Work Activities That Cannot Be Done From Home
First, let’s talk about the jobs that can’t be done remotely—jobs that require your in-person presence at the office or another specific location. Each company evaluates which positions are eligible for telework on a case-by-case basis (according to the employee’s tasks, position, and work history), but there are some types of job activities that do not lend themselves to being performed remotely. Here are some of the activities the Office of Personnel Management lists in their Telework Guide as eliminating the telework eligibility for employees in the Federal government:
Face-to-face personal contact (e.g., most counseling, medical assessment, some sales)Hands-on operation of equipment, vehicles, or other onsite assetsDirect physical handling of secure materialsActivities dependent on a physical presence (e.g., security guard, forest ranger)
After eliminating those remote work disqualifiers, you can see that a great many office-based jobs could be suitable for working from home, though some might be easier to do at home than others.
Job Types for Telecommuting
Here’s a rule of thumb for deciding if a job is suitable for telecommuting: If your job involves a lot of solo work, can be done as a home-based business, and/or is mostly computer-based, it’s probably ideal for telecommuting. Here is a list of occupations that are ideal for telecommuting:
Accountant, bookkeeper Administrative assistant Auditor, financial analyst Computer programmer, software engineer Data entry clerk Database administrator Engineer Graphic designer, illustrator, desktop publisher Insurance agent Marketing planner, media buyer Medical transcriptionist, medical reviewer Paralegal Public relations professional, speechwriter Researcher, market research analyst Sales rep, customer service rep, travel agent Stockbroker Telemarketer, telephone order taker Translator Website designer Writer, reporter, editor
Companies and Best-Paying Remote Work Jobs
If you want to get started telecommuting—enjoying the benefits of working from home while also being a full-time employee rather than working for yourself—here are some resources to consult. The best companies for telecommuting are companies that have established telecommuting programs and allow employees to work from home at least part-time. The listing site, FlexJobs, compiled a list of work-from-home jobs with the highest salaries, most of which are in the six figures: FlexJobs also evaluated which telecommuting-friendly industries have jobs that are the most in-demand by employers.
Healthcare industry (e.g., medical transcriptionist)Sales (e.g., insurance sales agent or regional sales manager)Computer and information technology (e.g., software developer)Customer service (including computer user support)Education and training (online teachers and tutors)Administrative jobs (e.g., insurance claims processing clerks)Marketing (e.g., market research analyst)Business development (e.g., business analyst)Web and software development (e.g., web developer)Research (e.g., background investigator).
As you can see, jobs that are ideal for telecommuting run the gamut of industry fields. Keep in mind that knowing if telecommuting is right for you is not just about having the right job; it’s also about having the right skills, not necessarily job related, such as being self-motivated and being able to manage your time.
