How to Earn Money While in Isolation: 10 Online Jobs for Remote Work

The global epidemic of the "corona" virus and the measures taken by countries to prevent its spread will undoubtedly have economic consequences.

Most companies have closed their offices and sent their employees home, trying to maintain the necessary level of productivity for functioning during the crisis period through improvised work-from-home conditions.

Depending on the type of industry, some industries have been more affected, some less, while others have not been affected at all. In the latter case, it refers to the internet industry and jobs that can be performed in almost any environment, as long as certain knowledge, skills, a computer, and a secure internet connection are available.

Although just two decades ago, this type of employment was considered unreliable and unprofitable, today the circumstances are entirely different, and a significant number of jobs can be performed equally efficiently (if not more efficiently) outside the office – from cafes, restaurant gardens, parks, one of the numerous coworking spaces, or, in the current "corona" situation, from home.

Below, we present ten modern remote professions that function successfully in Serbia, whether you work for the domestic or foreign market, as a freelancer or a full-time employee.

Translator

The job of a translator, in itself, is not so much tied to a specific space as it is to a pleasant environment that allows peace and concentration. While translators used to be exclusively individuals with degrees from philological faculties and certificates from prestigious language schools, today it is not always necessary. It is sufficient to speak a foreign language fluently (which can be easily assessed), and employment opportunities will arise, especially if you target the foreign market. Depending on personal interests or employer needs, the job of a translator can cover a wide range of fields – from subtitling films to highly specialized translations and correspondence. Proficiency in a foreign language is often a "gateway" to other business activities.

Online Writer

In line with the fact that communication and information in today's time mostly take place through websites and applications, online writing or copywriting has become one of the more popular occupations among the younger generation. Whether it's daily news, blogs, sales or "serious" professional and creative texts, creating content for websites has become a constant need in the race to offer faster or more relevant information. Depending on the level of personal literary skills and the ability to interestingly describe a specific event, phenomenon, or product, employment opportunities in such positions are truly extensive, even in Serbia, especially when it comes to the foreign market.

Blogger/Podcaster/YouTuber

Although just a few years ago, these "professions" were hardly understood by anyone, time has shown that one can earn quite decently from hobbies. This is evidenced by the large number of so-called influencers worldwide - people who earn the attention of millions by sharing their knowledge and skills. True, there are also those who build popularity in different ways but are equally followed, which is ultimately the most important thing in this context. If you enjoy exposure, have the ability to engage a sufficient number of followers with legitimate content, and offer popular and free content (whether in textual, audio, or video format), if you are creative enough and believe you have something to offer to the world - here's an opportunity to try and start your own blog, podcast, or YouTube channel.

Web Designer & Developer

Software engineering, web programming and design, 3D animation, and SEO optimization are just some of the extremely important occupations in today's digital world that can be successfully performed from home, from a technical standpoint. The good thing is that you don't need any specific degree to be a successful web developer. The even better thing is that these occupations are the most financially rewarding, but the level of technical knowledge, training, and work experience is much higher compared to all the previously mentioned jobs. However, with numerous opportunities for free learning and consulting on the internet, video tutorials, looking up to positive examples and practices, and of course, a lot of willingness and effort - everything is possible. In IT, at least everything is clear: your value is determined by how much you know.

Social Media Manager

Also one of the professions of the "modern era," born out of recreation and grown into an extremely important marketing strategy. The most popular social media platforms (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Viber...) have literally billions of users worldwide. In the case of Serbia, there are "only" a few million accounts, but still a wide audience that makes social media perhaps the most important channel/medium for promoting ideas, products, and services. If you are adept at these applications, understand their marketing potential, and see the logic in using them to enhance someone's business, try your hand at it or improve your knowledge to become a professional. In the digital era we live in, the prospects of this type of marketing are immense.

Psychotherapist/Life Coach

This is one of the professions that, admittedly, is not for everyone, but can make perfect sense in the context of working from home if you are a psychologist, psychotherapist, life coach, or simply enjoy and are successful in helping people through conversation. Psychotherapy via phone or video call is a practice that is often used even in regular circumstances around the world, and recently also in our country. However, this job requires a certain level of already established credibility, which is not built overnight or through online courses.

Bookkeeper

Here's a "traditional" profession. Whether you are employed in the accounting department of a company and, due to circumstances, forced to work from home, or you are the owner of a bookkeeping agency for businesses and small enterprises - keeping track of financial transactions from home should not be a problem if you have access to the necessary documentation. Even if you have no previous experience in bookkeeping, paid as well as many free online courses allow you to train for working with smaller clients in a relatively short period, start a new career, or redirect your existing one.

E-teacher

Regardless of the current situation that has led to the suspension of the school year, distance teaching (via video or voice messages) is a practice that young people in Serbia have been widely adopting in recent years for additional and relatively easy earnings, especially when it comes to foreign languages. The number of agencies offering this type of freelance engagement is increasing, and the "clientele" is mostly school-age children from Far Eastern countries. Considering that in most cases it involves teaching basic things, it is not necessary to be a certified expert in a specific field, but it is certainly desirable to possess the necessary knowledge and be able to convey it properly. If you have substantial knowledge in a certain area and are proficient in foreign languages, you can also be an online teacher in other fields such as mathematics, chemistry, natural sciences, etc.

Call Operator/Customer Support

A growing number of companies communicate with their clients and product/service users through call centers or customer support services. Admittedly, these are not always the most popular professions, nor are they suitable for everyone, but they can provide a respectable income and, most importantly, they can be easily performed from home, with a computer, appropriate software, and internet connection. Whether it's scheduling service appointments, processing orders, or providing information, a friendly telephone voice "on the other end of the line" is often the first step in attracting or retaining customers.

Online (Re)seller

If you engage in homemade crafts or small-scale artisanal work such as painting, jewelry making, or other interesting items, if you knit, crochet, sew, repair small appliances, or (re)sell books and antiques, home isolation does not have to be an obstacle to earning money, quite the opposite. If there is someone working at full capacity in extraordinary circumstances (excluding medical professionals and manufacturing workers), it's courier services, which can keep you connected to your customers. Provided that you have an online catalog of your products and the option for online purchasing, courier services enable relatively fast distribution of goods between you and your customers.

If you see yourself in any of the described roles, check out the job opportunities offered by popular domestic and foreign search engines:

Infostud, Lako do posla, Klik do posla, Upwork, Freelancer, Indeed, Toptal