4 tips to better your work at home experience

Welcome to the wonderful world of working from home! I just want to toss a few things in here that I  found have helped me  in my work at home experience. 

1. Make your area you are going to work, work for you  Set up your work space for what works for you, do you need a super quiet area? Do you need a ton of light? do you need things to keep you motivated? Set up your area to work for you.

How to get Started with Upwork

2. Figure out your desk situation, make sure you have enough room for 2 or more monitors as a lot of jobs do require them, your drink of choice, a place to write to take notes, etc. A busy desk area makes your day harder.

3. You need  good solid chair you will be sitting in that day after day  Good lumbar support is a must Here is what I use 

4. What motivates you? Why are you working are you working at home! Make a vision board with your why!  

9 companies offering great work-from-home jobs

A local Ohio tv station did a profile on a work at home mom and is helping viewers best legit home work.  

Ann Poirier is a mom of a 1-year-old who didn't want to be away from her daughter 10 hours a day anymore.

Non phone work at home option

So she decided to work from home.

"When I had my daughter a year-and-a-half ago, I decided that I wanted to stay home with her, but I still wanted to stay involved in the field and make some money," she said.

Poirier now often works in the kitchen of her Loveland Ohio  home while her little girl plays just a few feet away.

How did she do it? She went to a recruitment site called FlexJobs  , a marketplace for thousands of work-from-home positions.

She found something that matched her skills as a business writer, and now works part-time writing news releases and training manuals for major companies.

"It's flexible, you can pick and choose articles based on how much time you have and how much ability you have," she said.

9 best home-based jobs

Forbes Magazine and FlexJobs recently listed companies offering the most home based jobs 

The top 9:

Updated for 2023 

Appen

Part-time Flexible Jobs

We are looking for people from all over the world to participate in some of our many exciting work-from-home opportunities. These opportunities range from simple surveys that can be completed in less than one hour to on-going projects that last for months or longer. Leverage your social media interest, mobile device savviness, your college degree in linguistics, online research skills, or passion for images, video, or audio. With so many diverse projects, chances are we’ve got something for you.

LiveOp

We help you work around your life, whether it be the wee hours of the morning or after the kids are in bed, we’ve got opportunities. Need to plan around other commitments? No problem. Live far from an city? Come on board! We’ve been welcoming customer-focused professionals and businesses into a thriving agent community for over 20 years.

As an agent with Liveops, you are a self-employed independent contractor, not an employee. If you decide to contract with Liveops, we connect you with opportunities that fit your unique combination of skills and availability. Main hustle or side gig —it’s all up to you.

Amazon

While most of Amazon’s hourly job opportunities require being at a local Amazon facility, there are some jobs roles in customer service and corporate that offer partial remote or work from home potential.

Teletech

Pull back the curtain of some of the world’s most iconic brands and you’ll find the people and technology

of TTEC. We're the friendly faces and advanced technology solutions at the heart of customer experience.

. 

LanguageLine

We are fanatical about people understanding people. We strive to improve the world and empower relationships one word at a time. Our clients, colleagues, and the communities we serve together are our inspiration and the key to success. Excellence is our non-compromising obligation. We learn from each other and are enriched by the diversity of people, thought, and culture. We are united in our differences. We are passionate about seeing people smile when they are understood and are committed to innovation to create more smiles. We make a difference in people’s lives every day. We help to ensure justice, save lives, welcome newborns, and build futures. This is the experience we live for.

Working Solutions

Work from home as an independent contractor

At Working Solutions, we understand the importance of having a healthy work/ life

balance. We provide ongoing education, community support, and valuable resources

to encourage agent success and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Kelly Services

Sutherland Global


You can find at home about each company at Flexjobs

Forbes also says health insurers are now among the biggest remote employers. Among them:

United Health Care

Aetna

Humana

You can see  

17 Healthcare Companies offering Remote Work Jobs

Are you a teacher we have rounded up some of the best opportunities!  Remote teaching opportunities include  including tutoring, teaching as second language as well reviewing academic tests 

How To Talk Your Boss Into Letting You Work From Home

A reader recently wrote into Forbes asking the questions about some flexibility in working a few days from home.   Even working a few days at home can be helpful for work and life balance. 


If I could work from home one or two days a week, I would have the perfect job.

It's crazy that I have to drive into the city during rush hour five days a week.

My office only has forty employees in it, and most of us don't work for the same manager or on the same accounts. I don't interact with my co-workers apart from pleasantries.

