Online Jobs From Home

By Stacy Garrels | April 25, 2021

2020, 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed the true benefits of online jobs. Not only do people who work from home get to set their own schedules, but they can forgo the discomfort of professional outfits in favor of more comfortable clothing, personalized desks, and easy access to snacks.

There are more benefits than those, however, to working from home. Online work is widespread these days, and anyone who wants to can make money selling their skills through various online platforms.

The Benefits of Working From Home

Working from home requires a significant amount of self discipline. If you can resist the urge to binge your favorite Netflix shows during work hours, though, there are a lot of benefits to online jobs. These can include but are in no way limited to:

Setting your own hours
Taking breaks to hang out with your family or do chores around the house
Working in a field that takes advantage of your best skillset
Dictating your own rates (particularly if you work as a freelancer)
Avoiding the social stresses of an office environment

The Best Online Jobs For You

The online job that suits you best won’t find you in the same field as your best friend. When you start looking for an online job, keep your interests and experience in mind. Even if you don’t have decades of work history in your particular field, you can start looking for the opportunities that will let you make a living while also gaining new experience.

With that in mind, some of the best online jobs for people who’ve never worked online before include:

Social Media Manager

There is no company out there today that won’t benefit from improved social media management. If you’re well-versed in the world of social media, you can turn your experience with various online platforms into part-time work. To get started, take a gander at platforms like Indeed or even on existing companies’ social media accounts. If it looks like a company you’re interested in is hiring, you can let them know about your experience and see how much, in turn, that they’re willing to pay you to post.

Marketing

These days, there’s a significant amount of overlap between social media management and business marketing. However, the traditional practice of marketing a company’s products and services is still thriving. It’s even work that you can actively complete from the comfort of your home, so long as you have a steady Internet connection to back you up.

Online jobs in marketing can see you editing launch materials, managing inter-department communications, scheduling a supervisor’s meetings with the press, and so on. You’ll need to be quick on your feet to succeed in this business. Unlike many online jobs, though, a position in marketing will allow you to maintain an active connection with the people in your industry, even if you get to work in your pajamas.

Virtual Assistant

There aren’t many people who don’t need help online today. If you’re the type of person who thrives when you organize someone else’s life, then you may make an impressive income as a virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants fill the same roles as traditional assistants. While your tasks may vary based on the company you’re working for, you can expect to answer phone calls, manage emails, and respond to your supervisor’s needs throughout the standard work day.

Working as a virtual assistant from the comfort of your home doesn’t have the exact same scheduling freedom as working, for example, as a freelance writer. However, your work day will come to a definitive end, so long as you’re able to set boundaries between your responsibilities and your boss’s needs.

Freelance Writer

Writing isn’t always the easiest thing to do. If you want to make it as a freelance writer, you need to be diligent, patient, and unafraid of things like writers’ block. If you can make it past these hurdles, though, and you can connect with clients online who like your work, then you can make a living as a freelance writer.

Most freelance writers have ample opportunity to set their own rates and work in their preferred fields. There are, however, different ways to pursue this kind of career. If you’re more independent, you can strike out on your own. Create a profile on social media platforms like Fiverr, Guru, and Upwork, then reach out to potential clients who want work written in your preferred genre. While you’ll have to manage your client-writer relationships on your own, you’ll also have more say over what rates you work for and how much work you take on.

Alternatively, you can take it upon yourself to connect with a writers’ bullpen. A bullpen sees a supervisor provide you with work that third-party clients are in need of. You may have a more difficult time setting your rates in these positions, but you can rest easy knowing that someone else is out there networking on your behalf.

There is no “right” way to become a freelance writer, even with these two paths set out ahead of you. Instead, if you think you can find the patience and inspiration to work as a freelance writer in the long-term, then why not take advantage of the work at your fingertips?

Proofreader

Every freelance writer needs a proofreader on standby. If you’re more inclined to edit other people’s work than to write your own, then an online job as a freelance proofreader may suit you well. To make a living as a proofreader, you’ll want to connect with the writers or writers’ bullpens operating online. These parties can either send you their work directly – meaning that you can earn a living while setting your own rates – or connect you with work that a client wants to have revised.

