The beauty of remote work is the flexibility it allows. There are even remote jobs in a variety of fields, many of which do not require a college degree. With enough relevant experience, you just may be able to make a living from the comfort of your own home.
Maybe you need more time at home with the kids or maybe you are just tired of a typical nine-to-five job. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the remote job opportunities available to people without college degrees. You can use the information provided to weigh the pros and cons of working remotely to see if it is for you.
What Is a Remote Job?
A remote job is a job you can perform from any location you choose. Some remote jobs require employees to work certain hours, while others allow employees the privilege of choosing their own hours. You can choose from a wide range of remote jobs depending on your qualifications, skills, and experiences.
What Do Remote Jobs Pay?
The average income for remote jobs varies. For example, a writing gig can pay as little as a few cents per word, or it can pay up to $60 per page. It’s important to align your financial goals with your prospective salary. If you play your cards right, you won’t have to supplement your remote job with any other source of income.
What Skills Do You Need to Land a Remote Job?
Independence
The ability to work independently is important since you will not be able to lean on your coworkers or superiors for quick answers. In some cases, there may be a time difference between you and the employer, which means you’ll often have to wait for answers. Most remote employers expect remote workers to work with little guidance.
Self-Motivation
Staying motivated is vital to your success. Being able to maintain self-motivation to achieve your career goals and hit all your deadlines will prove to be non-negotiable. If you have children to care for, then you may want to hire help to care for them for a few hours a day to help you stay focused. You may even want to have a separate workspace like an office to keep you focused.
Communication Skills
Miscommunication can easily translate to wasted time, which ultimately costs the company money and could lead to jeopardizing your job. Although people would assume that remote work would require less communication, quite the opposite is true. This is especially apparent for remote customer service representatives, sales representatives, and project managers,
Collaboration Skills
Although you are at home working alone, you may still have to collaborate with others. Being accountable and able to keep team members adequately informed are highly valued skills in this environment. You might also need to collaborate with other departments, colleagues, or external business partners.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand and manage your own emotions. Part of being emotionally intelligent is knowing where your boundaries are, what triggers your stress response, and how you should react to stay emotionally and mentally healthy. Being able to communicate effectively and empathize with others is also a part of emotional intelligence.
What Education Do You Need to Get a Remote Job?
There are remote jobs that you get without a high school diploma. Having some tertiary education, even in the form of a short bootcamp of Massive Open Online Course can help. Often, experience trumps education, so comb over your past experiences and leverage them to enhance your appeal. Think about how the skills you’ve acquired in the past can help you stand out for remote jobs.
Why College Is Not for Everyone
College isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. Maybe you didn’t have the time or money to study, or life presented you with circumstances that made it difficult to dedicate four years to earn a degree. There are other ways you can educate yourself and acquire the skills and knowledge you need to land a remote job. Don’t let not having a college degree stand in the way of your success.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Remote Job?
A coding bootcamp can definitely help you qualify for remote jobs, particularly in the tech industry. Employers value bootcamp graduates because they often acquire hands-on skills throughout their bootcamp program. In fact, bootcamps have quickly become one of the primary ways that tech employees become qualified for high-paying tech positions.
How to Get a Remote Job With a GED
Assess Your Skills
The first step to finding a remote job with a GED is to determine what skills and knowledge you already have. Make a list of all the skills and knowledge you have acquired from your education, work history, and other experiences. This will also help you determine the field you should look into.
Research Jobs
Once you have listed your skills, knowledge, and experience, you can now start to look at what kinds of jobs you qualify for. If you select a job outside of your qualifications, you may find that it is not as enjoyable for you as you thought or you may become overwhelmed with the demands.
Most job postings list the required skills needed to secure the position. There are also a few online job boards that allow you to input your skills, experience, education, and work history to match you with positions you qualify for.
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Prepare Your Resume
Creating a professional resume with all the relevant information and ensuring it’s compelling can be difficult. With that said, there are plenty of free resources and advice available online. There is also a plethora of free resume templates that will take the information you enter and organize it into a beautiful and professional resume.
Also, do not forget to write a cover letter. Cover letters are still widely expected with applications for employment. It is the first real impression you can make on an employer, particularly when applying for remote positions, so make sure it is compelling and concise.
Apply For The Position
Now that you know what jobs you are qualified for and have adequately prepared your resume and cover letter, it is time to apply for those positions. Do not be discouraged when applying for jobs if they ask for a degree. There are many employers that accept skills and knowledge in lieu of a degree.
Prepare for the Interview
Being prepared for the interview will put you in a competitive position to secure employment. Do research on the company interviewing you. Know things like their mission, values, share price, reported successes in the press, and any other notable information you may feel is important to know.
Put your best foot forward, make sure you are well-rested, prepared, and well-groomed on the day of the interview. Make sure you have a quiet place for the interview so there are no interruptions or distractions as you will need to give your undivided attention to the interviewer.
High-Paying Remote Jobs Without a College Degree
| Job | Average Salary | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Web Developer | $77,200 | 13% |
| Copywriter | $67,120 | 9% |
| Freelance Writer | $67,120 | 9% |
| Freelance Graphic Designer | $53,380 | 3% |
| Social Media Manager | $141,490 | 10% |
| Insurance Agent | $52,180 | 7% |
| Coding Specialist | $45,240 | 9% |
| Virtual Bookkeeper | $42,410 | -3% |
| Executive Assistant | $65,230 | -0.6% |
| Virtual Assistant | $40,990 | -7% |
Best Remote Jobs that Don’t Require a Degree: A Closer Look
Web Developer
Web developers compose code and content to create useful and enticing websites. They create web pages that perform a variety of functions. These professionals work with the appearance and the function of a site. You do not need to have a degree to find work as a web developer, however, you will need coding and web administration skills.
