–Hey Taylor – I’m actually asking this question on behalf of my son, who’s in his third year of college and keeps telling me he’s going to get a remote job to help pay the bills when he graduates. Is this really an option? Is it as easy as he makes it sound?
–Hey Amy – I guess to answer this question I’d have to know a little bit about your son, and whether he has the right job skills or is just relentlessly optimistic. It’s definitely easier to get an online job than it was a few years ago. How much that job will pay and whether your son is qualified for the work is a different matter.
1. Lucrative remote work. I know dozens and dozens of people who make a lot of money from the comfort of a home office, couch, or coffee shop. A software engineer or a developer can easily make six figures and never set foot in an office or meet their coworkers directly. That said, the best-paying jobs usually come with a degree and a lot of experience. I don’t think many companies are handing out salaries to recent college grads who don’t have at least a little relevant experience under their belts. That’s not to say your son isn’t a candidate for freelance work and part-time projects, which can bring in relatively good money. It’s just a question of what type of work he’s after.
2. Interest + abilities. The best way for someone to start getting remote work is to identify what they’re good at and what kind of work they want to do. Some college kids make their money doing focus groups or proofreading AI-generated text that’s geared toward the college demographic. Others focus on their area of study and look for jobs editing articles relevant to their field. Even if your son can’t get his dream job in the next year or two, the type of career he wants to have should inform the online work he applies for. Also, if he’s serious about landing remote work, he should be using these years to build up whatever kind of portfolio employers will want to see once he starts applying for jobs.
3. Industries. There are a few fields where someone without a beefy resume can still find work. There are entry-level HR jobs for remote medical companies and travel sites. Customer support work exists for just about every big business with a website, and a lot of companies hire seasonal reps with little-to-no experience. Data entry is tedious work that many companies are willing to outsource, even if the business collecting the data has a physical location. Those are just a few of many, many examples.
To your son’s credit, there is a lot of online work available. Whether or not he’s qualified for it depends on the job and his work history. I think you should support and encourage him to get a remote job, and then do whatever you can to make sure he follows through. Thanks for the question, Amy!
by TAYLOR J KOVAR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
