Working from home was once the most difficult benefit to get and was limited to those willing to freelance or whose skills were so in-demand that companies had no choice (think developers).
Now remote work is within reach for everyone, even those seeking entry-level jobs.
Just because you’re starting out or switching careers doesn’t mean you have to commute to an office.
If you’re interested in pursuing an entry-level remote job but aren’t sure where to start your job search, keep reading.
This article will walk you through remote entry-level jobs, how to find them, and what other work-at-home earning options are available.
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to start applying.
6 Entry-Level Remote Jobs
While there are lots of work-at-home jobs out there, not every job is entry level.
Whether you have no experience working from home, no experience working, or both, the following remote positions are within your reach.
You just have to know where to look.
The type of entry-level position you’re seeking will determine where you should look.
While there are some job boards like Upwork or Flexjobs that have a range of remote jobs.
The job postings tend to be for part-time freelance work.
Freelance work is great if you prefer to set your own schedule but can be less stable income-wise.
If you want a more stable full-time job, you’re generally better off applying through the job boards we reference below under each job type.
Read the job descriptions and requirements, then decide which one or ones sound most appealing to you.
1. Virtual Assistant
Being a “virtual assistant” pretty much means you’re helping someone virtually.
You could be working as someone’s personal assistant or helping a business operate more smoothly as an administrative assistant.
If you like working on a lot of different things or are interested in acquiring new skills, this could be a good fit for you.
The great thing about being a virtual assistant is that it rarely requires any previous experience and the work itself can be nearly anything — from booking travel to scheduling social media content to organizing expenses.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The only consistent thing across virtual assistant jobs is that you’ll be helping someone from the comfort of your own home (or whatever other remote location you choose), which means good communication skills are essential.
Your virtual assistant work can be a full-time or part-time job, or even just a side job from home to earn some extra cash.
The best places to find virtual assistant jobs are Fancy Hands, Zirtual, Virtual Vocations.
If you prefer to freelance, check out our Complete Guide to Freelancing in the Gig Economy to learn how to get started.
2. ESL Teacher
English as a Second Language teachers generally work through a company that provides lesson plans and connects them with students.
Students are usually located in foreign countries, with China being the most popular.
If you’re from the United States or Canada, you have a lot of options for where you can teach English online.
(If you’re British or Australian, you still have options but more limited ones as many companies prefer the American and Canadian accent and grammar.)
Some online tutoring platforms will require a college degree or relevant experience, but many others are happy to give you a chance without any prior experience or qualifications.
Most ESL platforms will give you the lessons and connect you with students.
They’ll also offer performance-based bonuses.
Some of the most popular online tutoring platforms among ESL teachers are Gogokid, VIPKid, Cambly, and SayABC.
Note that with most of these platforms, you’ll be an independent contractor and responsible for your own taxes, health insurance, and retirement plan.
3. Transcriptionist
The most popular transcription jobs entails converting audio to text through careful listening and fast typing.
As a transcriptionist, the most important skills you’ll need are the ability to type quickly and pay attention to detail.
There are no common certifications you need to get started, but most companies have the following requirements:
- At least 80 words per minute typing speed
- MS Word and a PC
- More than 98% accuracy
- Excellent grammar and proofreading skills
- Transcription software
As a transcriptionist, you’ll be paid by the audio minute or hour, not by how quickly or accurately you work, which makes it really flexible work.
You can technically take your time to ensure accuracy, but then you may not be earning enough money for the work to be worth it.
So be sure to check your work, but don’t spend countless hours going over the same audio recording again and again doing so.
You can choose to work with a company or apply directly to transcription jobs on a website like Upwork.
If you’re looking for full-time transcription work, your best bet is to work with an agency.
Companies that hire new transcriptionists include Transcribe Anywhere, Rev, Tigerfish, AccuTran Global, Scribie, GMR Transcription, Way With Words, Quicktate, and TranscribeMe.
4. Data Entry
Your typing skills will also matter for data entry work, although accuracy is far more important than speed.
This job is exactly what it sounds like: entering data.
