Whether you're looking for a change of career or want to earn some extra income on the side, you might be interested in remote work. Working from home is becoming more common than ever, and it isn't limited to freelancers and creative individuals. If you have a skill or the desire to learn, there's an online job out there for you.
Here are several categories of legit work from home jobs. Some require little to no experience, while others will reward you for having unique skills and experience.
Customer Service
Customer service careers usually don't demand a lot of special skills, experience, or expensive equipment. All you need to succeed at a remote customer service job is patience, a cheerful demeanor, and a laptop.
1. Travel Agent
As a travel agent, your job is to provide avid travelers and tourists with the information they need about their destinations. Sometimes, you're responsible for making their flight and accommodation arrangements. Other times, you only need to inform them of their options.
This particular job doesn't require much beyond knowing how to use a computer, decent conversation skills, and general knowledge of world geography.
2. Call-Center Representative
A call-center representative is more commonly known as a customer support agent. And as the name suggests, your job is to become familiar with a company's services and products in order to assist callers.
However, depending on the industry you work in, you might need additional skills. For example, a tech support representative will need to have technical knowledge.
3. Chat Agent
Similar to a call-center representative, you're responsible for assisting and guiding your company's clients. But instead of doing it on the phone, you're doing it through a live chat. This option is more suitable if you’re not a talkative person, but a proficient typist.
Language Skills
If you speak more than one language, there are several legit work from home jobs that make use of this skill.
4. Translator
You'd be surprised at how valuable you can be for speaking multiple languages. Careers in translation are no longer exclusive to the translation of professional documents—there are casual gigs, too.
With the internet reaching people from all over the world, large companies will inevitably need to communicate with people from other countries. If you're fluent in two or more languages, translating a piece of text can be a breeze, especially when you have all the time in the world to phrase your sentences from the comfort of your home.
5. English as a Second Language (ESL) Tutor
If you're reading this post with no problem, then you're lucky enough to be speaking one of the most sought-after languages in the modern world: English. If you know another language on top of it, this will make it even easier for you to teach people English online.
You can get started by helping students improve their conversation skills using video calls. While some students might be total beginners, others might have a solid grasp of the language but are looking to become more fluent.
6. Transcriptionist
Being a transcriptionist means you convert audio into text. This includes anything from podcasts and interviews to phone calls and radio shows. To become one, you need to be a good listener, as well as a fast and accurate typist.
As for equipment, all you need is a laptop, keyboard, and high-quality headphones. Later on, you might also want to think about investing in a foot pedal to make your job easier.
7. Writing Closed Captions and Subtitles
Closed captioning is the timed text that appears at the bottom of TV shows, movies, and other types of videos. While closed captions generally describe the sounds heard in videos, subtitles do not. For a career in creating subtitles or closed captions, you only need to be a good listener and an accurate typist.
Information Technology
If you're into tech, there are a lot of work-from-home opportunities out there. Most vary in the level of skill they require, offering good opportunities for those just starting out in the field, as well as for more experienced workers.
8. Web Developer
Being a web developer means that you're responsible for building your client's website, either from scratch or by using website building tools. While backgrounds in programming and graphic design aren't necessary, it's important to have a general knowledge of both, along with a desire to learn.
9. Programmer
Nowadays, code is essential in almost all industries. It's time you put that middle school hobby to good use and start brushing up on your coding abilities. After gaining the right skills, all you need to become a programmer is a laptop and a reliable internet connection.
10. Beta Tester
As a beta tester, your job is to try new websites, software, apps, or games, and report on your experience. While some beta testing jobs might simply ask for an opinion, others require in-depth reports of any bugs or inconveniences you encountered.
The more familiar you are with using or testing a specific medium, the more valuable your insight and feedback will be.
Miscellaneous Careers
But what if you don't have any particular skills? Maybe you're only looking for some extra income on the side and not a career that you have to learn a new skill for. Fear not, there are legit jobs out there for you, too.
11. Data Clerk
While a data clerk position might sound sophisticated, it just consists of simple data entry. If the only skill you have is being a good typist, and your equipment is limited to a lightweight laptop, this is the job for you.
Your job as a data clerk is to convert paper, photographed, or scanned documents into editable text. Being a data clerk often requires no previous experience or education.
12. Virtual Assistant
Being a virtual assistant is similar to being a secretary. The only difference is that you get to work from home.
As a virtual assistant, you're responsible for managing certain parts of your client's work, from answering calls and making appointments to managing their calendar and responding to emails. Whether or not you have previous administrative experience or education can determine the type of client and level of work you can get.
13. Voice Actor
Voice acting isn't limited to celebrities in high-budget animation movies. All you need is a high-quality mic and a voice.
You don't even need a specific type of voice to become a voice actor. Different projects require different tones and types of voice, and there might just be a project out there for you.
Scared of Taking the First Step?
It can be overwhelming to start in a new field with little to no experience. If you're having trouble deciding, or are worried that you might end up wasting your time on a job that wasn't a right fit, pick something that you're interested in. This might not give you a solid answer, but it'll point you in the right direction.