15 Legit Work From Home Jobs [And How to Get One]
You want to work from home, but you don’t have a lot of experience with work from home jobs. So you start searching for work from home jobs and we’ve all seen the wildest list of ideas (most of them aren’t even legitimate jobs). Instead of providing lists of hobbies that could make you a couple of bucks on the side, I’m going to walk you through real jobs that are really at home and that pay halfway decent. I’ll also discuss how to find them and how to land an interview for one of them.
In case you're new to work from home jobs, I’ll cover the following in this article:
Advantages and disadvantages of working from home
A list of job boards where you can find work from home jobs that don’t require experience
My top 15 work from home jobs you can do with little to no prior experience
Ten no experience work from home jobs that don’t require you to answer the phone all day
How to find no experience work from home jobs that have an immediate start
My ranking of the highest-paying online jobs that don’t require much experience
A list of part-time work from home jobs with no experience required
How to get a job working from home without experience
Advantages and Disadvantages of Working From Home
In case you’re new to working from home, let’s start with a definition of what working from home means. A work from home job is one where you can perform tasks from a home office. A true work from home job means you won’t need to commute into an office or retail location to perform your job.
Not all jobs are exclusively work from home. There are hybrid jobs where you may commute into an office for an occasional meeting or commute to a client’s office. For hybrid jobs and remote jobs, location can be very important. For more on that, check out the article, Why Might Location Be Important When Searching For a Job. This article will focus on true work from home jobs, not hybrids.
Advantages of Working From Home
I’ve been working from home remotely and managed remote teams since 2017. From both an employee's and a manager’s perspective there are pros and cons to work from home jobs. Let’s discuss the advantages first.
Autonomy
Some work from home jobs have more autonomy than others. If you’re answering call center phones at home from nine to five, then you don’t have much autonomy. But for many professional jobs, you can decide when and how your work gets done.
Working from home brings independence that will make you feel like a big boy or girl and not in a kindergarten class with someone telling you exactly what to do and how to do it. I list this in the advantages, but if you’re not used to this type of work environment, it could be a disadvantage.
More Time
When you’re not sitting in traffic for hours, you quickly find that work from home jobs give you back time to do things you want - or to do more work.
Also, depending on your home office environment, you may find that there are fewer office distractions that enable you to have more time to focus on your work.
Better Work
Chances are that if you’re not commuting for hours each day, you’ll feel more refreshed to perform better. This isn’t a new idea that hasn’t been tested. Study after study has been done indicating that on average remote workers are more productive than on-site office workers (Harvard Business Review).
Of course, this isn’t always the case. Recently I spoke with a manager who was training a new B2B sales team and they found that for new hires, productivity and sales increased when they implemented a hybrid work environment. Being in an office together two days a week provided the environment to foster and develop new sales representatives they said. During those on-site days, associates could listen to other calls made by their colleagues and walk across the hall and get advice to close deals.
Improved Communication
Working from home will stretch your communication abilities. If you are to be successful, you will be forced to build communication skills. It can be harder to communicate with remote teams. They don’t see you on a daily basis. They don’t see your facial expressions as you speak on the phone or through email. And it can be more challenging to get the buy-in you need to advance your projects. Needless to say, your communication skills will be enhanced through a work from home job.
More Money
This one is controversial because it really depends on the work from home job and company you work for. Most of the remote workers I’ve spoken to do speak of saving on expenses. Many of them are even given a stipend to cover basic office furniture such as a desk. But beyond that, you’ll save on work clothing, meals, transportation costs, and possibly even childcare expenses.
More Opportunity
Some people I’ve spoken with have also obtained jobs that otherwise would not be available to them. They work from home for companies with jobs that wouldn’t exist in their local area. Some companies have become savvy to saving money too by opening up opportunities in other states where the cost of living and wages are lower than in the state where their headquarters is located. You could now live in a rural area in Arizona and work for a company based out of San Francisco with higher paying wages.
Disadvantages of Working From Home
Working from home isn’t black and white when it comes to pros and cons. It’s a much more nuanced conversation. Depending on your job level, job family, and other factors, there can be some serious disadvantages to consider.
Autonomy
I listed this as an advantage, but it can also be a disadvantage. If you don’t know how to manage your work efficiently and you’re more of a “doer” this could be challenging to navigate. There won’t be anyone externally to motivate you or make sure the work gets done. It’ll be up to you to set your schedule and “figure it out.”
