How to land a work-from-home job without any experience

With 90% of Americans having access to the Internet, working from home is becoming a more feasible option for many job seekers. But it can be discouraging to search for jobs online when so many careers ask for a bachelor’s degree or two years of experience at a minimum.

But did you know that there are several work-from-home jobs that you can do without experience or a specific level of education? Let’s explore what options are available if you’re a job seeker who wants to work from the comfort of their own home.

What is a work-from-home job?

A work-from-home job involves remote work you can do from your computer using an Internet connection. Your colleagues may be working from an office, or they may be working remotely like you are.

Although people call it “work from home,” you don’t have to work from your home when you do remote work — you can work from anywhere. As long as you’re able to fulfill the job requirements, you’re free to work in a place that fits your lifestyle.

For instance, some people prefer to work in coworking spaces near their homes. Others live a nomadic lifestyle and move from place to place while carrying their laptop with them. But many people use WFH jobs to avoid commuting, care for pets and children, and save money on food.

Online jobs you can do from home without experience or a college degree

Think getting a remote job is the best option for you? Here are 14 examples of WFH jobs that you can do without experience, special training, or a college degree.

1. Content writer

A content writer will write content like blog posts, articles, emails, social media posts, and more to help promote their employer. You’ll typically work with a team of writers and editors and be expected to follow specific editorial guidelines.

As a content writer, you can work in-house for a company as a full-time employee. Another option is to freelance and offer your services to several companies. Freelance content writers can charge their clients in different ways, including:

• Hourly

• Per word

• Per project (article, email, set number of social media posts, etc.)

• Per month

If you charge per word or project, your income will depend on how quickly you can write high-quality content. The average salary for writers is $78,680, but this can vary wildly if you’re a freelancer. For instance, freelance content writers can charge anywhere between a single cent per word and a dollar per word.

You don’t need a diploma or work experience to become a content writer. However, you do need solid writing skills. Many potential employers will also want to see some samples of your work, but you can write articles on your own — you don’t need to wait to get hired to start writing.

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2. Transcriptionist

As a transcriptionist, you’ll type audio into written text, usually using a keyboard and computer. You’ll need to carefully listen to audio of varying qualities to get an accurate transcription of what’s being said.

Different types of transcription jobs exist, including medical and legal transcriptions. Medical transcriptions can also involve converting paper documents into digital text.

Medical transcriptionists make $37,310 a year on average. This wage can vary depending on your niche, but it’s a good indication of what you can make from home. Although transcription work pays less on average than content writing, it requires fewer skills and is more accessible for entry-level job seekers.

3. Translator

A translator will translate content from one language to another. Typically, work-from-home translators will translate written content. But in some cases, you’ll be required to translate and transcribe audio files.

As a translator, you need to know two languages. A translator will usually specialize in one-way translation. For instance, if you know French but English is your native language, you’ll usually translate from French to English.

Some companies require a college degree in translation, but that’s not always the case.

The median pay for translators is $52,330 per year. Plus, there’s a 24% growth rate for this industry, which is much faster than average.

4. Mock juror

Mock jurors usually work with attorneys. They act like a real juror would on a real case. This means you’ll read over documents of an ongoing case and give a judgment based on the evidence you have.

Attorneys can test responses to their cases before going to court, which is why mock jurors come in handy for them. This isn’t a full-time WFH job, but it can help you bridge your income.

5. Sales agent

As a sales agent, you’ll communicate with prospective buyers to sell products and services. This will usually happen on the phone.

Sales agents are required in industries that have a longer buying cycle. People who buy in those industries need guidance from a person and will need to have their questions answered. Examples of such industries include insurance, advertising, and business services.

Insurance sales agents make a median wage of $52,180 per year. Sales roles usually involve commission, which means your income will be largely dependent on your performance.

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6. Customer service representative

A customer service representative interacts with customers to provide them with support in various steps of the customer journey. This support can happen via text, chat, email, or even phone.

What you do daily as a customer service representative can vary, but some examples include:

• Answering customer questions

• Helping customers with billing issues

• Guiding customers to the best person to solve their problem

• Conducting customer surveys to assess the quality of the product or service your employer provides

• Handling customer complaints

A customer sales representative makes an average of $18.51 per hour. While you don’t need any experience, you’ll need to have some communication skills.

7. Data entry specialist

Just like a transcriptionist, a data entry specialist types information into databases. But instead of transcribing from an audio file, data entry clerks usually type from existing text.

