Looking for legitimate work from home jobs can be daunting. There are so many scams out there, and frankly, many distracting "career opportunities" that don't live up to their potential. To protect the investment of your time and energy - which are extremely valuable - consider the following:

• Know your qualifications. Make a list of the unique skills and talents you have to offer. For example, if you're looking into companies that "homesource" their customer service representatives (that is, they hire individuals who can do the job out of their homes), then having a smooth, pleasant, and clear phone voice is essential.

• Know what you are looking for. In addition, make a list of the jobs you are looking for. What interests you? What are your scheduling and income needs? In a perfect world, what would your ideal home-based job look like?
• Have realistic expectations. It can take months and years of working with a legitimate work from home company to get to the point where you're earning the equivalent of full-time work.
• Realize that you may still need child care. Working from home while taking care of your kids is extremely demanding. You may find that you need to hire sitters for at least part of the hours you'll be working from home.
• Be honest about your capabilities. Don't sign up for a work from home job that requires you to have a faster computer than you really have, or one that demands a quiet, peaceful atmosphere in the background at all times if your kids will be present during your work hours.
• Avoid jobs that require extensive, unpaid training. In general, stay away from opportunities that would require additional credentials or unrealistic amounts of unpaid training time.

• Avoid jobs that require you to spend money in order to apply. A legitimate work from home job opportunity will not ask you to pay money up front for training or application processing. This is a sure sign of a scam!

More: Legitimate Work From Home Jobs With Well-Known Companies