Remote work used to be a pipedream for most of us. But today, it’s increasingly becoming the norm. The COVID-19 pandemic showed companies that remote work is absolutely feasible and that it has numerous benefits for both the employer and the employee.
There is a slew of jobs that can be done remotely, so your career path is no longer confined by your location. Want to learn more about some of the most popular remote jobs? Then you’re in the right place. Below, we’ll tell you about 11 of the most popular remote jobs, and what it takes to land one.
Ready? Then let’s get started.
Is It Easy To Land a Remote Job?
There are currently three times as many remote roles as there were three years ago, so it’s never been easier to land one. However, it can still be difficult to land a remote job if your industry doesn’t have the capacity for remote work. Digital marketing, for example, has embraced remote work in ways that the hospitality industry simply can’t.
11 Jobs That Can Be Done Remotely
Here’s a look at eleven remote-friendly jobs and the skills that you need to land them.
Digital Marketer
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Develop strategies to boost selected KPIs across a company’s online platforms.
- Conceptualize online marketing campaigns that help companies achieve their specific goals.
- Assign budgets for ad inventories and track ad performance across platforms.
- Ideate online marketing content and coordinate with designers, copywriters, and social media marketers to produce it.
Average Salary
The average salary of a digital marketer in the USA is $66,663.
Essential Skills
- Analyzing data and tracking the performance of campaigns across online platforms.
- Thorough understanding of how search engines work and search engine optimization.
- Familiarity with all dominant social media platforms and their ad products.
- Basic understanding of content and how it can be produced to appeal to a company’s target market.
General Prerequisites for This Role
Digital marketing requires you to have a diverse marketing skill set and that you’re able to juggle different search engines and social media platforms.
Project Manager
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Identify the key activities a team needs to perform next and allocate resources for them.
- Organize the team according to the various roles that each individual needs to perform.
- Develop a budget for each project and come up with cost estimates for each phase of a project.
- Ensure that the team is motivated and that customers are happy with the output of the team.
Average Salary
$82,702 is the average salary of project managers in the USA.
Essential Skills
- Project managers should be able to chart out projects across phases and have a clear macro view of each process involved.
- They should be good at motivating teams and helping them achieve their tasks on schedule.
- Project managers should be adept at developing documentation that can help other team members understand the goals and progress of the project.
General Prerequisites for This Role
It is recommended that you have at least three years of experience in the field where you manage projects. A PMP certification can also come in handy if you’re looking to land jobs in this area.
Data Analyst
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Choose sources of data that can be used as the raw material for the data analysis process.
- Clean the data, place it in a storage system like a data warehouse, and get it ready for analysis.
- Use various statistical tools and data analysis methods to analyze data.
- Prepare reports that convey your findings and in certain cases, present them to other stakeholders in the project.
Average Salary
The average salary of a data analyst in the United States is $70,676.
Essential Skills
- The ability to explore data and come up with novel insights from analyzing it.
- Understanding business objectives and determining the ways in which data analysis can contribute to enhancing business results.
- A strong understanding of math and statistics.
- Data visualization and knowing how to communicate findings in a way that’s easy for laymen to understand.
Related Read: 17 Data Analyst Skills Employers Expect You to Have
General Prerequisites for This Role
When hiring candidates for a data analyst role, recruiters are looking for people who are good at math and have strong problem-solving skills. You should also be able to show you can code in Python or R and have a working understanding of database technologies like SQL.
Content Writer/Copywriter
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Understand the voice of a brand and the target demographic that it produces content for.
- Create copy for various social media platforms and content verticals.
- Edit copy and ensure that all of the text is error-free.
- Coordinate with the design team to understand content outlook, and produce copy accordingly.
Average Salary
The average salary of copywriters in the United States is $58,080.
Essential Skills
- Strong writing and editing skills.
- Working understanding of content marketing and how to produce copy for it.
- Create customize copy for different avenues such as social media, email marketing, and web copy.
- Collaborating with marketing teams, graphic designers, marketing managers, and others involved in a project.
General Prerequisites for This Role
The vast majority of the available content writing you’ll find will be for online platforms. So you should know what kind of content works on different platforms and how good copy can contribute to marketing efforts there. This is one of those remote jobs where you don’t need a four-year college degree, and a good portfolio can help you land a job.
Software Engineer
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Produce flowcharts and documentation that guide the progress of a software development project.
- Write clean code that is easily readable and well-structured.
- Test and debug code.
