Remote working seems to have something of a bad reputation. For some, it conjures up images of bone-idle professionals preferring to focus on their own lives or catching up on sleep instead of working through their daily to-do lists.
Back in 2017, 40% of Brits admitted to becoming distracted when working from home instead of their normal place of work.
However, recent months have forced professionals to rethink their approach to remote working, with many starting to embrace its benefits including their greatly reduced carbon footprint and improved work-life balance. What’s more, findings published more recently on websites such as ZDNet and Inc.com hint at your productivity increasing when you switch to working remotely.
A great work-life balance should be the holy grail for any professional, regardless of what industry you work in. Being able to thrive at work and make time for loved ones is a wonderful feeling. If recent developments have forced you to rethink your career options, you might be wanting to consider entering an industry that lends itself well to remote working. To help with that, we’ve put together five potential industries that could help you achieve a permanent work-from-home lifestyle.
Virtual assistant
Is being a virtual assistant a ‘proper’ job? Absolutely. Think of all the administrative tasks that businesses big and small must undertake. Many entrepreneurs don’t have the time or the inclination to take these tasks seriously. That’s where flexible virtual assistants can come in handy. If you have previously worked in administrative support, a career as a virtual assistant makes perfect sense – especially so if you want to enhance your work-life balance. You can charge an hourly rate to employers seeking admin such as invoicing, diary management and other general secretarial tasks.
Copywriting
If you have a flair for the written word and know when Is go before Es and vice versa, a career in copywriting could be a distinct possibility. Contrary to popular belief, copywriting is nothing to do with copyright whatsoever. Put simply, copywriters write to sell. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a business, a product or service, or an individual; a copywriter is enlisted to resonate with target readers and encourage prospects to enquire or buy. The rise of analytics software and SEO considerations makes copywriting an increasingly technical profession too, with the chance to A/B test copy on landing pages to measure the effectiveness of certain words. Providing you have a computer and a reliable internet connection, it’s an easy one for remote working too.
Trading
If you are interested in economics and growing industries, you may choose to invest money and attempt to make a profit from financial trading.
The stock markets tend to be the most popular starting point. Individuals can invest in individual companies listed on the stock exchange. Alternatively, it’s possible to invest in a group of companies in indices, with a number of indexes available to trade using a broker that’s accessible via telephone.
If you have an interest in politics as well as the financial markets, you may also be interested in trying forex trading, which is becoming particularly popular via online trading platforms instead of offline telephone brokers. In forex trading, you can ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ a fiat currency that looks strong or weak against another based on political or economic developments. Setting up in forex trading requires you to find a highly trustworthy forex broker that can process and execute your trades on your behalf and help you learn the basics. You’ll also want a broker that is well-regulated by governing bodies such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC).
Translation
If you are lucky enough to be fluent in two or more languages, a remote career in translation could beckon for you. Work-from-home translators tend to operate on a freelance self-employed basis, taking ad-hoc jobs from agencies and direct clients as required. However, it may also be possible to obtain remote employment from a multilingual company directly. You will need to have rock-solid grammar and content skills in your target language to translate, too – no matter whether you work with just one language pair or more. The best route to work in translation is to secure an undergraduate or postgrad qualification in translation. For that, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting can put you in the right direction for translation courses.
Online tutoring
There is a growing number of people enrolling in remote lessons and courses. Responsive e-learning software and the ease of access to online tutors make it easier than ever for individuals to learn new skills and gain new qualifications – particularly those wanting to change the course of their careers.
Qualified teachers can work as online tutors on a part-time or full-time basis to suit their lifestyles. If you are already qualified to teach by the National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), you can demonstrate your accountability and potential as an online tutor. If you have taught in the past, you will already have an understanding of how to map out study timetables and programs to prepare people for exams. Although it’s by no means a ‘get rich quick’ industry, it’s a very rewarding and flexible one.
Hopefully, this quintet of work-from-home careers will inspire you to take your work-life balance by the horns and get in control of your lifestyle once and for all.
