What a wonderful land of opportunities we now live in. When our parents were kids if someone said they “worked from home,” that usually meant they sold Tupperware, vacuum cleaners, or Mary Kay. But times have changed, and even if you’re not a super fancy jet-setting executive, you can still work from wherever you please thanks to technology and the digital employment monsoon that followed it.
Think you’ve got no marketable “internet skills”? Or maybe you’re just getting the hang of this whole computer thing? Not to worry, there’s plenty of opportunities to make money online with full-time and part-time remote jobs for a wide variety of skill sets and experience. These home-based positions are also great for college students and stay-at-home-moms who have varying availabilities and need the extra money. Some of the positions out there even allow you to make your own schedule. So take a look at our 10 favorite online jobs from home and find out what’s best for you.
1. Transcribing
Can you type 60 or more words-per-minute? Having an exceptional typing speed is the most essential skill in transcribing. Rev.com has a network of over 15,000 independent contractors who work from home transcribing audio and captioning video.
Transcriptionists listen to audio or video, and type out exactly what they hear. The content could be anything from celebrity interviews to nutrition podcasts to educational lectures. More than 100,000 clients from industries like law, media, education, and more take advantage of companies like Rev. There’s never a shortage of work.
The best part is you’ll be your own boss and work from home. All it requires is an internet connection, superb typing skills, and attention to detail.
2. Apple At Home Advisor
Corporations like Apple provide home jobs all over the US for people of all backgrounds from entry-level to highly-skilled professionals. Part of the anti-call center movement, Apple is passionate about “genuine, homemade support” provided by those who love exploring the way technology helps us do all of our favorite things.
The company encourages you to set up your own home office free from distractions, with an ergonomic chair and a door you can shut. For anyone who works from home, this is the ideal way to ensure you’re comfortable with your environment and have a designated area where you’ll get your work done. After all, you work from home, but it’s still a professional role.
Apple provides everything you need to work from home including an iMac, a headset, and thorough training — all you need is a dedicated, high-speed network connection.
3. Online Surveys
Ten years ago, online panels were a decent way to make some extra money here and there. But since consumerism is booming, your opinions carry much more weight than ever before. Now online surveys can be a serious candidate in your search for part-time endeavors. They offer real at-home opportunities for millions of Americans.
Some sources claim that you can make as much as $3,000 a month participating in online panels if you strategize correctly. The key is to be selective about the kind of surveys you take, as some offer points in exchange for goods (such as Amazon gift cards) instead of cash, which doesn’t always translate into a decent per-hour rate.
Craigslist can also be a great source for discovering paid survey opportunities, with subjects ranging from health to technology to education and more.
4. Start a Shop on Etsy
People are craft-crazy, and thanks to the #shopsmallbusiness movement, consumers are ditching big brands to invest in handmade goods made with passion by artists from all over the globe. You can sell just about anything on Etsy, as long as it’s handmade or vintage. Even if you don’t currently make anything, there are tons of craft tutorials online that offer step-by-step DIY solutions for popular products that sell, such as home goods, jewelry, beauty, accessories, pet goods, and so much more.
Etsy has an entire series on their blog dedicated to success stories called “Quit Your Day Job.”
5. Virtual Assistant
The age of the virtual office is now, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. More and more businesses are operating remotely or from coworking spaces to save capital, which means home jobs are more plentiful than ever. One of the more common remote positions is a Virtual Assistant.
While the responsibilities of this position can vary from company to company, typically a virtual assistant will handle emails for whomever they’re working for and assist with data entry, appointment setting, scheduling, and various admin tasks.
If you’re tech-savvy, self-motivated, and great with time management, this may be a new job to consider.
6. Amazon Work-From-Home Jobs
Amazon is another tech giant that’s extremely supportive of the work at home lifestyle. If customer service and data entry jobs have you burnt out, Amazon has hundreds of other job opportunities as well. So you can work from home in a variety of departments within the company .
There are positions in IT, human resources, project management, sales, advertising, fulfillment, and so much more.
7. Marketing
The marketing industry is a living, breathing organism with chameleon-like tendencies. It’s ever evolving and adaptive. As the internet and smartphones became a bigger part of our lives, dozens and dozens of different positions in the marketing field appeared because it changed how we, as consumers, are influenced.
There are marketing positions for just about every skill set, and many are home opportunities. Some of these remote jobs include:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Analyst
- Email Marketing Specialist
- Affiliate Marketer
- Paid Ads Operations Manager
- Communications Strategist
- Social Media Manager
- Copywriter or Freelance Writer
- Event Coordinator
There’s a myriad of job listings in the digital marketing field, ranging from junior to senior level, so there’s never a shortage of home-based opportunities that are full- or part-time.
8. Sales
As long as there are humans living and breathing on this Earth, businesses will need Sales Representatives. Gone are the days of going door-to-door. Now there’s a rainbow of creative ways to sell.
Your job won’t just entail calling random people on the phone. Many sales positions require you to partner with the company’s marketing team to develop pipelines for future growth and revenue, and create long-term sales plans. Consumers face sales calls all day long, so it’s important to strategize and identify a solid plan for customer acquisition.
If you fancy yourself a tech-minded sales guru and are familiar with any popular CRM (customer relationship management) systems, then you’re more than qualified.
9. Online Tutoring
There are a number of virtual education institutions champing at the bit for bright, inspired online tutors. Learning opportunities are vast, thanks to the internet. So hiring a tutor to help navigate a student’s subject of choice is a huge help, and a great way to increase student productivity because teachers are available on-demand.
Tutors work with students of varying abilities and ages from grade school to college level and are very useful for those preparing for tests.
English tutors for foreign countries are also in great demand, and websites like VIPKID are a valuable resource for both students and teachers seeking opportunities. Most online tutoring platforms, like VIPKID, allow you to make your own schedule and be your own boss.
10. Recruiting
For those who have a knack for realizing talent, another fruitful home endeavor is a headhunter or recruiter. Employers can be bombarded with applicants, some of whom may be extremely qualified amongst a cornfield of people who aren’t, so it can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. That’s where you come in.
Some companies are large enough that they need constant fulfillment of roles, others may seek independent contractors regularly, which makes you a valuable asset in the business.
Companies need recruiters in a variety of fields from technical sales to health solutions. The possibilities are endless. Your ability to source talent can have a major impact on a company, which can be very rewarding.
Be Your Own Boss
Working from home may seem like a dream, but some will say it’s the hardest job they’ve ever done. Building yourself a dedicated home office and treating each day like you’re “going into work” is paramount to ensure that you can separate work from your personal life and avoid the freelancer’s curse: never not working.
Here’s some sage advice if you’re considering working from home or just need some help managing your remote job:
- Make yourself a “clock-in, clock-out” schedule.
- Get dressed as if you’re going into an office. We’re not saying you need to be business-casual, but putting pants on helps differentiate “work time” from “me time.”
- Create a distraction-free environment where you can shut the door.
- Utilize your preferred calendar app and project management tools to make sure you stay on task.
- Spend time around other freelancers who do the same kind of work, and motivate one another.
- If possible, spend some days working from different locations — such as coffee shops or coworking spaces — to change up the scenery and stay focused.
- Enjoy spending less time commuting and more time on the things that matter to you.
Enjoy the At-Home Work Life
Remote workers are a special breed of people. They need minimal guidance and are extremely driven, so if you’re ready to take on the challenge and meet the criteria for any of the positions above, the world is your oyster. You don’t need much to get started other than a comfortable home-office environment, and a stable internet connection, so go on and be your own boss!
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