I could do a lot of my work from a coffee shop or anywhere, but so far my company doesn't have any work-from-home policies that I know of.

See the answer at Forbes 


See a Telecommuting proposal letter 

Get Paid for Taking Surveys

In addition, to phone and admin work, one of the things that I do on a regular basis is do internet surveys.  I use this as my pocket change and will use it to pay for Christmas or  save up for a Disney vacation.  like we went on  back in 2013.   

Eligibility

In order to earn money by completing surveys you must meet the criteria for the specific survey. Many companies will require an unpaid screener survey during registration. This information is used to select participants for specific product and service surveys. The key is to have enough of your information on file for the company to know you fit their demographic and extend the offer to you.

Watch Out for Scams

Be cautious. Although being paid for taking surveys is legitimate, there are some that are out to scam and make a quick buck on the hopes of others. Simply follow these rules:

• Never pay up front.
• Never pay a membership fee.
• Never give out personal information like your social security number, credit card or bank account number.
• Read the terms and conditions.
• Ensure cash  or gift cards are  the payment method.

Legitimate Companies Follow These Guidelines:

• Never guarantee a set income
• Makes clear the reward for each survey
• Posts privacy policies
• Does not sell member information to third parties.

Many companies look legitimate. Check out the terms and conditions agreement and privacy policy before signing up. If you can't find these, skip that site.

Look for wording such as, "We do not share personally identifiable information with other third-party organizations for their marketing or promotional uses without your consent except as part of a specific program or feature for which you will have the ability to opt out."

How Paid Surveys Work

Compensation will vary company by company and survey by survey. You may receive a little bit of money, free products, or sweepstakes entries.

First sign up for a paid survey site and complete your member profile. You should receive an email when a survey matches your profile. The email should contain this information:

• How long it takes to complete the survey
• How you will be compensated
• A link to the survey

Most surveys take only 15-20 minutes to take.

Payment

Do not expect a full-time salary from survey taking. It is acceptable to receive compensation of about $50 to $100 each month in cash and products for several short surveys.

Payments can vary widely and can range from $1-$50 in cash, points toward prizes, or sweepstakes entries. Generally the cash is the most valuable option.

How to Maximize your Survey Earnings

Sign up with several legitimate companies and check them all often so you don't miss out on surveys you qualify for.

Once you have been selected for surveys, use the time you have and complete the best offers. You are not obligated to complete all offers.

Keep your profile up to date so you meet eligibility requirements.

My favorite ones 

Swagbucks (my absolute favorite one) 

Global Test Market 

Harris Poll 

Final Word

Taking online surveys is a great way to earn a bit of extra money for a little time. Remember to watch out for scams and look for good compensation.

Do Work at Home Typing Jobs Exist

Reader Question 

 I need a typing job. Can you help me with this? is there any available? I can type 1000 words per half an hour. any e book projects or form filling projects?

In the sometimes quest for legitimate work from home jobs like typing jobs and data entry jobs, there are a few things  to keep in mind. First, these kind of jobs do exist. Second, there are different varieties of home typing jobs. Third, there are a million scams, and you need to be smart about it. The old saying if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

A common  scam one is where they call it mailbox money hey just keep on posting this in facebook group, craigslist etc and the money will roll in. 

Typing and data entry jobs are a broad category composed of freelance writing, survey taking, audio or voice transcription, virtual assistant and simple data entry to name a few of the most common. Some jobs, like audio transcription or medical transcription, may require special training, software or equipment. Many of the survey taking and simple data entry jobs found online, while legitimate, require you to fill out forms, commit to  trial offers of  products, and to give out your email address and other personal information.

The majority of home typing jobs can be found through websites like   that specialize in posting typing and data entry jobs. 

A couple of resources on how starting 

Medical Transcription and Editing Career Opportunity

How to Start Your Work at Home General Transcription Career!

Quicktate -work at home transcription

Work at Home Chat and Email Jobs are are another option out there for you 

Tips for Professional Work at Home Interview Thank you Note

A work at home job interview is just like if you had a regular interview with a brick and mortar company. It's highly recommended to write a thank you email to the interviewer. Not only is it good business etiquette, but a thank you email will keep you, a likely candidate fresh in their minds.

Here are some tips on writing a professional work at home thank you email. 

Sending a thank you email shows you are interested in the position and the company. Show your enthusiasm and interest throughout the letter.
It shows your appreciation towards the interviewer for investing their time to interview you.

