A silver lining to the global pandemic is that it’s taught many workers that there is lucrative remote work available in nearly every field.
For some who worked in stores or restaurants before Covid-19, restrictions and social distancing made it impossible to maintain their former jobs. They were left unemployed and wondering what to do next. Yet, now, with more and more businesses going remote and being successful with virtual models, it’s changing the way we think about making money. Remote work and working from home offices may well become a trend into the future and could be where those displaced workers wind up next.
If you’ve lost your job or you’re wondering about work you could do from home, read on for four jobs and ideas worth exploring more.
1. Eyeing the Future
Sometimes, the best way to handle the present is to look toward the future.
While the future is gearing up for more and more remote work, an emerging area of interest in cryptocurrency is, too. In paying attention to crypto trends and learning about things like purchasing ethereum with a credit card, you might be able to jump on the next remote trend. While digital currency is new, its newness is also where the opportunities begin. Tech blogs and digital marketers who get in on remote jobs with digital currency in the present will be steps ahead of the rest of us in the future. That is, finding ways you can put digital currency and crypto platform knowledge to use now could pay off when the world catches up. Even something as simple as becoming a remote cryptocurrency affiliate marketer could, down the road, add up to big bucks.
2. Online Therapy
Thinking ahead of the rest of the world is one way to secure remote work. Another way is to think about your current skill set or job. Ask yourself what you’re good at and how it could translate to an online format. Maybe you’re already a therapist. Because telehealth and Talkspace are so big right now, it makes perfect sense for you to use your skills and experience to sign up with online therapy platforms. The pandemic has taught us that therapy services don’t have to be done in a therapist’s office. Instead, professional counselors and clinical social workers have found new ways to connect with clients through the internet.
Regardless of the type of therapy you specialize in, the pandemic has caused a demand crunch in the mental health services system. More and more people are looking for help with grief, social isolation, job loss, and more. From anxiety over lost income or health to depression caused by social isolation, mobile apps make it possible for therapists and clients to connect in real-time for counseling services.
For some therapists who haven’t participated in online sessions, there are concerns about unlimited text messages, inappropriate client contacts, private client information, internet connections, billing, health insurance coverage, and more. However, rest assured, the major online counseling services platforms have already accounted for these concerns. Check with your local licensing board if you have questions or further concerns.
If you have mental health experience and think it might be a good idea to connect with an online service, there are limitless opportunities out there waiting for you now. Or, if you own private practice, making it viral and closing your office doors could make you fully remote and you and your clients safer.
3. Small Businesses
With Main Street businesses shutting down and consumers turning to online retailers, now is a great time to think about opening a remote store. This can be done remotely and doesn’t require a brick and mortar storefront. With the right research, you can use online platforms to get a website and shop up in a matter of weeks. By making a plan to hire someone for your branding, filing for an LLC, and writing a solid business plan, you can be back at making money and doing it remotely in no time.
Not sure where to start? Consider your personal interests. Maybe you’ve always been big into nutrition or recently recovered from a long illness. If you know a lot about nutritional supplements and are aware of supplement manufacturers and how they work, a great remote work plan for you could be to open a supplement store of your own. While it might sound intimidating, there’s no reason you can’t start small. Try out a supplement blog and use social media to begin to network. By reaching out to other remote workers in the same industry and connecting, you’ll have customers of your own in no time and could even start while collecting unemployment.
4. Teaching
More and more students are learning from home than ever, thanks to the pandemic. This has also caused a rise in online charter schools that desperately seek help from remote teachers. Whether you’ve taught in the classroom before or are a new grad with an education degree, this is a great time to think about putting your teaching skills to work remotely.
While not all private schools require degrees, it doesn’t have to stop you from pursuing online teaching if you don’t have one. You can still work remotely in education. Public schools are now hiring people to work as tutors in every major subject. Whether you’re bi-lingual and can help students from diverse backgrounds, or if you can be the online tutor for schools in homework clubs, you can gain experience and help kids at the same time from home. While doing it, you could even consider signing up for a degree program for yourself too. A remote tutoring job might even be a fantastic way to test out the educational system to see if it’s for you.
Remote work has its pros and cons. But if you’re considering a change, unemployed right now, or want to know your options, remote work is out there. By doing your homework and research, keeping an open mind, and exploring the best options based on your skills and employment experience, you might find the perfect remote job for you–happy remote job hunting.