Steeper Learning Curves
In many remote environments, the training and development process is slower than on-site, on-the-job training. There won’t be a bullpen where you can hear what works for others and listen in on conversations. You can’t walk over to your colleague’s desk to show them something on-demand. And in many companies, there isn’t much of a remote enablement program for employees.
Increased Competition
You may be a big fish in your local pond, but now you’re competing with literally the entire world for the one job. Work from home jobs are harder to obtain because the competition is fierce. Working remotely from home is one of the top three motivators for people to make a job change (McKinsey)
New Distractions
Working from home may eliminate those traditional office distractions, but it also can bring about new ones. Instead of your coworker barging in with a question about their lunch choices for the day, your three-year-old is barging in with a meltdown about his toy. Or your dog starts barking uncontrollably as the garbage truck drives by. The truth is for many of us, we’re simply trading old distractions for new ones. And we’ll have to learn how to cope with them.
Isolation
Mental health issues are a struggle for 23% of remote workers (McKinsey). There are fewer office get-togethers and working independently also means working with more isolation.
Overworking
While productivity may be an advantage of working from home, it’s easy to blur the lines between work and life. When your office is literally ten steps away, it can be easy to be consumed with more work. The lack of physical separation can make it challenging for some people and lead to overworking.
Job Boards with Legit Work From Home Jobs
Looking for a remote job is hard. While there are many job boards that specialize in work from home jobs, very few post jobs that require no experience. In this section, I will list job boards you can use to find work from home jobs with no or minimal experience required. I’ll also give you the boolean strings I used to search for them.
Indeed
Indeed has the largest market share of any job board with nearly 25% market share globally (6 Sense). It would be a mistake to ignore this job board. You can click the hyperlink above to access my exact boolean string or do it yourself. When you visit this job board, try typing in “permanent work from home no experience” into the what field and then type your state in the where field.
ZipRecruiter
This job search website based out of Santa Monica, California has picked up a lot of traction over the years and is a go-to job listing site for many employers, including those with work from home jobs. Although in comparison to Indeed, it’s relatively small, it’s still a good resource to use. You can use the link or try typing “no experience work from home” in the search field to populate work from home jobs.
Often overlooked, but Google can be a great place to start looking for jobs. Similar to Indeed, it scrapes the web for job listings on every website you could think of and many that you didn’t think of. Here’s the link to my Google Jobs search. In the search bar I typed, “work form home no experience jobs”.
Jooble
Jooble is an international job board started by two students headquartered in Ukraine. Today it is a job search aggregator meaning it scrapes other websites for jobs and lists them on its site similar to Indeed. They are much smaller than Indeed but occasionally have some good work from home job opportunities. You can type “no experience work from home” in the search bar and it will show you the most recent work from home jobs they’ve found on the internet.
SimplyHired
Simply Hired is another job search website where you can find work from home jobs. This company is owned by Indeed and has a fair amount of jobs listed on its website. I typed “no experience needed work from home online” unto the search field and my state in the location field and it populated at least a dozen jobs posted in the last week.
Amazon
Because Amazon is so large and they have a job board dedicated to work from home jobs, it only made sense to include them in this section. While most of Amazon’s roles require you to work on-site, they do have roles in customer service and corporate that are 100% remote. I linked their work from home jobs site for easy access.
LinkedIn has a much smaller market share of jobs compared to a site like Indeed, but they do have job ads that require little to no experience. Unlike the other job search websites, I had to change up the boolean search to look like this (“remote” and “no experience"). Type that phrase into the search bar and remote for location and you’ll see a host of jobs. I wouldn’t put all my eggs in the LinkedIn jobs basket, but it’s somewhere I would check at least once per week.
GrabJobs
This website is a gem. It lists remote jobs and has a great interface with filter options including no experience and training provided. Simply head over to their remote job board and select the filter “no experience” and it you’ll see a great variety of work from home jobs.
15 Best Work From Home Jobs Requiring No Experience
I think it’s important to start with a working definition of what we mean when we talk about work from home jobs that require no experience. A non-experience work from home job is a type of job where the employee is not required to have any prior experience doing the job they are applying for.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have work experience or transferrable skills, but it means you haven’t done the job before. In addition, the job is remote, meaning it can be done from anywhere and it doesn’t require you to commute to a work location.
These jobs:
don’t require you to have previous work experience in the job family,
can be learned and often provide training,
can be done from home,
often don’t require a degree or certification, and
many of them are flexible as long as you finish the work by the deadline.
