In today’s society, a lot of people are considering remote job opportunities to stay afloat. Especially since the Coronavirus outbreak, as most people are either downsized or forced to work from home. Some people are looking for full-time positions, while others are just trying to make ends meet by undertaking a few part-time projects they can do next to their remaining careers. Whatever the case, more and more companies are advertising remote positions, and at the same time, more people are jumping on these opportunities. Here are the top work-from-home jobs that almost anyone can do, with or without a college degree.
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There are a lot of reasons why working from home can benefit people. For one, a lot of people prefer to become “digital nomads” who want to spend their lives traveling, working from anywhere in the world. These people look for all kinds of gigs that get them through the month, all the while living in a nomadic manner, traveling from country to country, seeing the world. Another big reason for people searching for these opportunities is their lifestyle. Some people stay at home with their children or have elderly relatives to take care of while working at the same time. For them, the best decision is to apply for jobs that are flexible regarding your whereabouts and your working hours. And while some people are afraid of these positions because they doubt they can make a living out of them, if you do these full-time, you can earn enough to cover your monthly expenses. The third reason people opt for remote opportunities is potential. There’s great potential in work-at-home gigs, and if done right, you can even make more money from these gigs than you would through a 9 to 5. It requires patience, and conscious career building, but if you find the right contacts, prove you are an asset worth hiring, and constantly build your repertoire and portfolio, you’ll be ahead of the game in no time.
1. Content Writing
With the right contacts and a decent amount of God-given talent, anyone can find high-paying writing gigs they can complete from home using only a laptop. Whether it’s from a full-time employer, or one-time gigs found here and there, with a well-put-together portfolio, you can find amazing opportunities online.
Most freelance content writers find opportunities on social media, through a friend, or on websites designated to remote working. And if you don’t have any recommendations or a lengthy portfolio, don’t worry! A lot of people add “hobby-projects” to portfolios, and almost all companies base their decision on an “admission project”. While finding the right employer can be hard at times, you only need to find one to make a decent living out of content writing. This is great for people who can’t work full-time, or work in odd hours, like in the evenings or on the weekends, as most of these positions are due-date based, meaning you can work whenever, wherever you want.
2. Web Designer
The same goes for web designers as well. While you need to have some projects to prove your talent, it is something that can be self-taught, and talented designers are highly sought-after. The great thing about this niche is that it’s mostly project-based, meaning you only have to do one project for a company, and they pay you right after. This means you can work for many different companies, growing your portfolio and list of recommendations, and you’re free to choose from all types of projects. The downside to this is that if there aren’t people looking for web designers, it’s harder to find gigs. Full-time employment is also very hard to come by because most people hire someone to make their website, and they won’t need a designer on board after it’s done.
3. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are most wanted in the U.S., but they make a very nice living working from home. This is best for people who have experience in the field, and they actually liked their job as an assistant. There are some downfalls to this position. You need to be in the same city, or at least in the same time zone as your employer, meaning you can’t do this internationally. Also, you need to be very flexible in both working hours and tasks you have to do, as your time depends on your employer. If they choose to work in the evenings, if they choose to work overtime, or if they choose to work on the weekends and holidays, you have to be flexible enough to follow along with these. But although it’s a highly demanding job, it pays just as well, and you’ll be granted full-time employment with somewhat flexible working hours.
4. Data Entry
This is one of the easiest positions to find as someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience. Some people make a living out of data entry, but even if you can’t, you can gather a good amount of extra money for the month. It’s a full-time, reliable position that you can do from anywhere, anytime. The only big downfall to this position is that it’s very monotonous, and can be very tiring and boring after a while. But if you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind these very much, you should definitely try these opportunities!
5. Translation
If you’re multilingual, this is the job you should be looking for. Especially if you speak a language that not many people do. But even if you know French, German or Spanish, you’re ahead already. People should always utilize their knowledge to their benefit, and knowing at least one other language is a very big asset. There are full-time translating jobs as well as some one-time gigs you can do, and depending on your employer and the language you know – not to mention the country you live in -, you can find some very good deals you absolutely can’t say no to. The best part is, that if you can demonstrate your knowledge of that language, you don’t need any type of degree to apply for most of these jobs.
6. Tutoring
Everyone was good at something in high school or college. And while most tutoring jobs look for applicants with at least a Bachelor’s, some people just look for someone who has reliable knowledge in an area of their – or their children’s – interests and studies. If you don’t have a degree, a gig will pay less, but even then, you can gather a nice amount of extra money through these few hours per week. The best place to look for these opportunities is through people you know, or via places you’ve studied. But if you can’t find anything there, there are a lot of opportunities advertised online.
In order to strive as a work-at-home employee, you need to be very determined, disciplined, and ambitious. It’s a slippery slope, and if you can’t discipline yourself, you’ll quickly fall behind. People who hire remote employees don’t tolerate tardiness or sloppiness. You need to be on top of your projects, and you need to perform quickly and in the highest possible quality. If you do that, your career can be built from just one single contact, because in today’s world, nothing is more valued than a reliable workforce. Soon, you’ll be making more money, you’ll be allowed more flexibility, and you’ll have more trust from your employer.
Overall, working from home can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you look at it. It is definitely not for people who like a steady and monotonous income, but if you’re flexible in that, over time, you can make twice the amount through these gigs and freelance job opportunities. A good measure of thumb to live by when looking for these is to always start small, add everything to your portfolio, and constantly look for better opportunities and places to grow.
Search Remotely is an online platform that enables digital nomads and remote workers to upskill and find remote jobs. Employers around the world can tap into our remote talent pipeline and hire remote workers.