| The American Heritage dictionary defines "virtual" as | | | | working in centralized call centers. These call centers |
| "existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in | | | | have either been operated by the company directly or |
| actual fact, form, or name." In other words, something | | | | by outside firms who contract with several different |
| that seems real, and in some ways is real but isn't | | | | companies to offer inbound or outbound call services. |
| actually real. | | | | Many enterprise sized companies around the world |
| While you can split hairs and argue semantics all day | | | | have begun outsourcing their customer service |
| long about whether or not virtual communities, | | | | department assignments directly to individuals. High |
| websites, games, etc. exist, or merely exist in essence, | | | | speed Internet connections and simplified software |
| the work needed to create them is very real. That has | | | | services have made it possible for these companies |
| led to the creation of a whole new industry of virtual | | | | to hire home workers who log in to the company's |
| jobs. | | | | extranet to access the programs they need to |
| The very real people who hold these virtual jobs bring | | | | complete their tasks. Calls are similarly routed to them |
| very different skills to their cyber assignments. Only | | | | over the Internet. Some of these programs are so |
| some of them are programmers capable of writing | | | | sophisticated every keystroke of a virtual worker can |
| directions languages like java or C++ that create the | | | | be monitored and every call recorded. This ensures |
| framework of a game or a website. Many more of | | | | the company's control over the quantity and quality of |
| these workers are creative types who work in words | | | | work being done by the individual at home is the same |
| or images, and administrative personnel who are skilled | | | | as it would be at a physical company location. |
| at operating productivity programs like spreadsheets | | | | Companies that hire freelancers or independent |
| and email. | | | | contractors to handle virtual jobs are usually more |
| Virtual job holders do not have cubicles in physical | | | | concerned with getting a specific project completed or |
| offices assigned to them, but they may still be actual | | | | with having routine tasks done by someone else so |
| employees of a company. In those cases the hiring | | | | that they can concentrate their business efforts |
| firm still dictates what hours the person works as well | | | | elsewhere. They aren't concerned with when or how |
| as what they do and how they do it during those | | | | the job is done so long as it meets certain minimum |
| hours. | | | | quality standards. |
| Independent contractors and freelancers can also | | | | As virtual jobs become more plentiful and more people |
| work virtual jobs. In those cases arrangements with | | | | seek them out to either supplement or replace a full |
| the hiring company are spelled out through formal or | | | | time traditional job, more training programs on how to |
| informal contracts. The hiring company specifically has | | | | do these jobs are also created. Several new |
| no power to tell the contractor or freelancer where | | | | programs have been added by colleges and technical |
| they can work or when they must work. | | | | institutes both online and offline to certify that an |
| Certain kinds of projects lend themselves to this sort | | | | individual has the basics skills required to operate |
| of a business relationship more readily than others. | | | | standard communication programs and productivity |
| Computer programming and web design were among | | | | tools that are used to carry out these jobs. |
| the earliest types, but one of the fastest growing | | | | The area is still too new, however, for there to be any |
| virtual job segments involves customer service. | | | | across the board standards for what constitutes a |
| Traditionally these jobs have been filled by employees | | | | minimally or a highly skilled virtual worker. |