Emphasize your strengths, skills, accomplishments and experience. Let them know what you plan to bring to the company if hired; why you would be a good fit and or an asset to the company.
Use what you've learned in the interview to point out your strongest skills or expertise. You can also help the interviewer remember you by bringing up specific points discussed in the interview.
This a good time to provide additional information that wasn't discussed or forgotten in the interview.
Your interview follow up email should be no longer than a page, error free and professional. Have someone proofread it and don't forget to include your contact details.

When you send an email even a most beautiful document can end up at the recipient's looking all messed up and sloppy. Make sure it is formatted properly. You may want to send it to some friends before firing it off just to make sure it looks professional.

As part of the interview process this is an important step to take. It is best to send your thank you email within 24 - 48 hours after your interview. Anything later may be a moot point.

A thank you email could be just enough to separate you from another candidate in your search in a competitive work at home industry.

S McIntyre owns WorkAtHomeSpace.com a free work at home resource focusing on work at home companies, daily telecommute job leads, articles, business resources and other work at home related topics. You can also get tips on writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing tips and more on her work at home forums.

Work at Home as Internet Researcher

Remember to  Sign up for daily job leads ! 
If you are looking for non phone work on the internet, consider becoming an internet researcher answering questions from other people on the web.  

Become an internet researcher 

There are several sites that contract Work at home moms or other people   to answer questions on various topics. So if you have experience in a certain area that will be extremely helpful when you’re applying. With these opportunities you’re not only researching answers for people, you’re also writing the answers online. 

Experts 123 – Experts123 is the best place to go to share your knowledge, get information and promote your expertise. Upon becoming a member of Experts123 you will have all access to our collection of questions, answers, articles, and our experts directory.

Signing up is easy. You can sign up through Facebook or simply enter your email address to the right if you don't have a Facebook account.

Just Answer – Pays 20% – 50% of what the person is willing to pay for the answer (if it’s accepted). Payments are made via PayPal. Has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Small Biz Advice - Browse questions and make a bid. Payments are made bi-monthly via PayPal, minus a 5% commission fee. Are you a business expert? Get paid for sharing your knowledge and expertise in your spare time. Some sites provide you points and some say you can promote your services by providing answers, but on our site you can get paid for providing expert advice. Questions may be simple enough how-to's and where to find certain information online or offline and can be answered by anyone knowledgeable enough, or could be complex and need to be answered by a qualified professional. Some may include compiling a research report or data. You can decide which questions to answer.

Web Answers – Incorporates Google Adsense after answering 50 questions , so you get paid based on how much traffic your answer receives. Your goal is to have users select your answer as the "Best Answer" among all other answers posted to that specific question. If your answer is selected as the "Best Answer" you will earn ongoing advertising royalties on that thread and this question becomes yours to monetize. WebAnswers automatically displays Google Adsense  on your behalf for all questions awarded to your account. The more "Best Answers" you receive the more money you earn!

How to Get Started With Work at Home Medical Billing & Coding Jobs

Medical billing and coding  is  often a popular work from home type of job, but like many other telecommute opportunities, getting started is a challenge. Many companies advertise medical billing jobs that can be done from home, but more often than not, these companies ask you to purchase something. So how can you find real  medical billing from home jobs? 

Here's a few tips to get you started.

Start with the Right Skills
Medical billing, coding and transcription positions require a college degree or certification, so start there if you haven't already. While building the right skills, make sure you are networking since building relationships with instructors and classmates can prove invaluable in the future. Check with the school you studied with—many offer assistance with job placement.  University of Phoenix and Kaplan have medical billing and coding courses that you can do online or in person.  

Meet Erica a WAHM who has made a career with  medical transcription 

Do not pay for the job!

If an employer asks for money, this should always be a red flag. Employers shouldn't be asking for money --they should be paying you. There may be financial investment in getting the right software, but pick up what you need from a company that doesn't offer a “too good to be true” job along with it.  

Work in hospital or doctor's office first 

Many employers require their staff to start in-house but offer telecommuting flexibility further down the road after  the relationship is established. Check your local classifieds and job listings for opportunities in the area that could lead to telecommuting opportunities.

Contact Medical offices directly 

Create a list of medical offices near you and give them a call, or better yet drop your resume off in person. Ask if they're hiring, and even if they aren't they may be impressed with your initiative enough to keep your information on file.

10 ways to make an extra money this year

Working in medical billing can be a rewarding career that allows you to work from home. Never pay anyone for a job—it's likely not a legitimate opportunity. Instead, ask connections from your schooling or certification studies, consider starting at an in-house position, contact local 

Here are some companies that regularly hiring medical coding and billing.   They may or may not be hiring right now!

