In our previous article, How to make money online – best work-from-home jobs, we talked about our digital nomad lifestyle and some of the online jobs we’ve done and still do to make money working from anywhere in the world.
Despite having the freedom to work from anywhere sounds amazing, it might scare you off at first. How to get started? How to find online jobs? Are you skilled enough? How to integrate your knowledge to be a good fit?
In this article we’ll answer to all these questions and give you our tips to find the right direction and motivation to pursue your dream job.
ARE MY SKILLS ENOUGH?
Let’s start by saying that, as for any other job, you’ll need to be qualified.
For some tasks you might need a review, a detailed study, learn or improve old and new expertise.
A platform we recommend to take online courses is Skillshare, where you’ll find thousands of inspiring classes about photography, website design, business, marketing and much more (we’re giving you 14 days for free at this link).
Another excellent resource is EdX, a website that provides university level courses to expand your knowledge.
BEST PLATFORMS WHERE TO WORK ONLINE REMOTELY
Here are our favourite platforms where to find online jobs, to work from home or from anywhere you want.
Some of these websites are worlds on their own, in which to find literally anything without ever having to leave the platform.
For other jobs like teaching languages or affiliate marketing it is necessary to browse from site to site, depending what you want to deepen specifically.
Want to earn with your photography skills? Smiler App is the first on-the-spot photography marketplace, which makes photographers and customers meet in tourist spots or points of interest as stadiums, museums, conferences. You can join Smiler for free at this link.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- UPWORK
- FIVERR
- UDEMY
- SELLFY
- TEACHABLE
- ETSY
- WHERE TO TEACH AND TUTOR LANGUAGES ONLINE
- SITES FOR AFFILIATE MARKETING
- SITES FOR TRANSLATORS
1. UPWORK
Upwork is an online platform that helps businesses to get in touch with freelancers from all over the world.
After registering for free, you have to setup your profile and competences. Upwork uses an algorithm that will match the best potential jobs to your specific case.
Some jobs have a fixed budget for the entire project, whilst for some other you have to negotiate your hourly fee and indicate how many hours you’ll require in order to complete that specified job.
You need credits to apply for job offers. Upwork will give you 60 credits for free each month, however if you do apply for many jobs, you’ll need to buy extra credit. You can get a credit refund if the job will be assigned to somebody else before your offer will even be considered.
JOB TYPE: Website and app creator, virtual assistant, translator, proof-reader, social media manager, SEO specialist.
SIGN UP: free, 60 credits/month. 10 extra credits for 1.50$.
COMMISSION: 20% on your hourly fee.
PAYMENT: PayPal or bank transfer.
2. FIVERR
Fiverr is another very popular marketplace, particularly profitable for small and independent workers.
Lots of categories are featured on Fiverr including graphics&design, digital marketing, social media, writing, video animation, website creation, translation.
Compared to Upwork, Fiverr gives you more freedom.
You are free to create and publish your own gig, setting up what service you offer and how much you charge. When a potential buyer contacts you, you’ll negotiate via private chat within the Fiverr system.
Average payouts can go from 20$ for an hourly job, up to 500 or 1,000$ for a bigger project.
JOB TYPE: Logo designer, illustrator, content writer, copywriter, ads videomaker.
SIGN UP: free.
COMMISSION: 20% on your hourly fee.
PAYMENT: PayPal, bank transfer.
3. UDEMY
Udemy is an American online learning program, aimed at professional adults and students.
On Udemy you can find a wide variety of courses and topics, however we are here for the other main option that this platform offers, i.e. becoming a teacher and selling your courses online.
You can help people learn new skills, advance their careers, and explore their hobbies by sharing your knowledge.
The process is quite simple: each time a student purchases your course you earn money.
Another bonus of Udemy is their active community of instructors to help you through your course creation process.
JOB TYPE: teacher, selling online courses.
SIGN UP: free.
COMMISSION: 25% on your selling price.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Payoneer.
4. SELLFY
Sellfy is an e-commerce platform designed for creators and businesses looking to sell their digital and/or physical products online in a simple way.
You don’t need to have your own website, in fact you can choose to build a store directly on Sellfy and sell from there. However, if you do have a personal site or blog, Sellfy gives you the possibility to integrate their services into your website.
Sellfy is easy to set up, and you can get a 1 month free trial at this link.
The process is particularly straightforward for digital products, as Sellfy takes care of hosting your files and delivering your orders to customers instantly after a purchase is confirmed.
Whereas for physical products you will need to handle shipping and fulfill orders from your end.
JOB TYPE: content creator, selling your own product.
SIGN UP: monthly/yearly costs, starting from 19$ a month. Get 1 month free trial here.
COMMISSION: zero.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Stripe.
5. TEACHABLE
Teachable allows you to create and sell online courses.
This portal is extremely helpful when it’s about building a beautiful and professional course, in which to share your knowledge in exchange for a profit.
