Anya Prevallet-Kinstle July 3, 2020

What jobs have shifted online due to COVID-19?

Ever since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lifestyle across the globe has taken a sudden shift. People have been homebound and most businesses, as well as commercial operations, have been halted. The workforce has faced an equal jolting change within its landscape and is undergoing the digital transformation in the mean process. Most of the businesses, irrespective of their scale, are now shifting to work from home.

Though it was already in discussion to leverage technology for the future workforce. Due to COVID-19, the anticipated future has already arrived and people have had to adapt to the changing work environment. A lot of companies are now using tools and technologies specifically designed for remote working. This not only allows them to carry out the operations but also to retain the workforce as well. Though the economic operations expected a downfall during the early stages of the pandemic, digital tools and platforms have come to the aid of human beings.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, working in the digital medium is becoming a more valid solution. Worldwide many people and businesses have been affected by the current pandemic, however, online work has remained untouched as a viable as well as a safe alternative to work. 

Lost your job due to coronavirus? Here’s what to do!

A Wave of New Remote Work

The impact of COVID-19 on industrial operations is gradually intensifying with time. People are losing jobs, the supply chain is disrupted, health crises are on the rise and unemployment is at its peak.

The industry which is said to be impacted most by the COVID-19 is the Airline industry, due to border closures, sudden halt of the airline operations as well as countries’ domestic lockdowns. The airline industry in Europe as of now is expected to incur a loss of more than $15 billion and is likely to receive 700 million fewer passengers than usual. On the global level, the airline industry is expected to face a cumulative loss of $254 billion.

The casino and gaming industry is the second-worst hit industry across the globe by the COVID-19 pandemic. This industry is expected to experience a downfall from $521.6 billion in 2019 to $495.6 billion in 2020. The third-worst sector is the leisure facilities industry and the global economy is expected to see a fall of 1.9 percent. 

As the work landscape is changing across the globe, a number of jobs have proved to withstand a pandemic and as the quarantine or lockdown periods are currently indefinite, people are now in search of remote jobs. Remote working is now covering almost every aspect of life in one way or another. From healthcare to education to marketing to information technology, the spread of remote working is quite vast. Irrespective of your experience level, you can find a number of remote jobs that will comply with it and will provide the ultimate flexibility as discussed below:

Online Tutoring

The global Online Tutoring industry is expecting an increase during the lockdown imposed by governments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government and private owned academic institutions are now implementing online learning management systems. The online tutoring market is expected to grow by $132.21 billion between the period 2020-24. Online tutoring is already gaining immense popularity among masses.

A number of people are now joining the online tutoring field and the process is quite simple. All you have to do is to analyze your skill set and join a platform to sell your courses there. Online tutoring can be anything from teaching a language to helping with math. Many platforms do not require teaching degrees but instead experience in the student making online tutoring inclusive for a wide variety of people and backgrounds. 

Some of the platforms that support online tutoring are as follows:

Read our recent interview with a Preply tutor. 

Photo by Julia M Cameron

Online Babysitters

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and lockdowns have been imposed in countries across the globe, most people have been home quarantined with their children. Kids are resuming their education through online systems, whereas, adults are carrying out business operations remotely from home. With such a situation, handling kids while working from home can become a difficult task for parents.

To tackle this situation, online babysitters are now in demand for they keep your kids entertained through screen-based interactions. The demand for virtual baby sitters has increased by 700% between March and April and can earn about $36 per 45-minutes session. Some of the platforms specifically designed for online babysitters are as follows:

  • Care.com
  • Sittercity
  • UrbanSitter
  • Bambino
  • Sitter
Apply for a babysitting job in your city

Read also: Everything you need to know to get a babysitting job

Web Designers

As brick-and-mortar businesses tend to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the only viable solution for them is to rely on e-commerce. This has led to a surge in demand for web designers to design an e-commerce marketplace for them. Last year, online retail sales experienced a growth of 11.4%, which is expected to rise by 12%. 

Though a lot of people have lost jobs, still there are many who are fortunate enough to keep their job operations intact. Among these both, the tendency to spend on online buying is increasing in the latter one. Hence, businesses are trying to leverage the world wide web to meet both ends and are, therefore, employing web designers to meet the criteria. A number of platforms from where one can sign-up as Web Designer are as follows:

Customer Care

Though apparently the consumer buying-in is declining as the lockdown surpasses to an indefinite period, still the demand for the customer support services tend to keep on increasing. The global customer support had increased by 19% during the mid-May period, as compared to last year.

To deal with this situation, a number of platforms have taken upon the responsibility to provide customer care services virtually. Some of the notable ones include:

  1. LiveOps

LiveOps provides customer care representatives to fortune 500 companies. Boasting flexibility and the ability to work remotely.

  1. Assurance

Assurance offers work for those in the life insurance industry. The remote opportunities through them as a life insurance representative offers flexibility as well as benefits. 

  1. Alorica

Alorica employs call center representatives to work from home or remotely. This company offers the benefits of working remotely while also offering sick pay as well as vacation benefits. 

  1. NexRep

NexRep offers work from home customer service opportunities in diverse industries from food to nonprofits to travel.