Remember, just because these are work from home jobs you can do with little to no experience, doesn’t mean they are easy jobs to obtain. Job searching is hard and you’ll need to invest in a proper resume and job search strategies.
Administrative Assistant
Job Titles Include: Administrative Assistant, Administrative Specialist, Office Coordinator, Office Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Virtual Assistant
Average Pay: $42,000 to $60,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance opportunities exist
Administrative assistants—also referred to as virtual assistants —might answer emails and other communications, organize meetings, write notes, maintain databases and files, or carry out any other necessary clerical tasks for a business. Executive assistants specialize in serving one or more clients inside a corporation (often executives). In addition to their administrative assistant responsibilities, they may plan trips, organize an executive's schedule, take notes during meetings, and conduct research, according to Inman. The ideal candidate for this position is someone who needs flexible work schedules but is well organized.
Customer Service
Job Titles Include: Customer Service Representative, Call Center Representative, Implementation Specialist, Customer Service Agent, Implementation Consultant, Customer Care Representative, Support Specialist, Customer Advocate
Average Pay: $42,000 to $55,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time
Customers of a business can contact customer service professionals by phone, chat, or email for assistance in resolving issues with or inquiries regarding the company's goods or services. This is one of the most prevalent possibilities available to those searching for work online. However, you must be cautious about the positions you apply for and accept because many of them have rigid schedules and provide little room for advancement. If you're looking for flexible hours and prospects for promotion, make sure to ask about them.
Community Manager
Job Titles Include: Community Manager, Online Community Manager
Average Pay: $42,000 to $79,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time
Online communities including forums, Facebook groups, Discord channels, and the like are managed by community managers. They are responsible for answering queries, facilitating debates, and ensuring that nobody in the community flouts the rules. You need to be somewhat tech-savvy and have some knowledge of how online communities function in order to become a community manager. Additionally, you must get familiar with the operation of the employer's product or service, but you learn this on the job.
Copywriter
Job Titles Include: Copywriter, Digital Copywriter, Content Writer, Creative Content Writer, Marketing Content Writer, Content Development Specialist, Technical Writer, Blogger
Average Pay: $50,000 to $60,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, Freelance
Copywriters tend to write short content that helps sell a product while content writers usually create longer-form text such as this article that you’re reading now. For all of these jobs, you’ll need great writing abilities and strong writing samples. It may also be an advantage to know how to rank content on Google. This is a job that can be done anytime during or outside of normal business hours and provides a great amount of flexibility.
Data Entry
Job Titles Include: Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Specialist, Information Processor, Data Capture Specialist
Average Pay: $35,000 to $42,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Data entry clerks enter data into databases, computer programs, spreadsheets, printed documents, order forms, and other sources. These sources are typically digital. They might also be in charge of fact-checking and error-checking data. For instance, a business that processes financial accounts may require data entry clerks to manually type or verify invoices or other bills for clients outside the organization. This is a typical work-from-home position because businesses today process a lot of digital data and information. Frequently, data input can be completed outside of regular office hours.
Editor
Job Titles Include: Editor, Proofreader, Copy Editor, Content Editor
Average Pay: $50,000 to $54,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Copy editors and proofreaders have slightly different responsibilities, although both work to ensure that written material is error-free. Proofreaders check a document for any grammatical or stylistic problems, improper formatting, or typos. They are frequently the last set of eyes to review a text before it is printed, published, or placed online. Similar work is done by copy editors, but they may additionally edit the sentences and paragraphs of a piece of writing to ensure accuracy and clarity. If you have a keen eye for detail ad a mastery of the English language (spelling and grammar), you could do this job with minimal experience. Be prepared to take a test though before being hired.
Graphic Designer
Job Titles Include: Graphic Designer, Art Designer, Brand Developer, Illustrator, Layout Artist
Average Pay: $48,000 to $60,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Graphic designers produce images that convey the concepts, ideologies, and aesthetics that a company, business, or person is attempting to promote. Graphic designers typically create art digitally or translate handmade art into digital media. They may deal with words, images, or both. Almost any visuals a business requires can be created by a graphic designer, including logos, product packaging, infographics, social media photos, and even components of websites and software. The majority of graphic designers' work is done alone using a computer and other equipment they can easily store at home, which makes it a perfect online career once they know what their employers or clients require.
