10 Remote Jobs That Don’t Require Being on the Phone
Working remotely sounds like the perfect gig — until you realize you have to constantly keep up with your colleagues or customers on the phone. For some, it’s not much of a bother to take calls all day long, but you’re not one of those people.
At that moment of realization, it may seem as though you have to give up your dream of working at home — or at the coffee shop, library or vacation house at the beach. Fortunately, there are plenty of remote jobs that don’t require you to be on the line from 9 to 5.
The following 10 gigs allow you to work remotely and individually, without constantly checking in:
Freelance Writing:
If you prefer written to spoken communication, try your hand at freelancing. You can find a blog to correspond with any interest, so make a pitch and see if they’ll pay you for your prose. Find sites recommended by other bloggers for their pay rates, and use their themes to brainstorm ideas for your first piece.
Transcription:
This job requires the exact opposite of talking: it requires you to listen. Many companies are outsourcing their transcription needs, so there’s plenty of transcription work in legal, education, media, healthcare and law enforcement agencies. You will transcribe the tracks you listen to, so you must type rather quickly, too.
Moderation:
Do you have a knack for diffusing negativity? As an online moderator, you would monitor online message boards and chats, eliminating anything written in poor taste or spirit. It’s a protection for companies, too, so nothing said on their site is libelous or illegal, according to one successful online moderator.
Web Search Evaluation:
Have you ever Googled something and found the results to be less than relevant? As a web-search evaluator, you would correct this problem. You would provide search engines with valuable information about the links that pop up first when a particular keyword is entered. Some search-engine evaluators go deeper, making sure a company’s content works in different languages, for example.
Data Entry:
It’s only you and the information you input if you’re working in the data-entry industry. It’s an easy gig, and there are loads of opportunities to find work in the field if you’re starting without experience. But, it’s a notoriously low-paying job, and some online workers have been scammed. Do your research to find legitimate data-entry work.
Chat Support:
As a consumer, you probably noticed many companies now offer the option to chat with a customer-service representative, rather than talking with one on the phone. You can step in the role of online chat representative and help others without spending your entire day on the phone. Think of places you’ve chatted with customer-service employees — Apple has a great program, for one — and apply from there.
Small-Task Completion:
This job is exactly as it sounds: you’ll be given small tasks to complete. Depending on the site you use to find work, the tasks could vary greatly. Some will have you testing websites, while others will have you watching videos, taking surveys or researching topics. The tasks typically take a small amount of time, so your workday isn’t monotonous.
Tutoring:
Teaching in real life requires you to talk and stay on your feet all day long. Work as an online tutor requires the exact opposite. All you have to do is take a seat in your virtual classroom and lead your students through lessons. You may have to video chat or Skype, but other teaching programs only require posting lessons and assignments on a virtual platform.
Test Grading:
If you have a background in education, you could potentially find work as a test scorer for standardized exams. Think about how many elementary, middle and high school students — as well as college students — take tests. You’ll have to apply to testing conglomerates like Pearson in order to start marking professionally.
App Testing:
Finally, you can also find paid work that’s smartphone-based — no computer necessary. Many companies find it prudent to let the general public test their new applications and provide feedback pre-release. They use your opinion to decide if the app is worth developing further or if it’s ready for market.
With these 10 jobs as options — and many more possibilities out there, thanks to the digital age — you can start your search for a position that requires a little less conversation. In other words, you can put the phone down and get to work.
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