A legitimate source for telework jobs

Rat Race Rebellion is the real deal

I haven’t been much help to readers seeking legitimate work at-home jobs, I’m afraid.  Tons of sites offer job listings for a fee – but who can you trust? In talking to these people I usually come away with a queasy feeling, but no evidence either way. 

Long ago I wrote about Careers from Home, which seemed okay. But then I got some reader complaints and found CFH had some trouble with the Better Business Bureau. Telework consultant Phil Montero wrote an e-book on finding telework jobs that I recommend – but that’s because I know and can vouch for Phil. Overall, I’ve avoided the topic rather than risk making a bad call.   

That’s why I’m pleased to report about The Rat Race Rebellion, a new pay-for newsletter posting legitimate telework jobs. It’s run by Staffcentrix, a company that got its start in 1999 offering training for virtual assistants. Staffcentrix launched the International Virtual Assistants Association that year too, a non-profit organization serving this emerging community of independent contractors. 

In 2000, Staffcentrix began providing virtual assistant training courses to military spouses – one of the best causes I can think of. Typically, these are women who end up in places like Clovis, New Mexico (home to Cannon Air Force Base and Billy the Kid’s gravesite). The economies of base towns are depressed, and employers – who don’t want to hire people who are shipped out in three years – post signs in the window reading “military spouses need not apply.”

 “We took a class of folks who’d be happy to work at the local WalMart for $9 an hour – if they could get that job – and trained them to sell their services for $20 to $30 an hour,” says Michael Haaren, Staffcentrix co-founder and COO.

 In five years, the virtual assistant industry has expanded to include more than 80 areas of expertise, everything from word processing to sophisticated corporate growth consulting. Staffcentrix training classes now attract pediatricians, lawyers, and people with MBAs, professionals whose resumes become marred by long stretches of unemployment and lack a progression of jobs and responsibilities.

“Our training isn’t just the nuts and bolts of how to start a virtual assistant business. We  also help  people know their self confidence needn’t be determined by local economic conditions,” Haaren says.

Within the next three months, Staffcentrix plans to roll out a new training program geared to military spouses with advanced degrees. The company has also worked with the Department of Labor offering training to disabled people, and plans to begin offering virtual assistant training to private companies in the next few months.

All this is important because it proves a reputable and socially responsible company is behind The Rat Race Rebellion. 

Launched July 13, the newsletter is geared to anyone looking for a work at home job. Subscriptions range from $10 for one month to $52 for one year. Staffcentrix guarantees you’ll get at least 15 leads a week. The company’s five-person research staff (all independent contractors) combs through existing online ads, weeds out the junk, and calls up the iffy ones for more information. Listings also come from unsolicited sources.

A second version of the newsletter will launch soon, geared mainly to the Department of Labor’s employment counselors and Veteran’s Administration vocational rehabilitation counselors, groups Staffcentrix has close ties with.

If you sign up for The Rat Race Rebellion, please write me about your experiences so I can share them.