Between maturing technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 is a great time to look for the best remote work.

Whether you need a job with minimal prerequisites that you can start right away, you’re looking to make six figures from anywhere, or you’re on a mission to find work that aligns with your passion bewildering array of available jobs to suit your requirements.

1. Start Right Away

When experience is of the heart, and you need some income in a matter of a week or two, the remote job selection gets a bit more limited.

That said, there are still plenty of available positions and freelance platforms you can utilize to infuse much-needed cash.

The fringe benefits of an on-demand workforce

a. Customer  Support Specialist:

This is probably the most prevalent job that you can start in a matter of weeks. There are several reputable contractors, such as Working Solutions and ACD Direct, that offer a smooth onramp to a remote customer service job.

Wages can be anywhere between 10 and $20 per hour, and all you typically need to get started is a reliable internet connection, a computer with a microphone, and a quiet environment.

You’ll usually be asked to take a straightforward test to show you have the internet skills and empathy it takes to make a quality customer service agent. Provided you pass, you can be taking calls in as little as a week or two.

b.  Upwork Gigs:

Upwork is a great freelancing platform that facilitates connections between clients looking to complete a particular project and freelancers best qualified for that kind of work.

Sign up, take a readiness test to prove you understand and can use the platform and tools, and you can start bidding on jobs the same day.

Upwork boasts a cornucopia of job categories, including virtual assistant, writing, marketing, PR, programming, website management, graphic design, and many more.

The platform works on a feedback system where both parties rate each other at the end of the contract. Initially, you’ll have no feedback, so you may need to bid low at first.

But between subject testing and online portfolios, there are other ways to put your best foot forward. Upwork is free to join, but the connections required to apply for jobs cost money.

Also, the company takes 20% of your earnings up to $500 per contract, 10% up to $5,000, and 5% after that.

But if you demonstrate excellence and serve a sought-after niche, you can start earning almost immediately and build a successful business in a matter of months.

c.  Micro-Tasking:

If bringing in small amounts of money in dribs and drabs is all you need to do, micro-tasking might be worth considering.

Micro-tasks are small jobs that just about anyone can perform, such as transcribing audio, analyzing and tagging images, eliminating duplicate directory entries, and similar.

Expressed as an hourly rate, you’ll be earning between 3 and $20 per hour, depending on how quick you are and whether you can jump on the most lucrative jobs before the rest.

Popular sites include Fiverr, MTurks, Clickworker, and The Smart Crowd. Fiverr is similar to Upwork but generally lists smaller projects.

Categories include data entry, illustration, social media management, online SEO, translation, and more. MTurk and Clickwork offer small jobs that may not pay much individually but provide unparalleled flexibility.

The Smart Crowd is your source for data entry jobs of all kinds. You can choose to undertake tasks in a variety of niches or specialize in one particular area.

2. Senior Jobs

If you have a long, glowing resume, but circumstances have kicked you into the job market, you’re likely a good fit for dozens of higher-paying positions across the spectrum.

a. Developer:

if coding is your thing, opportunities abound. With the cloud and SaaS paradigms becoming the new regular, anyone with experience in either of these areas, in particular, is going to find a wealth of opportunities.

b. Director:

If you’ve got management or directing chops, odds are you won’t find it challenging to find new employment.

From operations directors to project managers, people who can effectively command other people and keep systems operating in trying times are in high demand.

Maintaining operations in a pandemic world often requires thinking outside the box; if you can leave the interviewer with the impression that you excel at this, you’ll practically be a shoo-in for that management or operations job you seek.

benefits of an on-demand workforce

c. Analyst:

From actuaries to economics, experienced forecasters are more valuable than gold these days. It’s a math-heavy position with significant pressure, but if you’ve got the knack, it can be incredibly lucrative.

Just remember that regardless of whether you could be expected to make accurate predictions, if they don’t pan out, you’ll likely be in a very uncomfortable position.

3. Passion Over Profit

If you’ve got a public policy or political background, today’s job market is replete with opportunities for you to thrive.

Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the recent increase in attention paid to systemic racial disparities, and the upcoming election, nonprofits in the United States and around the world are hungry for talented team members.

a. Fundraising:

If you’ve got a sales or marketing background, you may make a great fundraiser; and seemingly every organization under the sun is searching for funds.

From medical organizations trying to fight the COVID-19 pandemic to advocacy organizations pursuing a political agenda to campaigns of officials running for office, everyone needs an active fundraiser. The challenges are significant, but so are the rewards.

b. Policy-Making:

Crafting a platform agile enough to keep up with the ever-changing tide of public opinion is, well, a full-time job.

Organizations of all stripes need knowledgeable, passionate people who have studied if not conducted effective policy-making campaigns.

An effective policymaker can propel an organization or political campaign to national or even worldwide prominence.

c. Organizer:

Are you a pro at bringing people together and keeping them engaged in the pursuit of a goal that may seem far off or impossible to attain? Nonprofits with enough funding can’t do any good unless the power of passionate people backs them.

As an organizer, it’s your job to bring these organizations together with the following that can make those goals that much more realizable.

Did I miss something? Please feel free to share your thought.