Would you like to wave goodbye to your daily commute for good? If you’re ready to work from the comfort of your own home to a schedule that suits you, then a remote working arrangement could be an option.
Everyone will have their own personal reasons as to why they prefer working from home. Whether it’s for health reasons, the need to fit work around caring responsibilities, or simply to reduce stress levels, many people say that even just cutting out travel leaves them with more time and energy to do the things they love.
With that said, here are 10 roles where you can work from home…
1. Customer service representative
Are you a people person who can connect with strangers easily? Would you like a home-based role where you can provide support to others?
Many of us will have become frustrated by poor customer service and considered how we might do things differently. As a customer service representative, you can help to improve customer satisfaction rates by making sure that each person you speak to goes away feeling like their voice has been heard and their needs have been met.
In a home-based role, you’ll usually provide support to customers via phone or email and might deal with anything from general customer queries to complaints.
Customer service representatives can also work in any field where there’s a product or a service being sold (from internet providers to delivery services) – so there’s plenty of variety.
Ready to apply for a role as a customer service rep?
2. Transcriptionist
Can you type quickly? Do you have excellent attention to detail and great listening skills? If yes, then you might be able to find work as a transcriptionist.
Transcription jobs involve listening to and converting voice recordings from sources like conference calls, podcasts, and other voice recordings into written reports. Competition for transcription roles can be quite fierce, but if it’s something you think you’d be particularly good at or would enjoy doing, then it’s worth persevering.
Websites like Transcription Divas and Take 1 Transcription regularly recruit home-based transcriptionists to take work on a casual basis. Or, if you’re looking for a more permanent position, some employers also recruit full and part-time transcriptionists – so keep an eye out.
Interested in becoming a transcriptionist?
3. Data entry clerk or assistant
Data entry is pretty much what it says on the tin. It’s the process of inputting data or information into a computer from sources like hardcopy forms and/or outdated computer files.
Although it might not sound like the most exciting job in the world to some people, it can be a great introduction to home working as it requires very little specific training – so you might be able to get started fairly quickly.
You don’t necessarily need to have any experience in data entry to land a remote position, but you’ll usually need to demonstrate a basic knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. You might also be tested on your keyboard skills and accuracy in entering data.
The best way to get a remote position as a data entry assistant or clerk is to regularly check job boards. While many employers advertise for data entry positions in-house, many offer the option of home working – either exclusively or several days a week.
Freelance data entry work is also available on sites like Clickworker or Upwork. Sometimes clients will need a one-off job, while others might need several data entry tasks to be completed over a fixed period of time. Once you start building up a rapport with clients, chances are they’ll offer you work again in the future.
Note: While there are many genuine job adverts out there, it’s important to be aware that there are also a lot of scams – with job adverts promising that you can make several thousand pounds in a couple of hours.
Always make sure you do your research, and if a company asks you for any upfront costs (however small) for things like training packages, it’s almost certainly a scam.
If you’re ever in doubt over whether a job ad is genuine, it’s worth getting hold of the contact details of someone who works there and trying to speak to an actual person about what the role entails.
Browse remote data entry jobs
4. Online tutor
Would you love to help others have that ‘light bulb moment’ when something they’ve been struggling to understand finally clicks? With websites like Tutorful and Tutorfair, it’s now possible to find and tutor students online using tools like video chat, email, and online messenger.
Tutoring a child or young person is an incredibly rewarding way to give back to the community, and usually has an hourly rate of between £30 and £60 per hour. As a tutor, you’ll get the chance to watch your students grow and progress with each tutoring session.
There are opportunities to tutor individuals in most subjects, so it’s up to you to choose your area and level of expertise. You might hold relevant qualifications in this area or have built up substantial knowledge in a particular subject area through other means.
As a tutor, the number of hours you choose to work is completely up to you and the role is fully flexible.
Get started as a tutor
5. Virtual assistant
As technology continues to advance, so do the types of jobs that we can do from home. Once upon a time, when technology was slower and less advanced, it was much easier for people in admin or executive assistant-type roles to work in the office, close to the person or people being assisted.