- Come up with project plans and write up software requirements specifications based on them.
Average Salary
The average salary of software engineers is $90,842.
Essential Skills
- A thorough understanding of the software development lifecycle, and how it serves as the basis for all software development projects.
- Strong problem-solving skills and logical thinking skills.
- The ability to quickly grasp the scope of a project and translate it into a software development plan.
- An understanding of different programming languages and how to use them to solve real-world problems.
General Prerequisites for This Role
A few companies might require you to have a four-year degree, but you can also land a job by completing a software-engineering bootcamp. The key thing is that you understand how problems can be solved algorithmically and be able to produce code accordingly.
Therapist
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Develop trust with clients with a friendly yet professional rapport.
- Come up with a counseling schedule for each client and meet with them for therapy sessions based on that.
- Diagnose any mental health conditions or disorders.
- Document each session and reflect on them to come up with recommendations for each client.
Average Salary
The average salary of a therapist in the United States is $75,257.
Essential Skills
- Building strong relationships through active listening and clear communication.
- A strong theoretical understanding of mental health issues, disorders, and how they can be addressed.
- Setting boundaries so that clients understand the scope and limits of the counselor-client relationship.
- For therapists who have an independent practice, basic business and accounting skills.
General Prerequisites for This Role
This is a remote job where you need a professional license to practice your work. Most therapists usually have at least a master’s degree. In terms of temperament, you should be an empathetic person invested in helping others achieve their goals and solve their mental health challenges.
Cybersecurity Analyst
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Monitor a company’s systems for potential security breaches.
- Install firewalls and other security apparatus that can protect computational systems.
- Regularly conduct maintenance and test the robustness of the company’s cybersecurity apparatus.
- Come up with a cybersecurity framework and processes that can be used by various professionals across an organization.
Average Salary
Cybersecurity analysts make an annual salary of $78,846, on average.
Essential Skills
- Cybersecurity analysts are usually required to work in a scripting language like PowerShell or Python.
- You should be able to set up and gather information from intrusion detection systems.
- Cybersecurity professionals should be able to work in different operating systems and understand their security architectures.
- A working knowledge of networked systems, incident response, and regulatory guideline development.
General Prerequisites for This Role
Companies will usually require that you have a four-year degree in computer science or a related field so you can land a job as a cybersecurity analyst. You can boost your profile by completing a cybersecurity certification in an area that interests you.
Inside Sales Representative
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Developing a list of potential customers based on the target demographics of a particular product or service.
- Interacting with customers using various channels, including outbound calls, email, and text messaging.
- Maintaining customer information in a CRM and keeping it up-to-date.
- Researching sources for new leads, qualifying them and building new relationships.
- Closing sales and hitting sales quotas.
Average Salary
The average salary of an inside sales representative is $47,802. However, the salary can vary greatly based on commissions.
Essential Skills
- The ability to quickly understand what a product does and who its core audience is.
- Should be able to communicate well and build relationships with potential customers quickly.
- CRM tools are commonly used today. Inside sales reps should be good at maintaining key information using such tools.
- They need to be good at prospecting and qualifying new leads.
General Prerequisites for This Role
The most important prerequisite to being an inside sales representative is that you enjoy meeting and interacting with new people. This is a job where you will have to constantly build new relationships and gain the trust of your customers.
Financial Analyst
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Analyze financial data and come up with models that can support financial decision-making.
- Identify key operational metrics and use them to forecast performance.
- Establish financial policies that can support the cost analysis and variance analysis processes.
- Coordinate with accountants and the business intelligence team to create annual and quarterly reports.
Average Salary
The average salary of financial analysts in the US is $72,077.
Essential Skills
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Should be able to run queries and manipulate data using tools like SQL or Access.
- Knowledge of financial modeling and the ability to build models.
General Prerequisites for This Role
Financial analysts need to have a strong understanding of finance for businesses. You will need at least a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field to land a job. MBAs are preferred for more senior roles. Recruiters look out for quantitative and analytical skills in candidates.
Insurance Agent
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Conceptualize strategies to promote insurance products among the appropriate target market.
- Develop relationships with prospective customers through networking events, cold calls, and sales funnels.
- Study the features of different insurance products in the portfolio and recommend enhancements wherever appropriate.
- Acquire new customers and appraise stakeholders of contributions to revenue growth forecasts.
Average Salary
Insurance agents make an average median salary of $54,059.
Essential Skills
- Insurance agents must have strong people skills and the ability to grow new relationships quickly.
