10 Jobs you can do from home and where to find them

This is an update on an old post called “10 Jobs you can do while traveling and where to find them”

These are tough times and we all are experiencing a great shift in the way we live, the way we feel and the way we think.

My country, Italy, is suffering the coronavirus situation more than any other country in Europe, with frightening numbers that I will not even mention, as they will become old in one day.

We must be prepared to change because change is the only constant in the universe.

I’ve worked online since 2009, so I will be happy to share my experience with anyone who needs it. To begin with, these are 10 jobs you can do from home and where to find them.

Virtual Assistant

This has been my first online job, and I cannot but recommend it to anybody who wants to start an online career. It is probably the first place to start, because you can start as a VA with basic tasks which do not require too much experience and expertise, such as online research, data-entry, etc. Of course, if your job doesn’t require too much expertise, chances are it will not pay a lot.

In the virtual assistance industry, competition is fierce and you can find rates as low as 5 USD per hour. However, if you specialize, for instance in marketing and know how to use specific tools, such as Clickfunnels, Kartra, Leadpages, to name a few,  your rate might pop up to 50 USD per hour.

If you want to know more about how to start a virtual assistance business, of course, I would be more than happy to assist you (just book your preliminary free call here).

If what you are looking for is a more structured academy where you can go through full training, I can recommend you both VAClassroom (I took a couple of their courses and they are excellent).

You can find jobs as a Virtual Assistant everywhere! A few websites worth checking:

• Upwork
• Remote.co 
• VirtualAssistants.com
• Outsourcely
• PowerToFly
• Angel.co

Writer/Copywriter

If words are your thing, you have a gigantic market. There is a huge demand for writers, technical writers, ghost-writers, SEO copywriters, and the list goes on. My suggestion: pick a field you can really specialize in and become the most sought-after copywriter in this field.

Some of the topics that are popular now might not be as popular in 6 months, so do your research. It might be blockchain, cryptocurrency, VR and AR, but also something completely different, non-technical, such as Yoga, mediation, breathing techniques.

These are some website where you might look for a job:

I would probably start with Upwork because it’s a huge marketplace.

Here you can find 6 job boards for freelance writers and here you can find journalism jobs

Social Media Manager

Although many specialized Virtual Assistants offer Social Media Management, it is indeed a very specific role. As for most of the jobs, there is an entry-level and a more advanced level.

In the first scenario, you won’t be required a lot of experience, but a few skills that will be required are certainly: communication, writing, probably some basic graphic design. Coaches and very small businesses, or anyone with a tight budget will be more likely to hire a freelance SMM. In this case you can search in Upwork, and also Facebook and Linkedin groups.

These are some website where you might look for a job as Social Media Manager or any job related to social media 

Web Designer

If you are more into the tech stuff, this is the perfect job for you. Again, there are several degrees of expertise and you could theoretically design a website without knowing how to code, using some of the tools out there such as Squarespace, Strikingly, etc.

I do believe that these tools do their job, but they might be quite limited and if you want to get into web design, yes, you do need to learn how to code.

Check this free resource if you want to learn to code . If you already are a professional, I would suggest you have a look at this job board for web designers and developers.

Web Developer

How many times have I desired to have the skills of a developer, but no, I don’t. I am a geek wannabe, and I see developers as the creators of everything that we see online.

You can develop anything from websites to apps, basically, everything that is on the web. As I don’t have much experience in web development, during my search I stumbled upon a very comprehensive post, and instead of me trying to give you suggestions on how to become a web developer, I am happy to forward you to this article: How To Become A Web Developer — Everything You Need To Know. 

You can also have a look at the website Developers for Hire.

Translator

This is one of the oldest location-independent jobs: I worked as a freelance translator when Facebook was not even an idea in Zuck’s mind.

To become a translator you need 2 things: a perfect bilingual level and a degree or equivalent experience in translation. Of course, as a professional translator, I cannot possibly say otherwise and believe me, I’ve met bilingual persons who were not necessarily good translators. Translation is a skill and you have to develop it.

If you are a translator these are some websites where you might look for a job – besides Upwork and Freelancer – :

• Proz
• Translators Café
• Unbabel
• Gengo

Teacher/Trainer

Whatever your expertise is, now you can create your course, training, school, academy and teach people how to do what you do. It might be a language, it might be web design, graphic design, mathematics, cuisine, painting.

Whatever comes to mind, if you are good at it and you can teach it, you can teach it online.

Now, how to create an online course is actually not difficult, but it does require a separate post, which will come soon, I promise. Start to get the outline of the course ready and if you need help, just send me an email and let’s see how I can help you.

In this case, it is really about the kind of subject/topic you are going to teach. If it’s languages, I definitely suggest Italki: I love it!

Graphic Designer

It is a highly sought role, as graphics is what gives the look to every project we build: starting from our logo to the images that we share on social media to feature our content.

There are many tools that can help the amateurs, but definitely, design is a skill that makes you stand out of the crowd of newbies, so if you are a graphic designer you already know that you can work from anywhere in the world.

I once hired a graphic designer on Upwork and it was ok, but most recently I came across the platform which I believe is the top choice for designers: Behance.

Coach

Whether you are a life, business, health or career coach, you have the amazing opportunity to build your own business and work from anywhere. In my experience helping Coaches to create their own online business, this option would be my number one suggestion.

However, if you are not ready yet and are looking for opportunities, here are some options:

• Real Appeal – Health Coaches
• RiseSmart – Career Coaches
• Tony Robbins – Business Coaches

Yoga Instructor

This is a wonderful job to do while traveling, but until traveling will be an option again, how about becoming an online Yoga Instructor?

These websites offer jobs as a Yoga Teacher

• Yogatrade
• Yogatraveljobs

You might want to keep them in mind for the future. For now, I believe as a Yoga teacher, you have an opportunity to create your online practice, your online course, or try to contact platforms that already provide the online experience.

My favorite are:

• Doyouyoga
• Omstars
• Yoga International

If you need help in creating your own course or academy, let me know! 

Conclusion

Although I’ve been working online in the last 11 years, this is a tough moment for me too. I’m in quarantine, I cannot go to the beach, I cannot go for a walk, I cannot see my friends.

Having the possibility to work online is a great blessing, take this opportunity now and prepare for the future, it might be the new normal.

Please join me in the group Keeping Balance, where we share positivity and practical tips to face these hard times.