However, with facilities like conference calling and instant messenger now in place, it has become much easier for people in these roles to work from the comfort of their own homes.
With that said, a virtual assistant (or ‘VA’) is someone who provides administrative support to companies, entrepreneurs, and anyone who needs help with routine tasks. Responsibilities can be quite wide-ranging, so the chances are no two days will be the same.
There are a couple of options when it comes to starting out as a virtual assistant. You can start by looking for virtual assistant roles on job boards, as some employers and virtual assistant agencies advertise for full or part-time positions on a regular basis.
You could also decide to go it alone and become self-employed. You’ll first need to decide what kind of services you’d like to offer clients and whether you’ll charge per task/project, or per day/hour. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to start making your online presence known so people know you’re available to be hired.
The best way to start networking and meeting clients is to join websites for freelancers, such as People Per Hour or Upwork, where you can list yourself as a virtual assistant and start applying for jobs. Some people will need help with one-off tasks, while others may need help on ongoing projects or offer more regular work.
Become a virtual assistant
6. Pet Sitter
If you love animals, then you might be able to turn your passion into a paw-fect career.
For many people, getting to hang out with animals on their day off is a luxury, but what if you could hang out with several furry friends, all day, every day and get paid for it?
PDSA estimates that there are 9.9 million dogs, 10.9 million cats, and 900,000 rabbits kept as pets in the UK, which means there are plenty of animals out there to be cared for whilst their owners are away.
Starting a pet sitting business from home is relatively straightforward and start-up costs are low as clients usually provide their own pet food, toys, bedding, and so on.
Many pet sitters invest in insurance to protect their business from any costs that result from a pet becoming injured or unwell whilst in their care – but the price of this will vary depending on your individual circumstances.
Landing your first few clients can sometimes take a bit of time, but once you get the ball rolling, you’ll usually pick up new business via word-of-mouth. The main things that potential clients will be looking to see are that you’re reliable, trustworthy, and will care for their pet as if it was your own.
A great place to start meeting clients is through websites like Tailster and Pawshake. They’ll take a small cut of your earnings, but in return, you’ll get free insurance coverage – which means that you won’t have to worry about purchasing your own insurance until you decide to go completely solo and start finding clients on your own.
Interested in becoming a pet sitter?
Or want to find out more about other top-rated pet sitting services?
7. Childminder
Childcare is a huge industry that provides many opportunities for home working and a chance to connect with younger generations. There are many different childcare options out there including hiring a nanny or making use of nursery schools – but many families also take their children to a childminder.
Childminders will usually look after several children at one time in the comfort of their own homes. Parents will usually drop children off, or childminders might pick children up from school and take them back to their home where they’ll feed them, help with homework, and run activities until their parents arrive.
Working with children can be a home-based career option that offers a refreshing break from a more serious office environment. After all, how many opportunities have you had to play with Lego or dress up as a fairy at work over the years?
If you decide that you’d like to become a childminder and get paid to care for children in your own home, then you must first become Ofsted registered – which you can usually do for a small fee.
To complete your Ofsted registration, you’ll need…
- A UK criminal record certificate, which you can apply for here.
- Criminal record certificates for anyone aged 16 or over who also lives in your home.
- First aid training relevant to the age group that you’ll be looking after.
- Childcare training, which can usually be organised through your local council.
- A health declaration booklet.
- Contact details for two references.
Once you’ve submitted all of your information to Ofsted and your application has been accepted (which, if successful, usually takes about 12 weeks), you’ll be added to the Ofsted register.
The best way to start building up a client base is through friends and family, or on websites such as Childcare.co.uk. Once you have a handful of regular clients who feel they can trust and rely on you, it’s likely that they’ll start recommending you to other people.
Become a registered childminder
Apply for jobs
8. Airbnb host
If you love the comfort of your own home and would consider sharing it with others, then why not think about becoming an Airbnb host? It’s a great way to start spending more time at home whilst earning a living.