- Should be good at sales and know how to meet sales quotas.
- Technical knowledge of different insurance products is important.
- They should be adept at customer service and addressing any issues their customers have with their insurance.
General Prerequisites for This Role
An insurance agent is someone who is great at understanding people. They use that to build relationships and identify the right products for the people they meet. You should also be good at sales, including skills like prospecting, cold calling, and networking.
Customer Service Representative
Job Role and Responsibilities
- Answer phone calls and emails from customers.
- Interact with customers to understand their pain points with a particular product and help resolve those issues.
- Escalate issues to managers if necessary.
Average Salary
Customer service reps make $35,940 on average per year in the United States.
Essential Skills
- Familiarity with customer service software.
- Knowledge of the product.
- Strong verbal and interpersonal skills.
General Prerequisites for This Role
You need to love helping people solve their problems if you work as a customer service representative. This is a job where you will need to maintain a positive attitude at all times and address complaints in a calm, responsive manner.
What Skills Are Necessary To Work Remotely?
Remote work is a skill in itself. If you’ve never tried it before, you’ll quickly realize that there are certain skills that you need to pick up so that you can communicate with your team without meeting them face to face. Here are a few skills that are imperative to make remote work happen.
- Communication. This is the cornerstone of remote work. You’ll need to get comfortable communicating asynchronously most times and strive to still be clear, personable, and effective.
- Time management. There are no more managers looking over your shoulder or in-person meetings when you work remotely. You’ll have to learn how to manage your time efficiently so that you continue to be productive without being monitored.
- Independence. How many hours should I work? When should I work? Should I work continuously or in short bursts? These are all questions that you’ll have to contend with as a result of your newfound independence as a remote worker.
- Adaptability. Things constantly change when you work remotely. You might have to use a new video call tool or project management platform at the drop of a hat. It’s important that you can make changes to your workflow quickly in such situations.
Is a Remote Role Right for Me?
Here are a few things to consider if you’re wondering about whether or not remote work is right for you.
Can I Work Alone?
If you start working remotely, the most immediate change you’ll notice is that you’ll now be working alone. And that’s not something everyone can put up with. But if you enjoy independence and solitude, then remote work is for you.
Am I a Great Communicator?
Communication is key to making remote work feasible for both employers and employees. Sign up for a remote job only if you’re certain that you can keep managers and coworkers in the loop at all times and convey details of your progress regularly.
Can I Handle Working at Home?
Working at home is not for everybody, as living and working in the same location has its challenges, especially if you don’t live alone. Of course, you can work from a cafe or co-working space, but that might not always be feasible. So make sure that you like working from home before you apply to remote jobs.
Resources To Find Remote Jobs
Let’s now look at a few places where you can find companies hiring remote workers.
Remote-Only Job Boards
There are various job boards that cater to people looking for location-independent jobs. These include:
Finding a remote job is easy on LinkedIn. Simply select the “Remote jobs” filter when you search for jobs on the site, and you’ll get access to all of the ones relevant to your search term.
Your Network
It’s possible that previous employers, managers, or friends are aware of remote opportunities. Reach out to professionals in your network to see if they can refer you to such a role.
Slack Communities
There are various Slack channels that are dedicated to remote workers. You can find a list of them here. Not only can you use them to find remote jobs, but you can also get remote working tips and network with folks in your industry.
FAQs About Jobs That Can Be Done Remotely
We’ve got the answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Which Field Is Best for Remote Work?
No one field is best for remote work, but some kinds of work are definitely more feasible to do remotely. Marketing, for example, is a field where remote work has become extremely popular. If your work requires in-person interactions that can’t be replicated over Zoom, then you probably won’t be working remotely.
What Is the Easiest Job To Do Remotely?
Most jobs can be done easily remotely as long as you ensure that you communicate well and are adaptable to changes in work processes.
What Is the Highest-Paying Remote Job?
Remote work doesn’t change the pay structure of different jobs. So the highest paying jobs remain the ones that are valued highly already in any industry.
How Can I Make $100K a Year Remotely?
If you have a conventional 9-5 job, then making more than $100k a year is all about negotiating your salary and advancing your career. But if you’re a freelancer, you should focus on building your portfolio and slowly working your way up toward higher-paying clients.
Can I Work Remotely Permanently?
You can work remotely permanently if your job allows it. We now live in a world where remote work is becoming the norm, and more and more workers will begin to take that option as time goes on.
Since you’re here…
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