You’ll be transferring hard copy information — either in numbers or words — onto a computer, usually using a specific software program.
Don’t think you’d just be mindlessly transferring data though.
You’ll be expected to ensure that any existing data is accurate before it’s entered.
Data entry jobs are great entry-level remote jobs, but because they’re so popular, they’re also hard to get.
When you see one, apply fast.
The best places to look for data entry jobs are Clickworker, Axion Data, Cass Information Systems, and Lionbridge.
There are also other areas of work for transcriptionists, including medical coding jobs.
5. Customer Service Representative
If you like chatting with people, you may have a bright future as a work-at-home customer service representative where you’ll be responsible for answering customer questions, addressing any concerns, and fixing their problems.
This can be done via phone, online chat, or email.
While your main priority is to keep customers happy and satisfied, you may also be required to upsell customers to more premium products and services.
Many companies are moving away from using call centers in India or the Philippines, and are instead hiring Americans or Canadians to work as customer service representatives.
These representatives are encouraged to work from home, thus saving the company rent and allowing them to easily employ people all across the United States and Canada.
If you’re interested in working as a customer service or sales representative, you’ll need to speak clear English, have fast internet, and practice a lot of patience.
You’ll generally apply directly to the company, with some of the biggest employers being Hilton, 1-800-Flowers.com, Amazon, Apple, Arise, Sitel, Williams-Sonoma, Sutherland, Working Solutions, Liveops, and U-Haul.
6. Writer
You could be a content writer for social media or blog posts (like this one!), or write anything from white papers to emails.
It all depends on the company you work for.
Be aware that being a good creative writer can be different from getting paid to write in that potential clients will want clean, polished, and professional writing that adheres to their style and brief, not yours.
As a writer, you can choose to pursue a full-time remote job or pick up freelance writing clients.
The work you do will depend on the company and the size and hierarchy of the writing team.
As the only writer, your workload will have more range than if you’re the junior writer and focused on just one type of content.
If you’re particularly interested in one type of content over another, you can choose to focus on that.
For example, if you want to specialize in blog writing, you should learn about SEO writing to give yourself an advantage.
While full-time job opportunities that entail writing just one type of content are rare, it’s feasible to work with several freelance clients and nail down a niche from there.
You can choose to freelance through an agency or on your own.
Regardless of whether you’re seeking a full-time, entry-level position or just a few freelance clients, Freelancer, ProBlogger, BloggingPro, Contena, and Freelance Writing Jobs are all great online job platforms for you to check out.
We also offer multiple freelance writing positions on the business services section of our Gig Marketplace for you to check out.
Other Work-at-Home Earning Opportunities
While none of the following options are technically jobs, they are nice, easy ways to earn some extra cash.
If you’ve taken a pay cut in order to work from home or simply need more money, you could earn a bit of extra cash without spending much more time.
Our favorite cash-back apps offer you cash back for the online shopping you’re already doing.
If you’re willing to register your credit card with Rakuten, you can even earn cash back on some in-store purchases.
Check out Rakuten.com, Swagbucks.com, Checkout 51, and Ibotta.com to get started.
And if you’re interested in increasing your earnings, you can do so by sharing your referral code for those sites with your family, friends, and any social media followers you have.
You can also spend some spare time taking surveys for money.
Websites like Survey Junkie, Mindswarms, SurveyClub, Vindal Research, and InboxDollars all pay users for taking surveys and being part of focus groups.
It isn’t very lucrative per survey but can add up on a monthly basis.
Not bad for work you can do while waiting for your pot of water to boil.
Start Applying Today
Remote jobs aren’t just for the highly skilled or highly experienced.
In fact, there are an abundance of work-at-home opportunities for people just like you — people who are just starting their careers.
Entry-level remote jobs aren’t widely publicized, but they are out there, and employers are looking for great candidates just like you: You know, the kind of people who are willing to do the research and figure things out.
No more excuses or delays.
Pick the work-from-home, entry-level job that most appeals to you, and get started.
The first job application is the hardest, so get that done right now.
The follow-ups will be easier, and in no time at all, you’ll be earning money without having to leave your home.
Now go apply!
