list that will help you determine if you're no longer suited for a job whether it's home based or not. But before we get into that list, let me say the following. I am not knocking people that loves their jobs or are perfectly content being employees. If that's you, God bless you! I think that's great. As long as you're happy then that's all that matters. But this article is for the other slither of the population that feel just the opposite. So please keep this in perspective as you read it. I don't want anyone getting sensitive on me and thinking I'm taking shots at them. Okay so let's get back into the list.
Top 10 Reasons A Job May Not Be For You!
You know a job is a bad idea if…
1. You don't want some knuckle head telling you how much you can make the rest of your life.
2. The numbers 9-5 gives you the heebie jeebies.
3. You hold a long standing personal grudge against your alarm clock.
4. Commuting to work every day is a test of patience that you have flunked many times over.
5. You're troubled that you have accepted that spending 80% of your time away from your family is normal.
6. You feel terribly uncomfortable that someone who became your boss by default determines your financial security.
7. You've always end up leaving a job because you had a problem with authority.
8. You don't want to be told what to do 7 hours a day, 5 days a week for the next 20-30 years.
9. It kills you to know you're missing important moments of your child's life.
10. You're so tired of office drama and co-workers that have nothing better to do all day than to gossip or hate on you!
I would argue if you consistently fit 5 or more of these characteristics, then it's probably time to consider a career change or working for yourself. For all you know, you may be putting your health and other people's lives in jeopardy. You don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.
Do you suffer any of the symptoms below:
– You're ready to knock someone out on the train if they so much glance at you or think of violating your personal space.
– When you get home, your whole family knows to give you space for at least an hour to detox or suffer your wrath.
– After work you head straight to your local bar or your fridge to crack open a cold one or something hard to forget the day.
– Sunday nights gave you headaches and anxiety because you know Monday is around the corner.
– You have a hard time falling asleep because work related matter is running around your mind.
– You're usually a mild mannered person but come 5pm anyone on that freeway that's not doing at least 70mph needs to get the hell out the way. Otherwise they will be getting high beamed, the finger or this mornings cup of coffee tossed in their direction.
All jokes aside, think about this. Aren't you a bit disturbed that nearly every week you lead your life like this? Do you really think that's how life is meant to be lived? Is this really you and the person you want to be the rest of your life? If not I would encourage you to explore a new career or a home based business. At least then you can be working at something you love and have more control over.
How do I know so much about all this?
I was you. At first I thought the idea of a work at home job might alleviate some of the symptoms. But I soon realized that it would only be a bandage. Ultimately the things I hated the most would still be hanging over my head. The only difference is I would be avoiding the commute. But that wasn't enough for me. So I gave up on the idea of a work at home job. That in itself was a great stress relief. Because I was really getting frustrated with not hearing back from employers and competing with millions of people for the few legit work at home jobs that were out there.
As some of you may know I settled on affiliate marketing. I loved the idea that I could actually get paid to share information, products and services with people that had specifically asked for it. It was a better proposition than many of the other home based businesses & MLMs I ran into. Most of the ones I explored expected me to peddle useless products no one wanted. Between the weekly meetings and the constant pressure to sell to my family, I was too through with those home based businesses (P.S. I'm not arguing all of them are like that.) With that said, you need to find what's right for you. Ask yourself, do you really want to be at job the rest of your life if deep in your soul it's eating you alive? Personally affiliate marketing has been a God send to me and why you've seen me mention it so much. It's helped changed my life and those of my close friends that I have introduced to it. Is it easy? No but neither was the idea of a job the rest of my life. At the end of the day you have to find what works for you.
I'm happy to say I've rid myself of the ailment of a job and have been symptom free for nearly 3 years. Again, let's not get twisted. Eddy doesn't hate on people that wants jobs and likes the idea of them. (And yes I like speaking in the 3rd person from time to time. ) I'm just saying for me it was always a burden. I've spoken to enough of you privately to know that many of you feel the same way. So that's pretty much who this article is geared towards. I hear your pain and just want you to know that you're not alone. It's normal to feel this way. You're not lazy or whatever other horrible things people have told you in the past. As we've all seen through out history here in the states and all over the world, people are often wrongly chastised for insignificant differences. You just want a change in your life and I'm here to tell you Bravo for that!
After all who wouldn't want the following type of lifestyle?
– I work from home or anywhere else I choose.
