Do you ever wonder what it’s like to have a remote job that gives you the chance to be mobile and live anywhere you like?
The Internet, mobile devices and advanced communication technology all contribute to increasing your productivity. Ideally, these developments allow you to work faster and achieve more each workday. Even if you are on the road, you are able to check on your emails, view the progress of your current projects, communicate with company executives and clients, and even close deals. And for business owners, managing remote team is cost-effective and allows for a wider pool of great candidates.
Having a remote job means the same as telecommuting, working remotely or working from home. Essentially, it means that you are working from your desired location instead of in an office.
Telecommuting is an option that new graduates, young professionals and senior people who have retired but are still capable of productive work. Some people consider doing part-time or full-time telecommuting. Does having a remote job hurt your career? Will you be considered a slacker if you work from home?
If you are practical and a forward-thinker, the answer to the question is a no since there are many ways in which you’ll still be very productive and be an essential part of an office or a department. It means that it is your attitude towards working that will be the gauge on how effective and productive you’ll be.
You can use video conferencing, various communication technologies like emails and social media to stay connected with your office and colleagues. In the modern business setting, speed is essential and more often, most people are needed to be on their job throughout the day, every day of the week. An increasing number of companies offer flexibility programs in their workplaces for various reasons.
Advantages of working remotely
Offering remote jobs is advantageous for workers and business owners. In many cases, employees become more efficient and productive when there is no traditional office setting and office hours. Workers become happier as well, particularly parents who want to supervise their young children.
Here are more benefits for business owners and workers.
1. Commuting time is reduced
Employees often complain about the unpleasantness and stress of commuting due to heavy traffic, cost of fuel and pollution. Without needing to commute to work every day, employees become happier. The business is given a boost as healthy and happy employees contribute to their productivity. It also reduces absenteeism. Moreover, allowing them to do their jobs remotely reduces their cost of travel, giving them more money to spend on other essentials.
2. Greater retention of employees
There are employees that offices do not want to lose. Offering them a remote job can help retain them. It is beneficial to small business owners as well who cannot compete in terms of salaries and benefits. They have the chance to access employees with the experience, capability and skills they need without paying them a premium. Many employees who do not want to be tied to their desks welcome the freedom to work on their own that small business offers them.
3. Option to choose and use better talents
Large companies cannot afford to hire and fire employees at will. If they embrace workplace flexibility, they have the option to choose from and work with highly skilled talents who are not interested in full-time jobs. Businesses can hire talented workers regardless of commuting distance particularly for jobs or locations where there is a shortage of skilled individuals.
4. Gives employees autonomy
Offering employees the chance to telecommute allows them to work at their own pace. There are people who are not suited for desk jobs. While some people want the order and routine of the environment inside an office, other people, especially the younger ones, are not adaptable to it. If they are allowed to control their own work environment, they become more effective workers, efficient and productive. Creative employees often produce their best work when they are located elsewhere other than an office. Some of them do not mind what time or how long they work.
Although you offer some employees remote jobs, it is still important to set rules, guidelines and schedules for your team to follow.
5. Lowers your overhead costs
For small business owners, overhead costs are a major cause of headaches. Offering remote jobs, maybe two or three times a week, for some of the employees allows you to maintain a smaller office with lower rent.
While it is not advisable to cut employees’ salaries, there are employees who are willing to accept a reduction in their salaries if they are given the chance to perform their job remotely. For them, the opportunity to be with their family or to travel while working is better than a pay increase.
6. Effective use of technology
The technology available today enables people to be more mobile. Effective communication and efficient collaboration are needed to make telecommuting work. Access to faster Internet connections, using smartphones, instant messaging, video conferencing and cloud computing, as well as using project management tools allow more people to work from home. Using these tools gives the concept of working from home more chances of success.
Business owners could offer a work from home arrangement as a reward for good performance instead of a pay increase. This lowers your wage bill and improves your cash flow as well.
Remote jobs that allow you to work anywhere
It’s awesome if you can find job the fits your skills and talents, which you can do remotely. Having flexible working condition gives you full control of your workday, allowing you to schedule work during the time when you are most productive. Of course, you should keep in mind that opting to have a remote job requires full commitment, to your work and your employer. If you fail to deliver, then you’ll definitely be labeled a slacker and eventually lose your job.
