Working from home is no longer the privilege of the select few. Today, more and more companies are moving online in search of the related benefits: convenience, cost-cutting and a wider scope for hiring talent.
If you are interested in exploring the benefits of working from home first-hand but don’t have any related experience, this is no reason to give up on your dream. In today’s article, we explore what you can do to land your first remote gig.
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How to tell if an online job is legitimate — and avoid scams
When looking for work opportunities online — especially when you have little or no experience in any particular field — it’s easy to fall prey to scams targeting new job hunters. Scammers may pose as companies or independent employers offering lucrative remote jobs. In reality, however, these jobs do not exist and the scammers are after your money or personal information. Below, we will look into how to recognize possible job scams and easily avoid them.
So, how can you tell that a job ad or a job offer are not what they seem? There are a few tell-tale signs:
1. It sounds too good to be true
If you come across a simple job that promises a very high salary, this is grounds for suspicion. Same goes for a highly paid job that asks for no qualifications or experience.
2. You can’t find any information on the company
It’s common practice to Google the company you are applying for to learn more about it and prepare a better application. However, if your Google search brings no results, you may be dealing with a scam.
3. The company has a bad reputation
On the other hand, your Google search may bring up results — but they will not be favorable. If you find a good number of reviews online calling the company and its vacancies a scam, this will definitely be reason enough to avoid them.
4. You are asked to pay to start working
In almost any case when you are asked to pay a fee upfront to receive employment, this offer is a scam. You may be asked to pay for training or purchase a product that you will then need to sell to make profit — be wary of any such requests and never pay your employer.
On the other hand, if you want to place your resume on a job hunting platform or work with a headhunter, there may be legitimate fees involved.
5. You’re asked for personal financial information
Such as your social security number, your bank account, your home address and phone number, your date of birth, etc.—early on in the job interview process.
6. The job ad promises to change your life overnight
If the job ad includes loud promises and drastic income and lifestyle changes over very little time and with low qualifications, this is a clear red flag: most probably, this is not a legitimate job offer.
7. There are spelling errors in the job ad
While we all make typos and mistakes — and these can often be forgiven — you might come across job descriptions written so poorly that they do not and should not instill any trust.
8. The employer contacts you from a personal or suspicious email address
A legitimate email from a legitimate company should come from the dedicated company address as in “johnsmith@company.com”. If you are getting emails with generic addresses like gmail.com or yahoo.com —these may be causes for concern. Alternatively, a scammer’s address may try to mimic a legitimate company email as in “johnsmith@companyy.com.
There are a lot more signs that a company may be a scam and not a legitimate employer. In most cases, it would be wise to follow your gut: if something seems off, stay on the safe side and opt for a different offer.
Work from home jobs that require little or no work experience
Now that we’ve covered what work from home jobs not to look for, it’s high time to consider what professions can be done from home and would be open to those with no related experience. Here are just some of our top picks.
Administrative Assistant
The job of an administrative assistant involves routine, clerical and organizational tasks like arranging files, dealing with documents, scheduling and booking appointments, assisting other staff members and more. While the job of an administrative assistant may not require official qualifications or substantial experience, it does require a great deal of organizational skills, flexibility and at least some interest in paperwork.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service representatives work directly with a company’s clients offering them assistance, solving problems, replying to complaints, helping process orders and more. This work from home job would be a good fit for someone with good people skills, a problem solving mindset and a good reserve of patience.
Data entry
Data entry professionals use data processing software to enter information into a database. One of the responsibilities of a data entry professional is also transcribing data from audio recordings, phone conversations and more. Data entry is a suitable opportunity for those who have an eye for detail, research skills and don’t mind a bit of monotony.
Interpreter
Interpreters transfer information from one language into another. Unlike translators, interpreters work with spoken language instead of the written word. They are typically employed at online meetings, conferences, negotiations and other similar events. The job of an interpreter is most suitable for bilinguals or those who have mastered two or more languages.
Sales Representative
A sales representative, in the simplest terms, sells products and services. They are also in charge of building and managing client relationships and guiding customers from the moment of lead generation to confirmed purchase. Sales representatives need to be good with people, have a strong business sense and a general drive for closing sales.
Social Media Evaluator, Social Media Coordinator or Manager
Social media has become an indispensable tool in promoting products and services. This has created the need for people who can develop, manage and coordinate social media accounts. Their primary responsibility is developing original and engaging content for social media platforms, increasing web traffic and conversion, growing social media audience and more. If you have an interest in modern technology and are curious about how social media algorithms work, you may find social media management to be a promising career.
Tech Support
Working in tech support may not be the most exciting thing out there — but you will be providing an essential service and learning a lot in the process. The job of a tech support professional is to manage, maintain and fix IT systems.
This includes both identifying the problem and resolving the issue by configuring or installing software and hardware. Working in tech support may require at least a minimal amount of technical knowledge — but in certain industries you may have the option of learning on the job. Working in tech support may be a gateway to other careers like software or network engineering, IT and product management and more.
Travel Consultant
The position of a travel consultant may be one of the most exciting work from home jobs in our list. Professionals in this field create travel itineraries, make travel arrangements for clients, manage hotel and trip bookings and more. This job involves a lot of people work and quite a bit of problem-solving. Having travel experience and speaking a foreign language can come in very handy here.
Tutor
The job of a tutor is to help students learn new information and acquire new skills in a non-classroom environment. Online tutors work over Skype or Zoom or offer their services on a variety of teaching platforms. To become a tutor, you will need to have a teachable skill that is also in demand among others. Popular examples include foreign languages, school subjects, test preparation, technical skills and more.
Writer, Proofreader or Copy Editor
Writers and copywriters create content for a variety of purposes: marketing materials, blog posts, social media, magazine articles and more. Proofreaders and copy editors, on the other hand, are in charge of checking the written content and making sure it’s error free and fits in with the style and tone of the publishing platform.
By far, this is not an exhaustive list of jobs and occupations that may be open to those just starting out in a new career. Check out our pick of the best job search websites for more ideas.
How to work from home without relevant experience?
Now that you’ve picked a career that you would like to explore, the next step would be to land a job in your desired industry. With little or no experience, this may be quite problematic. However, with the right preparation and a good amount of enthusiasm, you have all the chances for conquering a new field. Here are a few simple tips to follow:
- Be prepared. Before getting in touch with a prospective employer, make sure you have a good resume and cover letter ready to send. If you don’t have a resume ready or if your resume is outdated, take some time to learn how to make this document as effective as it can be. Learn how to write a resume. Another important part of your application is a cover letter. A cover letter introduces your best professional qualities and explains why you are the best person for the job. Learn how to write a cover letter.
- Start from scratch. If you don’t have any professional experience, you will still need to take the time to compose an effective application. This will most certainly include a resume. While this may seem difficult at first, writing a resume with no experience is absolutely possible and, when done right, can bring in a positive response.
Develop the right mindset
Hunting for a job in a new field and with little experience can be intimidating. In this case, focus on your skills, ability to learn and enthusiasm for new challenges. The right attitude and commitment to the new career can really impress your potential employer and make you stand out even among experienced competitors.