If working from home is your dream, you’ve probably seen your share of job postings and business opportunities that promise way more than they deliver.
We try to highlight more viable home-based jobs and businesses, like being a search engine evaluator. But “business” implies unpredictability, and many online jobs are part-time.
That’s great for some readers, but others may want a more predictable and consistent paycheck.
So I went hunting for legitimate, full-time work-from-home job opportunities — and some of them even offer benefits.
Can You Really Work From Home Full Time?
Many work-from-home jobs are available in the customer service realm.
Large corporations often contract smaller companies to provide phone and online customer service, and these smaller companies specifically hire home workers. Typically you’ll spend the day on the phone in front of your computer and will answer calls or respond to questions online.
For example, my friend worked as a home-based online support specialist for AFNI (which only rarely hires at-home workers), and some of its clients were appliance makers and sellers.
My friend had many tasks, including helping customers order parts and find a service technician, both on the phone and online through a live chat service.
Think back to all the times you’ve called a company for help or typed questions into an online help box. The people you dealt with could have been working at home, which gives you some idea of the kind of work you might be doing.
How Much Could You Get Paid?
Although these positions generally don’t pay high wages, many do provide a regular paycheck and health insurance, among other benefits.
For example, Convergys work-from-home jobs come with “a full benefit package with medical, dental and vision coverage.” The company offers a 401(k) plan, and reimburses employees for college tuition.
As a Convergys agent, you take customer calls and provide other services for large corporations. The company has clients in industries like automotive, communications and media, financial services and many more.
5 Companies That Often Offer Work-From-Home Customer Service Jobs
If you’re having trouble getting started on your work-from-home job search, these five companies often hire work-from-home employees.
Just keep an eye on them.
If you want a particular type of work, ask about what you’ll be doing before accepting the job.
1. SYKES Home
Sykes hires agents to work from home throughout the United States and Canada. The company encourages you to “join the team of 6,000 agents across North America who accept inbound calls routed virtually to their homes.” Apply to work for the company here.
Pay: Glassdoor shows wages ranging from $9.09 to $10.41 per hour. For U.S. employees, Sykes offers health care and 401(k) contributions.
2. TeleTech
Although TeleTech offers many customer service jobs at call centers across the U.S., the company also hires at-home workers. Just look for the listings with “work from home” or “Remote” under “Location.”
Pay: Indeed shows wages varying by position, with a range from $9.05 to $12.84 per hour. Glassdoor lists health and dental plans and a 401(k) as some of TeleTech’s benefits.
3. VIPdesk Connect
Like many of these companies, VIPdesk Connect provides “outsourced customer service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Pay: Glassdoor shows pay of about $10 per hour, and the company says it provides paid vacation days; performance incentives; and (for full-time workers) medical, dental and vision insurance.
4. iQor
You’ll find this statement on the iQor website: “You’ve got energy, enthusiasm, drive and determination. We’ve got benefits, flexible schedules, and a career path that rewards performance with growth and opportunity.” Is that you?
Pay: Glassdoor says the average wage is about $10 an hour. Benefits listed on Glassdoor include performance bonuses, paid time off and health and dental insurance.
5. Convergys
Convergys is consistently hiring work-from-home customer service representatives. If it’s not now, just keep an eye on its listings.
Pay: What you’ll get paid depends largely on your location, but Glassdoor reports salaries in the $10 range.
Other Work-From-Home Jobs
Because you’d work for a company that contracts services to a variety of clients, the work you do could change as clients fluctuate.
You might spend months explaining to customers how to set up smart TVs, and then become a complaint handler when your employer gets a new client. You could even end up as a debt collector.
But if customer service just isn’t your jam, there are plenty of other work-from-home opportunities out there.
Work-From-Home Job Sites
Take a look at these job-search sites and do your own personalized searches. Also, keep an eye on The Penny Hoarder’s Facebook jobs page. There, you’ll see the most up-to-date listings we’ve found.
You should also check out this page on ZipRecruiter, the country’s fastest-growing online job site. You can find work-from-home jobs based on your location.
Work for Yourself
You could also consider working for yourself and striking up your own work-from-home business. That’s even better, because oftentimes you can pick and choose your own schedule.
And no, starting a business isn’t easy. But there are a ton of online courses out there to get you started.
Here are a few that are tailored to different trades:
- Transcribe Anywhere offers a free introductory mini-course so you can see if this is the best route for you. We spoke to a mom who works part time and banks about $2,000 a month as a transcriptionist.
- Proofread Anywhere offers a free 45-minute introductory course. One mom tried this out because she desperately needed a flexible schedule, and now she makes up to $1,200 a month picking and choosing when she works — from home.
The Upsides and Downsides of Work-From-Home Jobs
Research shows home workers are more productive. As Jeri Hector, a home-based online support specialist, explains:
“…there is no background noise in my apartment. This means that it is much easier to help my customers and lowers my irritation factor greatly.”
Ah, but there are always downsides…
Apparently you have to be seen to be appreciated by your coworkers, so, if it’s possible, you might want to get out of the house and show up at the office once in a while. (Plus, you might start feeling a little lonely — and lose a little too much sleep.)
Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror, and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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