By
Melanie Ewan,
Espresso
Remote work is on the rise, and it’s not just for travel bloggers and techies anymore. In their
Future Workforce Report, freelance giant Upwork found that in the U.S., 63% of companies employ remote workers already, with 50% of hiring managers now relying on freelancers in their team. Meanwhile, IWG found that 70% of global workers spend at least part of their week working from home, and that by allowing for this, companies are better able to attract and retain top talent. While not every role lends itself to remote life, a majority of work can be done in creative, tech-enabled ways.
Email Developer
Often overlooked, email development is a great option for a remote work life that also happens to be fairly lucrative,
according to Glassdoor. Email Developers build emails from HTML, and their work is essential for ensuring emails reach their intended inboxes and are well built for the customer. And, when you join the world of email development, you are automatically inducted into a tight-knit tribe of #emailgeeks who support and teach each other along the way.
Online Teacher or Course Developer
Whether you are an accredited teacher or not, teaching online is a great way to break into remote work. While
Newsweek reports e-learning is taking off with accredited academic institutions, Statista notes that online course delivery is also gaining traction outside of academia, with global online courses making US$46.6B in 2016. While teaching can be a bit daunting, most people have knowledge in something that others would pay to learn, whether it’s music, language, homesteading, coding, or something in between.
Recruiter
While most people think of HR functions as being physically in-house, you can just as easily recruit, source, screen, and interview candidates through the magic of Wi-Fi and tech. This is one of those roles that lends itself well to either working remotely for an established company or setting yourself up as a freelancer.
Podcast Manager
With 73 million podcast listeners in the U.S. alone, podcasting is a smart industry to consider for your remote work life. While you could produce your own podcast, there are plenty of roles available in managing other people’s podcasts, which could involve anything from booking studio space and securing sponsors to helping people learn the ins and outs of podcasting so that they can successfully launch their podcast.
Video Editor
There are a few different options here, including anything from providing quick-fix solutions to offering long-term, strategic content to your client. So how do you get started as a remote video editor? You’ll need a solid editing reel, high-quality headphones, editing software, and a powerful laptop with lots of storage. From there, a good first step is to network within your industry and seek out projects to collaborate on.
Software Developer
Perhaps the most well-known remote work role, being a software developer is both highly lucrative and in demand, according to Hubstaff. This job involves developing and testing software and fixing tech issues, and requires you to work in a distraction-free space. While working from home is a good option, you may also want to consider a workspace with other developers to benefit from hacking solutions with your peers.
LinkedIn Specialist
A LinkedIn specialist, coach or consultant is someone who knows the ins and outs of LinkedIn and helps you develop a strategic profile that not only allows you to stand out, but also to build your professional brand and network, and establish yourself as an expert in your field. While like any coaching work it will take time to build your credibility, this option lends itself to one-on-one work, corporate workshops, online course development, and teaching gigs.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is a perfect match for a work-from-anywhere lifestyle. As a bookkeeper, you’ll be required to keep ‘the books’ in order; while you may need a diploma for some positions, bookkeeping has more to do with an aptitude for mathematics and ability to be detail-oriented and organized than having an academic degree. And in terms of opportunities, there’s even an entire website, called AccountList, dedicated to connecting finance professionals with remote work.
Crowdsourcing Manager
With the advent and popularity of sites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe and Indiegogo, there’s also a growing need for workers who are adept at marketing, sales, and community management. Campaigns take a lot of time and energy to run, and as a Crowdsourcing Manager you bring value by freeing up that time for your client and allowing them to focus on their product. If the idea of working from home appeals to you, all you need for this one is a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a good understanding of people.
Virtual Assistant (VA)
What is a Virtual Assistant? Exactly what it sounds like. VAs help individuals and companies reach their goals by taking over administrative tasks, which can even include social media scheduling, customer service, and event coordination tasks. According to The Balance, work in this field is steadily increasing—however, in order to stand out in the crowd, you will need to niche down, tap into your network, and stay true to your value.
Professional Coach
This is a broad one and could easily own its own list of 20-50 job titles without even touching on personal coaching opportunities. Being a Professional Coach includes everything from executive and business coaching to public speaking, and career or skills coaching. And experts interviewed by Forbes are predicting that in the next 10 years having a coach, particularly one who is available remotely, is going to not only continue to gain traction, but will become the norm.
Content Writer or Editor
Whether you want to write e-books, articles, or course materials, there’s always work for quality writers and editors. The hard part is figuring out what to specialize in, knowing your worth (and sticking to it!), and building a solid network of clients and peers. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, it is a great fit for remote work life though, whether you are innately nomadic or prefer to curl up in your family home.
Digital Marketer
Not a surprise, but this job really does lend itself well to working from home or on the road. So long as you have a smart device, adapter, and some Wi-Fi, you’re good to go. And in terms of digital marketing, there’s also an opportunity here to carve out a niche based on your interests and skills. For instance, you could be an Instagram or Pinterest manager, focus on search engine optimization, referral programs, or even influencer marketing.
Insurance Provider
Whether you prefer customer service, claims analysis, auditing or sales, you can do all of this in the world of remote insurance provision. According to The Balance, this industry is well adapted to remote work, and you don’t have to go out on your own to succeed as there are a number of well-established insurance providers who specifically hire remote workers.
Translator
This is one of those opportunities with an incredible range of salary opportunities, depending on the language and field that you happen to be in. Also, bear in mind that your chance of success increases if you have studied linguistics and the language that you’re offering. According to Mars Translation, the highest-paying translator languages include German, French, Mandarin, Japanese, and Spanish.
Product Designer
Listed as one of the most lucrative remote roles by Remote Year, Product Designers combine both design and technical skills to improve existing products or help develop new ones. You have to be a creative, outside-the-box thinker who understands people, and can apply this knowledge to a company’s vision, goals, budget and timelines. It’s an interesting space to be in, and one that you can do, at least in part, while working from the comfort of home.
Data Scientist
Another high-paying remote work opportunity is in the field of data science,
according to Market Watch. Data Scientists tend to be skilled in programming and statistics, with an aptitude for wrangling messy data and visualizing it in a way that non-data scientists can easily consume. While it does take some specialist skills, if it sounds like a good fit, or if you’re already working in data science, this is one field that can lend itself to remote work life.
Event Manager
Not one that we often consider a remote job, but according to Event MB, this niche is on the rise, and offers the perfect work-from-home opportunity while still allowing you to stay engaged with your network and community. And if planning events isn’t your thing, there are a number of other opportunities in the event space that could lend themselves to remote work, including Digital Concierge, Event Analytics Manager, or Feedback Manager.
Travel or Experience Guide
The ultimate remote job, being a guide allows you to apply your expertise and hobbies while on the road, near or far. Whether you have knowledge about literature, know the best pubs in town, love to mountain bike, or can whip up a mean local dish, travellers are craving localized experiences. This one is not for the faint of heart as it’s incredibly hard work, but it does offer the opportunity to get out of the office and either run your own experiences or find a position through a travel company.
Your current job
This may seem like a bit of a cop-out, but unless your role falls under one of those few that really can’t be taken off-site, then you might consider testing the waters with one or two days working from home per week and go from there. The business case is solid, with 91% of respondents to IWG’s Flexible Working Survey reporting that having flexible work arrangements leads to greater productivity. So why not try?
