If you’re wondering which is the best online job out there, you’re not alone. Chances are millions are also asking the same question as COVID-19 continues to disrupt their lives and livelihoods.
According to reports, more than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last few weeks since statewide lockdowns began.
As a result, people are seeking alternative employment via online jobs and wondering which is the best online job out there. But this is like asking which is the best career ever? National Debate Society, anyone?
The right question should be what is the best online job for me? This is because there are several online jobs available, and what works for one may not work for all.
In this post, we’ll discuss different aspects of online jobs, and highlight five (5) simple ways to decide which online job is best for you.
So,
WHAT IS AN ONLINE JOB?
As the name implies, an online job is any job you can do online or over the internet. They’re also referred to as work from home jobs or remote jobs.
People who do online jobs are often referred to as freelancers, and there are millions of them. Existing reports suggest that over half of American workers (56 million of them) were freelancers before the outbreak.
Thanks to COVID-19, this number is skyrocketing and companies big and small are beginning to adopt the work from home option.
Just last week Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that staff can now continue to work from home indefinitely (forever) if they so decide.
And here are
SOME BENEFITS OF ONLINE JOBS
Working online, remotely or from home has its pros and cons. Some of its benefits include:
- Freedom
- Independence
- Flexible work schedule
- More time for family, friends, fitness, hobbies, personal development
- More nutritious home cooked meals
- Multiple clientele/jobs
- Zero commute
- Savings on gas and transportation
- Less traffic congestion
- Less car emissions
- Savings on office clothes
- Zero office politics or colleague dramas
- Safety from COVID-19 infections
- Source of income during lockdown, etc.
TYPES OF ONLINE JOBS
As stated, there are several online jobs you can do from home or anywhere for that matter, as long as you have internet access.
Some popular online jobs categories include:
- Ecommerce
- Dropshipping
- Programming and Tech
- Illustration
- Online Coaching
- Writing and Translation
- Video and Animation
- Music/Songwriting
- Consultancy
- Graphics Design
- Software/App Development
- Virtual Assistance
- Digital Marketing, etc.
Here are
5 WAYS TO DETERMINE WHICH ONLINE JOB IS BEST FOR YOU
1. Do a Self-Assessment
With a self-assessment test, you will gain valuable insights into your personality, interests, values, aptitudes, attitudes, goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc.
Self-assessment will help you ascertain WHO YOU ARE and enable you to determine if the online job you’re considering will be a good fit for your personality type. This is important and can make or break your online job or business.
What is your temperament, skill set, work ethic? Are you able to take initiative, work unsupervised, under pressure, and for long hours sometimes, manage your time, meet deadlines? Sorting these out will determine which online job you pursue or pass up.
2. Do a Tools Assessment
WHAT HAVE YOU? Do you have the required hardware, software or toolset to do the job? All online jobs require that you have access to the internet and a computer. Some online jobs like remote customer service will require you to have high-speed internet connection (not Wi-Fi).
In addition, you must have a working PC with certain minimum specs, a headset, a microphone, a noiseless and dedicated workspace, put in up to 8 hours of work daily, etc. The lack of availability of these tools or facilities can mar or make your online job.
So before you decide which online job is best for you, take stock of your toolset, equipment or facilities. There are many online jobs that only require a basic PC and any internet access.
3. Study Available Online Jobs
WHAT OPTIONS EXIST? With scores of online jobs available you have options to choose from. To be able to choose the best online job for you, you will have to consider all the options available.
You can visit freelance gig websites like Fiverr and UpWork to get a feel for the variety of online jobs available which you can also engage in. This list should run into their hundreds. With this list, you can set up your own independent business.
If you prefer to do dropshipping, for instance, Oberlo has a ton of useful resources that can get you set up and selling ASAP. Plus with a robust learning environment, you can learn if dropshipping is actually for you or not.
4. Read Online Job Descriptions
WHICH IS A MATCH? Having ascertained what online job options are available, you will need to familiarize yourself with their individual job descriptions. This is because each job is unique and as such requires a unique set of skills to succeed.
You can visit popular job sites like Indeed.Com or GlassDoor.Com to have a feel for what each job type actually entails. They usually list the job descriptions detailing your roles and responsibilities.
Some online jobs require you to be familiar with media collaboration tools like Trello which are used to manage remote teams. Some online job descriptions also list expected salaries. This can help you determine if the pay is right for you or not.
5. Try Them Out (Experiment)
WHICH IS THE BEST out of all the available online jobs and job descriptions you’ve seen? Sometimes, the best way to decide which online job is best for you is to try them out one by one.
This is especially so for multi-talented people (multipotentialites) and those who think they’re less talented or even non-talented. If picking becomes an issue, your best bet may be to try out several online jobs to find out which will work for you.
Although experimenting may cost you time, it will give you valuable firsthand insight into the rightness or otherwise of each online job. When once you find one(s) that clicks, you can lock it/them down and start enjoying your online job(s).
Conclusion
Starting an online job now can help you survive through COVID-19 and the biting lockdown. It can also boost your skill level, CV, or resume as well as help you build a lifelong online job, business, or career.
Don’t let anything stop you, take these five (5) steps to determine which online job is best for you. We love comments, let us know how you’re planning to land your next online job.