Aviacode – Coding, and billing. Must have at least three years’ experience.

Codebusters – Coding, and billing. Experience required.

Conifer Health Solutions – Coding, and billing. Requires experience.

Himagine – Coding. Experience required.

LexiCode – Coding, and billing. Experience required.

Maxim Healthcare – Coding, and billing. Requires at least two years’ experience.

MModal – Coding. Some experience is required.

nThrive – Coding, and billing. Requires at least three years’ experience.

Piedmont Healthcare – Coding. Must have at least two years’ experience.

The Coding Network – Coding. Requires at least three years’ experience.

Medical Transcription and Editing Career Opportunity

See what the career of an at-home medical transcriptionist is really like. Meet Erika, a work at home mom with 6 kids  as she talks about her day-to-day activities and how a career in medical transcription has changed her life and her family's for the better. 

A career in medical transcription offers a number of benefits, including:

The opportunity to work at home – A real career from your home with no commute, no daycare costs, and the flexibility to work anywhere there's a secure internet connection.
Flexible work schedules – Many medical transcriptionists choose their schedules, so you'll have the freedom to work when it fits your life.
Productivity-based income – The more you work, the more you can make as a medical transcriptionist because most are paid on production.
A career in medical transcription offers the opportunity to earn a great income

How to Get Started With Work at Home Medical Billing & Coding  Jobs

Medical Transcription Editing Certification Program

https://www.careerstep.com/programs/health-data/medical-transcription-editing

5 Reasons To Complete Your Medical Transcription Editor Training With CareerStep

Qualify In Four Months.

Medical transcriptionist certification requirements shouldn't cost years. Four months (about 630 hours of study) sounds more reasonable. Earn your medical transcription certification online with CareerStep and you'll get 12 months of program access before you sit for the the RHDS (Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist) certification test.

Get Hired.

Because you’ve met your medical transcriptionist requirements, employers trust—even prefer—CareerStep-trained and certified medical transcriptionist, and demand for this role is steady.

Work From Home.

Most medical transcriptionists and medical transcription editors work from home, making it the perfect job for parents (and anyone else who needs a flexible schedule).

Take Charge Of Your Paycheck.

Most medical transcription professionals also get paid according to the amount of work they produce, giving you control of your schedule and your paychecks.

Stay In The Black.

Our online medical transcription program is effective and affordable. We make it easy to pay the course fee (because your success is kind of a big deal to us).

Key Skills to Spotlight in Your WAHM Resume

Writing a resume that includes experience gained from working at home is not much different from writing a regular resume. But there are some areas in which your WAHM skills beat the in-office competition. Here’s what you should be highlighting.

Organizational Skills

It’s easier to stay organized when the boss can drop in on your office at any moment. Not so much when the only one seeing your messy home office is your cat. Keeping your office organized is crucial to work at home success. It’s also a sign of respect—not only to your job, but to yourself.

Dedication and Professionalism

Sure, it was fun gabbing with the gals at the office but that doesn’t even compare to a Real Housewives marathon on Bravo! It takes sheer discipline—and professionalism—to keep yourself sitting at your desk and working when the TV calls your name, especially when your boss is not around to reprimand you.

Superior Communication Skills

When you worked in an office, you could always stroll down the hallway if you needed some clarification from a colleague. Now, you stroll down the hallway and you’re in your kitchen. Working at home requires excellent communication skills, especially when an email or an IM is unclear. Being vocal about your queries also lets your boss know that you’re serious about your job.

Focus

From your mother calling to your dogs looking longingly at you for a walk, there are incessant interruptions when you work at home. These calls for your attention are something that you simply don’t have to deal with when you work in an office. Being able to avoid distractions (yes, even Facebook counts as one) and concentrate on your work is a definite advantage.

Time Management Skills

When you can start—and end—your work day as you please, it’s easy to let the hours slip by. Being able to keep track of time—and stay on top of your work—without a boss breathing down your neck is a skill coveted by all employers.

When you are revamping your resume, you should definitely utilize your work at home strengths to your advantage. After all, these skills will be beneficial for any job that you apply for in the future.

Jennifer Parris is the Career Writer for FlexJobs, an award-winning service that helps job-seekers find professional opportunities that offer work flexibility, such as telecommuting, freelance, part-time or alternative schedules. To learn more about Jennifer, visit FlexJobs.com or tweet @flexjobs.

