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Working online–or at home–seemed like a dream for only the privileged few before 2020. Then the pandemic sent everyone who could go home, home. Businesses learned that employees could do many jobs from home, a cafe, or even the beach. (Although bosses may not be so excited to find out that you’re sitting at the beach with your laptop.)
That doesn’t mean it’s for everyone, but there is one for you out there if you want an online job. Here’s what you need to know.
If you’re searching for an online job, we recommend using ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free to use and you can apply for jobs with a single click!
What Is An Online Job?
An online job can also be called a remote job–it’s just something you don’t need to go into an office or a facility to do. You need a computer, a reliable internet connection and somewhere quiet to work. If you deal with confidential information, you may also need a door that can shut to keep your housemates from overhearing information.
While these jobs used to be quite limited in scope, some experts estimate that 25 percent of all professional positions will be done remotely. So many things that don’t require face-to-face interaction can be done from home, but watch out! Scammers know that people want to work from home, so be careful.
How You Can Spot a Scam Online Job
As you identify the ways scammers work, they become more sophisticated, so constant vigilance is necessary. But here are a few tricks to spotting scammers.
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They offer you a job without an interview. They are often quick to offer a job, sometimes without a resume or a job interview.
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They ask you for photocopies of your driver’s license or other identification. Real jobs will have you fill out an I9 form, but that needs to be observed by another person. They won’t ask you to send snapshots of your ID.
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They ask you to pay for equipment. Genuine companies will send you the equipment you need. They also won’t send you a check or money transfer for more than you need and ask you to return the difference.
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They won’t do a video call. While some scammers will, many won’t. Always ask for a video meeting if you’re concerned.
5 Online Jobs That You Can Do From Home
While there are literally thousands of jobs you can do from home, here are some of the most popular ones where you are actually an employee. You can always do contract or freelance work from home, but you’re an independent person in those cases. These are jobs where you are an actual company employee–just like the people who commute to the office.
1. Customer Service Representative
Median National Salary: $36,920 per year
Education Required: High school diploma or equivalent
Number of Jobs: 2,923,400
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: -1% (Little or no change)
Job Duties: Customer service jobs help customers, take orders, and solve customer problems. You can do this over the phone, email, or instant messaging. While there isn’t a lot of growth in this area, turnover tends to be high, so there are almost always jobs available.
2. Human Resources Specialists
Median National Salary: $62,290 per year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 674,800
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 10% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: It may seem strange to say that HR representatives, including recruiters, can work from home, but with so many other people working from home, it makes sense that HR can be at home as well. HR specialists can do various things such as recruit, evaluate compensation, handle employee relations issues, or serve as an internal consultant.
3. Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers
Median National Salary: $110,140 per year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 1,847,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 22% (Much faster than average)
Job Duties: Software developers, et cetera, develop, analyze and test software. It’s a perfect remote job–you’d be working on a computer most of the time if you were in the office.
4. Insurance Sales Agents
Median National Salary: $49,840 per year
Education Required: High school diploma or equivalent
Number of Jobs: 507,200
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 7% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: Insurance sales agents sell insurance of all kinds–house, life, business, malpractice–anything you need insured. Today’s technology allows them to conduct business almost exclusively over computers and phones.
5. Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
Median National Salary: $133,380 per year
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 316,800
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 10% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: These jobs focus on getting the word out about products and creating interest. While there may be a lot of meetings involved in these jobs, video conferencing works well.
Where To Find Online Jobs
Online jobs are everywhere! But here are three places you can start. If you are ready to start applying for online jobs, make sure your resume is ready to go! If you need help with your resume, check out the best resume writing services.
Company Websites
Start at their website if you want to work for a specific company. Most companies list open positions and will indicate if they are remote or on-site.
FlexJobs
This website focuses on flexible jobs, which includes remote jobs. FlexJobs is a job search site that requires you to pay to use it.
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter has a massive selection of jobs. Just use “remote” as your location, and you’ll find many open remote jobs in your target area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best job to do remotely?
This is a subjective question! What do you want to do? There’s probably a remote job that meets your ideal career.
What jobs cannot be done remotely?
Jobs that require physical interaction with other people (a dentist can’t fill a cavity remotely) or working with fixed equipment (an auto mechanic needs a shop’s worth of equipment) cannot be done remotely. But, many other things can be.
Will remote work be the new normal?
Maybe. But, keep in mind that not everyone wants to work from home, and people certainly don’t want everyone to work from home. If everyone worked from home, there would be no restaurants, food delivery, or clothing stores. Remote work is likely to continue to grow, but in person, jobs aren’t going anywhere.
The Bottom Line
If you want to get an online job, one is waiting for you. Get your resume ready and take a look at ZipRecruiter to get started.