Interpreter
Job Titles Include: Interpreter, Communications Specialist, Conference Interpreter
Average Pay: $33,000 to $61,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
If you speak any other languages, becoming an interpreter can be a fantastic fit for you. Using video to electronically interpret, translating vocal files into written papers, or editing and proofreading translated data are all examples of interpreter tasks. It is possible to find interpreter positions without prior work experience.
Recruiting
Job Titles Include: Recruiter, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Recruitment Coordinator, Sourcing Specialist, Staffing Specialist, Human Resources Specialist
Average Pay: $58,000 to $82,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Some recruiters need an office to meet each candidate in person. Many recruiters don't, though. Recruiting can pay very well, even into six figures. I’ve managed recruiting teams that were exclusively remote even before the pandemic of 2020. If you have previous sales experience, this could be a good transition job with no recruiting experience.
Sales
Job Titles Include: Sales Associate, Sales Representative, Junior Account Executive, Real Estate Agent, Financial Advisor, Travel Consultant, Business Development Representative
Average Pay: $51,000 to $76,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time
Salespeople sell goods and services. Depending on the job, they might seek out and approach prospective new clients, follow up on warm leads, engage in conversations with prospects, negotiate and close transactions, and re-sign and upsell current clients. This position is perfect for those who want to work from home while yet having regular contact with a large number of people.
Be wary of any sales jobs that require you to pay for a product upfront or recruit other people to sell. That is a pyramid scheme and not a real sales job. There are plenty of legitimate sales jobs that pay a small base salary plus commission.
Social Media Specialist
Job Titles Include: Social Media Coordinator, Social Media Specialist, Social Media Manager, Content Curator, Marketing Associate, Digital Marketing Specialist
Average Pay: $43,000 to $55,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Social Media Coordinators help increase awareness on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They manage social media profiles, plan and schedule content, and sometimes write the content and create graphics. They also respond to comments and messages on the social media platforms that they oversee. If you know how to engage and grow an audience and have a knack for reviewing social media analytics, this is a role you can do with little to no formal experience.
Software Engineer
Job Titles Include: Software Engineer, Web Developer, Front End Developer, Back End Developer, Coder, Software Architect, Designer, Programmer, Web Designer, UX/UI Developer
Average Pay: $89,000 to $94,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Software Engineers use coding languages to create computer programs, websites, video games, and applications. There’s a lot of time spent problem-solving and troubleshooting to get codes to work properly. You’ll also need good communication skills because these people rarely work in isolation, but rather on teams. All of the work can be done remotely and companies are used to having employees work from home. You don’t need a lot of experience, but you do need to show that you can code and understand specific coding languages.
Teaching
Job Titles Include: Online Teacher, English Teacher, Tutor, Teacher, Grammar Teacher
Average Pay: $50,000 to $60,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
This is a great option if you love teaching others. I taught English to TESOL students and my wife is a teacher today. If you choose to teach for a private online academy, you may be required to get a teaching credential, but you don’t need experience to get started. Additionally, there are many jobs for teaching English to students who speak another language as their primary language. In this job, you’ll design lesson plans, and come up with engaging ways to help students learn a subject. If you’re thinking about teaching English, you may be required to have a TESOL or TEFL certificate, but it’s not always mandatory.
Technical Support
Job Titles Include: Technical Support Representative, Desktop Support Manager, Desktop Support Specialist, Technical Support Specialist
Average Pay: $55,000 to $77,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time
Tech support representatives may be able to work from home if they are computer and Internet savvy and technically minded. These jobs will involve resolving issues with clients, guiding them through fixes, and demystifying complex technology.
Transcription
Job Titles Include: Transcriber, Transcriptionist, Captioner, Scopist, Legal Transcriptionist
Average Pay: $39,000 to $45,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
You would probably excel as a transcriptionist if you have a natural aptitude for typing. The only thing left to accomplish is to faithfully translate audio into text. You could find yourself transcribing audio from podcasts, TV episodes, court hearings, and other media. You’ll want to have high scores on a typing test to use as evidence of yoru abilities, but this is a job you can obtain without having prior experience doing it.
What is the Easiest Work From Home Job
The easiest work from home jobs without prior experience are data entry and customer support.
10 Work From Home Jobs With No Phone Calls
If you want a work home job that doesn’t require you to spend hours on the phone, this is my list. Fortunately, these types of non-phone jobs are becoming more common and popular in the remote work space. As a work from home parent who was the primary care taker of our kids, I know I valued these no phone call work from home jobs.
