Introduction
The moment you decide to engage in telecommuting jobs, the earlier you should become acquainted with what the jobs entail. What Are Telecommuting Jobs?
Answer Paragraph
Telecommuting jobs have become more prominent today. If it is a mental task where you can send it over to the recipient through various electronic means, then the jobs are suitable for you. Here, you don’t have to worry about getting a ticket or spending some extra cash on commuting. Instead, you can get the jobs done from the four corners of your home while maintaining efficiency and productivity. Besides, you get to have more time to get work done and also focus on yourself. In this article, you will learn about what telecommuting jobs entail.
What is Telecommuting Jobs?
According to Merriam Webster, Telecommuting is the act of working from home through electronic means while staying connected to a central office. Hence, this definition further asserts that telecommuting jobs refer to “work from home” jobs. Sometimes, you can choose to work from your home or in a remote location such as a coffee shop, library, or any private workspace. Here, the employees are employed either on a full-time, part-time, or contractual basis. In some situations, employees can work on certain days of the week or special occasions. However, this applies to individuals with specific conditions such as pregnant women, individuals facing health issues, and so on.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020, many individuals have opted for more telecommuting jobs. With access to the Internet, the required resources and tools are provided to complete their tasks and enhance productivity. To achieve this, employees connect with the central offices through electronic means (phone, video, internet, and more) to get their tasks done effectively. Today, workers employ several online platforms (Zoom, Slack, email, social media platforms, and more) to enhance communication among themselves. However, workers do make occasional visits to their offices when the need arises.
Pros and Cons of Telecommuting Jobs
Telecommuting jobs can sound exciting because you don’t have to commute via air, land, water, and rail to complete an assigned task. Instead, you can dress as you want, eat, and take a seat at the desk while completing a project. Despite this, there are still some advantages and disadvantages attached to this style. Here, we shall outline some of the pros and cons associated with telecommuting jobs.
Pros
- Increased Flexibility
Telecommuting jobs give workers enough flexibility while working. They have enough freedom to decide on what to do during work hours. They decide their schedule, work time, and get the job done within the stipulated time. Besides, you can balance your career with personal obligations as a remote worker. Here, you can care for a family member, do some chores, or pick children from school while working remotely.
- Saves Money
With telecommuting jobs, the companies and their workers are bound to save more money. As a worker, you don’t have to get a ticket via bus, train, or plane. Instead, you can get your tasks done with a computer and the Internet. If your company provides useful resources and tools for its employees, then, more money is saved. As a company, you don’t have to spend more on issues relating to running an office as well. You minimize the expenses while getting your job done.
- Increased Employee Retention
Many remote workers love the benefits attached to telecommuting jobs. It gives them enough freedom, less stress, and retains a smile on your employee’s face.
Cons
- Distractions
People working from home are easily distracted by happenings in their environment. For instance, people with children, pets, roommates, or other individuals may find it hard to concentrate on their assigned tasks. Also, working in a public space can be distracting as well. Places like coffee shops can be noisy or distracting, as well.
- Loneliness
People working from home tend to be very lonely. If they are single and have nobody to mingle with, loneliness can set in. Why? They are a bit isolated when they don’t get to socialize with co-workers or have a colleague they can talk to. Besides, telecommuting jobs inhibit them from connecting and building social networks that could help them in the future.
- Inability to “unplug”
Telecommuting jobs may inhibit blurring the line between work hours and personal time. Here, individuals can find it difficult to stop working off-hours or set their private moments. This applies to individuals who are workaholics, thereby making it difficult for them to “unplug” from their working habits.
Eight Telecommuting Jobs that You Can Engage In
People engage in telecommuting jobs for different reasons. Whether it is to make them rich, pay their bills, or find something they can engage with. Irrespective of these reasons, there are several telecommuting jobs available for different people – students, recent graduates, or experienced professionals. Here are ten of these telecommuting jobs outlined just for you.
- Freelance Writer
Freelance writing has become a top-notch job in recent times. Companies and small business owners need writers to promote their products and services on different online platforms such as websites, mobile applications, and social media pages. To do this effectively, writers write content that raises brand awareness, targets clients, and ultimately generate revenue. In some situations, one can specialize in a particular field and still get the work done. The job cuts across various industries such as technology, legal aids, health, cryptocurrency, finance, agriculture, food, and more. Therefore, you can specialize in an area that you are passionate about. If you don’t want that, you can specialize in an area that requires expertise such as medical writing, legal writing, and more. To do this, you may need a degree in that field of study before getting considered by your employers.
