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Guest post from Anna of Real Ways to Earn Let's face it - phone jobs are fairly common in the work-from-home world. A quick "work-from-home" keyword search on any popular job site will likely bring you pages and pages of results for phone-oriented work. The obvious downside to phone jobs is that many people have legit reasons for not being able to do them. Maybe you have a loud background at home due to kids or pets. Maybe you're hearing impaired. Maybe you don't have a land line phone - or any phone - and can't get one. Maybe you simply aren't a people person and the idea of talking to strangers on the phone all day doesn't appeal to you. Or maybe it's a combination of all of the above! Gratefully, there are quite a few non-phone options out there if a work-at-home phone job just isn't in the cards for you. Here are 6 different options: 1. Chat Support Chat-based customer support is the same as phone support, the obvious difference being that instead of helping customers via live conversation, you're doing so via chat and email so it is completely non-phone. Apple and Needle are two reputable companies that are frequently hiring chat agents to work at home. 2. Search Engine Evaluation This type of work is also referred to as "Google Rating." The work is more complex than I can explain in a few sentences, but to sum up, you are basically helping to ensure that major search engines like Google and Bing are providing the absolute best results possible for every search query typed in. People who tend to excel at search engine evaluation are usually very internet savvy, good at doing online research, and well-versed in popular culture. Some reputable companies to consider for search evaluation include Leapforce, Lionbridge, and Appen. 3. Freelance Writing Freelance writers take on writing assignments from either personal clients or through content sites, blogs, and so forth. The great thing about freelance writing is that it's one of the most flexible non-phone jobs out there. You can work any time of the day or night and take as many breaks as you need provided that deadlines are met. Two companies that are almost always accepting new writers are Textbroker and Demand Media. However, you'll earn the most money as a writer if you work to find private clients so you can set your own rates. 4. Transcription Transcribers listen to audio files and type what they hear. While this may sound easy enough, it actually requires a lot of patience and concentration. Simply put, not everyone is cut out for it. It's one of those things you just have to try out and see if it's a fit for you. The three most common types of transcription are general, medical, and legal. General is the easiest type of transcription to break into as a beginner because many companies will consider you with no past experience. Verbal Ink, Focus Forward, and Quicktate are a few reputable companies with regular openings. 5. Test Scoring As a remote test scorer, you'll be scoring student's standardized tests and essays. This is usually project-based work. In most cases, you'll need at minimum a college degree to qualify. Some companies may require that you have a teaching degree, too. Reputable companies that frequently have home-based scoring openings include Pearson and ETS. 6. Virtual Assisting Virtual assistants have clients who need help with day to day things and provide that help - virtually. While it's true that there are many virtual assistants who do phone work, not all do. Most virtual assistants have different skill sets and the work they do will revolve around these skills, such as writing, graphic design, or social media management. Some well-known companies that regularly hire virtual assistants include Fancy Hands and Worldwide 101. You can also go into business for yourself as a VA and get some private clients. That's usually the most lucrative route. As you can see, there are plenty of non-phone options in the work from home world! Hopefully these suggestions will have you doing some serious thinking about which industry you should pursue for non-phone work and be well on your way to getting started. What about you? Do you have a non-phone work at home job you love? Anna Thurman is a work at home mom and blogger. She's been researching and writing about work from home jobs since 2010. Her findings are published via her website, Real Ways to Earn.
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