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So, you want to start picking up some remote work that you can do at home, but you have no experience, what can you do?
If you search around the internet, you will see posts saying that you can become an online writer or a social media manager and start working from home without any experience. But there is actually a lot of competition for these jobs from people with lots of experience who are also looking for online work. Consequently, you will probably find yourself making loads of applications and getting no responses, or only getting offers for very low-paying jobs.
So how can you get started and become competitive for online work when you are a junior at the start of your career and have no experience? In this article, we will look at some of the most accessible online jobs and how you can build your experience and portfolio quickly to start competing for better-paid roles.
Surveys and User Testing
One of the few things that you could start doing today to earn money online without any experience is completing surveys. There are lots of companies out there that want to know what their target audiences think and will pay you to tell them. The easiest way to get started is to join one of the major survey websites such as Swagbucks or Survey Junkie.
It can be a bit of a grind to earn, as sometimes you need to start completing the survey before they decide if you are a target responder, and if you aren’t, you can be kicked off without being paid. When you do get into it, you can expect to earn between US$3-$10 per survey, which could take you anywhere from ten minutes to an hour to complete.
If you take it seriously and respond to a lot of surveys on one of these platforms, you could find yourself being invited to more lucrative activities such as online focus groups, which can pay up to US$500 per hour.
As an extension of responding to surveys, you can also move into user testing. This usually involves testing out websites and apps to see how easily you can complete tasks without detailed instructions. In most cases, you don’t need special equipment beyond the ability to record your screen. An easy way to get into this is through sites like usertesting.com.
Virtual Assistant
For many young people, entry-level administration jobs are often the first step on the career path and don’t usually require more than a high school certificate. Virtual administration assistants aren’t really very different, except you will be expected to show that you have sufficient computer skills already, and that you can self-motivate and self-supervise since you won’t have anyone looking over your shoulder.
Many applicants will be able to prove their computer skills and time management skills from their studies. Turning in assignments on time using digital technologies can be enough for entry-level roles.
Look for short-term VA jobs on freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr to get started as the barrier to entry is often much lower than a part-time or full-time VA job at a business. This is a great way to get experience that you can include in your CV for future job applications.
Customer Service
Customer service has long been an entry-level job and where many young people gain their first experience. For junior positions, you generally only need good communication skills, which are usually assessed at an interview. Being able to speak in a confident and friendly manner and positively resolve conflicts will tick a lot of boxes.
Showing that you have good computer skills and can confidently log on and use the company’s system will also help you stand out. It is also a good idea to highlight your ability to learn quickly, to show that you can effectively learn about the business to help customers.
Companies always tend to be looking for customer service associates since there tends to be high turnover. You can find opportunities by browsing job boards that specialize in remote roles.
Amazon is a big online company that tends to be always hiring remote customer service staff. They provide comprehensive training and the laptop, microphone, and headset that you need to get the job done. You can find flexible hours as their team operates 24/7, so they need people to work through the night as well as standard business hours.
Data Entry
Data entry is another line of work that has generally been considered easy to get into without a lot of skills and experience. This is increasingly less the case, as the easiest roles that just required entering information into spreadsheets and databases is now mostly being completed by AI. Data entry clerks are now expected to know how to work with AI to get basic tasks done quickly, and then use their knowledge to clean data and ensure that it is fit for purpose.
If you are looking for experience, again you can start on freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr. Often individuals and smaller companies who don’t have the infrastructure for AI-powered data entry will still hire here, so you can gain experience and build your CV.
There are also a few sites that specialize in hiring a team of data entry clerks to complete jobs for third-party businesses. You can try Axion Data Services and Dion Data Solutions among others.
If you want to be truly successful in data entry, it is worth investing in training in programming, to develop the programs that crunch data, and data analysis and insight, o join the teams that apply data to make business decisions.
