In the context of this article, part-time remote work is done away from the office. Remote work, in general, gets bad PR. Late payments, inconsistent clients, and sometimes you’ll do way too much work for little pay.
Who wants that?
However, remote work might be the best option for you if you are:
- A student looking for a source of income to sustain them in school.
- An employee looking for a side hustle.
- An employee looking to transition from their job and to dip their toes into a new career.
- Anyone with the relevant skills and some time on their hands.
Part-time remote work includes:
- Transcription
- Writing
- Voice over
- Video editing
- Translation
- Virtual assistant
- Graphic designer
You do a part-time remote job from the comfort of your home. The hours are flexible, and all you need to start is often just a working computer and internet connection.
But if you prefer to watch a video instead, click here:
1. Transcription
Transcription is a business service that converts audio into a written or electronic text document. It can be live audio or a recording.
As a part-time transcription worker, your job is to listen to audio and then write down what you hear so the information is available in a written format.
This is how you know if transcription might be a good fit for you: take the free Transcription quiz by Transcription Certification Institute. A lot of websites that hire transcribers usually have internal guidelines, but there is always a standard to be maintained when it comes to transcription. Ensure you learn the basics of the industry before getting started.
Transcription can get technical. It helps to have knowledge in legal, medical, or scholarly fields so you can land remote technical transcription jobs. You might also need access to industry-specific manuals for technical jobs: the manuals should be provided by the client.
What is the difference between translation, transcription, and interpretation?
What you need to get started as a transcriber
Computer\Laptop
You can choose between a desktop and a laptop, depending on your preference.
Internet Access
This one is obvious, but you’ll also need the internet to research any difficult words you come across.
Transcription Software
This one might just be for independent transcribers as a lot of companies hiring for transcription will have their own software. When you need to, use programs like Express Scribe, OTranscribe, and Transcribe.
You might be thinking, ‘why not just type directly into Microsoft Word and save myself all the trouble?’
Well, typing into a special transcription editor will, in fact, save you a lot of time. You can easily slow down the speech, pause, rewind, and fast forward as you need to.
Headset
Make sure the headphones are comfortable. Also, make sure they are good quality headphones because you will be working with difficult audio that is hard to hear when using ordinary headphones
Keyboard
Get one that has an ergonomic design since you will be typing a lot. This type of keyboard helps you avoid straining your wrists
A comfortable chair
Procure a chair that provides support and comfort for your back and neck. Also, a chair that has an adjustable height is a plus as you can position yourself comfortably when doing your transcription gigs. Sometimes it can take hours to transcribe audio (or to do any part-time remote job) so find somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit.
Foot pedal
This is optional. It makes it easier to play, fast forward, or rewind the audio. You might not need one when starting, but as you grow your skill and get jobs that require you to transcribe longer hours, consider investing in a foot pedal.
Some More Transcription Tools you will need.
Word processing software
You can install Microsoft Office or WordPerfect. Make sure you are well versed in these programs.
Dictionary\Thesaurus
You should correctly transcribe every word you hear in the audio file.
Time tracking software
When doing remote part-time work, you have options when it comes to how you are paid. Some jobs pay hourly, others pay per task. Depending on the job you land, you’ll need a system to track how much progress you have made, and for this task using time tracking software can be of great help.
File converting software
This comes in handy when the client wants the final transcript to be in a specific format: pdf, jpg, docx.
2. Part-Time Remote Work: Writing
This is another big branch of the part-time remote work universe.
Types of Part-time remote Writing Jobs
Here are a few examples of writing jobs you can do. This list does not cover all the different varieties of writing, just the major ones to get you started.
Article/Feature writing
As an article writer, you get to write about topics that you are passionate about, have an interest in, or an expert at. This way you can write stories you want and carve a niche for yourself.
Social Media Content Creation
It has now become a necessity for businesses to have a social media presence. Most businesses prefer to outsource their content creation. Planning, writing, and scheduling social media posts can be exhausting, not to mention keeping with the engagement on multiple social media sites.
While this might be time-consuming work for companies, part-time remote workers live for these kinds of gigs.
To bag this type of job, one has to have an understanding of how social media works; how to interact with the audience and respond to their queries. You should also have a creative bone in you since social media is about catchy content and visuals that appeal to the audience.
Magazines/Newspapers
There is this myth that print journalism is dying, do not let that dissuade you from applying for this type of job. Aside from traditional news outlets, there also countless online magazines that publish features and news pieces.
There are many more part-time content writing jobs that include writing eBooks, whitepapers, advertising copy, website copy, and press releases.
How to become a paid freelance writer.
Editing
Freelance editors provide editing services to clients or businesses that want their content checked for errors or redundancies. This job requires you to be extra attentive towards details so no errors escape your eye. As a freelance writer, you can learn some editing skills so as a way to diversify your portfolio and increase your income.
