Re-entering the workforce after retiring is something more and more retirees are considering. The reasons for this are endless. But more recently, it has been out of need rather than convenience. With a tough economy and commodity prices going up every day, a majority of retirees are realizing that they can’t just rely on their pension. To maintain the good life they are used to, they need to work deep into retirement.
There is absolutely no problem with this approach. After all, working keeps you active. And as long as you can find a reasonable work at home job that doesn’t suck energy out of you, you’ll be able to earn extra income without leaving the sofa.
However, before we list some of the jobs you should be considering, we must warn you about work-at-home scams. A quick search on “work at home jobs” on Google will offer you thousands of results. Millions maybe, but more than half of those are scams!
They are websites looking to get you to work for them for free. You’ll work for months thinking that you’re earning money. But when you finally decide to withdraw the “money”, that’s when you’ll discover that you were indeed working for free.
Some websites are also run by online hackers waiting to prey on the money in your bank
accounts. They just want to convince you to click a few links and with that they can get your personal and financial information which they can then use to gain access to your money. Beware of these scams.
Onto the list, here are six work-at-home jobs every retiree should consider;
- Freelancing
Freelancing is becoming really popular with some people now choosing to freelance from the very start. The best thing about this is that most jobs can now be accomplished remotely without the worker having to show up in an office. Some of the jobs you can do online include: web design, administrative support, sales and marketing, accounting/finance, and telemarketing to mention just a few.
Bringing these jobs to our doorsteps are freelancing websites such as Guru, Freelancer, and Upwork. You can easily sign up on any of these websites for a freelancing account.
- Write and edit
You can also register on the many writing and editing websites and create content or edit other writer’s content. Some of the better-paying writing and editing companies online include Helium and Yahoo! Voices. Or, you can write for magazines and local newspapers. Alternatively, you can work on essay writing websites where you’ll be writing original essays for undergraduates, graduates, and even doctoral students. It’s very convenient.
Topics typically range from historical events to trending tech innovations. Pay depends on the hiring company but you can earn up to and over $100 daily.
3.Telemarketing
If you possess excellent communication skills and are fluent in spoken English, you can also find a job with companies with cold-calling needs. There are many companies and organizations that frequently call customers to discuss business. These companies are constantly on the hunt for individuals capable engaging the customers on their behalf. You can apply for these positions.
Some of the most popular telemarketing job opportunities include debt collection, booking and appointment confirmation jobs, soliciting donations, and persuading people to try a certain product or service. The jobs have very flexible work schedules and the pay is competitive. Some training may be provided before you start.
4.Become a virtual customer service agent
Other than telemarketing, you can also become a part-time customer service agent. Customer service agents are the people you normally speak to when you call major companies like Microsoft and Amazon. These multinational companies need local customer reps to improve their local presence and woo more local customers. Airlines and large hotel chains are other industries that love to hire work-at-home customer reps.
You must have a very good voice though and must be able to speak the desired language perfectly. You’ll also need to spend some time doing research to find the best laptop possible for your budget and a stable Internet connection. In addition, you must be available to work a number of hours (mostly 20) per week.
5.Become a tutor
If you graduated from a college in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia, or are currently a student at an accredited school, you can also register at Online Tutor and start teaching while earning some good income. Currently, sciences, math, and English are the most in-demand subjects but you can also find opportunities to teach social studies.
You must however be able to convey information just like a teacher in a real classroom setup. The directors of the platforms carry out elaborate interviews to test this. In addition, you also need a capable laptop and a stable Internet connection.
6.Sell online
There are two options here: retail and direct selling. Online retail simply means setting up your shop online and selling products of your choice such as headsets to your market of choice. You can even go international. Moreover, platforms like Craigslist, Ebay.com and Amazon.com now allow people to set up their own small shops within the larger platform. It’s a great opportunity to tap into the large client bases these companies have.
Direct selling is a little different. Here, you join a network and are then given certain products to sell for a commission. You can pick the products that best appeal to you and can “sell back” unsold stock at any time.
Other Options
The six jobs listed above can be found by signing up on freelancing websites. However, as we all know, freelancing sites can be very demanding. At an old age, you may want a lot more control. If that’s the case, you can also start your own company and do these jobs as an independent contractor. For instance, as a tutor, you can open your website and teach students from there.
If you choose this approach though, you should be prepared to find your own clients. As a tutor, for example, be prepared to find students to enroll for your classes. This requires basic marketing skills. But you’ll earn really good money.
