The flexibility of working from home allows many in our military community to generate an income and still be available whenever your family (or full-time employer) needs you. Work from home (WFH) choices continue to evolve as the way we look at work changes, which makes now more than ever the ideal time to explore ways you can earn an income all from the comfort of your own home.
Another move means another restart, which also means another exploration into the job market at a new installation. Finding work can be difficult, especially for military spouses who are always on the move. Adding to that challenge is finding work when childcare and school schedules are in flux.
Here’s a list of full- and part-time jobs as well as freelance opportunities that help you make money and work from home. Keep in mind that some opportunities, like blogging, require a lot more patience and will take longer to pay off. But some immediate positions can help you start earning a paycheck right away.
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Full-Time and Part-Time WFH Opportunities
In the world of WFH opportunities, most allow you the flexibility to set your own hours, which means you get a say in creating your schedule and determining how many hours a week you want to work. All of these options can be either full- or part-time, depending on what you can commit to and what the specific job entails.
Virtual Assistant (VA)
VAs are quickly becoming one of the most sought after WFH choices because they’re such a huge asset to business owners. As a VA, you’ll likely be responsible for admin-related tasks, so if you love organization, list-making and planning, this might be a great fit for you. Take a look at this resource to help you get your career as a VA started.
Teach English Online
If you’ve ever been stationed overseas, there was probably a time when you wished you learned another language. Now, as a virtual English teacher, you can offer that chance to foreign students who want to learn English. It’s easy to set your own hours, and you typically do not need to do any curriculum creation. Virtual English teachers can earn decent money, too, all while teaching one-on-one and group lessons.
For example, you can earn up to $22 per hour teaching online with VIPKID. Qualified applicants will also need experience with children such as teaching, mentoring, coaching, tutoring or babysitting. Most companies also require a Bachelor’s degree.
There are several online companies to choose from, such as VIPKID and Education First.
VIPKID consistently receives the best marks for teacher satisfaction and has the best students.
Make Money With Paid Surveys
If you love to take surveys and want your opinion to be heard, there are lots of ways to make money doing just that. Of course, you’re not going to make a significant salary, but online surveys can help you make a little extra cash or earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards to popular stores such as Amazon, iTunes and more.
Look into:
Sell Your Stuff
If you’re looking for a more immediate way to make some cash, you might consider selling some of the excess stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. This approach to WFH is a good one if you like to visit thrift shops and yard sales and are always on the hunt for a good bargain. You can easily turn around and make money on your purchases.
There are many apps and platforms you might use to sell things, including Decluttr for electronic items, Poshmark for name brand clothes, Chairish for furniture and home décor, and eBay for everything else.
Local sales through Facebook’s Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craig’s List are ways to hold virtual yard sales.
Cashback Websites
In the same vein as making money from selling things, another excellent option to bring in extra income is by making money with cashback websites. A cashback website is a site where you can earn money by doing simple tasks like shopping, playing games or watching videos. You’re not going to make “full-time” money, but this is a good choice if you have little free time but still want to generate revenue.
Some of the most popular sites include MyPoints, where you can make money by taking surveys, Swagbucks that allows you to earn points to redeem for cash and gift cards, and Ibotta, an app that gives you cashback options on grocery and online purchases.
Delivery and Transportation Services
With everyone stuck at home the services provided by Doordash, Postmates, Uber Eats and Grubhub are in high demand and a good way to earn some extra cash.
As the economy and travel industry regain a normal frantic pace the need for Lyft and Uber drivers will also rise.
If you live in tourist areas, you can collect electronic bikes and scooters and get paid for it by becoming a “Bird Flyer” or “Lime Juicer”.
Fitness Trainer
As the health and wellness industry continues to expand, so too does the need for virtual fitness trainers. Online coaches and trainers interact one-on-one with their clients and help them reach their wellness goals. You can offer training sessions on interactive platforms or create customized workouts and training schedules for your clients to follow on their own. YouTube is a great place to begin establishing your voice and brand as a fitness trainer and offers all types of ways to connect with potential clients. Monetizing this might take a little longer than some other options, but if you’re passionate about health and wellness, this might be the perfect fit for you.
Freelance Work from Home
Freelancing is one of the most versatile ways to work from home because it allows you to leverage a skill that you already have and explore ways to make money from it.
Most often, freelancers find success in one of the following areas:
- Freelance writing
- Editing/Proofreading
- Bookkeeping
- Graphic design
- Legal services
- Sales and marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Social media management
- Transcription
- Video editing
How to Find Freelance Opportunities and Clients
The best way to evaluate how well your skills will translate to freelance jobs is to explore the training and certifications you already have from previous employment. Think about how that might translate into filling a need for clients. Then, set out to create complete and professional-looking profiles on sites like Fiverr, Freelancer and Upwork.
You may also leverage your existing social media networks to help get the word out that you’re accepting new assignments. Remember it may take some time to establish a client base, so be patient as you stretch your freelancing muscles.
Another option is taking a specialized training course that teaches you how to do certain tasks and find clients. For example, the Proofread Anywhere course is designed to help those with a token for proofreading and editing to hone their craft, earn a certificate and find clients for their skills.
You might think about becoming a freelance writer if you don’t have any of the most common freelance skills. There’s an entire internet out there that needs to be written. If you love to write and have strong language skills, you might consider how to make money doing what you love. There’s always an endless variety of clients and types of content, so you’re probably never going to get bored.
Additionally, Military Families Learning Network and Military OneSource offer many training opportunities that can help make your skills more marketable.
As with all online WFH opportunities, you should definitely do your research before signing contracts or beginning projects. It’s up to you to do your due diligence and make sure that these remote jobs are legitimate and trustworthy. With the WFH marketplace growing so quickly, now is the perfect time to explore new and unconventional ways of making extra cash.
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