With this type of job, you don’t usually have to be at the central office in person. With a computer and access to the Internet, you can deliver tasks anywhere across the globe. According to Payscale, a freelance writer earns an average annual salary of $40,547.
- Web Designers
Web design involves devising and arranging a website’s layout from a creative and technical perspective. It doesn’t only deal with the looks of the website but also the results. For this job, having knowledge of graphic designs as well as a programming language is essential.
As a web designer, one can decide to be a freelancer or be employed by a company. If it is the former, you may need to market your skills to prospective clients to get more projects. Sites such as Github can prove effective in marketing your skills. Here, you can create a portfolio that can target prospective clients especially if you are just starting out in this career.
Clients do not only care about the looks of your design. They also care about the results they get from it. For them, the user experience on the website must be detailed, operable, and also exciting. Designing a website that frustrates users is not a great idea. Hence, you have to devise ways by which the website will give users a smooth experience while maintaining its beauty.
According to PayScale, a web designer earns an average annual salary of $51,593. However, this salary depends on the experience of the individual seeking opportunities in the field. While an entry-level web designer earns an average of $43, 695 per year, an experienced web designer can earn an average of $65,000 per year. All these come with perks and bonuses.
- Translator/Transcribers
If you are a fast typist and speak one or more languages fluently, then the translation job is for you. As long as you don’t work as an interpreter, you can get your work done without going to a central office. Today, technology has made it almost possible to find contents that require translations. Website content, Book Publishers, and businesses require someone that can translate content for the target market. For instance, if you intend to start your business in a country such as France or Mexico, you will need someone that can translate and promote your products or services. By finding such a translator, you acculturate the content to fit the local market. According to Payscale, translators earn an average annual salary of $50,109 (USD).
On the other hand, transcribers convert audio or video recordings into written content. They listen to audio or video content and write them down for future purposes. They are keen on details and ensure that their tasks are accurate and excellent. Industries such as the legal or medical field require transcribers to keep records and perform other purposes. According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a transcriber is $40,000.
- Web Developers
As its name implies, web developers create websites to meet the client’s and consumer’s needs. They take a task from a web designer and write series of codes to suit that design. Although this task takes loads of time and effort, they are also telecommuting jobs. Here, clients communicate what they need and the developer gets the tasks done. To be a successful web developer, having an understanding of one or more programming languages is essential. Programming languages such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, Python, and more are utilized to meet the needs of the clients.
There are three main types of developers – front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers. While the front-developers deal with the part where users see, back-end developers work on the behind the scene codes. Meanwhile, full-stack developers understand how front-end and back-end work. Hence, they can create a website of their own. Thanks to the Internet age, developers can work from anywhere across the globe and deliver their tasks to their employers. According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a web developer is $60,307.
- Graphics Designer
Graphic designers create visual concepts through some graphic tools and computer software. They communicate ideas through artistic concepts to educate or entertain the target audience. Sometimes, they create these concepts to promote products and services in a business organization. Irrespective of where and how they work, graphic designers think critically to produce contents that match the client’s needs. They employ artistic elements such as line, shape, color, text, and font to create an artistic concept. They consider these elements to create an overall layout that influences the look of the artistic concept. Besides, graphics designers do work with other professionals such as marketers, writers, computer programmers, and others to complete a given task.
Artistic concepts which graphic designers produce include logos, animations, billboards, brochures, flyers, print designs, and many more. As a graphic designer, one can specialize in varieties of fields such as brand identity developing, logo designing, package designing, visual image developing, and more. With a computer and other required resources, you can work remotely to meet the client’s needs.
According to PayScale, a graphic designer earns an average annual salary of $46,517. However, this pay range varies on the experience of the individual. For instance, the average salary of an entry-level graphic designer is $39,415. Meanwhile, an experienced professional in the field earns an average annual salary of $51,141.
- Data Scientist
The need for data scientists is rapidly growing. Business organizations are in need of them to gather raw facts, analyze, and propose how they project solutions to business challenges. To achieve this, data scientists combine their statistical, programming, and analytical skills to interpret a given task. Some programming languages utilized by data scientists include Python, Java, Ruby, Perl, C++, and many more.
With access to the Internet and other resources, data science has also become a telecommuting job. All they need to do is communicate with their employers through a platform and perform a task. If they have to talk extensively on such talk, the online platform can be the medium by which they communicate.
