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Virtual Jobs
For my list of virtual jobs (in the area of call center work) offered by legitimate companies, you can skip all of this and cut straight to the chase by scrolling down to about halfway down this page.....
But I hope you bear with me and read through this info first!
In my experience, the most plentiful home-based jobs are found in the area of telephonic customer service and sales.
As more and more companies are trying to cut costs wherever they can, they are turning more and more to at-home workers.
Why?
When these companies turn to a workforce that can do these virtual jobs from home, they are avoiding many overhead costs such as:
Not to mention, they may get more productive work accomplished by work at home emoployees who have slightly less distractions (crying babies or pets notwithstanding!) thus allowing them to be focused on getting the work done within a specific time period.
The Pros and Cons of Virtual Jobs
Let's look at the positive first:
.......Virtual jobs may be a great way to bring in some extra income; whether you are a young college student, a stay at home mom, or a retiree.
For young college students, it may help you save money on gas, wardrobe and may help you save a little time (that you would otherwise use commuting) and pour it into your studies.
For parents who stay at home with their children, working from home in a virtual capacity can be quite beneficial for obvious reasons, chief among them the opportunity to spend more time with your children.
And for folks who are retired, a virtual job such as this one may allow them the opportunity to earn a part time income in the comfort of your slippers and pajamas, which can be very appealing.
Here are the negatives:
Not everyone is cut out to work in a call center, virtual or not. Some of the work may be in the area of sales, some of it in the area of customer service. I've done both and, while I highly prefer the customer service side to the sales side of things, they can both be quite challenging because you are on the front lines, representing the company you are working for and the customer wants YOU to solve their problem.
It's necessary to have a tough skin but with a kind and patient exterior. If you are not the type who can stay calm under high stress situations, then virtual call center work may not be the right work at home opportunity for you.
I could say lots more about this but I think you get the point. Don't let irate callers discourage you, try instead to remember that, if you get a customer that is upset, they most likely are not upset at YOU but at the situation.
When your call is over, shake it off, take a walk, vent to your spouse or close friend, listen to happy music, pray.. Do whatever you need to do to get ready to take the next call and do it with a smile.
If it makes you feel any better, 95% of my calls on any given day are absolutely great calls: and by great, I mean pleasant. The 5% of calls that are not, I just chalk up to people that are having a bad day. Best thing to do is to shrug your shoulders and not let it affect the rest of your day any more than it already has. You're not paid enough to let this sort of thing ruin your day, really! And if you just can't tolerate this sort of work, don't sweat it, there are lots of other virtual jobs that do not require you being on the phone with customers. Keep browsing through this site and you will find them.
PAY
Be aware that the pay for virtual call center work can greatly differ. Some companies pay very badly , (West and LiveOps come to mind) and some pay great (Working Solutions).
When you're first starting out, the pay may not be great because you are at entry level but just keep at it and get some experience under your belt to get those higher paying call center jobs as time goes on. It just takes time, so don't get too discouraged about the pay at first. Remember also that there are a lot less costs incurred when working from home. No costs for gas in your car, wardrobe and the expenses of eating out daily.
Employee vs Independent Contractor
Below is a list of real virtual jobs being offered by some pretty great companies.
Some of these I have worked for, some of them I have applied to and others I have been able to research with the help of friends who currently work there or have worked there in the past.
First though, one important thing to know and consider is that when you are hired to perform virtual jobs for these companies, you will either work as an employee or as an independent contractor.
What is the difference?
I go through all of that right here click on this link for a full explanation.
Technical requirements
Every company has their own set of technical requirements. Some of the more important items you will need for these virtual jobs may include:
1. A quiet work environment, dedicated to taking calls, such as an office or bedroom. No barking dogs, children or loud noises such as tv or radio in the background.
2. An up to date computer running Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
3. High speed internet, such as DSL or Broadband, no dial-up!
You may also need:
(These can be difficult to find, try checking out some Office supply stores such as Office Depot or Office Max.)
Most companies do not allow cordless phones or VOIP phones because they are not as reliable as corded phones.
The noise cancelling feature is very important; consider it insurance against your neighbor's loud lawn mower or rambunctious children in the next room!
