Online side gigs are getting more and more popular for a good reason. You can increase your income or even find a full-time career once you dive into this area. Plus, there are a lot of advantages to working from home.
It’s never been easier to find a job you can do at your own home and on your own time. There are so many interesting gigs online, that you might find it to be a relaxing and fun way to earn more money.
Most of these jobs can be done with zero experience and skills, but some basic computer knowledge is implied. After you’ve read the article, you’re welcome to browse the gigs that best suit you. Search for job offers and apply to as many as possible.
Aside from checking the standard freelancing platforms to find a gig you like, we’ll name a couple of websites you can check as well in this article.
Before you get started
In order to keep it real and don’t quit right after your first search for a side gig, there are some things to be aware of.
The money you earn from side gigs might not pay for a new car, but it can be a great addition to your home budget. It can help you when shopping for everyday necessities or saving for a desired vacation.
You might not get the first gig you apply for. There will always be someone “better” or “quicker”, so make sure to be persistent and apply for junior or low-paying positions at first. You can raise your rates later and apply for better positions that you’re qualified for.
1. Transcription gigs
When talking about online side gigs you can start doing right away, online transcriptions are vital to mention. It’s a job where you’ll be asked to listen to audio/video files and write down everything you hear. You can find plenty of job postings for a transcriber on freelance platforms such as “Upwork” and “Fiverr”.
To get started, you’ll need a stable internet connection, a computer with a keyboard, and headphones. The rest of the equipment (foot pedal and transcription software) will make the job easier and quicker but are not necessary to start.
Even though it’s one of those easiest online money-making opportunities, a few terms must be met.
You need to be a good typer and listener. These skills can sometimes determine whether you get the job or not. The good news is that you can practice and improve them online with many free exercises.
2. Become an online tutor
If you’re already a teacher in real life, then online tutoring is a perfect online side gig for you. Even if you’ve never taught before, you can tutor online if you’re really good at a certain subject. But, bear in mind some positions require you to have a bachelor’s degree to teach.
Search for tutoring gigs on platforms like “Education First”, “FlexJobs”, and “TutorMe”. And of course, you can also check inevitable freelancing platforms (“Upwork” and “Fiverr”).
You can tutor on almost any subject people need help with mastering. However, most of the platforms require some kind of degree or certification for you to teach.
But, don’t lose hope. You can still tutor online without a degree.
How to become a tutor without a degree?
You might not have a degree, but you can leverage other factors. Your profound knowledge of the subject matter, skills, and relevant experience will help you land a tutoring gig.
The most common tutoring subject for non-teacher is teaching the English language. Of course, you need to know your grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. So it’s best to go through the materials and remind yourself before you apply for any tutoring position.
Look for platforms that are willing to hire tutors without any official certification. Platforms like “Preply”, “Tutors.com”, “AmazingTalker”, and “Tutlo”, to name a few.
3. Complete paid surveys
If you’ve never tried paid online surveys before, now is the time. There are many reasons why paid surveys are a great idea. But choosing where you work, when you work, and earning money with no special skills belongs at the top.
Paid surveys give you the freedom to make money no matter where you are. You can literally be standing in a line, sitting in a bar, or riding on a bus. It saves you the time you would spend scrolling and generates a side income. Even though you won’t make a fortune, you can earn extra money every month.
Get started with paid online surveys
It’s really easy to start making money with paid surveys.
Start by signing up for free to one of the paid survey platforms, such as Shoppanel and Survimo. Then, fill out your profile honestly and as much as possible. This will help you receive more fitting surveys for you.
Once you get your first survey to the email, you can start earning money. It’s important to answer your questions honestly, and choose surveys that pay well. But keep in mind that sometimes the length of a survey dictates the money you get for it. So, longer surveys usually pay out more.
Make sure to keep all your personal information to yourself. Such as social security number, ID, or driver’s license. If a website is looking for this info or for your payment first, it’s a clear sign of a scam. So it’s best to go with the trusted platforms that we mention here.
4. Freelance writing
If you have a knack for writing then you got yourself a perfect online side gig. It goes without saying that you need to be proficient in the language you’re writing in and have good grammar knowledge.
There are tools to make the writing process easier and more accurate, but before you get to that, let’s start with the basics.
Becoming a freelance writer is an in-demand job today. It can become your part-time online job, or a full-time one – it’s your call.
You can write content for blogs, produce articles, or write catchy phrases to sell products/services. As a matter of fact, the number of ways you can monetize your writing is vast. So it’s best to search the internet yourself and check out all the available online gigs to find something of your interest.
Some people made a fortune by blogging. But, it takes time and dedication. But even if you’re just looking for ways to earn extra cash, you should go for it! As you get more skilled as a writer and build up a portfolio, you can raise your rates and earn even more.
5. Virtual assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant is the most common of online side gigs. It can usually be done without any experience, and you might need to possess some standard computer skills. The money you’ll earn varies on the job you’re doing and your skillset. But you can make it your great source of side income.
But what do virtual assistants do?
- Schedule meetings
- Email correspondence
- Organize and enter data
- Coordinate the logistics
- Handle all the administration
- Help with marketing
And the list goes on. Once you type in “Virtual assistant jobs” and hit “enter”, you’ll discover that you can’t put your finger on a specific type of job a VA does.
You can check out the platforms such as “Fancy Hands”, “VA Staffer”, and “Outsourcing Angel” to look for virtual assistant gigs.
6. Customer support representative
If you’re good with people and don’t mind chatting online, you should consider chat support gigs as your source of extra income.
To get started with this job, you’ll need a stable internet connection and a laptop. It goes without saying that you need good communication skills to get hired. You might need to take some time to learn about the procedures and the company you work for. So you can be of help to customers.
A typical customer service job requires you to answer customers and solve their issues. Or provide them with the requested information. Sometimes the hours are not as flexible as with other online side gigs, but it’s worth a try.
The final word on online side gigs
Online side gigs are always a popular way to generate more income without working a full-time job. So you can do them even if you already have a regular job. But, it’s practical for stay-at-home parents and students as well.
Some gigs pay out more than others. And as much as it depends on the type of job itself, it highly depends on your skills and experience too. So don’t get demoralized if you’re not making a lot of money. Your price will grow as you spend more time doing the job.
However, it is called a side gig for a reason. Unless you decide to make it your full-time job, you won’t become rich with it, but you can earn decent money.
You can find more ideas for side hustles to boost your bank account in this article.