Remote work is more prevalent than ever. Statistics show that 58% of the total workforce in the U.S are now considered remote workers. The benefits of remote work positions are huge and include saving money, gaining extra time usually spent on commutes, having a better work-life balance, increased productivity, and enjoying the possibility of living anywhere in the world.
Which careers and job positions are the best for remote work then? While the possibilities are endless if you’re creative enough to ‘remotify’ your job, here is a round-up of 15 remote work job positions to pursue in 2022 and the educational requirements, hard and soft skills needed for each job:
1. Freelance writer
Primary remote work responsibilities
There are many types of freelance writing such as content writing, copywriting, technical writing, creative writing, and more. The main responsibility of a freelance writer is to create written content for their clients’ needs. For example, an NGO that wants to reach out and connect to its stakeholders might hire a freelancer who will write a weekly newsletter.
Educational requirements
There are no educational requirements necessarily but writers do need to have a good written command of the language they are writing in.
Necessary professional skills
Writing skills! Freelance writers also tend to niche down so the required professional skills would highly depend on their niche. For instance, a writer that contributes blog posts for culinary websites would benefit from SEO skills to understand the food topics and keywords that would help the blog rank higher with search engines.
Necessary soft skills
Freelance writing is a good choice for those who are creative, patient, self-starters, and have the ability to meet deadlines.
2. Translator and interpreter
Primary remote work responsibilities
Translators and interpreters break language barriers by converting either written text (translating) or spoken language (interpreting) from one language to another.
Educational requirements
Many translators and interpreters have a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in Translation and Interpreting. Although this is helpful, individuals who have a very good command of two different languages can pursue this career by improving their industry knowledge through training and courses.
Necessary professional skills
Translators and interpreters need to be proficient in two languages, both written and spoken. This includes knowing the related terminology very well. Being able to use CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools would also make the translator’s life easier.
Necessary soft skills
The nature of the job also calls for cultural sensitivity as translators will not only connect two different languages, but also two different cultures.
3. Teacher or tutor
Primary remote work responsibilities
There are many remote work positions available for teachers and tutors nowadays. From languages to math, many students are looking for competent teachers and tutors who can help them with a variety of scholastic subjects.
Educational requirements
Most teachers have a degree in the subject they are teaching. Some also have a Master’s in Education. The educational requirements would most likely depend on the organization that they are working with. Some are laxer on degrees and certificates, while others are more strict.
Necessary professional skills
Besides teaching skills, teachers and tutors that work remotely need to have basic digital skills to be able to hold a lesson from video applications such as Zoom.
Necessary soft skills
The best teachers have problem-solving skills, excellent communication skills, and a natural empathy toward their students.
4. Digital Marketer
Primary remote work responsibilities
Digital marketers work with many online tools and websites to bring grow the audience and enlarge the client pool of their customers. Their main aim is to reach the relevant people online.
Educational requirements
A degree in Digital Marketing might be useful but it is not crucial. Digital marketers often develop their skills through internships, research, and online courses.
Necessary professional skills
To be eligible for remote work jobs as a digital marketer, advanced digital skills are a must. A keen knowledge of social media, SEO, content marketing, and analytics tools would help.
Necessary soft skills
Digital marketers need to have excellent communication skills—both written and spoken— as well as bountiful creativity.
5. Software engineer
Primary remote work responsibilities
Software engineering is a part of computer science that develops systems to solve problems within applications and programs.
Educational requirements
Most software engineers have a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Programming, or a related field.
Necessary professional skills for the position
Software engineers need to have programming skills as well as proficiency in certain programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, and C++. They also need to be skilled in coding and software development.
Necessary soft skills
Software engineers often work with others to determine the final product. Beyond attention to detail, teamwork and interpersonal skills would be a tremendous asset.
6. Virtual assistant
Primary remote work responsibilities
Virtual assistance is one of the most common remote work jobs nowadays. Virtual assistants help business owners with administrative tasks, such as booking appointments, responding to emails, and scheduling social media posts.
Educational requirements
There are no educational requirements to be a virtual assistant.
Necessary professional skills
Organization and management skills are essential to being a virtual assistant. As the nature of the job is remote, it also requires good IT skills.
Necessary soft skills
The tasks of a virtual assistant would change from business to business. Some companies might hire a virtual assistant purely for administrative tasks, some might also expect them to help with social media or content creation. Therefore, flexibility, excellent communication skills, adaptability, and good interpersonal skills are essential.
7. Project manager
Primary remote work responsibilities
Almost every industry would make good use of project managers. They help businesses attain a certain goal by planning and assigning tasks, creating action plans, and organizing their budget.
Educational requirements
While there is no set degree to become a project manager, degrees such as Business Administration or Management would be useful. In some cases, project managers also need to be competent in a specific industry—a project manager working with a law firm would most likely have to know legal terminology and related laws.
Necessary professional skills
Project managers benefit from various skills such as organization, management, and risk management.
Necessary soft skills
Since they are organizing a whole team so leadership skills, teamwork skills, critical thinking skills, and excellent communication are all necessary.