Administrative Assistant
Job Titles Include: Administrative Assistant, Administrative Specialist, Office Coordinator, Office Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Virtual Assistant
Average Pay: $42,000 to $60,000 per year
Administrative assistants—also referred to as virtual assistants —might answer emails and other communications, organize meetings, write notes, maintain databases and files, or carry out any other necessary clerical tasks for a business. Executive assistants specialize in serving one or more clients inside a corporation (often executives). In addition to their administrative assistant responsibilities, they may plan trips, organize an executive's schedule, take notes during meetings, and conduct research, according to Inman.
You’ll want to ask questions in the interview because some administrative assistant roles involve a lot of phone calls and others have zero. Because there is such diversity in an administrative assistant’s job duties, make sure you find out what will be expected of you before you take a job.
Community Manager
Job Titles Include: Community Manager, Online Community Manager
Average Pay: $42,000 to $79,000 per year
Online communities including forums, Facebook groups, Discord channels, and the like are managed by community managers. They are responsible for answering queries, facilitating debates, and ensuring that nobody in the community flouts the rules. You need to be somewhat tech-savvy and have some knowledge of how online communities function in order to become a community manager. Additionally, you must get familiar with the operation of the employer's product or service, but you learn this on the job.
These jobs involve a good deal of interaction, but most of it is online and doesn’t require being on the phone.
Copywriter
Job Titles Include: Copywriter, Digital Copywriter, Content Writer, Creative Content Writer, Marketing Content Writer, Content Development Specialist, Technical Writer, Blogger
Average Pay: $50,000 to $60,000 per year
Copywriters tend to write short content that helps sell a product while content writers usually create longer-form text such as this article that you’re reading now. For all of these jobs, you’ll need great writing abilities and strong writing samples. It may also be an advantage to know how to rank content on Google. This is a job that can be done anytime during or outside of normal business hours and provides a great amount of flexibility.
I’ve worked with copywriters for years when I led two marketing companies and for the most part, the work involves nearly zero phone time. You may have to speak to a client or subject matter expert from time to time, but you won’t be answering phone calls all day like you would in a customer service or technical support role.
Data Entry
Job Titles Include: Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Specialist, Information Processor, Data Capture Specialist
Average Pay: $35,000 to $42,000 per year
Data entry clerks enter data into databases, computer programs, spreadsheets, printed documents, order forms, and other sources. These sources are typically digital. They might also be in charge of fact-checking and error-checking data. For instance, a business that processes financial accounts may require data entry clerks to manually type or verify invoices or other bills for clients outside the organization. This is a typical work-from-home position because businesses today process a lot of digital data and information.
Most data entry jobs involve cleaning up or entering data from emails into a database. This job involves nearly no phone calls besides the occasional one to your supervisor when you have a question (but event then, you could send an email).
Editor
Job Titles Include: Editor, Proofreader, Copy Editor, Content Editor
Average Pay: $50,000 to $54,000 per year
Copy editors and proofreaders have slightly different responsibilities, although both work to ensure that written material is error-free. Proofreaders check a document for any grammatical or stylistic problems, improper formatting, or typos. They are frequently the last set of eyes to review a text before it is printed, published, or placed online. Similar work is done by copy editors, but they may additionally edit the sentences and paragraphs of a piece of writing to ensure accuracy and clarity. If you have a keen eye for detail ad a mastery of the English language (spelling and grammar), you could do this job with minimal experience. Be prepared to take a test though before being hired.
Editors often give feedback to writers, but today most of that is done via email and not over the phone. This job is a no phone call work from home job.
Graphic Designer
Job Titles Include: Graphic Designer, Art Designer, Brand Developer, Illustrator, Layout Artist
Average Pay: $48,000 to $60,000 per year
Graphic designers produce images that convey the concepts, ideologies, and aesthetics that a company, business, or person is attempting to promote. Graphic designers typically create art digitally or translate handmade art into digital media. They may deal with words, images, or both. Almost any visuals a business requires can be created by a graphic designer, including logos, product packaging, infographics, social media photos, and even components of websites and software. The majority of graphic designers' work is done alone using a computer and other equipment they can easily store at home, which makes it a perfect online career once they know what their employers or clients require.
Typically work requests come through a ticketing system or by email and because this work is done almost exclusively online, you won’t need to pick up a phone.