This work-from-home profession can get you an average of $35,850 per year. If you’re a fast typer and have good attention to detail, you don’t need any additional experience to perform this job.

8. Quality assurance tester

Quality assurance testing is a wide range of different careers. For entry-level job seekers, it involves testing software, apps, and games to report bugs and other issues.

Not all quality assurance jobs are entry-level. Some positions require applicants to have some experience in coding and development. But that’s not always the case. For instance, video game testing is usually easier to get into.

Video game testers usually work for an agency that rents its services to video game development companies. If you do this job from home, what you’ll need depends on the projects you work on.

For example, testing a PC game will require a powerful PC, but employers will typically provide you with the right device when you need to test mobile games or console games.

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9. Website/app testing

Unlike quality assurance testing, website and app testing are often done on a freelance basis. Sites like usertesting.com pay $4 for five-minute tests, $10 for 20-minute tests, and between $30 to $120 for live interviews.

Because the tests are so short, you can squeeze them in during your free time. This makes website and app testing a great side hustle.

10. Search engine evaluator

A search engine evaluator position is a good WFH job if you’re talented at researching online. Search engine evaluators assess how useful top search results are on search engines when you search for a specific term. For instance, if you search “how to repair a tent,” do the top search results help you achieve the outcome of repairing a tent?

Search engine evaluators make an average of $62,529 per year.

11. Telemarketer

Telemarketers solicit people on the phone for purchases or donations. It’s similar to a sales agent, except you’re the one initiating the conversation by calling people directly.

With this job, you’ll make an average of $30,930 per year. Although you’ll need good communication skills, employers usually provide telemarketers with a script to follow, which means you won’t need any previous sales experience to succeed in this role.

12. Virtual assistant

A virtual assistant is like an administrative assistant—but virtual. That’s why it’s perfect for people who want to work from home.

This job can be for one company as a contractor or employee, but you can also work freelance. For instance, you could work for four different companies that each need a virtual assistant for ten hours a week.

The median pay for virtual assistants in the US is $19.71 per hour. The more specialized skills you develop over time, the more you can make. For example, an executive assistant — someone who assists high-level executives — makes an average of $31.36 per hour.

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13. Call center representative

A call center representative is similar to a customer service representative. But they specialize in answering phones. While this job was traditionally done in a physical call center, several companies now employ people who work from home as part of a virtual call center. This provides cheaper overhead for them — and more flexible work arrangements for you.

Call center representatives are different from telemarketers in one huge way — they receive calls instead of making them. If you have good communication skills and feel comfortable on the phone, this could be the WFH job for you.

14. Proofreader

Do you have great attention to detail? Are you the type of person who will easily spot and point out typos and mistakes when reading something? If so, you could become a work-from-home proofreader.

Proofreaders read over text and edit grammar and mistakes. They make an average wage of $44,670 per year. Like content writers, they can work as full-time employees, but they can also be freelancers.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay close attention to your resume when applying for a proofreading position. It’s always important to avoid typos in a resume for any job you apply for. But it’s even more crucial when applying to become a proofreader.

How to find work-from-home jobs

If you’ve decided that working remotely is meant for you, here’s how you can kickstart your online job search.

First, make sure you have a reliable, fast Internet connection. Most employers will require this as a minimum. Some companies provide high-speed Internet to their employees, but you shouldn’t expect this perk at first—especially if you’re entry-level.

Next, join Jobcase if you haven’t already. Once you have an account, you’ll be able to optimize your profile for the type of job you want. For instance, if you want to become a customer service representative, you can add skills to your profile such as:

• Communication skills

• Active listening

• Empathy

• Time management

• Empathy

• Customer service

Now, it’s time to find job opportunities. You can do this by navigating to the “Jobs” section on Jobcase.

Next, you’ll need to enter a keyword for the type of job you’re looking for. You’ll also need to enter your city, but that won’t matter in a minute.

When you click “Search,” tons of job opportunities will appear. But if you want to browse through WFH jobs, you need to select “Remote Only” on the left-hand menu.

When you look through these remote job opportunities, make sure to read the descriptions carefully. Many hiring managers will require specific processes for your application, so you don’t want to miss anything.

Land the perfect WFH entry-level job

Even if you don’t have any paid work experience to add to your resume, it’s possible to find a remote job you can do from home. Sign up to Jobcase to get notified when relevant work-from-home jobs become available.