– I have a career/business that will give me all the free time I want.
– I spend more time with my family.
– I have an income that will give my family more than we need so we can actually help others.
– I travel whenever I want.
– I do something that I enjoy.
– I only work a few hours a day now. (It didn't start that way)
– I make money whether I'm actually working or not, passive income is a great thing.
Is this the life you want? Then in my humble opinion a work at home job isn't for you. You may want to consider a path like affiliate marketing or any type of home business that will give you the desired results. But for God's sake take action. I'm not here trying to brag. What I would like to achieve is to inspire and light the fire under your ass to make it happen. Because it's something that you've obviously wanted if you're still reading this. Sure this may involve sacrifices like holding down a job until you get to where you want to be. But that's how the best things in life are acquired. It's by making sacrifices. However just be sure that you're consistently working on activities that will help your exit strategy out of a job to get where you need to be.
In any event, I just felt the need to share this article with those folks who think outside the box but may feel a little discouraged or ackward for feeling the way you do. Don't let the naysayers kill your dreams. There is reason that only a small percentage of the population are super wealthy or successful. They were the minority of folks that dared to take the path less traveled and were willing to gamble to get there. If that's where your heart lies, then be proactive about it. Don't talk about, be about it. If you've failed a number of times, that's great. Here's a few quotes that sum up mistakes & failures:
"Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster." – Weston H. Agor
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." – Elbert Hubbard
‘You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.' – Beverly Sills
‘Nothing fails like success because we don't learn from it. We learn only from failure.' – Kenneth Boulding
So if you you've failed, and met with a lot of obstacles, you're in great company because that's the road a lot of the most successful people have traveled. Keep that in mind for all you folks that are trying to free yourself from the man's oppressive foot on your neck. Keep your eyes on the prize and not on how long it takes to get there.
So what do you guys think? Does this resonate with you? Eddy wants know. (There I go talking in the 3rd person again… lol)
@Lisa:
Was curious to what route you took. The comment you posted is exactly what i wanted to post. Did you give Wealthy Affiliate a try? Please Advise.
@Christine:
Christine, i am in a similar situation with my employment i noticed this comment was posted awhile back. How did Wealthy Affiliate work for you? Please advise, have been going back and forth with a desire to give it a shot, but have been hesitant.
Dear Eddy,
I have been looking for a work at home job for a while now. It’s been rather frustrating at times and I’m happy to see someone trying to help people with this kind of thing so thanks ^_^. That being said can I make a decent income if I join Wealthy Affiliates University? I only have a high school diploma and no one’s hiring many inexperienced people like myself where I live, but a job I could do at home would be very helpful so I could better take care of my family.
Hey Lisa,
I totally feel your pain about trying to land a work at home job. Have you tried our work at home job resources listed below:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/companies
I’m pretty confident you can land a job with those pages above. It may take some time as it often does with these jobs but it should help.
In regards to the affiliate marketing the money you can earn with it isn’t even a question. There isn’t a ceiling as there would be with a job. But that’s assuming you know what you’re doing and have the proper training.
So of course you can make decent money which is why so many folks are attracted to it. But with that said it doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone which is what I covered here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/top10 so please read that page to decide this is right for you. I get the impression you probably prefer a job, in which case you should try the resources I’ve listed up there.
You may also want to consider the Amazon Turk problem I mention in my recommendations page:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
A lot of folks have secured consistent work there. Hope this helps.
Hi Eddy, first time poster. I just discovered your page today and spent the entire day reading anything I could and I know I have hardly scratched the surface. I’ve been looking around for an online “job” for years (which leaves me to wonder how I have not found this site before!!) and digging through all the scams. Get-rich-quick, pyramid scheme “buy our kit and make thousands of dollars!” Thankfully I wasn’t too eager and jumped right into those. I can be a skeptic, which can be a double-edged sword. So I won’t jump head first, but it’s hard to make that leap that just might get me somewhere. So I won’t deny a bit of skepticism about some of these offers, but I’ve already checked out a few today. And affiliate marketing even seems quite reasonable, though I won’t be forking out the dough for the WA folks just yet. I can research all day, but making that leap is what will actually get me somewhere. Thanks for the info, Eddy.