How to Make Smart & Good Money with Fiverr

Learn how to make smart movie with Fiverr Fiverr is a marketplace that allows anyone to buy or sell services, or "gigs" as they call them, for $5. Launched in 2010, Fiverr has been a smash hit and is one of the most popular classified boards in the world.

Here are some of the gigs that you work on Fiverr
 Video
 Graphic Design
Copy writing
 Online Tutors
 Social Media marketing tasks
 Blog posts Translation
 Music
 Wordpress Script installation

Here is what works for one fiverr doing writing which is a very common freelance gig. 

.
I created a gig to write 400 words of a buyer/s choice of topic for $5. Fiverr takes $1 for every $5 someone spends. So, I made very very little for each article to start. That was my choice to do that to bring in more buyers. You can set your gig for whatever you like. You do not have to be a writer, you can create any job you like for the $5. I personally enjoy writing, so that is what I chose. Content writing is very valuable, so it is a hot commodity on Fiverr. Not all jobs on Fiverr will bring in a lot of orders. I have had a lot of success on the site because I have been willing to write a lot of well researched material for a very low price. Since I stuck it out there for so long, I was able to raise my prices, and people still hired me at the higher price. I am not currently on Fiverr right now, and that is because I’m working so much for Lifetricks. com and I blog for 5 people every week. I also have a few other clients that I write website content for every so often. 

How to get Started with Upwork

A few things I wish I had known before I created my first gig on Fiverr.

-I wish I had set my gig for a longer period of time. I started it at 3 days, but eventually set my turn around time on a project for 7 days.
-If I had known how valuable content writing is, I would have started the gig at 350 words for $5, since that would encourage a buyer to purchase the gig twice for a more lengthy article.
-If I had known there would have been no shortage of orders, I wouldn’t have accepted every single article request asked of me. It took me three months to feel comfortable telling a buyer that I couldn’t do the article they were asking, for different reasons. It is ok to tell a buyer you don’t want to take on a project. There will be other buyers.
-It is time consuming and you should expect to put in a lot more time then what you are being paid for at least for the first month or two. You’ll develop regular people who come to you all the time. After a month, you can add on a tip to your gig. If you are good at what you do, people will give you the tip. I received many tips. 🙂

It is a learning process, and your experience may not be like mine. Not everyone has success on Fiverr but a lot of people do. I had the ability to hone in on my writing skills with little expectations. People do not expect to get good quality articles at $5, so I was given a lot of grace for writing that may not have been that well put together. Fiverr made a gateway for me to find opportunities to work for other websites, and also to realize that I can in fact blog on a regular basis.

If I had any real wisdom to share it would be, stay patient and flexible. With internet businesses, you do not know which ones will be successful and which ones will fold. There is no guarantee in any of this. So, build up a good clientele with whatever your freelance work should happen to be, so that if one of their sites doesn’t work out, the you still have other projects to fall back on.


I hope this helps anyone who is feeling hesitant about creating a gig on Fiverr. At the end of the day, what is the worse thing that can happen? You open a gig, it doesn’t bring in any money, and you do something instead. 🙂


Sign up for Fiverr here 

How to Make a Living as a Freelance Writer

As the traditional publishing industry has shrunk over the past decade, some writers are actually finding it easier to earn a full-time living.



For Jeff Goins, it all started with building his own following. Once his audience grew, traditional publishers came knocking.

But getting published wasn’t the key to earning a living. Jeff was already on his way to earning a full-time income by that point, through self-publishing and selling his own online programs. Getting published was an itch he still wanted to scratch, but for different reasons.

In this interview, Jeff shares the insider details every aspiring writer should know about what it really takes to earn a living in today’s environment. In many ways there are more opportunities for writers than ever before.

How to get Started with Upwork

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in the interview:

When you should “officially” consider yourself a writer 
How Jeff made a habit of writing every day for over a year 
When Jeff went from wanting to be heard to wanting to earn a living 
How much money Jeff earned from his book advance 
How to learn what your audience will pay for 
Why what’s obvious to you might be amazing to someone else 
Why “getting published” isn’t the golden ticket most writers hope for 
How much revenue an ebook can generate compared to a book deal 
How Jeff transitioned from simple ebook to full-fledged online course 
Where advertising and affiliate income fits in the overall picture 
How many revenue streams writers typically have 
Other options for income (speaking, coaching, ghost writing) 

How to live on a budget for WAHM & Freelance Writers

 

Forbes did a recent article on how freelancers should budget their money! Some great tips that I wanted to share since so many WAHM doing freelance writing and small gigs.