Interpreter
Job Titles Include: Interpreter, Communications Specialist, Conference Interpreter
Average Pay: $33,000 to $61,000 per year
If you speak any other languages, becoming an interpreter can be a fantastic fit for you. Using video to electronically interpret, translating vocal files into written papers, or editing and proofreading translated data are all examples of interpreter tasks. It is possible to find interpreter positions without prior work experience.
Another great choice if you don’t want to answer phones at home. Typically you receive audio files electronically and then translate them into another language.
Social Media Specialist
Job Titles Include: Social Media Coordinator, Social Media Specialist, Social Media Manager, Content Curator, Marketing Associate, Digital Marketing Specialist
Average Pay: $43,000 to $55,000 per year
Social Media Coordinators help increase awareness on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They manage social media profiles, plan and schedule content, and sometimes write the content and create graphics. They also respond to comments and messages on the social media platforms that they oversee. If you know how to engage and grow an audience and have a knack for reviewing social media analytics, this is a role you can do with little to no formal experience.
Although you’ll be interacting with other people in the way of responding to comments, you won’t be speaking to anyone on the phone with this remote job.
Software Engineer
Job Titles Include: Software Engineer, Web Developer, Front End Developer, Back End Developer, Coder, Software Architect, Designer, Programmer, Web Designer, UX/UI Developer
Average Pay: $89,000 to $94,000 per year
Software Engineers use coding languages to create computer programs, websites, video games, and applications. There’s a lot of time spent problem-solving and troubleshooting to get codes to work properly. You’ll also need good communication skills because these people rarely work in isolation, but rather on teams. All of the work can be done remotely and companies are used to having employees work from home. You don’t need a lot of experience, but you do need to show that you can code and understand specific coding languages.
This job involves a good deal of interaction with other people, but most of that is done via Slack channels and other online communication tools. It may involve an occasional video conference, but the phone calls should be minimal.
Transcription
Job Titles Include: Transcriber, Transcriptionist, Captioner, Scopist, Legal Transcriptionist
Average Pay: $39,000 to $45,000 per year
You would probably excel as a transcriptionist if you have a natural aptitude for typing. The only thing left to accomplish is to faithfully translate audio into text. You could find yourself transcribing audio from podcasts, TV episodes, court hearings, and other media. You’ll want to have high scores on a typing test to use as evidence of yoru abilities, but this is a job you can obtain without having prior experience doing it.
Similar to interpretation, this is a no phone call job.
Work From Home Jobs, No Experience, Immediate Start
If you need a work from home job yesterday and you have minimal previous experience doing that job, there are jobs that have immediate or quick starts. I worked for years at a recruitment agency that placed temporary workers and it wasn’t uncommon to interview someone and send them straight to work at a client the next day. And these weren’t warehouse jobs either. These were professional jobs, some of them work from home.
If you’re looking for these types of jobs, here are a couple of suggestions.
First, use this Google link to pull a search for work from home jobs with no experience and immediate starts. You probably won’t find many jobs, but you only need one.
Second, search for temporary staffing agencies that specialize in the type of work you want to do and call them. Ask them if they have remote jobs in your desired job family.
Here are two specialty agencies that have a nationwide presence:
Lee Hect Harrison (Finance, Accounting, IT, Life Sciences, Procurement, Legal, Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, Engineering)
Robert Half (Finance, Accounting, Technology, Marketing, Administrative, Customer Support, Legal)
High Paying Online Jobs No Experience
Here is my list of high-paying online jobs that require no experience. I’ve listed them from average highest paying to lowest paying. All salary bands are based on a national average using Payscale (which I find to be the most accurate salary research website). Keep in mind that the salary bands can change significantly based on location (yes, location still matters) and the size of the company.
Software Engineer: $89,000 to $94,000 per year
Recruiting: $58,000 to $82,000 per year
Technical Support: $55,000 to $77,000 per year
Sales: $51,000 to $76,000 per year
Community Manager: $42,000 to $79,000 per year
Teaching: $50,000 to $60,000 per year
Copywriter: $50,000 to $60,000 per year
Graphic Designer: $48,000 to $60,000 per year
Interpreter: $33,000 to $61,000 per year
Administrative Assistant: $42,000 to $60,000 per year
Editor $50,000 to $54,000 per year
Social Media Specialist: $43,000 to $55,000 per year
Customer Service: $42,000 to $55,000 per year
Transcriptionist: $39,000 to $45,000 per year
Data Entry: $35,000 to $42,000 per year
Part-Time Work From Home Jobs
If you are looking for part-time, work from home jobs that you can do without prior experience, here is the list.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants—also referred to as virtual assistants —might answer emails and other communications, organize meetings, write notes, maintain databases and files, or carry out any other necessary clerical tasks for a business. Executive assistants specialize in serving one or more clients inside a corporation (often executives). In addition to their administrative assistant responsibilities, they may plan trips, organize an executive's schedule, take notes during meetings, and conduct research, according to Inman. The ideal candidate for this position is someone who needs flexible work schedules but is well organized.
