July brought welcome news: after steep job losses in April and May, the American economy created some 4.8 million jobs in June, causing the unemployment rate to drop to 11.1%. Though America has a long way to go before its back on track, there are a range of ways to make the time pass while bolstering or supplementing your income.
Whether you have the flexibilities that come with working from home or if you’re in search of a new career adventure, the internet offers endless opportunities to make money – right from our own homes. Here are five creative ideas to consider.
1. Freelancing and Odd Jobs
Got extra time on your hands? A plethora of different online services let you turn that time into dollars. Based on a model of “neighbors helping neighbors,” online marketplace TaskRabbit offers a staggering array of odd jobs, from assembling someone’s IKEA dresser to planting flowers. Experienced with graphic design, writing, or teaching guitar? Fiverr matches professionals with businesses and consumers that need remote help.
2. Online Education
Everyone has something to teach, and with millions of students stuck at home, the demand is high. Check out Wyzant for tutoring opportunities in academic subjects, and Outschool for the ability to design online courses on topics ranging from computer programming to cake decoration to card magic. With websites like these, you can make money sharing what you know – while helping students continue to learn despite the limitations of the pandemic.
3. Healthcare Support
Another vital job/service in this time of crisis is healthcare support: basically, the backend work necessary to keep our healthcare system functioning in order to ensure that people get care. This could take the form of medical transcription (compiling medical files and reports), coding and billing, or staffing a medical call center. There are even jobs for medical writers and illustrators!
4. Virtual Recruiter
If you’re a people-person who’s always liked helping others, why not turn that into a job of your own? Virtual recruiters post jobs for employers, scan LinkedIn and elsewhere to find the best candidate, and may even be involved in the interview process. It’s the perfect online gig for the matchmaker in all of us.
5. Build Your Resume
The extra downtime during the pandemic might be the right moment to build your resume by adding new certifications or skill sets. Coursera offers a wide range of courses for those interested in gaining technical certifications, and EdX offers an impressive number of Massive Online Courses (MOOCs) in practically anything you could be interested in. Best of all, they’re free!
These are just a few examples of the opportunities out there. There’s no doubt the nation’s workforce is changing, and with change comes exciting new opportunities. One thing that everyone can agree on is the need for fast and dependable internet. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your broadband investment, check out our tips to optimizing your home internet. Want to help pave the way to a faster, more powerful future? Sign our petition to encourage the government to open up more spectrum (WiFi) for public use!
Good luck and happy hunting!