According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a data scientist is $96,491. However, this amount varies on the experience of the individual. An entry-level data scientist earns an average salary of $85,323 per year. Meanwhile, an experienced professional in the field earns an average salary of $122,302 per year.
- Tutoring
Tutoring has been revolutionized by technology today. Since the outbreak of Covid in 2020, many plans have been devised on how to make the teaching and learning processes better. Hence, teachers don’t have to visit classes in person. With their computer and the internet, they can employ some tools to make teaching effective. Besides, some websites allow individuals to sign up as tutors and make an impact on the teaching and learning process. An example is VIPKid that allows native speakers of English to teach Chinese kids the English language. Other examples of such websites include Tutor.com, Wyzant, and more.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of an Online tutor is $43,914 per year.
- UX Designer
UX design is often used interchangeably with UI Design. However, they are two different concepts. While both are telecommuting jobs, both perform different functions.
UX design means User experience. It deals with the relationship between humans and a product or service on a website or mobile application. It is not concerned with the layout or design of the website. Instead, it focuses on how users interact with it. Is the site easy to navigate? Do I have a smooth experience while using the site? Is the site accessible for all users? These are what UX designers are concerned with.
UX Designers ensure that a user’s experience on a website should be smooth and stress-free. They combine different fields of study (psychology, design, market research, technology, and business) to satisfy the needs of the client. As a designer, your job is to ensure that customers enjoy, utilize, and have access to the products and technology. To do that, you can use your computer and an Internet connection to complete your given role.
According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a UX Designer is $74,679. Although this amount varies among different levels, it pays well. As an entry-level UX Designer, you can earn an average amount of $63,706 per annum. Meanwhile, an experienced professional earns $95,696 per annum. All these payments come with perks and bonuses that are quite useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I find a Telecommuting Job?
Getting a telecommuting job all begins with your objectives. Ask yourself these questions? What do I want to do? How can I achieve it? What resources and tools can help to improve my skills? How much can I earn? Having a specific goal, makes you focus on what you are searching for. After that, you can draft or update your résumé and cover letter to employers. Having a well-written résumé makes you stand out among other applicants. Also, select personal references that can make positive recommendations. Be confident that these references can give good recommendations. Otherwise, it can mar your reputation and reduce your chance of getting the job.
Next, attend networking events to connect with people. If there are no networking events, you can join a professional organization to increase your chance of connecting with people working in those fields. By socializing with them, you have a higher chance of being referred when a job opening is available. Aside from these options, you can use social media to connect with people and companies. Sites such as LinkedIn help you connect with individuals in that field and also notify you of any available job.
When searching for telecommuting jobs, ensure that you do not limit yourself to home-based jobs. Instead, explore and apply to any company in the world where you believe you can make a good fit.
- What Websites Can I Use to Facilitate My Job Search?
Different sites have a unique way of announcing job offers. While some list out those jobs directly, others allow you to work with a client who can offer you the job indirectly. For instance, sites like FlexJobs, WeWorkRemotely, StackOverflow, AngelList, and more post job openings you can apply for. Meanwhile, sites like Fiverr and Upwork allow job seekers to work for prospective clients. If your clients get to like how you perform tasks, you can get a job offer from them. If you don’t intend to have a job, you can choose to always be a freelancer and seek prospective employers that can offer you something you can engage with.
- How Can I Avoid Scam While Searching for Telecommuting Jobs?
Scams are prominent on the internet. Unfortunately, it is not restricted to telecommuting jobs as well. While searching for jobs, ensure that you do thorough research about the prospective company. Search everything about them. Take a look at their social media handle, website, and other platforms that give vivid details. In fact, you can check for reviews by employers who have previously worked in the firm.
Next, safeguard your personal information to avoid identity theft. Ensure that your résumé contains limited information and not confidential details. Details such as your social security number, bank account, credit card number, driver’s license number, passport number, date of birth, and more should be kept secret.
Finally, install an Internet security package on your computer to avoid malware from scam websites from operating on your computer. By installing a security package, you can detect hideous websites with ease and protect yourself and the computer.
- I Do Not Have a Degree In a Particular Field. However, I Have a Passion for the Field. What Can I Do?
Having a degree is a great option. However, not having one should not limit you from applying for your dream jobs. If you have passion and believe that you are a good fit for the job, then you can go after it. Broaden your horizon. Read up on the job. Learn skills and perform tasks related to the job. By learning skills on credible websites, you increase your chance of getting your dream job. Sites such as Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, and others improve your skills and increase your chance of getting that dream job.