The brand that I have used and has lasted me the longest is called "Ativa" and can be found at Office Max. You can also order these online.
"Plantronics" is also a pretty reliable brand.
4. You'll also need a dedicated phone line with no features such as voicemail, call-wating or call forwarding.
You can check the specific company website for other requirements, but if you have the above requirements in place, you are off to a really great start!
So, where can you find these Virtual Call Center Jobs? Look below to see!
Check out the list of companies below offering virtual jobs and come back soon for an ever expanding list of companies! Good luck!
1. West At Home
You can expect to be paid by the minute OR by the call; there is a minimum guaranteed rate that you can expect to be paid (which is usually minimum wage). The calls are inbound calls. You can expect to be taking sales and/or customer service calls.
I used to work for West at Home, and here's my personal take on this company.
2. Live Ops
Working for Live Ops, you will be considered an Independent Contractor, rather than an employee of the company.
You will be responsible for setting aside your own taxes.
On average, you can expect to be paid .25 per minute.
Live Ops requires that their agents take certification classes for the virtual jobs they will work; you can take as many or as few certification classes as you choose, however, the more projects you are certified for, the greater the variety of virtual jobs you will be able to choose from.
To find out more information on what it is like to work for Live Ops, please click here.
3. Voice Log
As a Voice Log agent, you will be an Independent Contractor, so you will be responsible for setting aside your own income tax.
Virtual jobs with Voice Log require inbound call taking, providing live third party verification services, no selling involved.
Pay is approximately $8.50 per hour and can go up from there.
Click here to learn more about Voice Log!.
4. Westat
Westat offers virtual jobs in the area of Telephone Data Collection.
Your job duties will likely include conducting surveys for pre-screened respondents for universities, branches of government or corporations.
Pay hovers around 8.50 per hour, you can expect to make $2.00 more per hour if you are bilingual, (they do hiring bilingual English/Spanish speaking reps from time to time) or if you are willing to work evenings and/or weekends.
5. Arise
Arise requires their agents to establish a Virtual Services Corporation in order to contract with them.
To incorporate, check within your particular state's website.
There is a cost involved to work with Arise.
As I have stated previously, you should be cautious to not pay any company to work for them, HOWEVER, Arise is one of the companies that is an exception to this rule.
If you have not yet incorporated, there is a cost involved, usually somewhere around $100.00 although again, check with your state's website for further details.
Also, Arise requires that their agents enroll in their Basic Certification course in order to be certified to take calls for Arise, the cost is usually around $99.00.
As well, there are Client Certification programs that range from around $30.00-$250.00.
These programs will train you for the specific project that you will be working on.
Lastly, a background check is required , so there will be a fee for that. You can expect the pay to be somewhere around $10-$14.00 per hour and there are also incentives and bonuses offered.
Click here to find out more details about working for Arise..
6. Working Solutions
Working Solutions offers Independent Contractors virtual jobs in sales, customer service, reservations, tech support, data entry and more.
Agents are NOT charged any fees to work for them or to be trained for the projects they have available.
Paid training.
Agents can choose the schedule they wish to work weekly, although there is a contractual commitment of hours that every agent must meet weekly.
This is individualized for each project and can range anywhere from 10 hours per week to 30 hours per week.
So you will be required to work a certain number of hours per week, but you can choose WHEN you want to work within the hours of operation for that particular client/company.
You can expect to make anywhere from $7.50-$30.00 per hour depending on the project and your level of expertise.
There is currently a 2 YEAR waiting list to get hired on with Working Solutions, I would definitely advise not to wait and apply as soon as you can.!
Click here to find out more about Working Solutions..
7. Work as a Virtual Assistant
Companies such as Aspire Lifestyles (formerly VIP Desk) and Zirtual offer home-based jobs for virtual assistants in various positions such as customer service, sales or concierge positions.
Working for Aspire Lifestyles, pay is dependent on your position, experience and tenure with the company.
They offer paid training as well as paid vacations and holidays.
Enrollment in a 401k plan is available.
Currently, they are not hiring in MT, RI, ND, Wy or Washington D.C.