Hey Joey,
Welcome to my little known whole in the wall. lol I’m glad that you’ve found us but more importantly, I’m happy that you are actually reading through the material despite your past experiences and skepticism. At the end of the day, you have the right to be skeptic. This industry is riddled with garbage, hype and false promises. So I can’t really blame you. I use to be the same the way. But now I have the gift of research and I’m able to avoid a lot of the garbage.
The point of this site is to educate people and give them various legitimate options. I can’t say everything I recommend everyone will think is viable for them. But I try my best to give you so many opportunities that even if you may not neccessarily be interested in one there are others that may appeal to you. So although I sing the praises of affiliate marketing, don’t feel it’s the only viable option for you. I think I’ve made it pretty clear in my articles that it’s not really meant for everyone. I’m purely biased to it because it was the one opportunity that freed me from the rat race. But it doesn’t mean it will for you. So just keep that in mind.
There are enough legitimate opportunities in terms of work at home jobs or non-traditional make money at home stuff you can also try it. The sky is the limit and this will be clear as you read through the material. With that in mind I would encourage you to read the following pages:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/companies
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/category/work-from-home-job-leads
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/workathomeguide
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Eddy, thanks so much for sharing the pics of your little girl! What a beautiful little angel you and your wife have been blessed with. Thanks for all you do on your website. I can’t wait to check out the project you’ve been working on! See Ya, Ramona
Nice job Eddy. Once again a very great post!
Thanks Joseph.
@Eddy Salomon:
Eddy,
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m not sure if sucess is about the amount in the bank or the experiences and the discovery of inner strength that we find we have.
Wendy
Cheri,
You’re welcome. By the way congrats on making a few dollars. There are folks out there who have been searching and applying for months and haven’t made a dime. At least you decided that you would take advantage of some opportunities that would make you some money then settling for none. So I applaud you. Keep at your goals and don’t give up.
Wendy,
I would say it’s the latter. There are a lot of folks with plenty 0s in their bank accounts and are miserable. The people that are happy with their success are the ones that have a balanced life. They’re rich with good hearted people around them and can sleep well at night knowing they came up on their own efforts and not on the back of others. If you can’t appreciate the journey to success then you’re not really successful in my mind.
Hi Eddy! I really enjoyed this article! I did do _kgb but the experience was pretty awful and I gave that up after 2 months..Occasionally, I “work” on Amazon m-turk on “hits” but as you know, its pennies (literally lol)..Even though after 4 months I did make $5.79 which was enough for me to get 1 book including shipping! (LOL) Sooo I’m still on the job hunt..Anyway, please keep up the great work on your website! This article renewed my interest in find a WAH job! Thanks again!
Hey Bro,
That was a great article..!!! That article is me right now!!!! You are right it is not easy but it is all worth when you can say you have control of your life…..
Your attitude changes everything and you have to be willing to work hard for what you want…
Thanks for the inspiration
Amen little sis,
That’s why I keep harassing you about working on your site. You have personal access to my knowledge. Trust me there are a lot of people here that would love that privilege. So get on your grind already. lol
Hola Eddy,
Another great article.
Of course a lot of us actually liked our jobs ( which we’ve held for 10 F’N years ), but got caught up in this economy and found ourselves unemployed for the first time EVER!! Maybe just me =P Like or dislike your job, you’ve brought up several great reasons and examples as to why working online, whether part time or full time is something worth pursuing. Something everyone should consider, as you’ve worded it so many times in this article and throughout this blog, “it’s WORK”. So if you suck at working at a real job, chances are your going to do poorly at affiliate marketing as well. I could be wrong. It’s a work ethic thing.
Although I can relate to pretty much everything in this article this part really stands out for me,
“9. It kills you to know you’re missing important moments of your child’s life. ”
When I was working ten hours a day I pretty much missed the first three years of my sons life. I really don’t think he liked me all that much. “I want mommy to do it….” So I guess losing my job had it’s benefits. Not only do I get to focus more time on my affiliate marketing efforts, but also my kids. My three year old daughter loves helping me with chores and we had a lot of fun potty training this year ( amongst everything else ).
Even now that I’m working part time in the evenings.
Anyways, great article Big E .