8. Content creator
Primary remote work responsibilities
Content creators create content for themselves or for businesses on websites or on online platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. There’s no limit to the type of content they create—it can be TikTok videos, blog posts on a website, Instagram stories, and more.
Educational requirements
There are no educational requirements.
Necessary professional skills for the position
Having writing skills and social media skills would be very useful. On the other hand, the skillset would vary from platform to platform. For example, someone who creates content for YouTube might need video editing skills and someone writing blog posts might require SEO skills.
Necessary soft skills
Creativity is one of the core skills for content creators. If they are creating content for themselves, they need entrepreneurship skills as well.
9. Graphic designer
Primary remote work responsibilities
Graphic designers create visuals in many formats such as social media images, logos for businesses, web design, product design, advertising imagery, and writing fonts.
Educational requirements
Most graphic designers have at least Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, or related fields. That said, some designers are self-taught.
Necessary professional skills
Graphic designers need to have good IT skills. Proficiency in Canva, Adobe, Sketch, and similar design tools would also be advantageous.
Necessary soft skills
Creative and artistic individuals who have terrific communication skills are most likely to succeed as graphic designers.
10. Application developper and web developper
Primary remote work responsibilities
Developers design and implement programs for a specific device, such as the web or mobile. Similarly, front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers are remote-friendly jobs that are high in demand.
Educational requirements
Application developers often have degrees in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Software Development, and related fields.
Necessary professional skills
Programming languages such as Java or Python, UX design, knowledge of IOS or Android platforms, HTML5, and web design skills would be extremely useful.
Necessary soft skills
Application developers need to have analytical skills to be able to analyse users’ needs and put them into use. They would also benefit from skills such as creativity, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
11. Sales professional
Primary remote work responsibilities
Generating sales is a common goal that almost all businesses share. People who are working in the sales department of a company are responsible for increasing the company’s sales, improving the sales conversion rate, and keeping good relationships with the clients.
Educational requirements
While you can improve your skills through training programs, degrees that would be useful for this job position are Business Administration, Marketing, and Communications.
Necessary professional skills
Especially while applying to remote work jobs, sales professionals need to show that they have advanced digital skills and management skills.
Necessary soft skills
For sales professionals, there are many soft skills that come into play. Firstly, they need to have strong communication skills, both with clients and within their team. They would also benefit from public speaking skills, teamwork skills, and organization skills. By the nature of their career, sales professionals have to be persuasive, be it for a cold pitch or for a meeting.
12. Customer support specialist
Primary remote work responsibilities
Customer support specialists are important for businesses as sometimes, they determine the success of the business. They provide assistance to the clients, answer their questions, and solve their problems via phone or email.
Educational requirements
While you can improve your skills through training programs, degrees that would be useful for this job position are Business Administration, Marketing, and Communications. Depending on the sector of the company, customer support specialists might require additional training. For example, customer service for a phone company wouldn’t be the same as customer service for a hospital.
Necessary professional skills
Customer support specialists require analytical skills, data entry skills, and very good knowledge of how the company works.
Necessary soft skills
Customer support specialists need to be patient and empathetic as they might have to deal with angry customers.
13. Nutritionist
Primary remote work responsibilities
Nutritionists evaluate how a client’s nutrition can be improved, discuss eating habits, and plan a nutrition plan for them.
Educational requirements
A degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Science, or a similar field is needed.
Necessary professional skills
Nutritionists need to have deep knowledge of the industry, such as special diets for people with special needs. If they are planning on working remotely, they would also benefit from IT skills as they might use video applications during their consultations.
Necessary soft skills
Excellent communication skills, empathy, and management skills would help a nutritionist, especially in remote work positions.
14. Accountant
Primary remote work responsibilities
Accountants work with companies for their financial needs, such as data analysis, financial reports, budget planning, and tax returns.
Educational requirements
A Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance is often required by companies.
Necessary professional skills
Being good with numbers and having analytical skills are crucial.
Necessary soft skills
Communication skills and good organization skills would be helpful for accountants.
15. Social media manager
Primary remote work responsibilities
Social media managers are responsible for creating content, scheduling posts, and analyzing the performance of posts for companies or influencers over social media.
Educational requirements
There are no educational requirements but social media managers might benefit from degrees in Marketing or Communications.
Necessary professional skills
Social media specialists need to know how social media works very well and they need to be open to learning new things—social media applications add new features all the time. Good writing skills and knowledge of social media analytics tools would be useful. In some cases, social media managers niche down to focus on a specific platform. For example, a company whose target audience is Gen Z is more likely to hire someone to manage TikTok rather than Facebook.
Necessary soft skills
Creativity and good communication skills are essential. Social media managers would also benefit from empathy skills as they would often need to put themselves in their audience’s shoes.
Ready to start your remote work journey?
Do you think you have the skills for one—or maybe more—of these remote work positions? Start looking for opportunities as soon as possible—there are many websites that can help you with your remote job search in 2022. Good luck!
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