You can sharpen these abilities by taking an online course. You could also consider enrolling in a coding bootcamp to fill your skill and knowledge gaps. This job currently has a 13 percent projected growth from 2020 to 2030, making it a secure option.
Copywriter
Copywriters create enticing, engaging, and instructive content. Copywriters compose articles, text for websites, item descriptions, and social media posts. They are adept at switching their tone to match the mission of their employer. Copywriters don’t need a degree to track down a lucrative work-from-home position.
Freelance Writer
A freelance writer writes different types of content. Organizations searching for writers range from SEO organizations to media, and many others. Numerous SEO organizations are searching for beginner-level writers and will prepare you for writing SEO-friendly content. You might be paid per word or a set amount for a set number of words.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Freelance graphic designers utilize design software to make logos, artistic prints, web images, page formats, and computerized drawings for their customers. They meet with customers to find out their visual plan and creative taste. Then, they create a design based on these preferences.
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Many freelance graphic designers work from home, utilizing online chats or their telephone to book customers and communicate feedback. The job outlook shows a growth of three percent currently. We can expect this to increase going forward due to the constant growth of the tech industry.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers represent companies online by administering their web-based media presence and utilizing social media to engage with clients. They track social media trends and plan strategies to best advance a brand’s image or value. Social media managers react to comments in a steady brand voice, make unique posts and connect with other organizations’ accounts.
Insurance Agent
Insurance agents connect with clients over telephone or email to sell home, auto, life, or general protection plans. They assemble data on leads of people who need protection and meet with them to examine the terms they can offer. Insurance agents mediate payment rates, deductibles, installments, and extra services dependent on their customer’s circumstances and needs.
Coding Specialist
Medical coding specialists analyze patient charts after an appointment and allot codes to each part of a patient’s visit. The codes indicate different needs for the patient, making it simple for insurance agencies to decide on coverage options and approve insurance claims. Coding specialists type codes into a database and often work with medical staff.
Virtual Bookkeeper
Virtual bookkeepers utilize web-based accounting software to assist with customer records. They sort a customer’s purchases into categories and ensure that their balances match with receipts, purchases, and invoices. They gain remote access to organizational archives, sort them out in a consistent, secure way, make transaction reports, and reconcile discrepancies.
While virtual bookkeepers do not have to have a conventional degree, some businesses require an accounting certificate to qualify. Someone with billing and administrative experience could easily become a virtual bookkeeper. While the number of jobs is expected to shrink by three percent over the next decade, it still acts as a stable remote job.
Executive Assistant
Executive assistants offer mindful help to an organization’s leaders. They work intimately with a single executive to arrange their timetable, screen calls, create presentations, acquire supplies and handle managerial duties. Executive assistants often accompany executives to gatherings to take minutes and assist them with staying organized.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants serve customers by booking transportation, making arrangements, posting online media content, and keeping track of expenses. Priorities are set by the customer and they can cover a wide range of duties.
Companies that Offer Entry-Level remote Jobs
- Aha Media Group: Aha Media Group is a media content and marketing firm. It specializes in content strategy and communication solutions, including web writing and content writing. Past staff rated the company 5 out of 5 stars.
- Canva: Canva is an online design and publishing tool. They intend to provide the opportunity for everyone in the world to create visual documents and publish or print them. Employees give it a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Indeed.
- Excellence Services: This is a privately owned business that provides luxury services exclusively to the wealthy. They boast a 4.5-star rating with excellent reviews from remote workers on Indeed.
- Ultius Inc: This is a platform that claims to quickly and reliably connect people and companies with the best writers on the market. Staff give it a 3.6 out of 5-star rating on Indeed
- Clutch: This is a hybrid consultancy and agency focusing on B2B companies. It provides different services to companies such as marketing and sales consulting. It has a ranking of 3.5 out of 5 on Indeed.
Where to Find Remote Jobs that Don’t Require a Degree
LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network. You can find remote and non-remote jobs, gain insight into certain topics of interest, and create opportunities for possible employment within your own network. They also offer the opportunity to enhance your profile with customized quizzes and courses relating to your field of expertise.
Virtual Vocations
Virtual Vocations is an online job board built for digital nomads that allow you to search for employment opportunities. Here you can find a senior-level or entry-level position. The website currently lists almost 34,000 remote jobs.
FlexJobs
This is an online job board where you can customize a search for entry-level remote jobs that do not require a four-year degree. They currently list over 33,000 jobs. FlexJobs also offers career guidance and resume-building services.
Consider an Online Degree Later in Your Career
Although the idea of pursuing a bachelor’s degree may seem overwhelming, online and hybrid degree programs have made it easier than ever. Earning a degree opens up opportunities for you as an independent contractor or employee, and it increases your earning potential. While you might not be in a position to do so now, you might want to consider the benefits of earning your online degree later in your career.
Remote Jobs Without a Degree FAQ
A remote job is a job you can perform outside of the office, at home, or from anywhere in the world. While some remote jobs allow you to work whenever you want, others require remote workers to adhere to a strict schedule.
There is a multitude of jobs in a wide range of fields that can be done remotely without a degree. Some of them have been highlighted in this article.
There are many opportunities for remote employment. Some of these have been discussed in this article and range from administrative assistant to social media manager.
The salary range for jobs that don’t require a degree is very broad. It heavily depends on your role, location, experience, and field. Many of the jobs mentioned in this article earn an average annual salary between $40,000 to $70,000.
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