Working online is picking up but doubts linger
Working online can be lucrative.
It is a field dominated by unsolicited emails and links on credible websites but ones that lead you to one you have never heard about. The carefully crafted story of a personal experience, neatly weaved to address your innate fears leads you on even as your heart pumps with more doubt than belief of the too good to be true story.
“Earn up to $15,000 by working from home. Apply on this site.” It reads. The testimonials are more attractive, of people who were earning $200 and are now earning big by only powering that lap top or desk top and plugging into an internet source either at a café, comfort of your living room or even your favouring hang out. The mobile internet modems invites you to an even more adventurous life.
Then it hits you hard, after filling the form that you have to pay $50 on an account provided before your application is accepted and of course you realize it is just another Internet scam. If you are so much into internet you must have landed articles disqualifying the credibility of work at home jobs.
This however does not mean all people have been prey to the scams. To some, it has provided a critical lifeline. Barungi Andrew, a resident of Namirembe Road, and 2008 graduate of Makerere University says he ended his years of job hunting online.
A member of Kampala Church of Christ, he landed his job with an American company through the search. Though he worked online, he was formally recruited after the company sent for solicitations through the church. Voice Genesis, Inc. the company that Andrew worked for, for two years is based in USA, California.
Voice Genesis contacted Kampala Church of Christ as its host and it recruited five youths in Uganda. The company deals in transcribing voice e-mails into.
Operating a 24 – 7 schedule, officially a worker is expected to put in at least eight hours ad day though the allure for more pay sees some adding up to double the official time. But those who have tried it say it can be an adventure but also a challenge. For the uninitiated, you are your own supervisor provided you meet the time demanded by your employer which presents serious temptations as you might be led to believe that you can multi task taking care of home chores as while you work. But as already explained the desire to earn more money means you can even forget meals.
Working online at home does not necessarily require high qualifications as the most important skill is your knowledge of working with a computer and language ability. Proponents of this system of work offer its benefits as taking you beyond the basic internet usage of Facebook and email to something more practical and financially beneficial. They taut flexibility, proximity to family, less stress and saving of extra costs like transport as the other benefits.
But, unlike the lucrative salaries displayed on internet adverts, the pay is not much different from one would earn in any ordinary job of its kind. In Barungi’s case, it was US$20 per eight hour-day and a $2 lunch bonus which was paid every two weeks.
“I think the only difference is that work at home online jobs payment is predictable once you are working with a genuine company,” Barungi told Jobs and Career.
Its not a bed of roses though, Work at Home online Jobs are challenging however, especially in developing countries like Uganda. The need to be online 24 hours a day makes it even more complicated due to the high power rationings and poor internet connectivity. These realities are partly what pushed Barungi’s employers out of business.
“I guess these challenges are what led my boss out of market as the costs were increasing on a daily basis. He had to buy a generator, fuel it daily and since at times electricity could be off for even days, the costs were just high. Then he also had to buy different internet connection networks.” Barungi said Voice Genesis, Inc in April this year ran out of business and the proprietor stopped the employees on grounds that he was selling the company.
Work a home online is also hard for some individuals given its own disadvantages. One of the biggest disadvantages of home employment is that, unlike working in an office, all of the distractions of home can make it difficult to concentrate on the work at hand.
Working at home often means working as an independent contractor, who is not an employee of a company. This usually means that benefits, such as health insurance, are not offered.
