Finding data entry jobs on the Internet is not quite as simple as it sounds. Yes, there are tens of thousands of them, but unfortunately, not all of them are genuine. Sadly, many of the advertised so-called jobs are, in fact, scams designed to relieve people of their money.

Looking out for Scams

There are certain things a person looking for work can do to protect themselves against becoming a victim of such devious plans. The first and foremost point to remember is that a job should be paying the person doing it, never the other way around.

In other words, if the applicant is asked to send in money, however minor the amount seems, the best thing to do is to forget it and look elsewhere. Genuine employers offering work do not ask potential employees to pay for the pleasure of working for them.

An all singing and dancing website does not promise a genuine opportunity. Even if no initial payment is requested, it is best to check out a potential employer before signing up or providing any amount of work for an advertised company.

This is particularly the case if a prospective employer is more interested in an individual\’s bank details than their typing speed or rate of accuracy. To put it in short, if the first set of information asked for on a sign-up form are the applicant\’s bank or credit card details, a serious check is required before proceeding.

Where to Check Companies

This can be done by consulting the BBB, the Better Business Bureau, or the SBA, the Small Business Administration. Both of them can be accessed easily via the Internet and all an enquiry involves is typing the name of the company or their URL into the provided search panel. It will only take seconds and will provide peace of mind and hopefully a genuine work opportunity.

Another way to check a potential provider out is to post a query about them on one of the many available web forums. Somebody somewhere is likely to know something about the company in questions. These forums are an excellent way of getting views of genuine people with genuine experiences, and are therefore an invaluable source of information.

Another good way to determine whether a company is genuine is by taking a look at what it is they are offering as work. Traditionally, data entry work is provided and requested in certain formats, including PDF, Rtf, HTML, SGML, Doc or either access or excel files.

In addition, clear instructions on how the work should be done and the desired format for the work to be saved and submitted in; expected turn-around times and quality procedures, as well as rates of pay, usually per quantity, should be provided.

As it is, the employer usually gives detailed instructions on how text should be formatted, how it should be aligned and how tags should be inserted if required.

Should some or most of this information be missing. there is a good chance that the employer is not as genuine as it appears – if they were serious about the work, they would give proper instructions on how it should look on completion.

Finding Work

Another way to find genuine work is to go through sites like Freelancer, for instance. Although a small percentage of fees will be taken out of payments for completed work, the majority of potential employers there are excellent providers of work.

More often than not, once an initial project has been completed satisfactory, employers will then go on to offer additional work separate from the site, meaning no more commissions will become due.

This type of site is a good way to get started in the business of doing data entry from home, as both employers and employes are rated. It is easy to see a potential employer\’s rating – by previous employees – and make an informed decision as to whether to bid on projects.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Author Bio: Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Category: Jobs
Keywords: data entry jobs, virtual assistant jobs, writing jobs, work from home, freelance jobs