The pandemic caused many Americans to lose their jobs as businesses were forced to close to stem the spread of the virus. The unemployment rate increased to a point where nearly 800,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits near the end of last year.
Even those who have jobs may find that their monthly income is not enough to live comfortably. So, they’re on the lookout for jobs they can do in their free time. Since social distancing has become the norm for a good part of the year, most of the jobs available are online.
Here are some online jobs available in 2021:
Medical Transcriptionist
A medical transcriptionist essentially transcribes recorded medical dictation. While many medical transcriptionists work in clinics and hospitals, the work can also be done at home. All the transcriptionist needs are a good desk, a computer or laptop, a good earpiece, and passing a medical transcriptionists program.
General Transcriptionist
A variation of the medical transcriptionist job is a general transcriptionist. A general transcriptionist listens to recorded audio or video before typing it word-for-word. The audio files can come from interviews, phone conversations, meetings, or market research. On the other hand, video files may come from zoom meetings, conferences, and even videos on YouTube. Like a medical transcriptionist, a general transcriptionist should have a computer or laptop, a good earpiece, and a good desk. Fluency in the transcribed language is also essential, especially when the speakers are using idioms and other similar common phrases in the conversation.
ESL Teacher
For people who love teaching, they can opt to work as an ESL teacher. Americans have a huge advantage over other nationalities since they are mainly native English speakers. While schools require teachers to teach in person, more schools are now offering online classes to their students. Teachers can now work without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Writer
Wordsmiths can use their innate skills and talent to earn money online. While people may associate writing with authors or news reporters, the profession has evolved and has now become a part of the online marketing world. Writers create content for websites to drive traffic to the website. Moreover, they can also create content for affiliate marketing purposes.
There are many other types of writing jobs, depending on the skill of the writer. These jobs include technical writing, fiction writing, and ghostwriting. The profession has changed after technology developed and allowed people to start working online.
Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper handles financial accounts, works on payrolls, and reconciles accounts. They also supervise payable and receivable tasks within a company. The bulk of the work comes just before taxes are due since they have to prepare all the financial records of a company or business to submit to the IRS. Detail-oriented individuals who are good in math are ideal for this type of job. Moreover, knowledge of QuickBooks and other accounting software is preferred by many companies.
Customer Service Representative
A customer service representative is essential for many businesses that have to deal with their customers’ issues. Aside from this, customer service representatives also assist customers who aren’t familiar with their products.
The number of customer service representatives increased after businesses started operating online. This also resulted in an increasing number of people performing remote work. They need a computer, a phone, software used by the business, and a good internet connection.
Social Media Manager
Social media’s popularity gave rise to a new profession as businesses started making their presence felt in this part of cyberspace. Social media managers are tasked with managing the social media accounts of businesses and companies. They help increase the number of followers while expanding their reach into the market.
Additionally, social media managers curate published content in the accounts depending on the needs of the business. This remote work plays an important role in the success of a business in the social media landscape.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is essentially a person who performs administrative work from a remote location. The work of a virtual assistant depends on the company. It can include scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, managing email accounts, and making or receiving phone calls.
Some companies even require their virtual assistants to create content, respond to business or media inquiries, and distribute business documents. The business can also assign graphic design and social media marketing tasks. With this in mind, a virtual assistant’s skill level depends on the type and amount of work required by the company.
While remote work is nothing new, it came into the limelight after the pandemic started. Even after the pandemic will end, people may continue to work from home due to the convenience it offers to both the employee and the company.