When it comes to working from home, most people immediately think about web development or freelance writing. Those are the two most popular fields when it comes to remote work, but they are far from the only careers that enable you to do so.
These days, even traditional companies are pushing remote work as a perk for their employees. In fact, unless you work in construction or another job that doesn’t translate online at all, chances you can find remote work opportunities.
In this article, we’ll talk about the common characteristics most remote jobs share. Then I’ll help you answer the question, “Can I find remote work in my field?”
Let’s get you working from home!
Can I Find Remote Work in My Field?
The answer to that question depends largely on what kind of work you do. In the modern workplace, a lot of people spend most of their time in front of a computer. If that’s the case for you, then I’m going to go ahead and say that working remotely full time might be plausible, in your case.
Let’s say you’re a private tutor, for example. A lot of people prefer for you to go to their homes, so they’re more comfortable. However, nowadays there’s very little stopping you from offering your services in an online-only capacity. Some might argue this feels less personal, but the benefits are evident for all parties involved. You get to skip your commute, you can fit more students in with all the time you save, and you can even take appointments at a moment’s notice.
In my experience, unless you need to pop into meetings every five minutes, most traditional jobs can be done remotely. Nowadays, even some physicians and mental health professionals offer online consults. If they can make the jump and people still trust them, then chances are you’ve got a shot too.
Now, the real problem isn’t whether it’s plausible to do your job remotely – it’s whether you can find work that will enable you to do so. In some cases, clients and companies will outright refuse to work with someone that can’t meet with them in person or head to an office. That’s a bummer, but with some luck, it’s going to become a lot less common in the next few years.
3 (Surprising) Careers You Can Find Remote Work Opportunities In
When it comes to remote work, everyone always talks about freelance writing, blogging, web design, and development. If your skill set falls within any of those categories, then all the more power to you. However, in this section, we’re going to focus on careers that also offer remote work opportunities which you might not be aware of. Let’s start with an entry that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
1. Email Marketing
If your work consists of designing email campaigns, counseling clients on how to increase subscriptions, and trying to drive conversions, then you’re in luck. As an email marketer, all your work usually happens in front of a computer. Sure, in some cases, you might get to work with designers, but they can always email you the files they need you to use.
The hard part of adapting this kind of work to the remote life is dealing with clients. A lot of people prefer in-person meetings, but let’s be honest – they are nothing you can’t replace with Skype or Slack.
Now, we need to talk about where you can find remote email marketing gigs online. I’m not a big fan of platforms such as Upwork or Freelancer, but they do work well for a lot of people.
In my experience, you usually find far better offers on job boards (such as Paid to Blog Jobs for freelance writing). When it comes to email marketing, I recommend you check out We Work Remotely’s listings. Posting jobs there has a cost, so it tends to weed out a lot of sub-par offerings.
2. Translating and Transcription
When it comes to translations and transcriptions, you usually receive a file (or more) and then get to work on it. Whether it’s a Google Doc or an audio file, the point is both these gigs are a perfect fit for remote work.
If you think about it, there’s no reason why translators or transcribers should have to work in an office. I personally know several people who make a decent living working these professions remotely. What sets them apart, in most cases, is they have specific niches. That means, for example, they specialize in languages that aren’t as common (good luck trying to find decent work translating English <> Spanish!) or do medical transcriptions, just to give you an idea.
As for how to find these kinds of gigs online, you’ll need to do a bit of digging to get to the right jobs. Lionbridge, for example, has good offers for translators. As for transcriptionists, it’s easy enough to get accepted to platforms such as Rev or TranscribeMe!, which always have work available.
3. Accounting
There’s hardly a more blue-collar job than accounting. When people think about accountants, they usually imagine a guy in a cubicle helping them with their taxes. However, these days, you can skip the cubicle part and work straight from home.
I first ran into the remote-working accountant species when I needed help doing my taxes in a new country. After some digging, I realized it’s all too common nowadays for accountants to deal with clients mostly online.
It works perfectly if you think about it – you submit the documents they need and they help you figure out your taxes. If things get too complicated, you can always hop on the phone with them, and that’s about it.
The real issue is finding remote work as an accountant. In my experience, job boards aren’t such a goldmine in this scenario. The accountants I’ve met that work full-time from home are those that already have an established client base. Usually, those clients refer more people their way and so it goes.
However, if you’re getting started, some companies hire accountants online, and they might be a good fit for a while. Here’s a list of such businesses you can check out and apply to!
Conclusion
Right now, meeting full-time remote workers is still pretty rare. However, my best prediction is it’s going to become a lot more normal in the years to come, even in fields you might not imagine at first. After all, most people would jump at the chance to work from home.
Take teaching, for example. You can tutor someone online and even use conferencing software for groups. With this approach, you can connect with students at the best time for both of you, and that’s just one example of a career remote work is perfectly suited for.
What field do you think might shift towards remote work sooner than we imagine? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
Image credit: Pixabay.