Data Entry Work – Is It For You?

Okay I have a question; what exactly is data entry work?  How does one get into it?  Is it an actual profession, meaning something you do for the rest of your life, or is it simply a stepping stone on the road to bigger and better things?  I can’t say I know anyone who went to college to study data entry, a four year college or a community college.  But, I mean people do it obviously; there are now entire companies devoted solely to providing this service.

Data entry work; it sounds almost depressing though doesn’t it.  I mean is it really anything more than that, data entry?  The name seems pretty self explanatory.  So basically I picture some poor person sitting in one of 100 cubicles in a big square room hunched over a computer.  Of course the chair is not that comfortable; because what office chair ever is? The poor person at the desk also has on very thick glasses because their vision has deteriorated so much from staring at endless sheets of papers just to change their focus to a bright computer screen, and their hands have turned into claws from so much typing. Of course the most frustrating thing about the job is that it never ends.  There is no goal to be reached; no last page in the stack of papers, because when you finish the stack there is simply another one underneath it.  There is always more data to be entered.

I know lots of people do this but I think the lack of a goal in itself would drive me crazy.  I am the type of person that has to work towards something and without a goal I tend to get frustrated and a little crazy.  Isn’t that why they say postal workers go crazy?  I am surprised data entry workers do not have the same reputation.

Telecommuting Idea: Online Tutor

There are a lot of kids from 1st grade to college that could use some help with their schoolwork. Parents are often not able to give them the help and attention they need to get them back on track on a particular subject. A tutor is the perfect solution.

While there are many people who will tutor locally, in the student’s home, or their own house, the idea of an online tutor is still fairly new. If you have been tutoring kids in your neighborhood, taking your tutoring job online to attract more clients may be a great idea.

If you haven’t worked as a tutor, but this sounds like an interesting idea, take a look at your skills. Are there particular subjects in school that you excelled at?

You will need a website to promote your service, as well as a way to communicate with your young clients and their parents. Let’s take a look at a couple of different ways you could tutor your students online.

Email
Your students can simply email you questions they have. You answer the email and send them exercises and practice tests this way. Even if you are not using email as your main means of communication, keep it in mind when you want to get something to your students while they are not online, or to send them exercises and other files.

Chat Program
Using a chat program will give you more one-on-one interaction with your student. You are able to respond to their questions immediately and will also get feedback from your students. You can check right away if your student understands the problem you are explaining. The students can also ask follow up questions immediately.

Instant Messenger
Instant Messenger works very similar to a regular chat program. There are quite a few instant messengers available for free download. You get the benefit of the chat software without having to install it. Most kids will already be familiar with using Instant Messenger, making it easy to get started.

Message Board
The message board is another great tool to stay in contact with your students. Just like email students will be able to ask you questions any time of the day and you can respond during your regular working hours. If you have a group of students on a similar subject, they may benefit from being able to read and discuss their questions among themselves in addition to getting help from you.

Video Conferencing
Video Conferencing is as close as you can get to being in the same room with your students. You will be able to see your students, observe how they are doing and are also able to read their body language, which can help you determine if your student understands what you are talking about or not. Video Conferencing services have become very affordable over the past year, making this a viable option for you as an online tutor.

You could even offer a subscription-based service that would give students and their parents access to a database of tutorials, articles, FAQ’s and other resources compiled by you to help the kids with their school work. If becoming an online tutor sounds like something you are interested in doing, give it a try. Get the word out and start accepting a few students.