Customer Service
Customers of a business can contact customer service professionals by phone, chat, or email for assistance in resolving issues with or inquiries regarding the company's goods or services. This is one of the most prevalent possibilities available to those searching for work online. However, you must be cautious about the positions you apply for and accept because many of them have rigid schedules and provide little room for advancement. If you're looking for flexible hours and prospects for promotion, make sure to ask about them.
Community Manager
Online communities including forums, Facebook groups, Discord channels, and the like are managed by community managers. They are responsible for answering queries, facilitating debates, and ensuring that nobody in the community flouts the rules. You need to be somewhat tech-savvy and have some knowledge of how online communities function in order to become a community manager. Additionally, you must get familiar with the operation of the employer's product or service, but you learn this on the job.
Copywriter
Copywriters tend to write short content that helps sell a product while content writers usually create longer-form text such as this article that you’re reading now. For all of these jobs, you’ll need great writing abilities and strong writing samples. It may also be an advantage to know how to rank content on Google. This is a job that can be done anytime during or outside of normal business hours and provides a great amount of flexibility.
Data Entry
Job Titles Include: Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Specialist, Information Processor, Data Capture Specialist
Average Pay: $35,000 to $42,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Data entry clerks enter data into databases, computer programs, spreadsheets, printed documents, order forms, and other sources. These sources are typically digital. They might also be in charge of fact-checking and error-checking data. For instance, a business that processes financial accounts may require data entry clerks to manually type or verify invoices or other bills for clients outside the organization. This is a typical work-from-home position because businesses today process a lot of digital data and information. Frequently, data input can be completed outside of regular office hours.
Editor
Job Titles Include: Editor, Proofreader, Copy Editor, Content Editor
Average Pay: $50,000 to $54,000 per year
Job Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Freelance
Copy editors and proofreaders have slightly different responsibilities, although both work to ensure that written material is error-free. Proofreaders check a document for any grammatical or stylistic problems, improper formatting, or typos. They are frequently the last set of eyes to review a text before it is printed, published, or placed online. Similar work is done by copy editors, but they may additionally edit the sentences and paragraphs of a piece of writing to ensure accuracy and clarity. If you have a keen eye for detail ad a mastery of the English language (spelling and grammar), you could do this job with minimal experience. Be prepared to take a test though before being hired.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers produce images that convey the concepts, ideologies, and aesthetics that a company, business, or person is attempting to promote. Graphic designers typically create art digitally or translate handmade art into digital media. They may deal with words, images, or both. Almost any visuals a business requires can be created by a graphic designer, including logos, product packaging, infographics, social media photos, and even components of websites and software. The majority of graphic designers' work is done alone using a computer and other equipment they can easily store at home, which makes it a perfect online career once they know what their employers or clients require.
Interpreter
If you speak any other languages, becoming an interpreter can be a fantastic fit for you. Using video to electronically interpret, translating vocal files into written papers, or editing and proofreading translated data are all examples of interpreter tasks. It is possible to find interpreter positions without prior work experience.
Recruiting
Some recruiters need an office to meet each candidate in person. Many recruiters don't, though. Recruiting can pay very well, even into six figures. I’ve managed recruiting teams that were exclusively remote even before the pandemic of 2020. If you have previous sales experience, this could be a good transition job with no recruiting experience. I once made $120,000 a year working part-time as a recruiter.
Sales
Salespeople sell goods and services. Depending on the job, they might seek out and approach prospective new clients, follow up on warm leads, engage in conversations with prospects, negotiate and close transactions, and re-sign and upsell current clients. This position is perfect for those who want to work from home while yet having regular contact with a large number of people.
Social Media Specialist
Social Media Coordinators help increase awareness on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They manage social media profiles, plan and schedule content, and sometimes write the content and create graphics. They also respond to comments and messages on the social media platforms that they oversee. If you know how to engage and grow an audience and have a knack for reviewing social media analytics, this is a role you can do with little to no formal experience.
