The last few months have been extremely challenging for everyone. Within just a few weeks our lives have changed dramatically. All this thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak. To curtail its spread, many companies and organizations have shut their doors, encouraging their employees to work from home.
Whether we like it or not, we all have to stay home. For many people, this means wide open schedules with nothing to fill them with. While some see this as a positive and use this unexpected free time to catch up on projects and to relax, some people are bored out of their minds.
If you were used to life on the move, chances are you fall into the second category. Here is an idea to keep you occupied: how about spending this time making money on the side?
There are several great legit work from home jobs that you can look into. Here are some of them:
FREELANCE WRITING
Think of all the articles, blog posts and web pages you see every time you go online. All that content had to be created by someone, right? As a freelance writer, this will be your job.
There is a never-ending demand for writers and fresh ideas. Although a lot of mainstream sites have in-house writers, they regularly outsource their work to outside content creators. If you play your cards right, you could be perfectly positioned to take on this workload.
All you will need to have is a laptop and internet access to get you started. One thing you will need to understand, however, is that there are a lot of writers out there. You have to bring something extra to the table.
Consider building some experience first by creating your own blog and writing there, and also guest-posting for free on websites in your niche. This is also a great way to build your portfolio and to accumulate lots of samples to show potential clients.
The fees you get paid will also depend on the level of experience that you have and the kind of client you are writing for. On average, though, freelance writers get paid about $50-$150 per post.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Thanks to the internet, most businesses run their operations online these days. This has brought about the need for a new kind of assistant, one that does not need to come into the office every day. The virtual assistant can work remotely, fulfilling their duties from any part of the world.
Virtual assistants are independent contractors. They perform administrative tasks and keep things organized. Their tasks include composing and responding to emails, creation and distribution of business-related documents, response to media or business inquiries, and writing and content creation. One thing to note, however, is that job description will vary from one organization to the other.
The pay also varies from one employer to the next. Generally, expect to earn between $15 to $75 an hour. The pay will also vary depending on the level of experience you have.
TRANSLATOR
Requirements for this job include fluency in at least two or three languages and experience in the field. Other employers might also require you to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
That being said, there are many gigs online that involve working for private clients who will not be too strict when it comes to qualifications. As long as you can do a good job, you will get paid.
Translation is a highly sought after skill in the online world. This is because good translators are in short supply. Therefore, translators get employed in a large variety of industries, including hospitals, diplomatic institutions, government agencies, and also in scientific and academic institutions.
To get started, you can check out freelance websites like Upwork to see the translation jobs they have to offer.
WEB DEVELOPMENT
If you are a skilled web designer, you can make a living building websites and blogs for people and organizations alike. Most people go solo in this field. Due to this, building a reputation for yourself and your work is very important.
This job needs constant internet access, a very good computer, specialty software, and some experience. No advanced degree is required here. You can teach yourself all the skills you need.
You’ll also want to build yourself a good portfolio that will give you an edge over your competition. Launch a website showcasing your best works and people will start reaching out to you.
MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST
A transcriptionist provides a service where spoken conversations are put down in text format for documentation purposes. Transcription services are often provided for business, legal, or medical purposes.
As a medical transcriptionist, your job will involve transcribing recorded medical dictation. All you will need are high quality headphones, a computer, a desk, and somewhere quiet to work.
You may also have to complete a medical transcription proficiency program before you can start working on some platforms. But this should be a breeze, so don’t sweat it.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
This is a relatively new work-at-home opportunity. It has been brought about due to the need of skilled social media account managers by most companies.
A lot of businesses these days use social media for marketing aside from TV, radio and other channels of advertising. Your job as a social media manager will revolve around taking care of this branch of their advertising setup.
Some of your work will include posting directly to social media pages, scheduling posts, and answering consumer questions on social media.
If you enjoy browsing Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, why not get paid to do it?
Requirements for this job include social media experience and good social skills. Check out Career Builder, Simply Hired, and other similar sites for relevant job listings. You can expect to earn an average of $15 to $75 an hour.
DATA ENTRY
More than ever before, companies need data entry services. They prefer to outsource this service to save on cost. This is where you come in.
Usually, many data entry specialists are needed all at once by an organization. These perform tasks such as tracking inventory and shipments, creating business plans, measuring performance and output, among others.
Data entry specialists can work on their schedules, meaning you get to choose your own work hours.
Requirements for this job include a computer and internet access. The job is simple and convenient, and there are no unique qualifications needed.
BLOGGING
Another great way to work from home is by starting your own blog. If done right, blogs can be tremendously useful. They can provide a platform through which you can express yourself to the world. You can also place ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links on them to make a living from your blog.
It is important to mention that blogs take time to grow. However, once they expand, the sky is the limit. Owning a blog is an inexpensive way to start an online business.
CALL CENTER REPRESENTATIVE
Call center representatives handle incoming or outgoing customer calls for a business. They handle tasks such as assisting customers in processing orders, dealing with returns, and general PR work. Many, if not all organizations, require this service.
Since most companies these days have an online presence, it has become necessary to hire call center representatives who work remotely. As one of these representatives, you will need a good computer and the relevant software that the company uses before you can start working.
A great place to start your job search for this is on your local newspaper.
PROOFREADING
Proofreading, as the name suggests, is rereading texts to find mistakes and correct them before final copies or prints can be made. Proofreaders are in high demand and the job opportunities are endless.
If you are not sure where to begin, consider taking one of several free proofreading classes online to familiarize yourself with what the job requirements are.
TRAVEL AGENT
This role needs some experience. Travel agents are concerned with planning people’s adventures to different parts of the world. You will, therefore, require an understanding of the region or the place you intend to send people to.
This is the main reason why most travel agents specialize in planning trips to specific areas around the globe. Most travel agents are self-employed but some can find employment in travel agencies.
This job will be perfect for you if you enjoy planning things and if the logistics of things make you smile.
TUTORING
No matter what skills you have, there is someone somewhere willing to pay you good money to teach them that skill. From your talents to your language to your book smarts. Everything you are good at can make you some serious cash.
Usually, the rule of thumb is that the more complicated, unique, or demanding a skill is, the more customers will be willing to pay to learn it.
AFFILIATE MARKETING
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where the affiliate marketer earns a commission for every customer he or she refers to an online retailer.
As an affiliate, you do not own any products of your own. Your only job is to promote the retailer’s products and help them make sales, after which they will pay you a commission for every sale made as a result of your efforts.
The way they track this is simple: affiliate links. Affiliate links are unique identifiers that connect purchases to the affiliate. This means every time someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, it will be credited to you. You will then be entitled to that commission.
In most cases, the referral is only complete when the customer purchases a product from the recommended retailer or performs an action in favor of the retailer, such as clicking on the retailer’s link.
To make money with affiliate marketing, you first have to set up a blog, then build a large enough following on it. You’ll do this by creating quality content for the blog and populating that content with your affiliate links.
Therefore, this is not a get rich quick scheme. You have to put in a lot of time and effort before you can start seeing any form of success with affiliate marketing. However, when the money starts coming in, it will blow your mind.
GET THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO START IN AFFILIATE MARKETING
VERDICT
A lot of people dream off being their own bosses. With the pandemic confining billions of people in their homes, there might never be a better time to explore your options.
As you can see, there are too many legit work from home jobs to mention. All you have to do is pick one from this list and run with it.
All the ideas presented here have the potential to make you some money. If you are willing to put in the time and hard work, though, I highly recommend taking up affiliate marketing.
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To your success,
Mike Aha
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