Phil ( philsfault ) Ames
Always good to hear from you Phil! I think you’ve hit it on the head. It does all boil down to work and having the discipline to put that effort in to achieve your goals and happiness. I think most mothers or dads can related to number 9. I always tell my wife, I’m so thankful that God worked it out that I finally achieved self sustaining success around the time my daughter was born. It made all the crap I endured working for the man totally worth it. Because I realized that I had to go through that to get here. I know how lucky I am that I have been able to witness every moment of my daughter’s life and development. I pray that if I’m blessed with another one I’ll have more of the same experience.
The moments with your kids are priceless and I think you clearly can appreciate and understand that Phil based on your experiences. Everything happens for a reason and I think we’re both living testaments of that. Thanks for chiming in as always.
Hi Eddy….I really appreciate what you are doing.. You have a gift of encouraging people to step out and accomplish their dreams. I am going to get started doing this at some point and I know the sacrifices I will have to make. My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a home in another city (short sale) and I will have to work but I am following you and gleaning everything I can from you. Thx again, Di
Well I’m glad I can help Diane. I feel very blessed to be able to share inspirations with others because I know how discouraging life can be sometimes. There are enough people out there bringing each other down. So any little good I can do to combat that is a great pleasure for me.
P.S. Congrats and good luck on your new home!
Hello Eddy,
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed this article! It really hit home for me. I fall into the category of a person that desires a lifestyle of freedom, such as what you described above; but I have so much responsibility. I am a single mom with 2 daughters; one of them in college, and the other one I never get to spend much time with because I am always working (or getting ready to go to work). I recently became so fed up that I resigned from my position working for the government, and accepted a work-from-home customer service position. The only problem is that my income is slashed in half! I am very interested in becoming an affiliate marketer, to help supplement my income, but I don’t know how to go about it. Do you need to know web design? Do you believe there are any local venues that teach affiliate marketing; or are they all web-based? Thanks in advance for any input you have.
Hey Christine,
I’m glad you could relate to this article. But first and foremost, I must applaud you on landing a traditional work at home job! Trust me when I say that’s a great accomplishment in this tough industry.
But I totally hear you about responsibilities. That’s why I stated that if you have to keep a job until you reach your freedom, then do what you have to do. But just don’t forget to keep sight of what your ultimate exit strategy is. In terms of the affiliate marketing just read the following articles and you’ll have a better sense of what’s involved, what to expect and if it’s even an option for you. Because it’s not easy and not for everyone.
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/wareview
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/aff
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/top10
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/affiliatemarketing
Hope this helps.
@Wendy:
Hi Wendy,
I applaud you for your appreciative and optimistic attitude. I certainly agree with Eddy that your positive outlook will eventually lead to your success.
I too began dibbling and dabbling in smaller income from home opportunities. The excitement of actually making money from home regardless of how small the amount aided in keeping me moving forward into bigger money makers.
You hang in there, keep that great attitude, continue moving forward, and I’m confident you’ll get to where you desire to be.
All the best to you!
Hi Eddy,
I have been having quite an adventure trying to work at home. Trying is the optimal word here. I’ve been getting an education is close to what’s been happening.
I’ve learned that just because you apply to work at a home based job, doesn’t mean that you will get hired.
It’s the same as the job market outside. I keep getting rejection letters. But that hasn’t stopped me from applying.
I’ve been doing the get paid to read emails thing and at .02 cents per e-mail, and at one or two a day, I figured that if I join enough of thoes kinds of sites I should be making a buck and hour some time in the next month or two, but hey a penny earned is a penny saved…or is it the other way around?
I’ve tried getting into some of the other sites listed here, Amazon is one and that was fun, I followed their instructions but when it came to setting up the account to get paid, well thats where the instructions stopped.
What I’ve learned, that any job, wether from home or going out the door, it ends up translating into hours. If you’ve got a job outside the house, keep it until you get enough of these bit jobs that equal what your making at the job you have to leave home to do.
There is this idea, kind of like the golden goose, that when you join a site to do a job to make money from home, filling out surveys or getting paid to read e-mails, that somehow it will translate quickly into equaling the same amount of money your making at that job outside that is driving you nuts and was the reason you want to work from home in the first place.
It’s not as simple or as easy as that.
I’ve earned over the last month a grand total of $1.12. But hey, when you have no income comming in that’s better than a poke in the nose.
Wendy
Well said Wendy. Buts it’s your type of attitude that will ultimate help
you succeed. You understand the industry and have learned to appreciate any money that you earn. That’s exactly how I was and it eventually led to my success. So you’re on the right path.
Thanks for sharing.