Software Engineer
Software Engineers use coding languages to create computer programs, websites, video games, and applications. There’s a lot of time spent problem-solving and troubleshooting to get codes to work properly. You’ll also need good communication skills because these people rarely work in isolation, but rather on teams. All of the work can be done remotely and companies are used to having employees work from home. You don’t need a lot of experience, but you do need to show that you can code and understand specific coding languages.
Teaching
This is a great option if you love teaching others. I taught English to TESOL students and my wife is a teacher today. If you choose to teach for a private online academy, you may be required to get a teaching credential, but you don’t need experience to get started. Additionally, there are many jobs for teaching English to students who speak another language as their primary language. In this job, you’ll design lesson plans, and come up with engaging ways to help students learn a subject. If you’re thinking about teaching English, you may be required to have a TESOL or TEFL certificate, but it’s not always mandatory.
Technical Support
Tech support representatives may be able to work from home if they are computer and Internet savvy and technically minded. These jobs will involve resolving issues with clients, guiding them through fixes, and demystifying complex technology.
Transcription
You would probably excel as a transcriptionist if you have a natural aptitude for typing. The only thing left to accomplish is to faithfully translate audio into text. You could find yourself transcribing audio from podcasts, TV episodes, court hearings, and other media. You’ll want to have high scores on a typing test to use as evidence of yoru abilities, but this is a job you can obtain without having prior experience doing it.
How to Work From Home With No Experience
If you’ve decided it’s time to make a change and land one of these remote, work from home jobs, you’ll need a plan to secure one. Here are some steps I coach people to take when looking for one of these non-experience jobs.
Identify Your Experiences and Transferable Skills
I know this sounds intimidating to many, but it’s incredibly important to get right. Most people feel they are more unqualified than they really are. Chances are you have experiences that translate to other jobs. The problem is you don’t know these other jobs and so it’s difficult to know what translates and what doesn’t.
Just because a job is a no-experience job, doesn’t mean you can get one without having any skills or experience. You can use this guide to help you get started: Are Transferable Skills Important? And How To Identify Them.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to work with a coach who has worked with people in the desired job you want or someone who has worked in the job directly themselves. I’ve worked with people who have done all of the jobs listed in this article. If you need help, I highly recommend checking out the job search membership.
Connect Your Skills to the Work From Home Job
I’ve worked with hundreds of career changers over the years and all of them have one thing in common. They tell their story in a way that leverages them as uniquely qualified for the job they want. They may not be traditionally qualified, but they have the transferable skills and experiences to make them better qualified than those traditional career candidates.
This story will play out in your resume, in your networking efforts, and in your interviews.
Familiarize Yourself With Remote Tools
As I said before, your communication skills will be stretched working from home. You’ll be using new tools and communication will be more important than ever. The more familiarity you have with tools such as Slack, Basecamp, Zoom, Skype, and Asana the more success you may experience in convincing someone that you’re the best fit for the job.
Invest in a Bootcamp or Training Program
Everyone I’ve talked to who has invested in a boot camp or training program has attributed them to their success in finding a remote job. I have yet to meet one person who regretted their decision to enroll. These programs can give you a huge edge over your peers. Some of my favorite ones are:
Aspireship (Sales, Customer Success, Revenue Operations, Software Engineering)
Career Hacker Data Analyst Academy (Data Analysis)
Miss Excel (Any job that requires use of Microsoft Excel)
Prepare Yourself for the Soft Skills You’ll Need
Working remotely isn’t just about having a computer and reliable internet. You must be prepared to stay self-motivated, organized, and have great time management. You will need to have the ability to work independently and solve problems. Some of us intrinsically have many of these skills. The rest of us (me included sometimes) have to work hard to develop them.
Apply for Jobs on Job Search Websites
Use my list of job boards earlier and my boolean strings to find jobs and apply for them. You may also find this article helpful: 73 Best Job Search Websites.
Leverage Freelancing Platforms
If you’re able and willing to freelance, most of these jobs can be done this way. Register for freelance sites such as Upwork and build your portfolio to attract gigs. You can start collecting testimonials and referrals and watch your freelance gigs grow. You could even do multiple work from home jobs this way.
Cole Sperry has been a recruiter and resume writer since 2015, working with tens of thousands of job seekers, and hundreds of employers. Today Cole runs a boutique advisory firm consulting with dozens of recruiting firms and is the Managing Editor at OptimCareers.com.
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The best job boards listed by industry that you should be using.