Wouldn't it be nice to roll out of bed, slip on a robe and slippers and shuffle down the hall to your home office to work? Today over 137 million people world-wide do just that at least part time as more and more companies take advantage of the cost savings that telecommuting programs offer. One of the best places to find these companies is online, but you must beware. While more and more legitimate work-at- home jobs can be found online, so can scams. Here's what you need to know and do if you are looking for a real work-at-home job online.

1) Understand that you aren't going to sign up to work at home. Telecommuting work is found in the same way that traditional work is found and usually involves an application or resume, and interview process.

2) You can't pay to get hired. Any company that says you can work for it by sending some money is not offering a job. It's okay to invest in a good work-at-home job database or hiring a professional resume writer, but you should never, ever, ever, pay to get hired.

3) Be open to many job types. Instead of thinking, "I want to sit home and type," think about all the skills you have that can be used at home. Are you a good researcher? Do you have good phone skills? Are you highly organized? Are you creative? Can you write persuasively? Make a list of all your skills, experiences, talents and hobbies and search for jobs that need those attributes.

4) Learn to do a job that has a high demand for workers. There are certain job types that have many job openings right now such as copywriting, customer service, web and graphic design, medical transcription, writers, and more. If you can't do any of these jobs, why not learn how? Most can be either self-taught or learned through an online or correspondence course.

5) Look for work where jobs are posted. Most people get in scam trouble because they look for the wrong types of jobs in the wrong places. Use job search sites not search engines to find work-at-home jobs. Sign up for free ezines that deliver work-at-home jobs to your email box.

6) Be professional. I can't believe some of the email I receive from people who want to work at home. They tell me they can type and yet their letters have typos and grammatical errors. Or they say they want to work at home, but provide no information on what they are qualified to do. You have one chance to convince a potential employer that you can do the job. The employer doesn't care about your childcare hassles or illness. He only cares about who is the best person to do the job. So all your interactions should focus on what you can do for the employer.

Today, the opportunities to get hired to work from home are endless and continue to grow. But if you are to get hired to work at home, its important to understand what work-at-home jobs are, why companies offer them, and how you can position yourself to get hired. By understanding the six telecommuting rules outlined here, you will find real jobs faster and improve your chances of getting hired.