Do you want to get started working from home, but you don’t know where to begin? I completely understand.
When I started my remote job search, I didn’t have a career that I loved (I worked as a nurse), so I was willing to do anything, just as long as I could make some money and be at home with my daughter.
You probably feel the same way.
But when you start your remote job search, randomly exploring job listings, you lose valuable time, and you open yourself up to scams.
So, how do you start working from home when you don’t know what you want to do or where to begin?
Here is a simple outline to follow to narrow down which remote work opportunities are right for you.
1. How much money do you need to earn?
If you need to make $60,000 annually, working a part-time job where you only make $13.00 an hour is not going to cut it. Depending on your answer, you may want to check out our remote job board with companies hiring for full-time and part-time roles.
If you need a full-time job with benefits, I suggest looking at this list of legit companies that offer remote workers benefits.
Knowing how much you need to earn will help you narrow down the companies and positions you explore. If a job listing doesn’t contain the salary range on it, you can review salary estimates on Glassdoor.com. If you need a six-figure work from home salary, explore the job site, The Ladders, which caters to high-paying $100K+ jobs.
2. Are you already in a job that you love?
Do you already have a job that you love? You may want to write up a telecommuting or flex time proposal and present it to your boss if you’re currently employed. Back when I worked as a nurse for Medicaid, I wrote a flex time proposal and was able to get our department flex hours, where we could determine which time we came in and left work each day. Many companies are willing to let employees work from home at least sometimes. In your proposal, focus on the benefits to the company.
3. Do you need health benefits?
If you need health benefits and you don’t want to pay out of pocket for them, you will need to search for a company that hires home-based employees and that offers benefits. You’ll also need to work full-time. The only companies that I know that offer part-time employees health benefits are Starbucks and REI, and these are for in-store positions.
If you choose to work a part-time job or as an independent contractor, you’ll need to sign up under a spouse’s plan or pay out of pocket for health benefits.
4. Are you willing to return to school or take a course?
If your career plan includes changing careers — you may need to take an online course or return to school for additional training. Luckily, there are a wide variety of ways to get the education and skills you need to switch careers, from online college classes and certification programs to self-paced online courses.
For instance, if you want to work remotely as a data entry clerk but your Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet skills are rusty, you’ll want to take a refresher so that you have the right skills for the position and you can perform your assigned duties with confidence.
5. Do you have money to invest in a business?
If you’re starting at ground zero — with no money in your savings account, it will be tough to start your own business. Even smaller business-in-a-box and direct sales opportunities cost a few hundred dollars to get started. It also generally takes a few months to get rolling and for income to start coming in. But if you’re set on being your own boss, and you’re willing to moonlight or borrow some money from a family member or friend, you may be able to make it work. Just make sure you consider these aspects before you quit the security of your day job.
6. What are your interests and personality type?
Even though I began my remote job willing to do anything, had I gotten a remote job as a customer service representative, I would have been miserable. Before you jump into ANY work from home job, consider the things you’d like to do, what you’re good at, and where your skill sets lie. Most people spend at least eight hours a day at work — wouldn’t you actually like to halfway enjoy what you’re doing?!
If you’re having trouble determining your interests and passions, take a career test, conduct informational interviews, and volunteer. By learning more about the occupation you think you’re interested in, you can better determine if it’s actually right for you. If you’re not sure what sorts of work at home careers are available, this list has 99 work at home career ideas for you to explore.
7. What hours are you able to work?
When I started looking for work at home jobs, I only had a few hours each day to work (when my daughter was napping). Be sure to figure out when you can work and how many hours. Many work-at-home jobs require at least four-hour shifts and dedicated office space free of interruptions. If you need complete flexibility, consider starting your own business, in which you can call the shots, or freelance work, where you can work on a project at any time.
8. What equipment do you need for your workspace?
Most remote jobs are going to require that you have a fairly new laptop or computer and a high-speed internet connection. But besides those two things, you may also need items like a dedicated phone line, a headset, a Windows operating system, a printer, a VPN, and more. Be sure to read through each company’s equipment requirements to make sure you have the proper equipment for your home office. You’ll also want to consider the cost of certain items (like a dedicated phone line) and whether the hourly rate is sufficient for the recurring equipment and service costs.
Check out this post if you’re looking for companies that provide equipment.
9. Do you have the right personality?
When I used to work in a cubicle, I dreamed of working from home. I imagined lunch dates with friends, sitting out by the pool with my laptop, and leisurely doing the laundry while I answered emails. This is not how working from home is at all. Working from home requires a great amount of focus and motivation. If you can’t block out distractions and accomplish tasks on your own—it’s going to be really tough to make it work. Before you start working from home, consider your personality type and if it is well suited to this sort of arrangement.
10. Avoiding scams
Now that you have an idea of what career you’re searching for, it’s time to start searching and applying for jobs. There are tons of job boards and platforms you can use to begin your work from home job search, such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Upwork. While these sites are legit and good for finding remote positions, there are lots of scammers posting fake job ads on these sites.
Before you accept an interview job offer, be sure you verify that the person you’re communicating with is indeed who they say they are. If they claim to be a recruiter, you should be able to find their profile on LinkedIn. They should also use a professional email address, not a free Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email address. Keeping track of the jobs you applied for on a spreadsheet or career planner can help you avoid unsolicited job offers, which are more often than not scams.
Legitimate companies do not conduct interviews via messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram. If a company is conducting a video conference interview, it usually does so via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. Educating yourself on common work from home scams is the best way to protect yourself from falling for one.
11. Exploring work from home opportunities
If you want to earn a little extra money from home, there are lots of 1099 online jobs. A few you may want to consider are AI training, transcription, translation, tutoring, social media management, freelance writing, and virtual assistance. With these side gigs, you can usually work as much or as little as you’d like, and you can create your own work schedule.
As a 1099 independent contractor, you’re considered self-employed, so you’ll be responsible for paying quarterly self-employment taxes, and you won’t get any benefits. How much you can earn as an independent contractor will depend on the work that you’re doing, but according to Indeed, the average hourly rate for a contractor in the US is $29.94.
If you want to be a part-time or full-time employee (W2 worker), there are a wide variety of companies, staffing agencies, and job boards to explore. One unique way to go about your remote job search is to create a list of 20 dream companies with whom you’d love to work. Once you have your list, visit each company’s website and explore their job offerings. Nowadays, most companies have some remote or hybrid roles available. By going directly to their websites, you avoid fake job listings, and you may find some positions that are not advertised on the major job sites. If your list contains smaller companies that don’t have a job board listed on their website, contact them directly and inquire about current openings.
You can also sign up for our free newsletter, which is a great way to stay in the loop of current openings for remote employees.
Get started working from home
Working from home allows people to achieve a better work-life balance while still being able to earn an income. But before you get started working from home, you need to consider these factors to see if it really is an ideal situation for you. If you don’t have the right skills or personality, or the pay isn’t going to be sufficient, it might be more frustrating and stressful than working in a traditional office.
Originally published April 3, 2009. Content updated November 2024.