What is the Right Work at Home Job for Me?

Are you struggling to figure out what the right job is for you? Then keep reading! We’ll help you figure out what remote career path you’re personality type is best suited for.

When I started looking for a work-at-home job, I didn’t care what the job entailed. I just knew that I wanted to make some money and be at home with my daughter.

I searched online, checked out the want ads (this was back in 2007), and even asked past employers if there was ANYTHING that I could do for them. Data entry, internet research, run errands, make appointments, anything, I was desperate! Unfortunately, desperation is often what leads to scams. Sadly, I came across a ton of them.

Ask Yourself the Following Questions

When you’re looking for a work-at-home job you need to be clear in your intent; meaning you need to slow down and take a personal inventory before you begin your job search. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time applying for jobs that don’t meet your criteria both professionally and personally.

• What are your passions, skills, and prior experience?
• Do you need health insurance?
• Do you need flexibility or can you commit to a regular daytime schedule?
• Do you want to start a business?
• Are you wanting to transition into a new career? If so, are you willing to take a course or go back to school?

Figuring Out What Your Dream Job Is

When you cast your net too wide, you fail to find the right work-at-home job for you, because your search isn’t targeted.

If you don’t know what you want to do, or you’re unhappy in your current career, there are lots of ways to uncover what your passion might be. Reading books, taking career quizzes, volunteering, completing internships, and conducting informational interviews can be extremely helpful in determining what the right career path is for you. 

To assist you in your work-at-home job search, here are some common work-at-home scenarios, companies, jobs, and ideas that can help fast-track your search.

1. I Need a Work-at-Home Job with Zero Startup Fees

You hear this all the time — you should never pay for a work-at-home job. And for the most part, this is statement is true, however, many companies that hire remote workers, do require potential employees to pay for things like criminal background checks, drug screens, credit checks, and training manuals.

Luckily, there are a lot of companies that don’t charge a penny!

Here are some to get you started:

• Amazon
• Apple
• Capital One
• Concentrix
• EverView
• Hilton Worldwide
• Sitel
• Stitch Fix Stylist
• Williams Sonoma
• U-Haul

If you need more suggestions, we have a big list of work-at-home jobs that don’t charge any fees here.

Work at Home Equipment

One additional note on fees.

Many companies do require you to have your own laptop, high-speed internet connection, and headset. If you need a company-provided computer, check out this post.

If you want to start your own business, but you’re short on cash, here are a couple of articles that talk about FREE home-based business opportunities:

• 6 Businesses You Can Start With No Money
• 7 Ways to Start an Online Fashion Boutique for FREE

2. I Need to Have a Flexible Work Schedule

When my daughter was a baby, there was no way that I could commit to regular office hours. Her nap schedule was all over the place (some days she napped for 3-4 hours, and other days not at all). Eventually, I ended up enrolling her in a mother’s day out program which gave me small bits of time to work uninterrupted. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are some companies that will let you work flexible hours and schedules. You can also try your hand at freelance work — which is what I did when I first started out.

Companies With Flexible Schedules

• 24/7 Virtual Assistant – Hires Virtual Assistants to complete tasks for clients around the globe. They hire both full-time and part-time Assistants to work around the clock.
• ACD Direct – Hires independent contractors to work as Call Agents. These Agents select their own schedules using ADC Direct’s career portal.
• Appen – Hires Social Media and Search Engine Evaluators, as well as Translators, Transcribers, and Data Collectors. According to their website, “opportunities range from simple surveys that can be completed in less than one hour to ongoing projects that last for months or longer.”
• Byron – Hires US-based Virtual Assistants. You can work 1-160 hours per month any time of the day or night.
• FancyHands – Hires Assistants for appointment setting, internet research, and data entry. Assistants are paid per task and can work around the clock.
• NexRep – Hires home-based workers for Customer Service, Inbound Sales, and Outbound Sales positions. With NexRep, you log in to their career portal and select your own schedule.
• Rev – Hires Transcribers, Translators, and Captioners as independent contractors to work on projects. You can work any time of the day or night in these roles.
• TELUS International – Uses independent contractors to work on projects like translation, transcription, search engine evaluation, mystery shopping, and lots more. You can complete tasks whenever time permits, however, you’ll need to meet your deadlines.
• VoiceLog – Hires Live Operators for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-hour shifts. Must be able to work between 2 pm CST to 11 pm CST Monday-Friday and every other weekend.

If you’re looking for a job with night hours, here is a list of companies that allow you to work at nighttime. Or perhaps starting a home-based business or working as a freelancer is more your speed, if so, check out this article for some flexible business ideas.

3. Help Me Earn Extra Money From Home

When I was searching for the right work-at-home job, I did many of these side gigs to bring in money. While most people use these methods to bring in extra cash, some people make full-time careers out of working side gigs. In fact, Lori Cheek launched her mobile dating app just by completing side jobs.