Airbnb is an online marketplace that allows people to rent out anything from their whole property to a spare room for short periods of time. You can list your property for free and will be in total control of your availability, prices, house rules, and how you choose to interact with guests.
The flexibility of Airbnb can be appealing to people who don’t want a full-time lodger but would be happy to open up their spare room for a few days here or there. Some people also choose to rent out their whole home whilst they themselves are on holiday, in order to help towards the costs of the trip.
It’s important to remember that while renting out your home in this way is becoming increasingly popular and can be a great earner, it doesn’t come without risks – so make sure that you’re completely comfortable with how it works before signing up to use the service.
If you’re keen to know more, the Airbnb website will tell you what you need to get started and how much you can earn each month, which will largely depend on what area you live in.
Find out more and get started
9. Copywriter
If you have a flair for writing and you’d like to start working from home, then copywriting could be an appealing option. All you really need is some creativity and your computer.
Copywriters create content (also known as ‘copy’) that can be used to promote products or services, or help show people how to use a product or service.
Often, we don’t notice a lot of the copy around us, for example, the description on the back of your shampoo bottle, your weekly horoscope, or the advice on the back of your dog’s food packet – but they all had to be written by someone – namely copywriters!
While many employers who hire writers will prefer you to have experience, not all require it. Companies will be more focused on the quality of your writing, and how good you are at meeting deadlines.
If writing is something you enjoy doing in your spare time, chances are you’ll have enough pieces you can put together to create an online portfolio using a site like Wix or Issuu, which you can use to showcase your writing style and quality to prospective employers.
To reap the benefits of working from home as a copywriter, it’s often easiest to work on a freelance basis, as these positions are nearly always remote.
Once you’ve created a portfolio to showcase your work, the best way to get started if you’ve got little or no paid experience is to join freelance sites such as Upwork, where you can apply for a range of one-off writing jobs.
Then, when you’ve had a few paid jobs, you’ll be able to start building up a network of regular clients, who might also recommend you to other employers – and so on.
Build my portfolio
Apply for jobs
10. Bookkeeper
If you’re organised and enjoy working with numbers, then you could consider helping companies to keep track of their finances as a bookkeeper. They’ll keep a record of a company’s incoming and outcoming payments and will sometimes issue invoices to customers.
It’s not uncommon for people to get bookkeepers confused with accountants. However, put simply, the difference is that bookkeeping mainly deals with the accurate recording of financial information, whereas accountancy involves analysing and interpreting that data.
In order to become a bookkeeper, you don’t need a degree, but you’ll need some training, which could be on the job or through a course. However, if you’re planning to start by working from home, you’ll usually need to gain the AAT Level 2 and Level 3 bookkeeping qualifications before you can start landing clients.
Once you’re a licensed AAT bookkeeper, you’ll need to find a way to advertise your services. This is easiest to do by creating your own professional website (which provides information about you and what makes your services different), applying to postings on job boards (some employers offer remote working), or building up a client base using sites like Upwork and/or People Per Hour.
Take an AAT bookkeeping course
Browse bookkeeping jobs
Final thoughts...
While the roles on this list should hopefully get you thinking about the different ways you could start working from home, it isn’t exhaustive. While some employers might not advertise job roles as remote opportunities, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t have the option to work from home once you’ve landed the job.
Before dismissing a job posting, it’s worth getting in touch to ask whether home working could be an option, even for just a couple of days a week – you might be surprised at how flexible some employers can be.
On Rest Less, you can browse over thousands of work-from-home jobs from age-diverse employers who see the value that age diversity can bring to the workplace.
Additionally, if your current role has so far required you to commute every day but you’re keen to transition to working from home, then it might be worth having a discussion with your manager about whether or not it’s feasible for you to do so.
If your employer is hesitant about the idea of home working, then you could suggest trying it on a trial basis for one or two days a week. If you can demonstrate to your employer that you’re just as productive (if not more productive) at home, the more likely your employer will be comfortable with the idea.
For more job ideas and support with applications, you can visit the careers section of our website.