1. Know what you’re spending.

 The most important money principle for everyone — freelancer and full-timer — is to spend less than you earn . So knowing where your money goes is key to proper budgeting. If you don’t already, track your spending. You can do this in whatever way you are most likely to stick with — a spreadsheet, a notebook, an automated program like Mint, or one of the numerous other financial apps that aim to help you manage your money.

2. Create a baseline budget using a conservative number.
 Track your income for a few months and see what you’re averaging. Or, if you have records from the last several months or year, determine your average from that. Let’s say in the last three months, you earned $2,000, then $4,000 and then $3,000. Create a budget using $2,500 as your limit, remembering that 30% of that money will go to taxes. If this figure won’t cover what you’re spending monthly, we’ll go over how to fix that in a moment. “Some people have a situation where they have enough cons


3. Come up with your dream budget.

 The methods outlined above are good for helping you live within your means. But if you’re not making enough money or are new to freelancing or just lost a client, then you may be looking at that math and feeling like things are a little too close for comfort, or even realizing that you’re in the red. 


 4. If your dream budget number is vastly higher than your first, cut costs. 

You may be in danger of getting into debt because your income may not cover your costs. If so, go back and see how you can cut your costs, starting with recurring ones.


 5. Try the 50/20/30 method of budgeting.

 You may be wondering how much you should spend on different expenses. Some people like the 50/20/30 guideline Take your income and subtract whatever you are paying to taxes. From there, divide your expenses into three categories — 1. Necessities like housing, transportation, groceries and utilities, 2. “Paying yourself” in savings, retirement contributions and paying down debt, and 3. Discretionary spending on items like going out, shopping, travel, entertainment, fitness, etc. — and allocate no more than 50% of your income to necessities, no less than 20% to paying yourself and no more than 30% on discretionary spending. Notice that the emphasis is on saving more or putting more toward debt when you can.


 6. Give yourself a weekly allowance.

 Once you’ve determined your monthly discretionary spending limit (the “30” if you’re following 50/20/30), break it down into a weekly allowance. “This works really well for a lot of my clients, because they say, ‘I know my bills are paid, I know I’m putting aside money for taxes and savings each month, and I just need to keep track of this number,’” says Bera.


 7. Give yourself a paycheck. After you’ve gotten into a predictable rhythm with income, bills and your weekly spending, you can try creating a paycheck for yourself. Let’s say you decide you need $4,000 to live on every month and that $4,000 is your monthly average income after taxes.

How to do a WAHM job interview via Skype

CBS News did a recent story on how to do ace  an interview on Skype or any other video chat software.   This is becoming very common for work at home jobs rather than the phone interview.  

Get  USB headset! 

Know your software. It doesn't matter what software they want to use -- Skype, Google Hang Out, Go To Meeting, or any other program -- it is important that you know how to use it before you go live. Practice by calling your sister, your parents, or friends. Familiarize yourself with how to hit mute without accidentally hanging up.

Get good hardware. Your camera,  is probably fine, but your built in computer-made microphone is not. He suggests you buy a good microphone that will give you clear sound. Test it out. Even though bad sound shouldn't affect their decision, it might, particularly if they have trouble understanding you. Also, test your camera for the right angle -- it should be at eye level. Do a quick sound and video check before you go live to make sure everything is set up properly. (WAHM TIP Get a Skype Certified USB headset  such as Plantronics Audio 628 USB Stereo Headset)

Think about where you'll be. You don't it to be too dark, or too light, or (worst of all) have something unseemly behind you. And even though they are darling, Bailo says, "No one wants to see pictures of your kids..sorry!" You can even purchase background paper to give yourself a nice neutral background, but that's not necessary if you can create one yourself.   

Think of your user name. It should be professional. It shouldn't detract from who you are and what you can bring to the company. Remember, Skype accounts are free. Create a new one with a professional name if you want to keep your "cool" name for your friends. (WAHM TIP Usually your first inital last name plus a number is pretty standard for Skype) 

Get an "On Air" sign to hang on the door. Unless you're the only one home, your kids, spouse or dishwasher repairman may come barging in during your interview. Make a sign, hang it up, and instruct everyone to stay away. You wouldn't bring your toddler to a face to face interview, so don't have her anywhere near you during a webcam interview. (WAHM TIP make sure that the kids are not around-have your husband or a babysitter take them for during the interview time) 

It's not over until after it's over. Just because you think you've hung up, doesn't mean you have.Wait two minutes after the camera and audio are turned off -- just in case it isn’t. You don’t want to say or do anything that can negatively impact your performance."