9 Flexible Work-From-Home Jobs with No Set Schedule

Flexibility has become the most desirable aspect of a career. In fact, 92% of job-hunting millennials cite flexibility as their top priority. 

And because the internet plays such a huge part in business these days, the supply is rapidly rising to meet demand. 

Whether you’re looking for a little extra money on the side or something to replace your primary source of income, check out these nine flexible work-from-home jobs that will help you schedule work around life, instead of life around work. 

1. Transcribing and Captioning

Many businesses need audio transcribed and videos captioned. As it is such a time-consuming task, it’s very common for them to outsource to freelancers and independent contractors, making it a great flexible work-from-home option.

Transcription agencies like Rev pay $0.30-$1.10 for every minute transcribed, but it also depends on if you’re transcribing audio or video. It’s ideal for getting your transcribing feet wet, but it’s probably not something from which you can make a full-time income. 

For example, if you earn $0.30 per minute, that’s only $30 for an hour of audio.

Keep in mind that you will be repeatedly replaying parts of the audio to get the transcription accurate, which means making that $30 could realistically take closer to two or three hours.

If you’re serious about transcribing as a career and have the chops, you can start your own transcribing business to make more money. And if you learn specialized types of transcription, like legal or medical, you can make a pretty tidy living! 

VA work is big these days because there are tons of small businesses and solopreneurs who need help with their day-to-day tasks. The term virtual assistant covers a wide range of work and can entail anything from administration to content management and social media management.

One way to break into VA work is to start with an organization like Fancy Hands. These jobs are first come, first serve, which means the higher-paying gigs tend to get snapped up quickly. 

Nevertheless, it is suitable for earning a little bit of side income and is definitely flexible. 

If you’re looking for something with higher income potential, you can look into starting a VA business and finding your own clients. If that prospect sounds a bit overwhelming, take a course like Horkey Handbook’s 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success, which teaches you everything you need to build your own VA biz from scratch. 

If you’re a voracious reader and a stickler for grammar, proofreading is an excellent avenue for earning an income on a flexible schedule!

There are millions of publishers and content creators out there who need help checking their blogs, ebooks, and transcriptions. 

Proofreaders – unlike editors – don’t actually make changes to the document their proofing. They simply make a note of any spelling and grammatical errors. There is a technical side to it though, which means additional training might be needed if you’re looking to launch a proofreading business. (Perhaps the most comprehensive course on the market is Caitlin Pyle’s Proofread Anywhere courses.)

Once you’ve learned the skills, you can find work at companies like Babbletype or source your own clients.

If you’re handy with Boolean search and enjoy digging into statistics, trends, and fact-finding, you might consider becoming an online researcher. 

Businesses often outsource their research to agencies so that they can get the information they need without wasting time by finding and training a researcher. 

One such agency is Wonder. You can apply to become a Wonder researcher by filling out the form on their website. You’ll then be asked to demonstrate your research capabilities by finishing an online quiz and test assignment. 

Once you’re approved, you can log onto your dashboard whenever you have time to work and take on research assignments. 

The pay varies depending on how long it takes you to finish a job, but it typically ranges from $15-$18 per hour.

Flexible customer service jobs are plentiful if you’re a people-person with great communication skills.

Usually, customer service entails helping customers with their questions and troubleshooting problems by phone, email, or online chat. 

You can find such roles on job boards such as FlexJobs, Indeed, or Upwork. 

Alternatively, you can apply to an agency like NexRep, where you can find customer service work as an independent contractor in a variety of industries, including food, fashion, hospitality, and nonprofit. 

The application process at NexRep is relatively straightforward. Once you’re determined to be a good fit for the company, you need to complete their online certification before working with clients. The pay is typically somewhere in the $10-$20 range, and scheduling is flexible. 

Online tutoring is another popular option for making money on a flexible schedule. 

Cambly is another option for helping teach English to people all over the world. At $10.20 per hour, the pay is less than VIPKID, but you can apply even if you have no experience; you only need to be fluent in English.

7. Freelance Writing

Opportunities for freelance writing have exploded over the past decade, and there is no shortage of writing gigs available for those who enjoy writing and have a solid grasp on English grammar.

Although writing gigs usually come with expectations on turnaround time and deadlines, when you do the writing is totally up to you, making it a super flexible option. 

And despite popular belief, you do not need to have a journalism degree to be a well-paid freelancer. 

That said, making money as a freelancer can be tricky when you’re a beginner. Many rookies fall into the trap of writing for content mills, which are organizations that churn out dirt-cheap content by paying their writers pennies for their work. 

It’s far more profitable to find freelance writing clients by building a portfolio and finding work through job boards like Contena and Problogger. 

Horkey Handbook also offers a fantastic course on building a freelance writing business from scratch called 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success.

Translation is an excellent option if you are bilingual.  

You can find work with translation agencies like Speakt or Gengo. Depending on what languages you can speak and how much you work, these kinds of agencies can help you earn an extra few hundred dollars per month.

You can also be a freelance translator and source your own clients. (It’s something that might work well as a VA offering!)

9. Project Work and “Micro Tasks” for Online Companies

Smaller, one-off tasks are ideal for side-income and offer the ultimate flexibility; you just pop online whenever you feel like working and take your pick from the available tasks.

You can apply to organizations like Lionbridge and Appen, which offer a wide variety of work, from marketing and sales to interpreting and testing. 

Or, if you’re looking to get out and about, Gigwalk is another company that offers pay for going out to stores and photographing displays.

Conclusion

When it comes to finding flexible work from home jobs with no set schedule, you definitely have choices! 

If you’re just testing the waters or only need a little extra side-income, you may find success with the many online companies that offer flexible work. 

Or you can launch your own business. As a business owner, you can work whenever and wherever you want, plus it has the potential to become your primary source of income! 

Corrie Alexander is a content creator and logistics nerd from Toronto, Ontario. Her climb up the corporate ladder cultivated her interest in the topic of career development, a passion rivaled only by her love of exercise and strong coffee. As an alumna of both Horkey Handbook’s Freelance Writing and Virtual Assistant courses, Corrie loves helping other bloggers and small business owners grow! Visit her website, thefitcareerist.com.

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