Photo by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay – CC0 Licence
So you’re here to find out whether this magical prospect of working away from an employer’s facilities is possible, plus what digital nomads do to make a living, and whether your dream of working from home can be made a reality. Or whether those ads you see cropping up on your screen telling you that you can earn $5000 in a day by working from home is just a marketing ploy to suck you in. While some of these adverts don’t appear entirely legitimate, take comfort in the fact that there are jobs you can do anywhere, so long as you have a laptop and good internet connection in tow.
It’s ingrained in most of us from a young age to believe that working a 9 to 5 is the norm and necessary to survive and prosper in life. Furthermore, it’s often difficult for people to grasp and believe that it is possible to work fewer hours, in any place you choose – but it’s true.
There are, of course, a selection of people who love working their tails off in the office, thrive in a social, buzzing atmosphere, and adore the spark of self-motivation and adrenaline they get from competing for the next big sale, office space or promotion. But, if you’re reading this, you’re more than likely not that person. You want the freedom and flexibility to work where you want when you want, whether suited and booted in your home office space, or wearing khakis in a hotel lobby in Shanghai.
The workplace accreditation body found that come Sunday night, when the daily grind is hours away, a whopping two-thirds of employees dread going to work. That’s no way that anyone deserves to live, so let’s take a look at what roles are out there that you can match your skills and interests to and make that dream of working where you want when you want a reality. And to top it off, the perks of flexible working, home working, remote working, that can give you a push to pursue your dream!
Now for the part, you’ve been waiting for, the roles. Each comes equipped with a brief description, educational requirements (if any), and a potential salary following commitment and perseverance in your new role.
As a side note, there are no get rich quick schemes here. All of the jobs below take a strong work ethic, self-motivation, and a willingness to learn.
Freelance Writer
No formal education needed, but some experience, research, studying, and lots of practice can undoubtedly help you get to where you want to be a lot quicker than relying on your own limited experience. Unless, of course, you’re a savvy wordsmith equipped with the knowledge to write as an expert on a variety of subjects, finding junior copywriter positions without education could prove difficult.
Thankfully, there are plenty of guidance, courses, and e-books online to get you up and running in no time. Your writing career could take the path of a blogger. Be it a personal finance management guru, creating, snapping and detailing ingredients for the food you’ve cooked, or using your knowledge of scuba diving to provide more info on this area – the possibilities are endless. Other options are technical writing, content writing, or ghostwriting.
As for the salary, when you’re up and running, the average freelance writer, according to GlassDoor, can earn around $42,120. But that’s certainly not without hard work and perseverance.
Online Tutor
If you’d prefer a role with more human contact, and like the prospect of teaching, but not necessarily in a traditional setting, seeking an online tutor role could be the gig for you to get you up and away from the 9 to 5. The educational requirements vary, depending on what you would like to teach, and the available opportunities. For example, to explain the English language to students online, you must be a native speaker and usually have a degree. Furthermore, you’ll often need to complete an assessment for the business to determine if you’ll fit the role. The salary range for an online tutor varies from $31,299 to $41,950.
Day Trader
The lure of being a trader captivates the hearts of many. With promises of being the boss, not having to deal with customers, and planning your own work schedule. Many people have indeed earned a vast sum from trading. However, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment! And you need to invest a lot of money to get you started. For example, a post by forex day trader Cory Mitchell reveals that ‘if you make around 100 trades per month (that’s approximately five trades per day/20 days per month) and your starting capital is $30,000, you can make about $3,750. Of course, you do have to pay commissions and other fees.’
Working remotely as a trader takes a person equipped with the knowledge, experience, and a strong stomach for keeping their investment in place when the market appears to be heading for the worst. As a starting point, to get a better understanding of trading, you can use trading platforms for free to get to grips with the charts and experience what it’s like to invest pretend money. See daytrading.com, for a list of accounts you can sign up for and practice on.
Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels – CC0 Licence
Graphics Designer
If you have an eye for detail and a love for all things creative, working remotely as a graphics designer is a role worth considering. Graphics designers use computer software to bring concepts to life and create illustrations by hand, that will attract and engage a particular audience. Some examples of potential projects include designing the layout for advertisements and brochures.
To become a great graphics designer that will accrue a stream of clients, gaining education and experience first is vital to ensure you put your best foot forward in your new role. Throughout your studies, you can begin creating a portfolio of your best work to present on your website to potential customers. According to careerexplorer.com, qualified graphics designers could earn in the region of £45,703 per year.
Build An Ecommerce Business
Creating an e-commerce business requires no special education, skills, or experience, but as with most roles, learning and searching for and committing to studying an online course on the subject will always help. The main elements you’ll need to create an ecommerce business are:
- A product or range of products to sell
- A website and social media channels
- A marketing plan to put your business in front of your target market, and drive traffic to your website
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in doing, begin searching for products that you’d like to sell from wholesale providers such as aliexpress.com. You can research a range of products, gauge their popularity by looking through the reviews, and seek to find what products have been purchased the most. The average earnings of an e-commerce business are challenging to pinpoint because each e-commerce business revenue differs dramatically.
Now, you’re inspired by ideas of how you can earn a living away from the traditional workplace, here are the additional advantages to give you the motivation to take the leap!
- No More Commuting To The Office: Sit for a moment and calculate the hours each day, week, month, and year you spend commuting to and from work. How much time in your life are you spending cramped on a train, tram or bus to get to your destination? And how much does it cost you to get there? Working where you want, when you want to eradicate the cost of commuting, and gives you back time to enjoy life!
- Improve Your Health and Wellbeing: Choosing a remote role, which means you can work on your time at your own pace, can do wonders for your wellbeing. Relieving you of the stress and worry that comes along with a job expecting regular KPI feedback, a boss that loves to micromanage each employee, and the expectation of working overtime. When you’re no longer commuting to a place of work, you can use that free time to meditate, listen to music, or [insert self-care activity here].
- Did we mention you can work anywhere? So long as there’s an internet connection, the world is your workspace. Whether working as a transcriptionist at a coffee shop nestled in Italy or working on a balcony overlooking the big blue in the Maldives. Work remotely, and there are no limits to where you can park your laptop.
Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels – CC0 Licence
No matter what stage you’re at in life, working remotely works well for a lot of people, and could be the ticket for you too. From the above roles, you should have an inkling of what intrigues you. And if you do, it’s just a matter of putting in the time to research and learn about the new role you want to fulfill, to help you transition out of your current job.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
