The 8 Best Work From Home Jobs That'll Let You Pursue Your Side Hustle

While every bone in your body is aching to quit your 8-to-5 office job, the logical part of your brain kicks in and tells you to first find a safe way to cover your monthly expenses; you need money. So you start looking for opportunities like a remote job that would offer decent pay and tremendous flexibility to pursue your passion projects. Whether it’s part-time work, full-time work or any kind of home-based work, a remote job offers the promise of that work-life balance you need.

Home-based work is evermore common with the accessibility of the internet, so you have a wealth of telecommuting opportunities. If you're not sure where to start, but you’re already equipped with high-speed internet, consult this list to find the best work-at-home job for you.

1. Social Media Content Evaluators

Companies and businesses understand the importance of strong social media profiles. There are agencies like Appen that hire social media evaluators to check the quality of top companies' profiles and make suggestions for engaging their audiences. If you enjoy social media, this position might be a strong fit for you as they offer flexible, part-time work that’s legitimate work. Best of all, this one can be a work-at-home job or a work-from-anywhere job so long as you have high-speed internet and a smartphone or computer.

2. Writers & Editors

If you’re a writer or editor, your skills can go a long way when it comes to telecommuting. There are many companies willing to hire people for these roles, and they usually pay employees per word or per article. Many companies and media outlets offer flexibility so long as you meet their deadlines and deliver the quality for which they are looking. If you’re interested in this route but don’t have a portfolio yet, consider trying to contribute guest articles to larger publications such as Elite Daily, Thought Catalog, LinkedIn and Elephant Journal. Doing so is a great way to showcase your writing samples during the application process.

3. Foreign Language Translators and Tutors

Websites like Verbling and Verbal Planet make it possible for people all over the world to find a tutor who is fluent in any language — including English! Teaching English to students looking for lessons is an easy way to earn money while creating your own schedule.

If you’re fluent in two languages, you may be able to provide written and oral translation services. You can create accounts on freelancing sites such as Fiverr and demonstrate your proficiencies. As people continue to connect and collaborate with one another around the world, the demand for translation services will continue to rise — as will the pay.

4. Programmers & Techers

If you have technical skills, you may have a lot of flexibility to work from home as these positions don’t have as many face-to-face interactions with clients. Whether you’re a coder, WordPress developer, security analyst or graphic designer, many companies offer their employees flexible schedules. If you're interested in various projects for various companies, then you might be interested in freelancer sites like Upwork, which makes it easy to find gigs and get working.

5. Virtual Assistants

As entrepreneurs continue to launch and expand their own businesses, virtual assistants are often needed to help with any administrative, marketing and operational support. Virtual assistants can work from anywhere because they often keep connected through communication tools like Skype, email, Asana and Slack. Once a company identifies a reliable virtual assistant, the virtual assistant often has full autonomy and can build their own schedules to ensure deadlines are met.

6. Market Researchers

If you have a marketing background and specialize in email campaigns, digital ad campaigns or market analysis, then you have a strong chance of finding positions that allow you to work remotely. While these positions often require communication with other team members and departments, email and communication channels like Slack often eliminate any challenges.

7. Survey Takers

It sounds crazy, but many companies are willing to pay you for your time to take a survey — often from home. Be careful though as there are many scams online these days. Rule of thumb: You should never have to pay for a real job. If they ask for your credit card information, it’s probably a scam. My Survey and Valued Opinions are two popular survey sites that offer legitimate work.

8. Search Engine Evaluators

Major search engines like Google and Yahoo! need human eyes to verify that internet results are of relevancy and high quality. Given how vast the internet is and how many new websites are created each second, there will always be openings for search engine evaluators. A lot of the positions are part-time and are hired by third-party agencies, and they can be really great gigs if you’re able to pay strong attention to details. There are many agencies that staff for these roles; two of the popular ones are Lionbridge and Leapforce.

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Emily Liou is the founder of CultiVitae, where she teaches, coaches and advises thousands of ambitious corporate professionals seeking career transitions. As a former recruiter and human resources professional, Emily has the inside scoop on what companies are looking for. Her passion is in the area of personal and professional development, and she believes everyone has the ability to cultivate their lives. When not reading books and blogging, Emily is often found exploring $ or $$ restaurants in Los Angeles or rockclimding.