Around 59 million Americans worked as online independent contractors in 2020, which generated an income of over one trillion dollars. Aside from earning well, online independent contractors or freelancers normally follow their schedule. This makes it an appealing profession for many people, especially after the pandemic caused a lot of companies to close due to bankruptcy.
Working online entails checking online job and freelancing sites. These jobs are essentially anything people can do on a computer. The jobs range from something as easy as data entry to web design and social media management. Here are some job opportunities people can consider when they are looking still looking for a job.
Data Entry Work
People who work as data entry workers type in the data required into a system. The job doesn’t be challenging since all people need to do is input letters, numbers, and symbols. But the job offers a good salary.
The job also has a flexible schedule and allows people to do it anytime they want to. One way to excel in this online job is to increase his knowledge and skills in Microsoft Word and Excel. Experience in working with Google Sheets and Google Docs is also a plus for some types of data entry work.
Transcriptionist
A transcriptionist listens to live or recorded audio files or watches videos and turns what he heard or saw into text. One core skill in this work is an excellent understanding of the language the person will transcribe. They should also be accurate and efficient in typing the text.
There are several types of transcriptionists, including the general transcriptionist, medical transcriptionist, and legal transcriptionist. The job might not be popular, but it also offers good remuneration for people who can turn in error-free and accurate transcribed files to their clients.
Online Tutor
An online tutor is a person who teaches other people in subjects they are considered experts in. These subjects can be math, science, or even foreign languages, such as Spanish, French, or German. They can get students from different parts of the world.
But one of the more popular online tutoring jobs is an ESL teacher or an English as a Second Language teacher. The demand for these teachers is high, especially in places where English is not widely spoken, including Japan, South Korea, and China. Many schools hire teachers who have a bachelor’s degree and are native English speakers. The salary depends on the school and country where the students come from.
Web Designer
With many businesses starting to sell online, the demand for freelance web designers has increased. Since many of these businesses cannot afford the rates of web design companies, they turn to independent contractors who charge lower without sacrificing the quality of their work.
These freelance web designers normally earn a good salary, despite charging lower than web design companies. So people who have web design skills can look for web design jobs online and earn well every month. Additionally, they do not need to go to the office to work. They can work anywhere as long as they have a good laptop and a reliable internet connection.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager is also popular these days since small businesses aim to increase their online presence through social media. A social media manager should have experience in handling ad campaigns on social media platforms to promote their client’s business effectively.
Additionally, they should have experience in managing comments and increasing their community. The social media manager should also have the creativity to post shareable content on the client’s social media pages. The content can be videos, GIFs, and even memes.
SEO Specialist
An SEO (search engine optimization) specialist can increase the search engine rank of his client’s website. An SEO specialist should have a suitable background in building links and optimizing content. He should also know how to implement on-page and off-page SEO.
An SEO specialist has the skills and knowledge to bring his clients’ website to the first page of Google and other search engines. The work of an SEO specialist is not easy, and he has to explain the different strategies to increase his client’s website’s online presence. With this, a good SEO specialist can earn a lot, and the work does not require a formal degree. But experience in the industry is preferable.
Online work is a good option for people who are currently on the lookout for a job. Aside from earning a good salary every month, it also allows people to work just about anywhere in the world.