Many people once dreamed of working at home, which is now coming true. The research reveals that remote workers are happier, more productive and have an increasing average income. Not surprisingly, a study by Buffer and AngelList found that 98% of remote workers hope to continue this work style throughout the rest of their careers.
98% of remote workers hope to continue this work model throughout the rest of their careers
Remote work, however, is not for everyone. “You need to be able to evaluate what you are doing, show your productivity and what you can improve with remote working,” says L. Sutherland, director of Collaboration Superpowers. And S. Garber, head of marketing at Trello Atlassian, says, “One of the big misconceptions about remote working is that you can freely babysit or travel during the day.” […] “To be a remote worker, you must be available for interviews and meetings at predictable times.”
The good news is that there is no shortage of remote work opportunities, both for people with elementary computer skills and experienced technical specialists. It is worth learning about communication and project management tools and staying up to date with newly developed work models to adapt to the changes.
Professions for remote work in 2022
In the field of IT professions, there are many easy to work remotely, sometimes expecting a short training, such as a virtual assistant or data entry worker. Most, however, require education and advanced technical skills.
1. Web developer
Today, every company needs an individual website; sometimes it wants a designed logo or a visual advertisement. Depending on the programming languages that a web designer uses, he can work as a front-end or back-end.
This professional designs websites and applications, deals with their coding, creates a graphic design and develops websites’ structure and technical architecture. It’s good if one knows the newest WCAG guidelines.
2. Software engineer
It is a job in which, apart from programming, the specialist is a designer who is expected to have a solid understanding of user functionality. A software engineer’s role is to identify, design, install and test the software system that the specialist has built from scratch.
The scope of work includes everything from creating in-house programs that can help companies increase efficiency to building systems for sale in the open market.
3. Digital marketing manager
This is someone who is responsible for developing, implementing and managing marketing campaigns promoting the company, its products and/or services. Increasing brand awareness in the digital space and dynamising website traffic and acquiring customers, are often decisive factors today in whether or not to be a company.
4. Data scientist
Knowing the computer language is no longer enough; the specialist needs to have advanced knowledge of mathematics, statistics, engineering or computer science.
Data scientists use computational structures to analyse large, raw data sets and develop practical insights across industries. In addition to an intuitive approach to data, non-technical aspects such as good communication skills are required.
5. Actuarial analyst
This work is related to data analysis, risk management or investment management. It requires the use of statistical models to assess the risks and costs associated with potential incidents such as death, accidents or property damage.
Actuaries generally work in the insurance industry, and their job is to predict how much money the company needs today to cover future financial losses. The work of this specialist requires professional qualifications and proficiency in Excel.
6. Business analyst
This professional collects data to understand business challenges and needs, then implements best practices and makes sure the recommendations are working. Any work experience in management, human resources or information technology will come in handy.
For this job, high-level communication skills are required to describe multiple proposals and work with managers and their teams on different projects.
7. Product manager
This specialist is responsible for managing the supervision of a product or service – from idea to production. He/she also works with business and technical teams to conceptualise and anticipate customer needs and expectations; then to create and implement products and services.
It is worth showing some knowledge of technological processes, but mainly insight in business, commerce and marketing.
8. Social media manager
More and more organisations need someone to manage their social media accounts, and some even want an entire media presence strategy developed for them. Such a manager is responsible for representing the company on social channels as the brand’s sole voice.
This specialist responds to comments, develops campaigns and creates content. He/she provides organisations with the guidance they need to increase their online presence.
9. Expert consulting
The job requires a lot of experience and expertise in a specific field. It’s worth filming how you convey what you are fluent in. Instructional videos are helpful, e.g. in the form of a YouTube account.
There are various fields for consulting – such as accounting, taxes, marketing and law. Advice from experts (e.g. a patent lawyer or intellectual property protection lawyer) is in increasing demand.
10. Content development
If somebody has writing skills, companies of all sizes need written content. These can be texts for the organisation’s blog, on their websites or social media. You can also become a blogger on your blog. Other examples include writing a review, filling out a survey, or even watching a video.
There are many other remote writing opportunities for companies and independent individuals from copywriting to content marketing to ghostwriting. There are also writing professions that require higher skills, such as editing and proofreading – because not everyone who knows the language can do this job. It is similar to the translator – it is not enough to know a foreign language.
11. Transcriber
This person deals with transcription – listening to recordings of audio files and writing them down to a text file. This job requires touch typing, excellent knowledge of spelling and punctuation, and exceptional meticulousness
It is not relatively as easy as it sounds, but you get into practice with each transcript. The Otranscribe.com tool can be helpful for the browser’s free use (without installing it on the computer).
12. Event manager
He deals with planning and organising events – both for companies and individuals. So they can be promotional, business and social events, as well as weddings or birthday parties. This work requires outstanding organisational skills, combining several different elements.
It might seem that event manager is the last job worth recommending for remote work one year after the pandemic outbreak. However, these specialists have adapted to the new reality over the last year. Many event agencies, instead of cancelling the planned events, changed their form to online. The situation forced them to develop even better technical and communication skills. It is also worth mentioning that even in the case of events “in real life”, event manager may be a person who remotely coordinates contractors’ work.
13. Cybersecurity specialist
This professional monitors corporate networks for security threats. They implement security standards and install data protection systems. Also known as information security analysts, they must have extensive knowledge of the central operating systems and network security software.
14. Grant writer
Firms such as universities, hospitals, and non-profit organisations often apply for grants from various foundations and companies. Documentation today is labour-intensive and requires comprehensive knowledge to meet the conditions, so a specialist is needed. Grant writer’s task is to collect the necessary documents and complete the financing units’ requirements to obtain a grant.
Virtually, online, by phone – other professional areas fo remote work
Advanced technology and high-speed Internet connections have created more job opportunities for various professions. However, if somebody wants to work online, over the phone or using Skype, specialisation in a given field is not enough – a high level of communication skills must be demonstrated.
- Office work – someone organised and able to cope with office duties, such as answering e-mails, managing the calendar, entering data or helping with social media, can become a virtual assistant. Many of the marketing and public relations work can also be done this way. The same applies to recruitment work.
- Online teaching – the demand for online teachers, is growing. Teaching via Skype or pre-recorded sessions is becoming more and more popular. You can also start a career as a tutor, trainer or teacher of a foreign language. Furthermore, jobs one can do at home include a teaching programmer, writing coach, and an online assistant professor.
- Medical consultation – organisations are increasingly employing remote nurses, for example, for case management, treatment authorisation and patient education. The nurse may also work for health insurers or health management companies.
- Real estate trade – thanks to the appropriate technology, you can become a virtual real estate broker. This way, the house’s or flat’s presentation to potential buyers takes place without visiting the site in person.