• Complete Short Tasks
• Odd Jobs
• Paid Focus Groups
• Paid Surveys
• Paid Writing Gigs
• Sell Stock Photos
• Sell Stuff for Money
• Smartphone Apps
• Testing Websites

4. I Want to Call the Shots and Be My Own Boss

I’ve been working for myself since 2009, and I absolutely love it! I’m able to increase or decrease my hours as needed. I’m doing work that I love, and there’s no limit to how much I can make, pretty awesome! If you’d like to be your own boss here are some great work-at-home businesses to consider.

• Blogger
• Bookkeeping
• Career Coach
• Direct Sales Consultant
• Graphic Designer
• Event Planner
• Freelance Writer
• Personal Concierge
• Proofreader
• Social Media Marketer
• Virtual Assistant
• Voice Actor

Need more ideas? Check out this article, 99 Work-at-Home Career Ideas for Women.

5. I Don’t Want to Take Phone Calls!

One of the most prevalent work-at-home jobs is that of the Customer Service Agent. While this is a good gig for many individuals, a lot of people just don’t want to be on the phone, which I totally understand. If you’re looking for a non-phone job here are some gigs to consider.

Copywriter – Are You Persuasive?

Copywriters write the words in TV commercials, radio ads, magazines, newspapers, billboards, flyers, websites, catalogs, and direct mailings – wherever something is being sold, copywriters are hard at work writing alluring and compelling advertisements.

• CrowdSource
• FlexJobs
• Legiit
• Upwork

Medical Coder and Biller – Want to Work in the Healthcare Field?

Medical coders and billers accurately code medical procedures, treatments, and services so that facilities can bill these items to insurance for payment. For this position, you’ll need to take a training course and get certified.

• Aviacode
• Cigna
• CVS

Resume Writer – Do You Have a Way With Words?

Professional Resume Writers use words and formatting to create powerful images to sell a job seeker to a potential employer.

• FreeUp
• Talent Inc.
• TopStack Resume

Social Media Manager – Are You a Social Butterfly?

Social Media Managers help companies and businesses market themselves through various social media channels. In-depth knowledge of the different platforms and having your own active accounts is an excellent way to get started.

• Belay
• Brafton
• IZEA
• VaVa Virtual Assistants

Teacher – Do You Enjoy Working With Kids?

If you have an active teaching certificate and a Bachelor’s Degree you may be eligible to teach online. Everything from kindergarten to grade 12 is available with lots of variety in subject matter and topics.

• Amplify
• Connections Academy
• Stride Learning

Check out this post for more opportunities for teachers and tutors.

Translator – Are You Fluent in More Than One Language?

If you can speak more than one language and you’re accurate, you may be eligible to complete translation work. Many companies will require you to take a fluency test, but once you pass, you’re ready to go.

• RWS
• Telelanguage
• Welocalize

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Here are more jobs that don’t require phone work.

6. I Need Health Insurance

If you’re not covered under your significant other’s health plan, you will need to find a company that offers insurance. If you can work full-time hours, you’ll have a relatively easy time finding companies that offer health benefits.

• AnywhereWorks – Hires full-time Client Experience Associates, Intake Advisors, Bilingual Phone Reps, and more.
• Boldly – Hires Executive Assistants, Bilingual Executive Assistants, Marketing Assistants, and Legal Assistants.
• Chili Piper – Hires Engineers, Marketers, Designers, Analysts, and more.
• Enterprise – Hires Bilingual Rental Reservation Reps and Customer Service Reps.
• Nike – Hires Equipment Designers, Apparel Designers, Digital Community Managers, Sales Executives, Business Planners, Administrative Assistants, and Business Analysts.
• OSG – Hires Engineers, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Business Operations.
• Smith.ai – Hires Virtual Receptionists.
• Staples – Remote Technical Support, Account Managers, HR, Finance, Sales, and more.
• Starbucks – Hires remote Human Resource Associates and Administrative Assistants.

Looking for more companies that offer employee benefits, check out this list.

7. I Want to Use My College Degree

While I have two college degrees, I knew that when I became a stay-at-home mom I did not want to work in either of these fields. However, if you have a college degree in a field that you still enjoy — there are lots of companies that hire remote professionals like doctors, nurses, and lawyers.

Here is a list of some of the most common professional niches and companies that hire for these roles:

• Criminal Justice Degree
• Doctors
• English Majors
• Nursing
• Lawyers
• Librarian
• Math Majors
• Marketing Professionals
• Pharmacists
• Teachers

Which is the Right Work-at-Home Job for You?

Figuring out which is the right remote job will take a little exploration into the varying factors of your life. Once you create a list of items you need, and the variables that you don’t want, you can start narrowing down the opportunities that are best suited for you.

If you’re still struggling to come up with the right kind of job, use a site like Robert Half to search by skills instead of occupation, and see what pops up that you’re qualified for. Staffing sites like Robert Half and Kelly Services are great places to find remote jobs, and you can test the waters of a new career by working a temp position.

Often staffing agencies can be a great stepping stone into other remote job openings. If you work for an employer as a temporary worker, and they’re impressed with your skills, they may have another permanent opening that is perfect for you.

Originally published September 16, 2015. Content updated in August 2022.