How To Find Real Work-From-Home Jobs

By Sky Ariella - Nov. 12, 2020

Find a Job You Really Want In

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It’s a professional fantasy to find a real work-from-home job for many people. With all the unforeseen events that have taken place in the 2020 job market, these kinds of positions are even more sought after than they ever were before. Luckily, remote jobs have also become more lucrative.

With a little research, preparation, and job-searching, you may be able to find an opportunity to make a living by doing something you love. All from the comfort of your kitchen with a mug of coffee.

What Jobs Can You Work From Home?

Even if you think that your field or skills aren’t transferable to a work-from-home scenario, you may be surprised to find out that there’s a wide variety of opportunities. You just have to know where to look and what offers are legitimate.

Consider the following examples of positions and jobs that you can do remotely. Employers are eagerly hiring to fill these roles with qualified and dependable candidates.

  1. Transcription
    Average Yearly Salary: $28,930

    A virtual transcriptionist’s job is to listen to lengthy audio clips and write down everything they hear. This position is ideal for a person who is extraordinarily detail-oriented with advanced typing speeds. A transcriptionist’s responsibilities can be on the tedious side, but it also has benefits, such as being a learnable skill with many entry-level job openings.

    If you think this sounds like it may be up your alley but you’ve never done anything like it before, look into some beginner level transcription courses. There’s plenty of resources out there to get started in a career as a transcriptionist.

    Examples of Companies that Hire Remote Transcriptionists Include:

  2. Teaching English online
    Average Yearly Salary: $31,000

    Teaching English as a second language online can be an excellent opportunity to sharpen your teaching skills and contribute to a person’s life in a meaningful way.

    The requirements for these positions can vary. There are many English language services you can work for without a degree in education. In lieu of a degree, some organizations may require you to earn a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. Others may only require you to be a native-level English speaker.

    These types of roles will usually also require lightning-fast internet speed and professional communication equipment.

    Whatever qualifications you have, you can likely find a position teaching English online that suits your needs. This remote job allows you to work-from-home through video-chat and virtual lesson plans while also giving you the chance to interact with people from around the world.

    Examples of companies that hire remote English teachers include:

  3. Travel agent
    Average Yearly Salary: $34,000

    Working as a travel agent deals with the exciting world of exploration. A travel agent gets to help people plan their vacation of a lifetime or important business trip. Plus you can do it all from your computer and phone. Your responsibilities as a travel agent are to assist clients in planning and book all the possible accommodations, transport, and adventures they’ll need.

    This work-from-home position is a possible route for individuals passionate about travel and helping people get the best experience possible.

    If you don’t have prior experience as a travel agent but are interested in the job, many employers are open to training new recruits with potential. Look into remote job openings for entry-level travel agents that are willing to train for the right candidate.

    Examples of Companies that Hire Work-From-Home Travel Agents Include:

  4. Social media manager
    Average Yearly Salary: $58,000

    Social media has become the modern frontier for marketing and advertising roles. Since it’s a job that’s evolved more recently, there’s a huge demand for candidates who can successfully run social media accounts for various organizations. The best part is that you can do the vast majority of work involved in social media from home.

    If you’re one of the people who grew up during the social media revolution, you may be sitting on a wealth of profitable skills. Consider the platforms that you have experience using and feel confident that you could use to drive engagement. Take some free online classes on basic social media management, online engagement knowledge, and data analysis.

    Once you have a strong baseline understanding of social media management, finding a remote entry-level job opening is very doable. You also can start your own remote social media management company and be your own boss.

    Find Social media manager jobs near me

  5. Call-center representative
    Average Yearly Salary: $27,000

    Out of all the positions on this list, working as a call-center representative is the remote job that’s the most open to anyone. It requires less experience than other remote jobs and most companies hiring remote representatives want to conduct their own training. It can be an ideal work-from-home position for recent graduates or individuals who have been out of the workforce for a while.

    There are a lot of companies that are always in need of hiring call-center representatives. Many businesses that you may even be a customer with will hire remote customer service workers – especially larger organizations with many spots to fill.

    Examples of Companies that Hire Remote Call-Center Representatives Include:

Where to Look for Work-From-Home Jobs

Once you’ve researched what remote careers could be right for you, it’s time to get into the job-search itself. There’s a lot of resources to help you find these opportunities and apply to them.

Consider the list below of where to look for work-from-home jobs.

  1. FlexJobs FlexJobs is a freelance job-search engine that’s known for legitimate, scam-free listings. They screen every job opening to determine their legitimacy before posting it for applicants. This is important for work-from-home jobs because there are many scams out there looking to prey on people who want to work from home.