Transcription Jobs
Transcription is another job that is relatively easy to get into if you are a fast typer and have good proofreading skills. Despite AI eating up a lot of the market, there are still lots of opportunities out there, and you can get into them quite quickly. There are a lot of transcription websites that you can sign up for and start getting work if you can pass a transcription test. Try companies like TranscribeMe, Daily Transcription, Casting Words, and GoTranscript.
Most companies pay between US$10-$60 per audio hour or equivalent. So, you are paid per hour of audio that you transcribe, not for the time that you spend. It takes an experienced transcriber around four hours to transcribe one hour of audio including proofreading. When you are just starting you can expect it to take longer, so the pay can be low.
If you want to increase your earning potential, you can move into specialist fields where they prefer transcribers with experience in their area due to the amount of technical language used. This is usually in the medicines and sciences where voice notes are used frequently, specific language is used, and accuracy is highly important.
Social Media Jobs
While a lot of people will say that you can find social media management jobs without any experience, that is just not true! Social media management is a skilled profession that companies value highly to drive their reputation and earnings. For a management position, you will need experience. Instead, you should be looking at social media assistant jobs. This will often involve managing a particular social media channel as part of a bigger team and is a great way to gain experience for higher-paying jobs.
To stand out and be competitive, it is a great idea to create your own social media accounts dedicated to specific themes. So not just your personal account, but an account dedicated to fitness, fashion, cats, or anything that can be considered a product or brand. If you can grow a channel and drive engagement, you can point to this as clear evidence of your skills and abilities.
Online Teaching
For decades it has been the case that if you are a native English speaker with almost any kind of university degree, you could find jobs teaching English. It may be even easier now with virtual teaching opportunities as there is a huge demand for native speaking tutors for students in countries like China and Korea.
But following the recent explosion in demand, many of the companies that mediate online English tutoring are cracking down and trying to better screen their teachers. A certificate in English teaching is now increasingly valuable, but you can get one fairly easily and without a huge investment through organizations such as Teach Away.
When you are just starting out, you will probably be matched with students by the tutoring company, and they will receive payment from students and then pay you per hour. As you get more experienced, you can move into sites that work more like matchmaking services. Students approach you for classes based on your profile and you set your prices within the guidelines permitted by the site, which will usually take a percentage cut.
Writing Jobs
Writing jobs are also often cited as online work that you can get without experience. This is because there is a lot of work out there and the work doesn’t require any specific qualification, but there is also a lot of competition out there for the best jobs. Unless you are already an experienced writer, it can be hard to be competitive as you are bidding against seasoned professionals for jobs.
To get into writing you need to build a portfolio of good-quality work examples that you can share in applications. The first step is often starting your own blog and getting some articles up there on topics that you know a lot about and can write comfortably about. A free online blog is usually enough for this, and you don’t have to worry too much about SEO as, for now, it is just to highlight your work. If there are specific areas you want to write about, such as travel, health, or photography, make sure that is what you are writing about. Employers will often ask for examples that you have written on similar subjects.
The next step is to go on freelancer sites and start applying for roles. While you should apply for anything that interests you, at the beginning expect to be more competitive for the lower-paying jobs. In the beginning, you may need to accept jobs that pay less than you would like because they can help you build up your profile. For example, on Upwork, employers can see how many jobs you have successfully completed, and this makes you a more attractive candidate. Save links to every article you write, even if you are ghost writing, so you can add them to your portfolio when applying for further jobs.
How quickly you can build up a portfolio of clients depends on the quality of your work. But it is also true that the more you write, the better you will get at it. Also, don’t forget that most writing roles involve quite a bit of online research to find the information that you need. Developing skills in writing for SEO will also help you stand out from the crowd.
Get Started
Finding fulfilling and financially rewarding work can be challenging regardless of whether you do it in person or remotely. It is especially hard when you are a junior at the start of your career and don’t have a lot of skills and experience to bring to the table. It takes time to develop skills and build your reputation, but as with most things, you get out what you put in. If you take the time to develop your craft and complete relevant courses, you will develop skills faster. You also need to take risks and put yourself out there to build your reputation.
