Carol is the proud new mommy of a baby boy. She isn’t ready to return to her customer service job. But she needs the income.

Dave is a project manager for an outsourcing company. His company is planning layoffs. He suspects he will soon be unemployed.

I hear stories like these every day. Many people are ready to take control of their careers and work independently.

No matter your education or experience, the Internet can help. There are plenty of scams. But you’ll find many legitimate work-from-home opportunities. I’ve rounded up some of the best.

Freelancing

A wide variety of sites list freelancing opportunities. Freelancing isn’t limited to writers and designers. You’ll find opportunities for administrative assistants, accountants, computer programmers and other professions.

Major job boards and small, niche sites post freelance opportunities. I recommend Elance, Guru and FreelanceSwitch.

You can post a profile and portfolio. Then, browse projects and submit proposals. You’ll get a limited number of free bids. You get more bids with paid memberships (starting at $10 monthly).