Freelance proofreading requires a keen eye for detail and a dedication to deadlines. If you think you can manage those expectations while working from the comfort of your home, then what are you waiting for? Leap onto sites like Upwork, Guru, and Fiverr to find your first gig.

Transcriber

Freelance transcribers are in as much demand as writers and proofreaders. Transcribers, however, do not create original work. Instead, these parties work with companies, be they large or small, to generate written content based on audio files. If you pursue remote work with any of the transcription companies operating online today, you can start building a portfolio of transcriptions to take with you into any field. Platforms as large as YouTube are willing to hire transcribers who work from home, provided that their employees have keen ears and an impressive typing speed.

Bookkeeping

The folks in this world who love the opportunity to bookkeep are few and far between. If you’re the type of person who feels at home among data banks and numbers, you can turn the Internet’s need for bookkeepers to your advantage. There are several small businesses and larger companies that are willing to work with freelance bookkeepers. There may even be opportunities for you to apply for a long term and remote bookkeeping position. When you seize these opportunities, you can start building a career for yourself, whether that be as a third-party freelancer or as permanent staff with an existing organization.

Personal Trainer

Are you a fitness buff? Can you balance the technical know-how of a YouTuber with the patience of a teacher? Then you may make a killing as an online personal trainer. Personal trainers can host online classes or post videos to social media platforms to gain a following. As that following grows, you can start generating a passive income from ad revenue related to your content. If you’re smart, you can even start to make connections with the fitness companies that you admire. These companies are often more than willing to connect with potential influencers. If you take the time to show off their products on your stream, in your videos, or on other forms of social media, then you may never need to go back to the office again.

Taking Online Surveys

If you’re not entirely sure how to feel about working online from home, don’t worry. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get your feet wet. For example, you can take online surveys in exchange for gift cards, checks, and cash. How? By partnering with a platform like Swagbucks.

Platforms like Swagbucks, SurveyJunkie, and InboxDollars all make it easy for you to supplement your income while looking for long-term positions on the Internet. All you need to do to get started is to make a profile on your site of choice. From there, you’ll have the chance to interact with any product or service surveys you qualify for. As you complete these surveys, you can earn platform rewards that you can later translate into cash. There’s no simpler way to start working online.

Should You Start an Online Job From Home?

It’s difficult to know, sometimes, whether or not it’s worth it for you to start working from home. Online jobs, while plethora, aren’t for everyone. While they have several benefits, including their flexibility, you’ll always want to take your time before leaping into any kind of online employment.

Given the state of the world in 2021, there are definitely still some benefits to working from home. For starters, you can avoid getting sick and can, in turn, spend more time with your family. However, it’s much harder to secure insurance and other benefits if you’re not working for an established company.

As you’re searching for an online job, then, consider what it is that you want out of your employment. If you’re in the market for an extensive benefits package, then you may be more interested in working in a traditional office. However, if you’re married to someone who already has insurance, or if you have marketplace coverage, your healthcare may not dictate where you work.

Keep in mind, too, that working from home requires a lot of discipline. It can be tempting, even on your best days, to put off your work in favor of something more enjoyable. If you’re the kind of person who needs the structure of an office to stay on task, then working from home may be actively detrimental not only to your work ethic but to your income and mental health. If, comparatively, you’re a self-starter, highly independent, and good at blocking out distractions, then there are several online jobs that might suit you perfectly.

Start Your Side Hustle With Swagbucks

Are you ready to start making money without leaving the comfort of your home? Swagbucks can help you get started. When you sign up for an account with the Swagbucks platform, you can start earning money ASAP. The platform lets you earn online points for taking surveys, scanning receipts, and playing games. As soon as you connect your PayPal account or bank account to the Swagbucks platform, you can cash those points out in exchange for gift cards or checks.

Don’t wait for your chance to work from home to pass you by! If you want to make money working online, there are plenty of job opportunities out there for you.