When you think of working from home, many people assume that this means direct marketing, or multi-level marketing, or just plain “selling stuff” to other people who don’t necessarily want it. Sound familiars?
Everything from essential oils, to skin care, to make-up, to kitchen utensils and storage containers, to home décor, to even lingerie (yes, I once interviewed with a company to sell underwear door to door—I kid you not!) are available for you to sell to unsuspecting women worldwide.
Now, let me start by saying that there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, I’ve dabbled in some of this in the past myself. And, if you love hosting parties or have a great group of friends and acquaintances with whom you can get started, this could be a great fit for you.
But, I struggled with this and I know that many women have the same issues. The statistics show that less than 15% of women who sell products from home in this way will actually “make a living” from their sales. So, if this is what you think working at home is all about—think again!
Here are just 3 of the jobs I’ve had from home over the past 11 years and I’ve loved all of them. I used them as a way to meet people in the industry. I’ve used them to bring in extra income. And, I’ve been offered other jobs because of these jobs. So, the sky is the limit even with these seemingly simple jobs.
1. Social Media Manager (SMM)
What is it? This is exactly what it sounds like. Don’t complicate it. You manage the social media accounts for other business people or companies. If you are familiar with the major social medial platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) then you can do this job. Obviously, the more you know about them, the better. But, almost anyone can do this.
How do you get this job? If you’re just starting out, I recommend signing up for referral agencies (like UpWork or HireMyMom). They post jobs that you can apply for there and you can also list your profile and skills for companies to search out.
2. Virtual Assistant (VA)
What is it? Now, this one is a little more diverse. I mean you’re an assistant and you’re virtual. What does this mean? I once had an employer tell me that they thought this mean that it was a computerized person (like Artificial Intelligence). I’m sure that Amazon is only a short way away from making our friend Alexa into the perfect VA. But, for now, this is still a great option for work at home real life people.
These positions can be everything from a high level corporate executive admin position to a simple data entry position. The jobs and skill levels will vary. But, the great news is that there are tons of these jobs out there and companies are catching on that this is the best way to hire help.
How do you get this job? Again, I recommend starting with referral agencies (see above) or you can go a step up and hire on with a placement agency (Time, etc. is one I recommend). The difference with a placement agency is that you will have to follow their guidelines and rules but they will bring the opportunities to you. There are pros and cons to both options. Also, you can just do job searches on major job search engines and these positions will pop up.
3. Transcription
What is it? Basically, it is listening to the spoken word and typing what you hear. Yep, that simple.
How do you get this job? First of all, I would recommend that you’re a fairly fast and mostly accurate typist. If you don’t have this particular skill, it will be difficult to find this work. And, more importantly, it will be difficult to make money at it. That’s because the faster and more accurately you can type and turn around transcriptions, the more work you can accept and the more money you can make.
You can sign on with any number or transcription companies out there. I recommend Rev.com or Go Transcript. Note that you will have to take “entrance” exams to qualify for these positions (basically a typing speed drill).
These are just 3 of the jobs you can do from home and there are many more. In fact, I’ve just developed a work at home certification program that can set you up for immediate success in jobs like these. Contact me at [email protected] for all the details.
Work-At-Home-edly Yours,
