Working from home has become more mainstream in the United States. In fact, 3.9 million employees reported working from home at least half the time compared to only 1.8 million in 2005, according to the 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce Report. And, the number of U.S. workers who have work from home jobs–or at least outside the office–at least 50 percent of the time, grew by 115 percent between 2005 and 2015.
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Which skills are needed for work from home jobs?
To work from home, you’ll need skills, such as:
- Self-motivation: With no boss looking over your shoulder, your employer is trusting that you’ll get the job done efficiently.
- Time management: You’ll need to learn how to divide your time wisely for each project, and avoid distractions, especially if you have children.
- Strong communication: No co-workers are there that you can ask questions to or meet with, so you’ll need to take the initiative to make phone calls, be responsive in emails, and set up virtual meetings if needed to do your job effectively.
- Computer savvy: Become proficient at software like Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Skype, and project management tools like Sharepoint or Asana.
- Organization: Keep track of all your documents and organize them neatly in filing cabinets or on your computer so you can easily access them. Also, be sure to keep a clean space, such as a home office, or a briefcase where you can have everything close by.
Since you aren’t in the office, you basically want to be a reliable employee. Your manager trusts that you can work well independently and be responsible.
Do you need a degree to work from home?
To stand out among other applicants, it’s wise to have a college degree in the field you’re interested in working in remotely.
For example, if you want to be a web designer or graphic designer, you’ll want to have at least a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. If you want to be a copywriter or company blogger, a degree in English, marketing, or journalism could come in handy.
Just be sure that your degree is compatible for a work from home job. For instance, jobs that require someone on-site, such as being a construction worker or a police officer, would be more difficult to accomplish from your house.
It’s also important to note that if you didn’t receive your high school diploma, it will be much more difficult to work from home. One study shows that only 1 in 20 employees with less than a high school diploma work remotely.
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Where to Find Work From Home Jobs
Since there are so many websites that offer malicious work from home positions, we are listing our 100 favorite places to find jobs in various categories, or letting you know about general titles or positions within that category that usually allow people to work from home.
Customer Service
Customer service positions are great for working from home. You will need a space free from distractions and interruptions, since you never know when you will be on a call. These positions are usually entry level and will pay near minimum wage, depending on the company you work with.
Accounting
Another position that is easily accomplished away from the office is in the accounting field. Since these jobs require a higher level skill set, they do pay quite a bit more. Some of the positions even require a CPA certification or a degree in accounting.
Marketing
Since marketing is such a specialized category, most companies only need a few marketing experts for their team, so there aren’t many companies looking for work from home marketing jobs. To find jobs in these positions, contact individual companies you would like to work with and see if they are currently hiring in these areas.
- SEO Expert
- Marketing Copywriter
- Marketing Analyst
- Content Strategist
- Social Media Marketing Consultant
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Writing
Writing can be done anywhere, which makes it a perfect candidate for a work from home job. In addition, it doesn’t necessarily have to be done during specific hours. Companies may require a degree in English or journalism, and those that do would definitely pay more than those who don’t require one.
Data Entry
Like customer service positions, data entry jobs are plentiful online. These jobs also don’t require a college degree, and might be a little more flexible with hours. As such, they tend to have similar wages to customer service jobs.
Tech Support
Tech support jobs range from extremely technical to basic entry level support. Most technical problems can be solved over the phone, aside from hardware failure and internet connectivity. The pay scale for these jobs varies widely depending on the type of support. A degree in computer science can put you on the fast track for a high-paying technical support position, but you can also start out with entry level jobs and work your way up as you gain skills without a degree.
Teaching
Many teaching jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree to even be considered. There are so many online learning options that teaching jobs are now in more demand than ever. From teaching English to children in foreign countries to offering piano lessons out of your home, there is almost always something you can find to teach.
- Topic Time
- TwoSigmas
- Princeton Review
- California Virtual Academies
- K12
- Online university or college courses for local schools
- In-home music lessons
- In-home art lessons
- In-home dance classes
- Local tutoring
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Sales
Being in sales is not for everyone, but those who are good at it can make a lot of money. Depending on what you are selling, you may be required to leave the house from time to time, but the majority of your work can be accomplished right in your home office.
- Salesforce
- Multi-Level Marketing
- Ebay
- Amazon
- Etsy
Virtual Assistant
Executives from companies all over the world are hiring virtual assistants. When an executive’s schedule is just too full to accomplish all the tasks they need to get done in a day, they start looking to hire some help. Virtual assistant work can consist of odd tasks here and there or can even a full-time job. Below are several sites where virtual assistants are typically hired.
Quality Assurance Testing
Software companies and websites need people to test their products on a regular basis to make sure their user interface makes sense and that there aren’t any bugs in the code before launching to the public. Becoming a tester can be a great job that can be done from home. If you have a technical background, you could even become a full-time quality assurance (QA) tester. QA teams usually report bugs to the development team and then retest once fixed. The following sites hire quality assurance testers.
What is the Application Process Like?
During the interview process, you can ask about the possibilities of telecommuting. Some companies might request that you work from the office for a short period of time so they can get to know you and your work ethic. Once you have proved that you have the drive to complete your tasks on time, you could then be allowed to work from home.
There are numerous jobs, however, that are completely work from home and do not require any work in an office. When applying for a work from home job, be sure to read the job description carefully and make sure it suits your needs. Then, ask any clarifying questions you may have during the interview process.
Finding a Work from Home Job
A work from home job is very convenient for professionals who can do most, if not all, work over the phone or the internet, such as software developers or public relations managers. It’s also highly suited for those who don’t need to interact with people face-to-face to do their job, such as IT professionals.
If you think you can be proactive and self-motivated to not have to go into work every day, give a work from home job a shot. Who knows? A work from home job may even be more lucrative for you than going to an office every day.
Earn Your Degree Online to Succeed in a Work From Home Job! You Could Qualify For $6,095 in Grants!