  1. Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a site that offers a variety of gig work especially those in the customer service industry. The work through Hubstaff Talent is typically longer term while still offering flexibility to those seeking employment. 

Read also:

Selling Things Online

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is creating havoc and uncertainty around the world, the eCommerce industry has seen growth. With the practice of social distancing, many companies have had to move their sales online as well as customers having to move their purchasing online. According to Forbes, online spending hit $82.5 million in the month of May and electronics and apparel purchases have seen an increase of 11% and 12%, respectively.

Setting up an online store is not a challenging task as a number of platforms exist now which allow you to set up online stores. Whether a seller is looking to get rid of old clothes or to sell homemade goods, there are platforms that cater to everyone.

  1. Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace for unique and vintage goods or handcrafted goods to be sold by independent sellers. Etsy has a wide range of product categories from jewelry to furniture to clothing. 

  1. OfferUp

OfferUp is a marketplace that specializes in customer to customer selling services. OfferUp is a platform where goods such as electronics, cars, furniture and other large items are sold. 

  1. Vinted

Vinted is an online clothing, shoe, and accessory marketplace. With vinted sellers are able to sell lightly worn or used items to customers worldwide.

  1. Letgo

Letgo is another local marketplace that allows sellers to post used items that they no longer have use for and sell to people in their local area. 

Personal Trainers

Due to the majority of public spaces being closed down, to reduce the spread of the virus, people cannot work out or continue fitness activities as usual (such as going to the gym or a yoga class). To combat this issue, people are using online platforms to compensate for the training they are missing and maintain a healthy routine. 

Personal training can be done online and allows you to get inspired to keep fit. Personal trainers are able to tailor fitness programs to each individual person and can be easily scheduled to fit into your life.

There are many different forms of online training, but here are some of the companies offering personal training services that can be conducted online:

  1. Bidvine

Bidvine is a UK based freelancing platform that connects personal trainers with people seeking coaching.

  1. Bark

Bark is a freelancing platform available in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand as well as Singapore. Bark offers locals and personal trainers a platform to connect.

  1. Freelancer

Freelancer is an international freelance company. It is a website where personal trainers can get in touch with clients looking to work out while social distancing.  

  1. Fiverr

Fiverr is a well known freelance company that covers just about all freelancing needs not excluding personal trainers. As an international company, it offers to connect trainers with clients in their area or possibly worldwide.

  1. Thumbtack

Thumbtack is a US founded and based site that connects freelancers – personal trainers included – with people looking for services in their area.

These are just some of the thousands of sectors and jobs that are now transitioning to being online. However, it is important (as with any job) that you ensure you have the right skill set before you start. It is also good to note that not all sectors will be able to become fully remote, 

TeleMedicine

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 globally, there has been a change in societal behaviour as well as in the number of interactions being performed digitally. Not only has there been a change in how routine tasks are performed, there has also been a major shift in how we interact with medical professionals. The pandemic has led to a decrease in the number of people who are physically visiting medical professionals (from doctors to pharmacists); these interactions are now becoming virtual. One example is the increase in Prescription delivery startups.

As people are self-isolating and the majority of people who are deemed high-risk are unable to travel, there has been a dramatic increase in prescription delivery services. Recent data from NowRX, a pharmaceutical delivery service, shows an increase of 31% in the number of orders during the beginning of this year. In addition, Breese (another pharmaceutical delivery company) has noted that customer engagement has increased by 84% during that same period.

Venturing into telemedicine has many benefits: including it being a profitable investment during these times. Investors are beginning to focus more and more on investing into telemedicine due to the increase in demand.

These are some of the companies that are providing telemedicine services during the pandemic:

  • AMC Health
  • TaskRabbit
  • Teladoc
  • PillPack
  • CVS

and many may require physical presence. Adaptability will be very important moving forward. 

How to successfully move your job online? 

As technology is advancing, a large majority of sectors are becoming digital. This change has been on a steady increase as technology has advanced over the years, however the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a sharp increase in the usage of digital means to perform tasks. From medicine to grocery shopping, and even art, there are many sectors becoming digital. 

Moving your work online is possible for most sectors. In order to do so, here are some quick tips to help you out:

  • Highlight your skills– Even if you are a barber or a baker, it is all about showing people how to get involved. Making activities accessible from home is important. This could include virtual assistance or consultation services, both of which can be charged per hour. You could also provide your clients with DIY tools or even ready-made products, all of which are easy for them to use from the comfort of their home. 
  • Use digital payment methods – As we move to a more cash-free society, making transactions digital is important for business. This will increase accessibility and ease for business, and means you can access a bigger client base. 
  • Move your tax and other management strategies online – Tracking business inputs and outputs online helps to simplify these processes. Keeping things online can allow you to better manage the cash flows, use a single account for all business transactions as it will allow you to keep a better check of your transactions. Also, you can find lots of help online from consultants who can help with ideas and suggestions catered to your business needs.

You may also like this:

Connect with others, online –  Keep in contact with your customers using both social media and/or email marketing campaigns. Make sure customers are up to date on your latest ventures and promotions as well as getting an insight as to how your customers view your business.