To establish yourself as a writer you need to have a good portfolio. You also need to put yourself out there because these types of jobs will never just come to you.
One last thing…
Don’t depend on one client for all your work. Even if just working part-time, diversity your sources of income. Anything can happen (cough* COVID-19) and you might lose clients because of it.
3. Translation
This skill is relevant in advertising, branding, and even the entertainment industry where there is always a new audience to market to. As a remote translator, your job will involve converting content from one language to another, taking into account the differences in culture and context.
Learn all about how to become a professional in translation.
Localized content is important, and there is plenty of work to go around for freelancers.
4. Voice Over
Voice-over is a production technique that uses a voice from an external source to create a narrative in film-making, television production, advertising, documentaries, audiobooks, and e-learning guides. The voice-over is usually part of the script. It can be spoken during the production or after by a specialist voice talent.
Is voice-over work from home for you? Find out here.
Qualities of a Professional Voiceover Artist
A good voice over artist will make your customers connect with your products and services.
How to make a good voice actor hire.
Here’s what you need to become a professional remote voice over talent:
Flexibility
How good are you with different accents? What is the quality of your voice? How clear is your voice?
Pacing
You should know to pace yourself in between lines. The right rhythm gives personality to the voiceover.
Enunciation
How you pronounce your words is very crucial and could determine the success of a project. One should have exemplary enunciation skills. Poor pronunciation can damage the image of a brand.
Voice Acting
Voice over is not just about reading some words of a page: you should also give those words character. The ability to act is important as it gives life and personality to the script.
Getting your voice over career started.
5. Part-Time Remote Video Editing
Video editing is the process of piecing video clips together and manipulating video shots to create a new work. It is part of the post-production process. Editing includes trimming, adding transitions, and special effects.
Skills that you require to be a good Video Editor
Storytelling
A video editor’s job is to use footage, graphics, and sound to tell a story. As an editor, you should see the story through your audience’s eyes. Therefore, you should consider how your edits will affect the story and affect the audience emotionally.
Knowledge of editing tools
This is very essential. Taking a relevant course will certainly help you sharpen your skills. You can start by using editing tools for beginners like Apple iMovie and Adobe Premiere.
Versatility
An editor’s job is never just about editing. You need to know how to work with audio, color, and visual effects. If these are areas you are not well versed in, take some time to learn these skills so you can have more to offer your clients.
Have good instincts
Editing work is mostly technical stuff, so when it comes to the creative part, the remote editor has to rely on their instincts to know when to make a cut, what special effects to add, and how to transition between scenes.
Video editors must have both technical and creative skills for the best results.
Attention to detail
The editor is the final stop before the client sees the video. This editor should, therefore, catch all the previous mistakes and ensure they don’t make any mistakes themselves.
Finally, you need a lot of coffee as you are in for some long nights. Part-time remote work is just as exhausting, but the difference is that you get to do something you actually enjoy.
Learn more about the creative career of a freelance video editor.
6. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is a freelancer who provides administrative, creative, and technical assistance to their clients from the comfort of their home or a remote location. Their tasks may include making travel arrangements, managing email accounts, making phone calls, scheduling appointments, social media services, marketing services, blog writing, and so on.
How to become a part-time virtual assistant.
Be flexible
Show your ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
You should be tech-savvy.
Basic computer skills are a must. And you should also be knowledgeable about the client’s industry and the tools used. For instance, you might need to prepare a Powerpoint presentation or an Excel analysis.
Time management is essential in part-time remote work
Since the job is remote, you will likely set your own hours. Working fast and efficiently will increase your chances of landing virtual assistant gigs in the future.
Good communication skills.
You should be able to clearly communicate and have a good command of the English language, especially if you are looking to be hired globally.
Reliability
As an assistant, your role will affect a lot of administrative processes in the office. You need to keep time and communicate ahead if you are not able to deliver a task as agreed upon.
Willingness and ability to learn.
Even if it’s just part-time work, don’t be afraid of any opportunities that come along with it. Grow your craft and you might end up making a career out of it.
Tips to Land Part-Time Remote Work
Always be prepared.
People tend to confuse part-time with easy. Remote work is just like any other ‘normal’ job. You need to possess a certain skill set before you can be hired. And clients expect you to deliver quality work and on time as well.
Update your resume, ask for testimonials from previous clients, pitch non-stop. Remote work that pays well is hard to find, so don’t downplay anything. Always be ready to answer your clients’ questions openly and on time.
Finally, remote work can be good for you. Other than the extra money, part-time remote work makes you acquire knowledge on different topics. You might even discover interests you never knew you had.