Click here to find out more information on working for Aspire Lifestyles
Zirtual is a relatively new Dallas based company that seeks qualified virtual assistants throughout the U.S. for full and part time positions starting at $10 per hour.
For more info on Zirtual, please click here.
8. Alpine Access
As an employee of Alpine Access, you are paid a set hourly rate, not by the minute or by the call.
You can expect to be paid a starting hourly rate of $9.00 per hour.
The company does charge a $45.00 fee to cover the costs of a background and credit check as well as a drug test.
You must pass these to be offered employment.
Voluntary Medical and dental benefits are offered to employees who work more than 20 hours per week and meet longevity requirements.
Click here to learn more about the application process for Alpine Access.
9. World Travel Holdings
World Travel Holdings has a variety of positions offering virtual jobs in the world of travel reservations.
Agents will take inbound calls providing customer service and/or sales.
Employee and Independent contractor positions are offered, although not always available, you can check the website to see which jobs are currently posted.
The company provides:
Paid Training
A computer (see website for details)
A Competitive Benefits Package Access to Travel discounts!
For more information on World Travel Holdings, please click here.
10. Asurion
Inbound call taking.
Your duties may include working with customers to help resolve wireless handset insurance claims, providing roadside insurance or electronics repair.
Working for Asurion, you will be an employee of the company, you will work a set schedule and will have an hourly pay rate.
Virtual jobs available only in select cities.
Please click here for more detailed information on Asurion.
11. Transcom (formerly Cloud 10)
Offering virtual jobs in customer service, sales and tech support for wireless plans.
Working for Transcom, you will be hired on as an employee of the company, taxes will be automatically withdrawn.
You can expect to have a set weekly schedule.
Paid training and hourly pay rates starting at 8.50 per hour.
Click here for more details on working for Cloud 10.
12. Convergys
Work as a customer service representative.
Currently hiring in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Paid training.
Full and part time positions available.
Paid by the hour starting at $8.50+up.
See website for benefits offered as they vary from country to country.
Click here to find out more about Convergys!.
13. Hilton at Home
Inbound call taking, reservations and/or sales specialists.
Paid training.
Set hourly wage starting at $9.25 per hour.
Required to works some weekends and holidays.
Virtual jobs are currently available in Dallas, TX and Tampa, FL only.
Click here for more details on working for Hilton at Home.
14. Sitel
Sitel offers work at home phone jobs in customer service.
Working for this company, you will be an employee, with an hourly wage and the possibility of having medical and dental benefits as well as access to a 401 k plan (for full-time employees).
For more details on Sitel.com, please click here.
15. Contract World Jobs (formerly ContractXChange)
ContractWorld Jobs offers home based positions to independent contractors in the U.S. and Canada, as well as other countries.
Potential agents must pay for the training courses offered by the company which can range from $100-$300.00.
For more information on ContractXChange.com, please click here.
16. Canadian home based jobs
Home based work out of Canada:
Canadians, click below to check out my page on this for more details!
For more information on Canadian home based jobs, please click here.
17. Jobs for disabled individuals
Lift-Inc.com provides resources such as job training and job placement for disabled professionals who are willing to work in the tech industry.
For more information on these types of home based jobs, please click here.
18. Could this be The Best Virtual Receptionist Job Ever?
I think it might.
Gabbyville is hiring Virtual Receptionists. And wait till you hear about all the perks available:
Virtual Jobs..
...continued...
Yes, you guessed it, there are even more virtual jobs to be found!
In fact, there are so many that I couldn't fit them all on this page!
These jobs are also in the areas of customer service and/or sales and are all considered call center type jobs.. from home.
Here's a list of 45 more virtual companies, all listed on the following page:
Have experience with Virtual Jobs?
Have a company that you'd like to add to the list? Or perhaps you have worked for one of these companies and have some valuable feedback to share?
Make your opinion known! Come in and share your expertise with others who are dying to know just a little more about these at home companies.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Arise gave me no notice! 
Arise does not tell you that your suspended or fired they will not contact you or return emails they do not pay you for your sales. They just end your …
contract xchange Not rated yet
I have been with contractxchange for 1 1/2 years ( Canada )
pay rates are higher than you posted.
I love it. Currently making between $800 to $1000 …
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