Employment - working from home

my daughter is my daughter is struggling in every job she tried. She feels the other staff don't like her, she gets called into manager's office regurlarly -  always same type of story. she is trying to find s job she can do from home -  anyone know of anything legitimate and profitable?

  • I quite agree with you.  And, if I'm honest, I've never had a job that's commensurate with my intelligence and my capabilities.  Partly, though, that's been to do with my spare time activities, which have always taken precedence.  Writing, for instance, which has been something I've done since I was 10.  My sanctuary, my haven, my private place, my way of making sense of the world - and of communicating with it.  That's always been more important to me than any job I've held - which isn't to say that I've never had a job that I haven't taken seriously and done to the best of my abilities.  But it's partly why I've never wanted to be a manager, or to progress up the career ladder to more responsibility, hours, stress, etc.  I'm happy ploughing my own furrow.  Work is a means to an end for me, not an end in itself.  Obviously, if I could make a living out of writing - or in some associated creative industry, like film - then I'd be happy.  It wouldn't be work any more. 

    Value and worth are subjective.  Unfortunately, we live in a materialist, consumerist society where such things as what you earn and what you own say more about you than what you think, or believe.  The values are all skewed and distorted.  The media constantly feeds into it.  Shows like BGT show people how they can 'make it' in terms of fame and fortune.  Or not. 'Success' is ascribed to things that don't include being an excellent street-cleaner or rubbish-collector, or carer, or bus driver.  People are conditioned to aspire to things that are often unreachable.

    Is it any wonder that mental illness is so rife?  And crime? 

    I could go on... but I think you see where I'm coming from Slight smile

  • I want to earn, what I am worth, not more not less, Tom. Value or Worth are subjective, and as such open to much interpretation. The only head hunter that I ever new was a millionaire, he told me he would get paid 7.5% for example of the candidate's annual salary, it could be extremely lucrative. He had great persuasion powers. He made it work well for him. 

  • Haha!  The salaries some of these people were getting were truly astonishing, too.  We had contracts with a huge global IT company (no names!) offering salaries to people in their 20s, four or five years out of uni, of sometimes £120k per annum, or £700-800 per day on a short-term contract.  Even then, though, some people weren't satisfied!  I'd like to earn even a tenth of those sums!

  • What does your daughter want to do? What is she good at? Can you combine the two? Can it be done from home? how do you monetise it? It may be something that no body has tried yet, work is good if it makes you happy too. I am planning for my future, changing my life style to accommodate HFA Autism. I have an I-niverse, I am creating my world whilst still in this world. 

  • California, if you love those things and you 'excel' at those things, my advice is. If you can't find an opportunity then make one, if you kind make. Fine someone who make opportunities.

  • Tom, you were a high flying 'head hunter' a dream job for some.

  • I would be so happy if I could work from home! I love silence, to be alone and darkness. I love computers, IT, data and databases.

    I am trying to find something for me but I am struggling with that. I do not see many opportunities out there.

    I sometimes feel that employers are looking for people who are communicable. Also, I am not that good when talking, I pay more attention to details, I am more precise. I am also more loyal.

  • Hi Grumpy.

    Is the job she is doing something she loves to do? And is the company aware of ther problems, and have they ever shown any level of support for her?

    There are many jobs available to do from home and online, though very dependant on skills. I think that finding people who are accepting and a job that is enjoyable can make a huge difference

  • Hi Grumpy,

    Sorry to hear about your daughter's problems.  I'm guessing she's probably very good at certain things to do with work - but it either isn't being recognised, or the anxiety she must feel in that situation is making her falter at some tasks. 

    What is it that she currently does?  What is she good at?  What does she really enjoy doing?  Do you think, if she could find the right sort of job - with people who were more accepting of her, or on her wavelength - that she might find it easier having a 'go to' job?

    I worked from home for a little while and it really suited me.  I could keep my own hours and didn't have to go out.  The only trouble with it was that it was commission-only - working as a recruiter for a London-based IT firm.  It was entirely computer/internet-based work, and involved conducting interviews via Skype.  We used to get companies coming to us with IT staff requirements, then I would generally spend most of my time connecting with likely candidates on LinkedIn and trying to get them interested.  The income was variable - but such is the case with self-employment.  Some months I made a few hundred, other months over a thousand.  But I had a partner at the time, so it was manageable.

    It really comes down to what she enjoys doing and what she's good at.  I didn't especially enjoy that work, but at least I didn't have to 'go' to work.  Many companies now employ home-workers, because it saves on property costs.  Things like data mining, or data input.  Check around on the 'net.  There must be dedicated websites which advertise for home-workers.

    All the best,

    Tom