With that said, you could lose your job, or fail to get one, due to things outside of your control. For example, the popularity of remote work has led to a rise in job scams. Check out Lensa’s tips to avoid job scams before you apply for any remote position so you stay safe.
Now that you’ve learned the advantages of having or offering a remote job, here are some of the choices of remote jobs that you can do from anywhere, provided you have access to fast Internet connection.
1. Copywriting
Several industries and businesses always need a copywriter for their promotional and information dissemination activities. The pay depends on the experience and skill of the copywriter, the type of work needed and where the work will be applied. Copywriting may require specialization or you can work on general subject matters. You can use your copywriting skills to provide content for websites, be a ghostwriter for other people or write copy to be used for promotions and advertising. You’ll earn more if you can write in other languages, but even writing in only one language can allow you to earn enough and travel to countries where the cost of living is lower even if you only work a few hours a day. It can help you improve your writing skills, learn to write articles better and even gain insight on how others earn more from copywriting.
2. Translation
Being a translator requires that you are highly skilled in at least one language pair, for example, English and Spanish. This remote job can be a good source of income. It’s an advantage if you are from a country where the language you use is widely spoken. Being a translator requires you to be a creative writer, which means if you are already skilled in copywriting and you have mastery of two languages, you’ll have a good remote job that pays well. It is enough to be bilingual if you want to be a translator, though. You need to have the right education, aside from full knowledge of the language pair you specialize in. You can accept translation work from individuals, businesses and organizations or you can choose to be a freelance translator for a translation company. The type of translation work varies. You can translate books, web pages, articles, news and various documents. Or you can specialize in a specific subject matter, such as IT, healthcare, legal or finance.
3. SEO
You do not have to work in an office to handle SEO (search engine optimization) work. SEO means you make clients’ websites rank in the top search engines. Your success as a remote SEO person depends on how effective you are in delivering results. Aside from learning the work involved in SEO, you should be an analytical person to enable you to use the right combination of tools for each client. It also helps if you know copywriting and web design. Working with SEO means that you keep up to date with the requirements of search engine and current trends in web design.
4. Graphic and web design
Specializing in web and graphic design is a good source of income and you can do the job anywhere you are located. With the availability of applications today, it is faster to build websites. Some of the web design applications offer templates for different themes so for some people; they do not need to be a very good web designer. You can find clients quite easily through your own website. Exercise your creativity to come up with a great website that informs and entices potential clients to try your service. You can provide a list of your skills and show samples of your work and other examples that highlight most of your talents. You can find initial clients among your network of friends and acquaintances. Businesses today need to build their own websites or overhaul their existing websites so you will have many opportunities to find work.
5. Online teaching
Faster Internet connection and better means of communication open the doors to a variety of jobs, such as online teaching. You can connect with an organization that offers online teaching or do it on your own. You can teach any subject based on your experience and expertise. Several students around the world who are looking for tutors. If you speak other languages, you’ll be able to find many students. Your ability to generate a good income depends on your qualifications. Likewise, your location does not matter for a worthwhile remote job as online teaching.
6. Social media marketing
It’s not a secret that many brands today maintain accounts in various social media platforms. They use these platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, for brand and product updates, provide consumers with information that are interesting to different users and make announcements. But updating their social media pages needs a dedicated person. If you are good at copywriting and very well versed in using social media platforms, you can be a social media marketer. You do not have to leave your home. You can use email to communicate with your clients and receive information. You can write the articles, have them approved and upload them to their dedicated pages. Being a social media marketer is one of the perfect jobs for a digital nomad.
Dedication, hard work and creativity
In fact, several remote jobs are available today and you can choose that one that suits for experience, ability and skills perfectly. What any remote job requires is your dedication, hard work and creativity, especially if you are located in a different time zone. You need to be organized. You should communicate with your superiors or clients often, use collaboration tools and consistently meet deadlines. You will find do’s and don’ts of managing remote teams here.
Let us help you with your translation and interpreting needs
Day Translations, Inc. supports telecommuting. Our native-speaking translators are located in different parts of the world. Doing their work remotely allows them to provide language services anytime, anywhere, whenever a client needs help with their translation or interpreting needs. Day Translations is professional translation company that offers a full suite of language services, so you do not have to look for different providers for each type of service. Our translators work with over 100 languages and we provide high quality, accurate translation every time. You can reach us any time of the day, as we are open 24/7, every day of the year. For all your translation and interpreting needs, call us at 1-800-969-6853 or send us an email at Contact us.