There’s no doubt about it, 2020 showed businesses around the world just how much can successfully be done from home. Many offices shut their physical doors, transitioning employees to remote work. In fact, 2020 was dubbed the world’s largest work from home experiment by many, including Forbes.
It used to be the case that work from home/remote jobs were less profitable and prestigious than those jobs where you worked on location. However, advances in technology and the positive experience many companies had while remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic mean that many jobs can now be done remotely with minimal impact on the business.
And as 2021 progresses, many employees and businesses alike have made the choice that work-from-home options should be here to stay, helping to continue to improve the average employee’s work/life balance.
So what remote working careers are now available and will provide you with a decent income?
Virtual assistant
Many businesses are now operating remotely or even completely online, which means there’s a huge requirement for virtual assistants. VAs help keep individuals or organisations organised by managing calendars, taking phone calls and doing some administrative tasks. Usually, VAs are independent contractors who provide support to multiple clients and work from a remote location.
While VA tasks vary dramatically, they can include writing and responding to correspondence, creating and distributing business-related documents, responding to any inquiries, writing or creating content, and more.
Transcription services
Many medical teams, such as hospitals and local physician offices, need help transcribing recorded medical dictation. Because of the nature of the work, it’s actually better for transcriptionists to be in a quiet space, such as a home office. While many are self-employed, there are a lot of medical transcriptionists who find work through their local hospital or doctors’ offices.
There are also options to be a transcriptionist for other services. While automated interview transcription services have come a long way, there is still a space for transcription services for interviews as well.
Translator
Have another language you’re fluent in? Many translators work from home, translating documents, web pages, speeches, graphics and more. Most translators have multiple clients they work for. Importantly, it’s not just about the written work for translators but ensuring they have the right style and tone for the language as cultural nuances can make a big difference.
Paralegal
While many would be shocked at the thought of a legal job being done from home, paralegal work actually lends itself really nicely to remote work. In fact, the paralegal profession weathered the global COVID-19 pandemic probably better than most. Doing the nitty gritty research work for legal teams, most of what a paralegal does can still be done from home, so long as there is a good internet connection and access to whatever documents are required.
Content creators
Freelance writing, digital marketing, social media management and blogging are all things that can be done from home. There are millions of blogs and pieces of content written and uploaded every day.
While many bigger companies have in-house writers, a lot of sites and agencies are now looking to outsource their content. In fact, loads of companies need help in this department, especially when it comes to ghost-writing. CEOs and those in upper management rarely have time to create content, so that’s where you come in.
Social media management is also a fantastic work-from-home option. Every business should have a social media presence, reaching customers directly rather than through paid advertising. Also, not only is it interesting and you can work with a number of different clients at once, it’s also a way to stay connected with the community.
Design work
Graphic design and web development is also a great work-from-home option. While there are countless tools and sites online that can help everyone become a web developer or designer, not everyone has the time or is tech-savvy enough to do it themselves. Many people who work in the design industry are self-employed and most jobs really lend themselves to work-from-home opportunities. All you need is a laptop, a good internet connection and time.
Figuring out the right option
There are so many work-from-home opportunities, it can be hard to figure out what’s right for you and whether the opportunity presenting itself to you is actually legitimate, as there are many scams around. Always do your research, into the company and the individual you’re talking to.
Working from home is a wonderful option for many people, and thanks to technology, it can now be a reality. Technology and acceptance of work-from-home practices has come a long way in the past few years. With everything going digital, Zoom becoming common-place and many companies recognising the rich and diverse skill set of freelancers, working from home is well within your grasp.