    FlexJobs does have a monthly fee to be able to access and apply to jobs on their site. The price is reasonably affordable, and with it, you’ll gain access to one of the largest pools of legitimate work-from-home opportunities across many industries.

  2. Remotive Remotive allows job-seekers to pick categories for the remote position they’re seeking from an extensive list of possibilities. Users also can impute their email address to receive updates on remote job openings in their industry.

    They include international listings in fields like:

  3. Virtual Vocations Virtual Vocations is another remote job website that has a customizable feel to its format. You can include as many, or as few, details as you like to be given a series of job opportunities matching your requests.

    Virtual Vocations includes work-from-home positions in industries like:

    • Accounting

    • Editing

    • Consulting

    • Technical Writing

    • Proofreading

    • Healthcare

  4. GlassDoor While Glassdoor isn’t solely for work-from-home job openings, they do provide the option to limit your search to only remote positions and have plentiful options. GlassDoor is a valuable tool to use because they have lots of information about companies that are hiring. Before deciding to submit an application, you can find out what the average salary will be, details of the hiring process, and honest reviews from former employees.

  5. AngelList AngelList specializes in remote job positions that are available at start-up companies. This can be an excellent option for candidates who want to work in the tech start-up world but also want to do it from their home.

10 Tips for Finding a Real Work-From-Home Job

  1. Consider local options. Just because you’re interested in attaining a position where you can work from home doesn’t mean that it needs to be with a company based far away. Some employers may have stipulations for their employees to work within a certain distance, even if they’re doing so remotely. You may even find it easier to find a remote job if you’re searching within a designated area close to you.

  2. Beware of scams. There is a litany of scammers looking to take advantage of job-seekers in need of a remote position. The distance between people through internet correspondence leaves a lot of room for dishonesty and job-scams.

    Try not to be blinded by a position that seems absolutely perfect for you. Beware of job postings that promise an exorbitantly higher salary than average or employers who ask you for money to begin working. You need to be more cautious with a potential remote employer than you would be otherwise.

    Do some research on common remote job scams to protect yourself from being a victim. You should also research any companies you’re considering applying to before sending over any personal information.

  3. Consider your transferable skills. Job responsibilities that were once done entirely in-person are now being conducted online. You’ve probably collected many useful skills from former positions that can be useful in a new remote role. You can use these soft and hard skills to get ahead as a job applicant.

  4. Think about freelancing. While many people choose the career path of sticking with a consistent employer, you could find that freelancing may be much more profitable for you. With a background in things like technology, design, or writing, it may be more realistic to find an independent contracting position remotely rather than a W-2 position.

    Individuals who are employed in creative fields should strongly consider this work-from-home route.

  5. Be adaptable. The premise of a remote job is that it’s an adaptable form of work. You should try to be just as flexible. Working from home comes with its own struggles. You need to consider unique challenges and change your actions accordingly to be successful in looking for a remote job.

  6. Join groups on social media for remote opportunities. Social media is about more than keeping up with the life of the girl who you had French in sophomore year of high school. It can be a networking and business tool if used properly. One of the ways you can do this is by joining groups on sites like Facebook.

    These groups allow remote workers to communicate directly about relevant topics and job-seekers to stumble upon new opportunities.

    Examples of Facebook Groups for Remote Jobs Include:

    • Remote Jobs, Work Anywhere

    • Remote Jobseekers

    • Let’s Work Remotely

    • Female Digital Nomads

    • Remote Marketing Jobs

  7. Always be learning. One of the qualities that successful work-from-home employees have is that they’re open to learning new information. Being a quick-learner is essential to most remote jobs. It’s a skill you can sharpen with some practice, whether that means learning new skills through classes in your spare time or simply reading more books outside your usual taste.

  8. Consider a paid subscription to a job-search website. Even though paying to look for jobs may sound like a scam in itself, it can actually be incredibly helpful to your job search. Sussing through all the position openings that are posted for scams requires substantial effort. Paid sites do this legwork for you and save you a lot of time.

    Reputable websites that charge a premium for their services may be doing so to keep up with their screening protocol.

  9. Tailor your resume for a remote position. A resume is your professional entrance, and that’s true of remote jobs as well. You’ve probably edited your resume to appear as an ideal candidate for a particular employer or a specific position. You should do this when you’re hoping to land a remote position as well.

    Tailor your resume with skills and experience that would be handy in the work-from-home role you’re applying for.

  10. Sign up for alerts from job websites. Most remote job-search websites give you the option to create an account with your email to get updates on new job postings. Since many work-from-home jobs have a lot of competition, having the chance to be one of the first applicants can give you a significant advantage over the competition. These email update services are usually available at no cost to you and can greatly improve your remote job search results.

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Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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