Tired of the Daily Commute? Here’s How to Find a Remote Job

The average U.S. worker’s commute eats up over 200 hours of his time each year. What would you do with all that time if you could get it back?

With a remote job, you take back the time you usually spend trekking to and from work. It can also help you expand your job horizons, avoid workplace drama, shorten your workdays, and much more. Lots of people want to work remotely for obvious reasons. But not everyone knows how to start the search.

We’ve put together this guide to help you transition into working from home (or the cafe, the beach, or anywhere else you want).

If working remotely sounds like an upgrade from your current job, here’s what you need to know.

The Best Industries for Remote Work

Not all industries are suitable for remote staff. If you’re a barista, you won’t find any remote work options—at least, not yet!

However, there’s a long and growing list of industries that employ remote workers. If you have some untapped skills or are willing to put in some training time, you might be able to transition into a new career that allows you to work remotely.

If a job involves working on a computer, you can almost certainly do it from home. Here are some of the top industries you should check out:

• Customer Service: Modern customer service is handled via phone, email, or social media. This means it can all be done from home. However, depending on the position and the company, it could require that you work odd hours.
• Marketing: As most modern marketing involves email and social media, most of these positions are work-from-home (or soon will be).
• Writing and editing: During the average workday, most modern writers and editors rarely touch a piece of paper. Everything is created and sent online. From writing marketing content to editing blog posts, there are lots of remote jobs under this umbrella. If you have other content-creation skills, like creating promotional videos, you’re even more marketable.
• Web and graphic design: Often available as remote positions, design work blends creative skills with technical knowledge, which keeps things interesting. And you can learn most of the technical skills you need online, too.
• Tutoring: Although it’s difficult to find a full-time remote tutoring position, you can often tutor from home part-time to supplement your income. Some of these jobs don’t require any specialized knowledge beyond standard English.

While this list will get you started, many other industries also offer remote opportunities. As new tech solutions are developed, there will be more new ways to work from home.

So, don’t count out your dream job just yet. If you do a bit of online research, you’ll see what your possibilities are.

Full-Time or Freelance?

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