19 May 2016

Working from home is the dream for so many people. And no – I’m not talking about the “working from home” that Fifth Harmony are referring to in THAT song… I’m talking about the earning money without having to get out of your pyjamas type that we all dream about and aspire to.

Turns out that it actually is possible to turn this dream into a reality, especially while you’re studying. Here are four ways to get a legit work-from-home job, now or in the future.

1. Turn a skill into income

If you work for yourself, you can work wherever you want. Think about all the skills you have that could possibly make you money. Could you sell those skills? Creative or technical people like designers, writers, coders and artists may be able to start profitable small businesses with relative ease. Just set yourself up with an ABN (it’s really easy to get one, just Google it), learn how to do your taxes slightly differently and start marketing your services to people you know and businesses you think you could help.

Similarly, you could teach a skill you know for income. Tutoring school subjects, music teaching and even dance teaching could all be done from the comfort of your home, and while you’ll probably need to get out of your pyjamas in order to maintain some degree of professionalism, at least you won’t have to commute.

2. Apply for jobs with start-ups

Many start-ups don’t have the money to invest in office space, meaning that their employees can’t choose to work remotely–they have to! If you’re looking to work for a small business or start-up, your best bet is to seek out people who work for these types of companies. Ask your friends and stalk your LinkedIn connections. There are plenty of people out there doing exciting new things that need help.

3. Turn your current job into a work-from-home job

This may be harder to do if you work in a restaurant or at Maccas… but if you have an office job then you could try asking your boss if you can work from home instead of from the office. Obviously lots of the time the answer will be no, because you need to be working as part of a team. But if you’ve been at your job for a while, and you work fairly independently, then you might be surprised.

I recently turned one of my in-house communications jobs into a work-from-home position by explaining how I could be more flexible and useful to the company if I worked remotely and not in a set number of office hours each week. You could try this too–but make sure you’ve built up a lot of credibility and rapport with the company before you try or you could be seen as lazy or uncommitted.

4. Find a work-from-home job online

There are plenty of dodgy jobs advertised on the web… but there are also plenty of totally legit remote jobs. Try searching your favourite jobs websites for transcription jobs, administration work, or social media/marketing positions–these jobs are often remote because the work can be done from anywhere and the company saves money when they don’t have to provide employees with office space or equipment.

But…to ensure that you’ve found a legitimate employer and not a scam, do your research before accepting any work. Make sure the company has a website and listed phone number. Try calling that number to check that it’s operating. Make sure the company treats you like a proper employee–paying you super (or requiring an ABN), paying you on time and the right amount, and registering as your employer with the tax office.

Once you’ve got your amazing work from home job, enjoy it! Working in your pyjamas is pretty great. Just make sure you go outside every once in a while, get fresh air, talk to people and don’t turn into a complete slob.

by Elisabeth Neale