You can be rewarded for any passion you have and you’d like to teach about, it doesn’t matter if it’s mainstream or just a tiny niche.
As a matter of fact, topics go from painting, yoga and home cooking, to drone coaching, music lessons or trading skills.
One downside is that Teachable will help you with the set up but you’ll need to find your own audience. Having a website, blog, or a mailing list is ideal, otherwise you could try to start promoting your lessons to your social media followers.
JOB TYPE: selling online courses.
SIGN UP: monthly/yearly costs, starting from 29$ a month.
COMMISSION: zero.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
6. ETSY
Etsy is a smart platform that allows you to create your own e-store.
Focusing mostly on handmade products and collection, Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies.
It is not a free service but it is very cheap, you can list your first item for just $0.20 cents, and you only pay transaction and payment processing fees when you make a sale.
Etsy interactive tools and services make it easy to manage and grow your business.
JOB TYPE: online artisan, selling your own product.
SIGN UP: 0.20 cents per ad.
COMMISSION: 5% on your selling price.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Google Wallet, Apple Pay.
7. WHERE TO TEACH AND TUTOR LANGUAGES ONLINE
There are several platforms where to teach online, depending on what language and to what audience you’d like to teach.
Some of the most trustworthy websites for English teachers are: GoGoKid and VIPKid, both Beijing based companies connecting Chinese students with native-English speakers from around the world. Another similar platform is PalFish.
Please note, these only hire native speakers with a passport from an English speaking country, e.g.: England, USA, Australia, South Africa, Ireland.
Further requirements are a TEFL or TESOL certificate, and a bachelor’s degree.
A great perk is that you are provided all the material and topics for your classes, so you don’t need to spend time planning your lesson.
Regarding multi-lingual programs worldwide, some established marketplaces are PrePly, Italki, Verbling.
A special mention goes to Superprof, which helps teachers and tutors alike to find their online career paths.
Superprof can cater for everyone looking for online tutoring jobs, jobs in education, or jobs for freelancers.
Classes are normally between 20-60 minutes, and can be both group or 1-on-1. Payments start from 20$ an hour.
JOB TYPE: online languages teacher and tutor.
SIGN UP: free, you may need certificates.
COMMISSION: zero.
PAYMENT: PayPal, bank transfer.
8. SITES FOR AFFILIATE MARKETING
As we mentioned in our article How to make money online – best work-from-home jobs, we love affiliate marketing because it offers virtually unlimited possibilities. Not only you simply need to spread the word about a product you like in order to earn some money, but you don’t even require a permanent audience, nor your own website.
For example, you can become an affiliate of Booking.com, and earn money when a friend books a hotel you recommended to them.
If you are into blogging, you can suggest a reliable hosting service for others who want to create their own website, such as SiteGround or Bluehost, which pay up to 65$ for a single commission,.
Or you could refer an item you bought on Amazon or Ebay, a pre-paid travel card with no withdrawal international fees, or a travel insurance to your Facebook friends, or even to your auntie as far as we’re concerned!
Every time someone will use your affiliate links to purchase a service, you’ll receive a commission.
JOB TYPE: affiliate marketer.
SIGN UP: free.
COMMISSION: variable earning from 3.5% to 20% on the selling price of a service.
PAYMENT: PayPal, bank transfer.
9. SITES FOR TRANSLATORS
Other than Fiverr and Upwork, which offer casual translating jobs from time to time, more specific websites for professional and potentially full time translators exist as well.
Worth a note is Translated, supporting a fast and technologic approach, together with the possibility of choosing your preferred topics and setting up you fee per single word.
Another reliable site is Unbabel, particularly profitable for bilingual individuals, native speakers and experienced translators. A series of initial tests will evaluate your competence in order to offer the best jobs to suit your skills. Payments are between 10-18$ hourly.
If you want to search more similar sites, have a look at Textmaster and ProZ.
JOB TYPE: translator, interpreter, subtitler, dubber.
SIGN UP: free, certificates may be required.
COMMISSION: zero.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Payoneer, bank transfer.
10. LINKEDIN
LinkedIn is a well known American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps.
As we are focusing on working remotely, it is key that you set up your preferences for remote jobs, and let your recruiters know your current situation (where you are, if you are abroad, travelling, etc.).
Always take advantage of Linkedin perks, such as optimising your profile with up to date photos, using the job feature tool, and connecting to people you know all around the world to increase your chance of landing job offers.
JOB TYPE: SEO specialist, social media manager, virtual assistant.
SIGN UP: free.
COMMISSION: zero.
PAYMENT: PayPal, Google Wallet, Apple Pay.
Our guide to websites where to find online jobs remotely ends here.
Are you ready to give your life a turning point? Do you have any questions?
Let us know in the comment section below.
Read our post on how to start your own website here.
